Battle of Alba de Tormes

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Alba de Tormes


caption=
partof=Peninsular War
date=November 26, 1809
place=Alba de Tormes, Spain
result=Tactical French victory
combatant1=flagicon|France French Empire
combatant2=flag|Spain|1785
commander1=Jean Marchand
commander2=Duke del Parque
strength1=13,000
strength2=23,000
casualties1=300-600 dead or wounded
casualties2=2,000 dead or wounded, 1,000 and 9 cannons capturedIn the Battle of Alba de Tormes, fought on November 26, 1809, a French army commanded by Major General Jean Marchand attacked and routed Lieutenant-General Duke del Parque's retreating Spanish army during the Peninsular War.

trategic situation

Marchand assumed command of the VI Corps in Marshal Michel Ney's absence. In October, a Spanish army under Duke Del Parque had inflicted a humiliating defeat on Marchand at the Battle of Tamamés, 56 km southwest of Salamanca. On November 20, Del Parque occupied the city of Salamanca as part of a grand plan to attack Madrid from the northwest and south. But, the day before, the Spanish army forming the southern pincer had suffered a decisive defeat at the Battle of Ocaña. When Del Parque received the news on November 24, he abandoned Salamanca and headed southeast, intending to shelter in the mountains of central Spain.

Battle

However, Del Parque carelessly failed to provide a rear guard. Marchand followed rapidly, pouncing on the retreating Spanish at Alba de Tormes, 21 km southeast of Salamanca. The 3,000-man French cavalry vanguard under François Kellermann (the younger) caught Del Parque's army as it crossed the Rio Tormes and routed it. By the time Marchand's infantry came up, the battle was over except for the mopping up. [Smith, p 336]

Forces

Marchand's reinforced VI Corps included his own 1st Division (3 battalions each of 6th Light, 39th, 69th and 76th Line), Maj-Gen Maurice Mathieu's 2nd Division (3 bns. each of 25th Light, 27th and 59th Line, and 1 bn. 50th Line), Brig-Gen Jean Lorcet's corps cavalry brigade (3rd Hussars, 15th Chasseurs) and Maj-Gen Kellermann's dragoon division (3rd, 10th, 15th and 25th Dragoons). There were about 10,000 infantry, 3,000 cavalry and 30 cannon.

Del Parque's army consisted of Maj-Gen Martin de la Carrera's Vanguard, Maj-Gen Francisco Xavier Losada's 1st Division, Maj-Gen Conde de Belvedere's 2nd Division and Maj-Gen the Prince of Anglona's Cavalry Division. Altogether there were about 21,300 infantry, 1,500 cavalry and 18 artillery pieces. [Smith, p 336]

Consequences

The Spanish lost 2,000 killed or wounded and 1,000 captured, plus 9 cannon and most of their baggage train. The French suffered between 300 and 600 killed or wounded in the action. [Smith, p 336] The Duke of Wellington wrote in disgust, "I declare that if they had preserved their two armies, or even one of them, the cause was safe. But no! Nothing will answer excepting to fight great battles in plains, in which their defeat is as certain as the commencement of the battle." [Glover, p 116]

The twin defeats of Ocaña and Alba de Tormes were followed in late 1809 and early 1810 by a series of sieges as the cities of Girona, Astorga, Lleida and Ciudad Rodrigo fell into the hands of the French armies.

References

* Glover, Michael. "The Peninsular War 1807-1814." London: Penguin, 2001. ISBN 0-141-39041-7
* Smith, Digby. "The Napoleonic Wars Data Book." London: Greenhill, 1998. ISBN 1-85367-276-9

Footnotes