Battle of Ocana

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Battle of Ocana
Part of the Peninsular War
Date November 19, 1809 Location Ocana, near Madrid, Spain Result Decisive French victory
Combatants
France	Spain
Commanders
Nicolas Soult	Juan de Arizagua
Strength
35,000	51,000
Casualties
2,000 dead or wounded	4,000 dead or wounded 15,000 captured

Peninsular War: Second French Invasion, 1808–1809
Pancorbo – Valmaseda – Burgos – Espinosa – Tudela – Somosierra – Saragossa – Castellón – Uclés – Corunna – Valls – Villafranca – Ciudad-Real – Medellín – Porto – Gerona – Lugo – Alcañiz – San Payo – María – Talavera – Almonacid – Tamamés – Hostalrich – Torres Vedras – Ocana

In the Peninsular War, the Battle of Ocana was fought on November 19, 1809 and resulted in a victory of the French under Marshal Soult against the Spanish under General Don Juan de Arizagua. It was the Spanish army's greatest single defeat during the entire conflict. They lost, combining prisoners, killed and wounded, and deserters, nearly 19,000 troops from an army of 51,000, mostly due to the superb French use of their cavalry, with a great deal more missing. The strategic consequences were also devastating, as it destroyed the only force capable of defending southern Spain, and the area was overrun over the winter in the Andalusia campaign.

[edit] External links

• Napoleonic Guide description
• Napoleon, His Army and Enemies