Saguntum and Valencia order of battle
![Black and white print labeled Bataille de Sagonte shows a battle with cavalrymen fighting in the foreground.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/80/Bataille_Sagonte.jpg/350px-Bataille_Sagonte.jpg)
The Battle of Saguntum (25 October 1811) saw the Imperial French Army of Aragon under Marshal Louis Gabriel Suchet defend against a Spanish army led by Captain General Joaquín Blake. The Spanish attempt to raise the siege of the Sagunto Castle failed when the French, Italians, and Poles drove their troops off the battlefield in rout. The 20,000 French inflicted 6,000 casualties on their more numerous opponents, including many prisoners, while sustaining only about 1,000 casualties.[1]
Suchet hoped to quickly seize Sagunto Castle, but the 2,600-man Spanish garrison repulsed two of his assaults with several hundred casualties. Blake hoped to force Suchet to retreat by cutting off his supplies. The guerillas inflicted two stinging defeats on the French-Allied forces, but ultimately failed to shake Suchet's resolve. Blake reluctantly ordered his army to relieve the siege, even though he was not confident in the ability of his soldiers to face Suchet's veterans. Blake heavily weighted his left wing while keeping his best troops in the weaker right wing. The Spanish left wing attacked the much weaker French right flank and was completely routed by French infantry and Italian cavalry. The Spanish right wing gave a much better account of itself, forcing Suchet to commit all his reserves before forcing it to withdraw. Eventually, the French cavalry put the whole Spanish army to rout. Their hopes of relief dashed, the garrison of Sagunto Castle quickly surrendered. The action took place during the Peninsular War, part of the Napoleonic Wars. Sagunto lies a short distance from the east coast of Spain, about 30 kilometres (19 mi) north of Valencia, Spain.[1]
The Siege of Valencia (3 November 1811 – 9 January 1812) saw Suchet's army envelop and besiege most of Blake's army in the city of Valencia. The 30,000 French troops compelled 16,000 Spanish soldiers to surrender at the conclusion of the siege, although another 7,000 Spaniards escaped from the trap. Suchet quickly converted Valencia into an important base of operations. Valencia, modern-day capital of the Valencian Community, is located on the east coast of Spain.[2]
Blake army waited passively in a line of fortifications outside Valencia. Reinforced by 13,000 Franco-Italian troops, the bulk of Suchet's army marched around the Spanish left flank and rolled up Blake's lines. Another Imperial French division managed to break through the Spanish right flank. The right and left Imperial pincers closed around Valencia. Two-thirds of Blake's army retreated within the city while the remainder withdrew to the west. After an abortive attempt to break out, Blake surrendered after a two-month siege.[2]
Orders of Battle
[edit]French-Allied Army
[edit]Division | Strength at Saguntum |
Strength at Valencia |
Brigade | Units | Strength at Saguntum |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st Division General of Division Louis François Félix Musnier |
4,829 | 3,727 | General of Brigade Louis Benoît Robert |
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1,637 |
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863 | ||||
General of Brigade Florentin Ficatier Guarding line of communications (LOC) |
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1,200 | |||
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1,129 | ||||
2nd Division General of Division Jean Isidore Harispe |
4,762 | 4,828 | General of Brigade Marie Auguste Paris |
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1,639 |
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1,147 | ||||
General of Brigade Józef Chłopicki |
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1,226 | |||
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750 | ||||
3rd Division General of Division Pierre-Joseph Habert |
3,459 | 3,150 | General of Brigade Louis François Élie Pelletier, Count Montmarie |
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802 |
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1,317 | ||||
General of Brigade Nicolas Bronikowski |
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1,340 | |||
Italian Division General of Division Giuseppe Federico Palombini Three battalions guarding LOC |
6,219 | 3,591 | General of Brigade Vertigier Saint Paul |
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2,200 |
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1,660 | ||||
General of Brigade Éloi Charles Balathier |
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930 | |||
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1,429 | ||||
Neapolitan Division General of Division Claude Antoine Compère |
1,391 | 1,092 | unbrigaded | ![]() |
446 |
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560 | ||||
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385 | ||||
Cavalry General of Brigade André Joseph Boussart |
2,405 | 1,839 | unbrigaded Two squadrons (500) of 4th Hussars guarding LOC |
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750 |
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436 | ||||
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584 | ||||
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466 | ||||
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169 | ||||
Artillery & Engineers | 3,068 | 2,368 | General of Division Sylvain Charles Valée |
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1,805 |
General of Division Joseph Rogniat |
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600 | |||
unknown | ![]() |
663 | |||
Grand Total | 26,133 | 20,595 | – | – | 26,133 |
Division Reille General of Division Honoré Charles Reille |
– | 2,834 | General of Brigade Claude Marie Joseph Pannetier |
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– |
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– | ||||
3,961 | General of Brigade Jean Raymond Charles Bourke |
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– | ||
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– | ||||
Division Severoli General of Division Filippo Severoli |
– | 4,370 | unbrigaded | ![]() |
– |
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– | ||||
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– | ||||
Cavalry Reille's Corps | – | 543 | unbrigaded | ![]() |
– |
262 | unbrigaded | ![]() |
– | ||
Artillery Reille's Corps | – | 1,153 | unbrigaded | ![]() ![]() |
– |
Total Reille's Corps | – | 13,123 | – | – | – |
Spanish Army
[edit]Corps | Division | Strength at Saguntum |
Surrendered at Valencia |
Units |
---|---|---|---|---|
Expeditionary Corps |
Division General José de Lardizábal |
2,972 | 3,550 | Murcia Infantry Regiment, two battalions |
2nd Badajoz Infantry Regiment, two battalions | ||||
Campo Mayor Light Infantry Regiment, one battalion | ||||
Tiradores de Cuenca Battalion | ||||
Division General José Pascual de Zayas y Chacón |
2,550 | 1,415 | 2nd Spanish Guards Infantry Regiment, one battalion | |
4th Spanish Guards Infantry Regiment, one battalion | ||||
Walloon Guards Infantry Regiment, one battalion | ||||
Toledo Infantry Regiment, one battalion | ||||
Ciudad Rodrigo Infantry Regiment, one battalion | ||||
Voluntaros de la Patria Regiment, one battalion | ||||
Legion Estrangera Regiment, one battalion | ||||
Independent Cazadores companies | ||||
Cavalry General Loy |
294 | – | Horse Grenadier Regiment, two squadrons | |
Rey (King's) Regiment, one squadron | ||||
Castilla Hussar Regiment, one squadron | ||||
Artillery | 225 | – | Horse Artillery, two batteries | |
Valencian Corps 2nd Army Lieutenant General Charles O'Donnell |
Division General José Miranda |
3,964 | 5,750 | Valencia Infantry Regiment, three battalions |
Avila Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion | ||||
Volunteers of Castile Regiment, two battalions | ||||
Cazadores of Valencia Regiment, 2nd Battalion | ||||
Division General José Obispo |
3,400 | – | Carineña Infantry Regiment, two battalions | |
Avila Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion | ||||
Daroca Infantry Regiment, one battalion | ||||
Volunteers of Aragon Regiment, 1st Battalion | ||||
Tiradores of Doyle Regiment, one battalion | ||||
Division General Pedro Villacampa |
3,352 | – | Princesa Infantry Regiment, two battalions | |
Soria Infantry Regiment, two battalions | ||||
Molina Infantry Regiment, one battalion | ||||
Volunteers of Aragon Regiment, 2nd Battalion | ||||
Cazadores of Valencia Regiment, 1st Battalion | ||||
Reserve General Velasco |
3,670 | 3,301 | Volunteers of Castile Regiment, 3rd Battalion | |
Avila Infantry Regiment, 3rd Battalion | ||||
Don Carlos Infantry Regiment, 3rd Battalion | ||||
Cazadores of Valencia Regiment, 3rd Battalion | ||||
Cavalry General San Juan |
1,721 | 895 | Alcantara Cavalry Regiment | |
Reina (Queen's) Cavalry Regiment | ||||
Rey (King's) Dragoon Regiment | ||||
Valencia Cazadores Regiment | ||||
Aragon Hussar Regiment | ||||
Españoles Hussar Regiment | ||||
Grenada Hussar Regiment | ||||
Numancia Hussar Regiment | ||||
Cuenca Cavalry Regiment | ||||
Artillery | 361 | – | Horse Artillery, one battery | |
Foot Artillery, two batteries | ||||
Murcian Corps 3rd Army Lieutenant General Nicolás de Mahy y Romo |
Brigade General Juan Creagh |
2,218 | – | Corona Infantry Regiment, one battalion |
Alcazar Infantry Regiment, one battalion | ||||
Tiradores of Cádiz Regiment, one battalion | ||||
Brigade General Eugenio Palafox, Conde de Montijo |
2,410 | – | 1st Badajoz Infantry Regiment, one battalion | |
1st Cuenca Infantry Regiment, one battalion | ||||
Volunteers of Burgos Regiment, one battalion | ||||
Sapper Battalion | ||||
Cavalry | 826 | – | Reina (Queen's) Cavalry Regiment, two squadrons | |
Pavia Cavalry Regiment, two squadrons | ||||
Granada Cavalry Regiment, two squadrons | ||||
Madrid Cavalry Regiment, one squadron | ||||
Ferdinand VII Hussar Regiment, one squadron | ||||
Artillery | 81 | – | Horse Artillery, one battery | |
Valencia Garrison | Artillery | – | 1,654 | Artillery |
Sappers | – | 421 | Engineers and sappers | |
Grand Totals | – | 28,044 | 16,986 | – |
Saguntum Garrison[5] | Brigade Colonel Luis Andriani |
2,663[5] | – | Savoya Infantry Regiment, 2nd and 3rd Battalions |
Don Carlos Infantry Regiment, 1st and 2nd Battalions | ||||
Volunteers of Orihuela Regiment, 3rd Battalion | ||||
150 Gunners and Sappers, 17 guns |
Footnotes
[edit]References
[edit]- Oman, Charles (1996) [1914]. A History of the Peninsular War Volume V. Vol. 5. Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole. ISBN 1-85367-225-4.