Battle of Albuera

With the Battle of Albuera which was held the May 16th 1811 during the war of Spain, the Britanniques allies, Spanish and Portuguese push back the French Army of the marshal Soult with Albuera, with approximately 20 kilometers in the south of Badajoz, in Spain.

Context

The French try to renew their invasion of the Portugal of the previous year. Soult puts its troops moving to release Badajoz, besieged by the English whereas Masséna makes in the same way towards Almeida. The French are pushed back with heavy losses.

The Anglo-Portuguese combined forces are under the command of William Carr Beresford, marshal of the Portuguese army, the Spanish forces are ordered by the general Joaquín Blake.

Wellington spends the winter 1810 - 1811 to hold to it solid line of fortifications of Torres Vedras which protects Lisbon. The troops of Masséna, incompetents to take it by storm, winter opposite this line. They undergo difficulties of supply, and have problems of survival. In March 1811, Masséna recognizes the intolerable character of the situation and is folded up on the fortress of Ciudad Rodrigo, located in Spain at the border with Portugal. This fortress keeps the road of Portugal with Salamanque. It leaves a small garrison in the Portuguese fortress of Almeida. The wintering vis-a-vis the lines of Torres Vedra and the precipitated retirement largely destroyed the offensive capacity of its army.

In the south of the Tage, the Portuguese fortress of Elvas and the Spanish fortress of Badajoz are drawn up on the same road going of Portugal towards Madrid. The French operations in this zone are under the responsibility of Soult, which is in addition very occupied, amongst other things to continue the seat of Cadiz). In January 1811, Soult skin lines making the seat of cheap, in order to gather an army of countryside and to make movement towards Badajoz. The British and Spanish forces benefit from it to try to break the seat, by starting the Bataille of Barrosa the March 8th, which is a tactical defeat for the French, but is not exploited in order to break the seat. Badajoz capitulates the March 10th, and Soult turns over without waiting in the area of Seville in order to take again the seat of Cadiz and to prevent any repetition of the conditions which had led to Barrosa.

Wellington considers that the four fortresses mentioned above must be taken in order to protect Portugal from all new invasion, and to allow the entry in Spain of the Anglo-Portuguese forces. It thus decides to divide its forces and to try to take at the same time Almeida and Badajoz. 20.000 men, including 10.000 British, under the orders of Beresford are assigned to the seat of Badajoz, whereas itself goes with approximately twice this manpower on Almeida.

It does not have however really the material of seat necessary, and carries out the blockade of Almeida, with a force of cover in the East. The attack of this position by Masséna is pushed back with the Bataille of Fuentes de Oñoro the May 5th. Consequently, Almeida is evacuated by the French garrison, the May 11th, during one of the episodes more humiliating history of the British army: the garrison in its entirety slips through the lines of seat without losing a man nor to cause alarm.

During this time, Beresford gathers its material starting from old Portuguese guns coming from Elvas, and begins the operations of seat against Badajoz the May 8th. With 591 men of the regiment of Uhlan S Polish of the the Vistula and a regiment of Pomegranate S, coming from the four regiments of infantry of the Duchy of Warsaw, under the orders of the colonel Varrere (that is to say approximately 24.000 men), Soult walk with the help of the city. Beresford makes movement towards Albuera, strong position of cover on a North-South directed peak, near the road Badajoz - Seville and to 20 km of Badajoz. 12.000 Spanish soldiers, under the orders of Blake stationed in the south further, walk to join it.

The May 15th the screen of cavalry of Beresford extremely of 2.500 men is easily driven back Right Bank of the Albuera river by the French cavalry. In the first hours of the May 16th, without the knowledge of Soult, the forces of Blake join those of Beresford, and are deployed in the south of the position.

Course of the battle

The plan of Soult is to pretend, with a brigade, an attack on the town of Albuera and to keep large its forces for a broad movement of side by the south, directed against the allied right wing. Four groups of Uhlan S Polish cross Albuera. The Long general answers by deploying two squadrons of the 3rd dragons of the guard.

The first squadron of this regiment is destroyed by the two Polish groups. When the second squadron attacks, and when fire becomes too intense, the Poles beat a retreat on other side of the river, under the fire of the British dragons. The Poles count 14 dead and 3 wounded, against 20 died and wounded among British.

A brigade of French infantry ordered by the general Godin pushes back a brigade of the German Royal Legion (King' S German Legion) of the general von Alten. They cross the river on a bridge but undergo heavy losses of Portuguese artillery, which causes the withdrawal of the village of part of German.

French side attacks

Beresford detects the movement of Soult and tries to redeploy its forces. Spanish forces (on which the attack of side must fall) receive the order to face the south. The 2nd British division of the Stewart general posted behind Albuera is replaced by a division Portuguese and made movement towards the south in order to extend the right side towards the West, remaining spread out behind the Spaniards. The 4th division of the general Sticks residence in reserve. However Blake, which orders the Spaniards, refuses to move its troops because it is sure that the principal attack will relate to the village of Albuera.

When Ve French body of the general Girard begins his attack against three Spanish divisions of the generals Zayas, Lardizabel and Ballesteros, only Zayas with taken the initiative to make align its men and can face the attack. The sides of Ve body are covered by assembled artillery. On the left side of Ve body, a French division of dragons, under the command of the general Latour-Maubourg gives an opinion. On its right side division is held of infantry of the Werle general.

Destruction of the brigade of Colborne

The 2nd division of infantry of the Stewart general, accompanied by a battery of the KLG, fact movement to give assistance to the Spaniards of Zayas. The brigade of Colborne advances deployed on line to make fire on the left side of the French column which attacks. The French are struck down and Stewart orders the load. However, at this time there, a downpour reduces the visibility, making very difficult the firing of the mousquet. The British infantry is deployed on line, with little or at all of firepower and ignorant owing to the fact that the French cavalry, which carried out a broad movement of side, is on its line and behind it.

At this time, the general Latour-Maubourg sends the regiment of Uhlan S and the 10th regiment of Hussard S against them. The three British regiments (3rd, the 2/48e and the 66e regiment of infantry) are almost completely destroyed. The 31e regiment of infantry succeeds in forming the square right in time to save destruction by the lancers free-Polish. The Uhlan S capture five flags and five guns of the battery of the KLG. During this time, troops attack a battalion of the 31e, but are pushed back. The uhlans attack then a Spanish brigade ordered by the general of Espana and the state major of Beresford. Part of the Spanish troops, mainly those of divisions of Ballesteros and Lardizabal escape. This part of the battle ends in an attack without success of the 4th British regiment of dragons, which loses 27 men.

The attack fails

The French attack falls then on the brigade from Houghton from the 2nd division, which holds on the spot in spite of heavy losses. Early in the battle colonel William Inglis, of the 57e regiment of infantry (West Middlesex) is wounded by grapeshot which perforates one of its lungs. There refuses to be carried with the back and remains lying with the foot of the colors. Throughout the battle one could intend his voice to repeat " calmly; Sell your life 57e dearly, sell…." . While making what of them was required the 57e gains an imperishable nickname " The hard ones with cuire" and the only regiment to have the right to carry the distinction " Albuhera" as well on their colors as on the badge of their cap. Until there the battle was held well for the French. However, Soult realizes that Blake made its junction with Beresford and he hesitates to engage his reserves.

The 4th division of Beresford under the orders of Lowry Cole goes up then to the attack of the peak while coming from the west. The brigade of Fusiliers, the 11/23 Portuguese brigade and the 7th Portuguese hunter are distinguished there particularly. They push back the loads of cavalry of the dragons and the Uhlan S, and advance at short distance of the French columns. They exchange shootings of mousquet during 20 minutes, suffering the loss from 1.000 men. The French infantry suffered at least also hard, but ends up releasing when the British survivors launch a violent load to the bayonet.

Engagement finishes in a nonconclusive way after a very bloody combat, the Polish cavalry of Soult destroys a whole British brigade, whereas the Spaniards push back one of the most powerful attacks of French infantry of this war.

Consequences

Soult did not manage not to make raise the seat of Badajoz, which is abandoned a little later, when the marshal Auguste Marmont joint his forces with his. The city falls to the hands from the allies only in April 1812.

Albuera had little effect on unfolding of the war. But the effectiveness of the Polish lancers led the Britannique army to convert some regiments of cavalry into lancers after Waterloo. This battle also confirmed the combative quality of the Portuguese Army after its reorganization by the British.

Sources

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