Battle of the Pyrenees

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Date	July 25 to August 2, 1813
Location	North Pyrenees, Spain
Result	Tactical Anglo-Portuguese victory

Combatants

France

Britain
Portugal

Commanders

Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult

Arthur Wellesley

Strength

80,000

60,000

Casualties

1,300 dead and 8,600 wounded
2,700 captured

4,500 dead or wounded

Peninsular War, 1810–1814
Fuengirola – Barrosa – Fuentes de Onoro – Albuera – Badajoz – Salamanca – Vitoria – Maya – Roncesvalles – Sorauren – Nivelle – Nive – Orthez – Toulouse

A large-scale offensive launched^[1] on 25 July 1813 by Marshal Soult from the Pyrenees region on Napoleon’s order, in the hope of relieving French garrisons under siege at Pamplona and San Sebastian. After initial success the offensive ground to a haul in face of increased allied resistance, Marshal Soult abandoned the offensive on 2 August and headed toward France, having failed to relieve either garrison.

1 Background
2 Battle
3 Conclusion
4 Footnotes
5 References
6 External Links

[edit] Background

Marshal Soult consolidated the remnants of four armies into a single force of 80,000 troops^[2]. Marshal Soult ordered General d’Erlon commanding one corps (21,000 men)^[3] to attack and secure the Maya Pass. General Reille was ordered by Marshal Soult to attack and secure the Roncesvalles Pass with two corps (40,000 men)^[4]. Marshal Soult’s plan was to relieve the siege at Pamplona first, then swing the army westward and relieve the siege at San Sebastian.

[edit] Battle

The surprise offensive opened on 25 July 1813. The Passes of Maya and Roncesvalles were both weakly held by the allies spread over a 50-mile front from Pamplona to the sea. Generals Picton and Cole were forced from Roncesvalles Pass and General Hill was forced from Maya Pass. A push on 27 July from Ronecesvalls Pass by troops personally commanded by Marshal Soult, got within 10-miles of Pamplona^[5]. However, British and Portuguese forces held fast and made a stand near the village of Sorauren. Wellington joined the 60,000^[6] man British and Portuguese force; and a battle resulted on the 28 July and again on the 30 July (see Battle of Sorauren) when Marshal Soult tried to defeat allied forces to the west. On 2 August Marshal Soult abandoned his offensive and headed toward France.

[edit] Conclusion

Marshal Soult failed to relieve the siege at San Sebastian and Pamplona, and suffered about 13,000 casualties^[7], his army had to withdraw to French soil weakened and demoralized.

[edit] Footnotes

^ Chandler., p.351. Recognizes the ‘battle’ as an offensive.
^ Fisher and Fremont-Barnes., p.235.
^ Fisher and Fremont-Barnes., p.235.
^ Fisher and Fremont-Barnes., p.235.
^ Esdaile, C., p.462
^ Fisher and Fremont-Barnes., p.235.
^ Fisher and Fremont-Barnes., p.235.

[edit] References

Chandler, D. Dictionary of the Napoleonic wars. Wordsworth editions, 1999.
Esdaile, C. The Peninsular War: A new History. Penguin Books, 2003.
Fisher, T. and Fremont-Barnes, G. The Napoleonic Wars: The Rise and Fall of an Empire. Osprey Pub., 2004.