Black and white print labeled Bataille de Sagonte shows a battle with cavalrymen fighting in the foreground.
Battle of Saguntum

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
France 114th Line Infantry Regiment, three battalions1,637
Poland 1st Legion of the Vistula, two battalions863
General of Brigade Florentin Ficatier
Guarding line of communications (LOC)
France 121st Line Infantry Regiment, three battalions1,200
Poland 2nd Legion of the Vistula, two battalions1,129
2nd Division
General of Division
Jean Isidore Harispe
4,762 4,828 General of Brigade
Marie Auguste Paris
France 7th Line Infantry Regiment, four battalions1,639
France 116th Line Infantry Regiment, three battalions1,147
General of Brigade
Józef Chłopicki
France 44th Line Infantry Regiment, two battalions1,226
Poland 3rd Legion of the Vistula, two battalions750
3rd Division
General of Division
Pierre-Joseph Habert
3,459 3,150 General of Brigade
Louis François Élie Pelletier,
Count Montmarie
France 5th Line Infantry Regiment, two battalions802
France 16th Line Infantry Regiment, three battalions1,317
General of Brigade
Nicolas Bronikowski
France 117th Line Infantry Regiment, two battalions1,340
Italian Division
General of Division
Giuseppe Federico Palombini
Three battalions guarding LOC
6,219 3,591 General of Brigade
Vertigier Saint Paul
Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic) 2nd Light Infantry Regiment, three battalions2,200
Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic) 4th Line Infantry Regiment, three battalions1,660
General of Brigade
Éloi Charles Balathier
Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic) 5th Line Infantry Regiment, two battalions930
Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic) 6th Line Infantry Regiment, three battalions1,429
Neapolitan Division
General of Division
Claude Antoine Compère
1,391 1,092 unbrigaded Kingdom of Naples 1st Light Infantry Regiment, one battalion446
Kingdom of Naples 1st Line Infantry Regiment, one battalion560
Kingdom of Naples 2nd Line Infantry Regiment, one battalion385
Cavalry
General of Brigade
André Joseph Boussart
2,405 1,839 unbrigaded
Two squadrons (500) of
4th Hussars guarding LOC
France 4th Hussar Regiment, four squadrons750
France 24th Dragoon Regiment, two squadrons436
France 13th Cuirassier Regiment, four squadrons584
Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic) Napoleone Dragoon Regiment466
Kingdom of Naples 2nd Chasseur Regiment169
Artillery & Engineers 3,068 2,368 General of Division
Sylvain Charles Valée
France Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic) Poland Artillery1,805
General of Division
Joseph Rogniat
France Engineers600
unknown France Military Equipment, Gendarmes663
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
France 10th Line Infantry Regiment
France 81st Line Infantry Regiment
3,961 General of Brigade
Jean Raymond Charles Bourke
France 20th Line Infantry Regiment
France 60th Line Infantry Regiment
Division Severoli
General of Division
Filippo Severoli
4,370 unbrigaded Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic) 1st Light Infantry Regiment, three battalions
Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic) 1st Line Infantry Regiment, three battalions
Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic) 7th Line Infantry Regiment, two battalions
Cavalry Reille's Corps 543 unbrigaded France 9th Hussar Regiment
262 unbrigaded Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic) 1st Chasseur Regiment
Artillery Reille's Corps 1,153 unbrigaded France Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic) 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
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

  1. 1 2 Oman 1996, pp. 1–46.
  2. 1 2 Oman 1996, pp. 47–75.
  3. Oman 1996, pp. 583–585.
  4. Oman 1996, pp. 584–586.
  5. 1 2 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.
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