Battle of Almenara

The battles of Almenara is an episode of the War of succession of Spain which took place the July 27th 1710. She opposed the troops of Philippe V to those of the archduke Charles. The armies of Philippe V, overcome, had to evacuate Catalonia and to be folded up on the Èbre.

Context

In spring 1710, the Spanish army, crossing the Sègre on March 15th, invades the Catalogne since the Aragon. May 3rd, Philippe V rejoined his army and took the head of it.

On its side, the army of Imperial was joined by the archduke Charles in June. The next month, the general Guido Starhemberg accepted reinforcements what determined it to attack the invaders. He crosses the Noguera and discussed the heights of Almenara, a borough of Catalogne to 14km in the North-West of Lérida.

Lord Stanhope, with the head of the English task force, crosses in its turn Sègre with Balaguer (in the north of Lerida) and progressed towards the bridge of Alfarras, which it crosses with his troops on July 27th.

The battle

The marquis de Villadarias, ordering the Spanish army, started the attack by a load of cavalry which was initially crowned success, but dispersed in a futile continuation of runaways.

The English infantry then attacked the Spanish left side which escaped, and carried even the second enemy line. Then the Austrians attacked and destroyed the right side, where Philippe V missed losing the life, and had to flee.

Consequences

The Spanish troops had to evacuate the Catalogne. Villadarias was raised of the command and was replaced by the Marquis de Bay, which was folded up with the remaining Spanish battalions and went towards on the Èbre, in direction of Saragossa.

References

Lynn, John A. The Wars off Louis XIV, 1667-1714. Longman, (1999). ISBN 0-582-05629-2

External bonds

Description of the battle of Almenara (be:)

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