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Battle of Alcañiz
Part of the Peninsular War
Battle of Alcañiz is located in Spain
Battle of Alcañiz
Battle of Alcañiz (Spain)
Date23 May 1809 [1]
Location
Alcañiz, west of Teruel, Spain
41°03′00″N 0°07′48″E / 41.0500°N 0.1300°E / 41.0500; 0.1300
Result Spanish victory [1]
Belligerents
First French Empire French Empire Kingdom of Spain
Commanders and leaders
First French Empire Louis Gabriel Suchet Joaquín Blake y Joyes
Strength
8,000 [1] 9,000 [1]
Casualties and losses
700 dead or wounded [1] 300 dead or wounded [1]
Peninsular war: Aragón Catalonia
200km
125miles
21
Battle of Ordal at Ordal, on 13 September 1813
Castalla
20
Battle of Castalla (1812) at Castalla, on 21 July 1812 and on 13 April 1813
19
Battle of Altafulla at Altafulla, on 29 January 1812
Valencia
18
Siege of Valencia (1812) at Valencia, from 26 December 1811 – 9 January 1812
Saguntum
17
Battle of Saguntum at Saguntum, on 25 October 1811
16
Battle of Cervera (1811) at Cervera, from 4 to 14 October 1811
15
Siege of Figueras (1811) at Figueras, from 4 April to 19 August 1811
14
Battle of Montserrat at Montserrat, on 25 July 18117
13
Siege of Tarragona (1811) from 5 May – 29 June 1811 Siege of Tarragona (1813) from 3 to 11 June 1813
12
Battle of El Pla at El Pla, on 15 January 1811
11
Siege of Tortosa (1810–11) at Tortosa, from 19 December 1810 to 2 January 1811
10
Battle of La Bisbal at La Bisbal, on 14 September 1810
9
Siege of Mequinenza at Mequinenza, from 15 May to 8 June 1810
8
Siege of Lérida at Lérida, on 23 April and 29 April to 14 May 1810
7
Battle of Vic at Vic, on 20 February 1810
6
Battle of Mollet at Mollet, on 21 January 1810
5
Battle of Belchite (1809) at Belchite, on 18 June 1809
María
4
Battle of María at María de Huerva, on 15 June 1809
Alcañiz
3
2
Third siege of Girona at Girona, from 6 May to 12 December 1809
1
Battle of Valls at Valls, on 25 February 1809
  current battle

The Battle of Alcañiz resulted in the defeat of Major-General Louis Gabriel Suchet's French army on 23 May 1809 by a Spanish force under General Joaquín Blake y Joyes. [2]

The victory is credited to General Martín García-Loygorri's superb command of the Spanish artillery, which allowed the French columns to close and then mauled them with well-directed salvos. Loygorri was later promoted to Field Marshal and became the first artillery officer ever to receive the Laureate Cross of Saint Ferdinand.

Background

The Spanish campaign in early 1809 started with the Battle of Uclés.

Forces

Spanish General Joaquín Blake y Joyes.
Map of the battle

General of Division Suchet's III Corps included 7,292 men in two infantry divisions, 18 cannon and 526 cavalrymen. The 1st Division, under General of Division Anne-Gilbert Laval, had two battalions each of the 14th Line and the 3rd Legion of the Vistula (Poles). General of Division Louis François Félix Musnier's 2nd Division was made up of three battalions each of the 114th and 115th Line, two battalions of the 1st Legion of the Vistula, and one battalion of the 121st Line. Suchet also had a bodyguard of 450 infantrymen. The 4th Hussars and 13th Cuirassier Regiments formed the cavalry.

Lieutenant General Blake formed his men into three wings, which were roughly equivalent to divisions. General Areizaga commanded the Left Wing (five battalions, plus one company), General Marquis de Lazan (five and one-half battalions) led the Center and General Roca managed the Right Wing (seven battalions). In addition to the 8,101 foot soldiers, the Spanish army had 445 cavalrymen and 19 cannons. [3]

Results

Suchet lost over 800 men killed and wounded, while Spanish casualties numbered only about 300. [3] The Spanish victory caused Suchet to evacuate most of Aragon. Blake secured 25,000 new recruits, so many that he could not provide them all with weapons. Suchet avenged his defeat at the Battle of María in June.

Aftermath

The Spanish campaign in early 1809 proceeded with the French advance in Catalonia in the Battle of María.

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f Bodart 1908, p. 405.
  2. ^ Esdaile 2003, p. 187.
  3. ^ a b Smith 1998, p. 311.

References

  • Bodart, Gaston (1908). Militär-historisches Kriegs-Lexikon (1618-1905). Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  • Esdaile, Charles J. (2003). The Peninsular War. Palgrave MacMillan. ISBN  9781403962317. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  • Smith, Digby (1998). The Napoleonic Wars Data Book. London: Greenhill. ISBN  1-85367-276-9.

Further reading

External links

Preceded by
Battle of Aspern-Essling
Napoleonic Wars
Battle of Alcañiz
Succeeded by
Battle of Sankt Michael