Battle of Saguntum and Siege of Valencia orders of battle

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

French-Allied Army

Marshal Louis Gabriel Suchet's Imperial French Army at Saguntum and Valencia^[3]
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	114th Line Infantry Regiment, three battalions	1,637
			General of Brigade Louis Benoît Robert	1st Legion of the Vistula, two battalions	863
			General of Brigade Florentin Ficatier Guarding line of communications (LOC)	121st Line Infantry Regiment, three battalions	1,200
				2nd Legion of the Vistula, two battalions	1,129
2nd Division General of Division Jean Isidore Harispe	4,762	4,828	General of Brigade Marie Auguste Paris	7th Line Infantry Regiment, four battalions	1,639
			General of Brigade Marie Auguste Paris	116th Line Infantry Regiment, three battalions	1,147
			General of Brigade Józef Chłopicki	44th Line Infantry Regiment, two battalions	1,226
			General of Brigade Józef Chłopicki	3rd Legion of the Vistula, two battalions	750
3rd Division General of Division Pierre-Joseph Habert	3,459	3,150	General of Brigade Louis François Élie Pelletier, Count Montmarie	5th Line Infantry Regiment, two battalions	802
				16th Line Infantry Regiment, three battalions	1,317
			General of Brigade Nicolas Bronikowski	117th Line Infantry Regiment, two battalions	1,340
Italian Division General of Division Giuseppe Federico Palombini Three battalions guarding LOC	6,219	3,591	General of Brigade Vertigier Saint Paul	2nd Light Infantry Regiment, three battalions	2,200
			General of Brigade Vertigier Saint Paul	4th Line Infantry Regiment, three battalions	1,660
			General of Brigade Éloi Charles Balathier	5th Line Infantry Regiment, two battalions	930
			General of Brigade Éloi Charles Balathier	6th Line Infantry Regiment, three battalions	1,429
Neapolitan Division General of Division Claude Antoine Compère	1,391	1,092	unbrigaded	1st Light Infantry Regiment, one battalion	446
				1st Line Infantry Regiment, one battalion	560
				2nd Line Infantry Regiment, one battalion	385
Cavalry General of Brigade André Joseph Boussart	2,405	1,839	unbrigaded Two squadrons (500) of 4th Hussars guarding LOC	4th Hussar Regiment, four squadrons	750
				24th Dragoon Regiment, two squadrons	436
				13th Cuirassier Regiment, four squadrons	584
				Napoleone Dragoon Regiment	466
				2nd Chasseur Regiment	169
Artillery & Engineers	3,068	2,368	General of Division Sylvain Charles Valée	Artillery	1,805
			General of Division Joseph Rogniat	Engineers	600
			unknown	Military Equipment, Gendarmes	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	10th Line Infantry Regiment	–
		2,834	General of Brigade Claude Marie Joseph Pannetier	81st Line Infantry Regiment	–
		3,961	General of Brigade Jean Raymond Charles Bourke	20th Line Infantry Regiment	–
		3,961	General of Brigade Jean Raymond Charles Bourke	60th Line Infantry Regiment	–
Division Severoli General of Division Filippo Severoli	–	4,370	unbrigaded	1st Light Infantry Regiment, three battalions	–
				1st Line Infantry Regiment, three battalions	–
				7th Line Infantry Regiment, two battalions	–
Cavalry Reille's Corps	–	543	unbrigaded	9th Hussar Regiment	–
Cavalry Reille's Corps	–	262	unbrigaded	1st Chasseur Regiment	–
Artillery Reille's Corps	–	1,153	unbrigaded	Artillery, etc.	–
Total Reille's Corps	–	13,123	–	–	–

Spanish Army

General Joaquín Blake's Spanish Army at Saguntum and Valencia^[4]
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
	Artillery	361	–	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
Valencia Garrison	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

^ ^a ^b Oman 1996, pp. 1–46.
^ ^a ^b Oman 1996, pp. 47–75.
^ Oman 1996, pp. 583–585.
^ Oman 1996, pp. 584–586.
^ ^a ^b Oman 1996, p. 13.

References

Oman, Charles (1996) [1914]. A History of the Peninsular War Volume V. Vol. 5. Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole. ISBN 1-85367-225-4.

[FOOTNOTEOman19961–46-1] Oman 1996, pp. 1–46.

[FOOTNOTEOman199647–75-2] Oman 1996, pp. 47–75.

[FOOTNOTEOman1996583–585-3] Oman 1996, pp. 583–585.

[FOOTNOTEOman1996584–586-4] Oman 1996, pp. 584–586.

[FOOTNOTEOman199613-5] Oman 1996, p. 13.

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