Battle of Albuera order of battle

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This is the order of battle for the Battle of Albuera (16 May 1811). The Battle of Albuera was an engagement of the Peninsular War, fought between a mixed British, Spanish, and Portuguese corps and elements of the French Armée du Midi (Army of the South). It took place at the small Spanish village of Albuera, about 12 miles (20 km) south of the frontier fortress-town of Badajoz, Spain.

Contents

[edit] Allied army

Marshal Sir William Beresford had been given the task of reconstructing the Portuguese army since February 1809.[1] He temporarily took command of General Rowland Hill's corps while Hill was recovering from illness,[2] and was granted overall command of the Allied army at Albuera by the Spanish generals, Joaquín Blake y Joyes and Francisco Castaños.[3]

[edit] British order of battle

British Army (Beresford)
Unit Commander Complement
2nd Division Maj-Gen William Stewart
1st Brigade Lt-Col John Colborne
1st Battalion, 3rd Regiment of Foot 755
2nd Battalion, 31st Regiment of Foot 418
2nd Battalion, 48th Regiment of Foot 452
2nd Battalion, 66th Regiment of Foot 441
Total of Brigade 2,066
2nd Brigade Maj-Gen Daniel Hoghton
29th Regiment of Foot 507
1st Battalion, 48th Regiment of Foot 497
1st Battalion, 57th Regiment of Foot 647
Total of Brigade 1,651
3rd Brigade Lt-Col Alexander Abercrombie
2nd Battalion, 28th Regiment of Foot 519
2nd Battalion, 34th Regiment of Foot 596
2nd Battalion, 39th Regiment of Foot 482
Total of Brigade 1,597
Divisional light troops
3 companies, 5th Battalion, 60th Regiment of Foot 146
Total of Division 5,460
4th Division Maj-Gen Lowry Cole
1st Brigade Lt-Col Sir William Myers
1st Battalion, 7th Fusiliers 714
2nd Battalion, 7th Fusiliers 568
1st Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers 733
Total of Brigade 2,015
2nd Brigade Lt-Col James Kemmis
One company each of 2/27th, 1/40th and 90th Foot 165
Total of Division 2,180
KGL brigade Maj-Gen Charles Alten
1st Light Battalion 588
2nd Light Battalion 510
Total of Brigade 1,098
Cavalry Maj-Gen William Lumley
3rd Dragoon Guards 374
4th Dragoon Guards 387
13th Light Dragoons 403
Total cavalry 1,164
Artillery Maj Alexander Dickson
British batteries 255 men
2 batteries
KGL Batteries 292 men
2 batteries
Total artillery 547 men
4 batteries
Sources: Unless specified, numbers taken from Oman (1911, Appendix XV).

[edit] Portuguese order of battle

Portuguese Army (Beresford)
Unit Commander Complement
4th (British) Division Maj-Gen Lowry Cole
Harvey's Brigade Brig-Gen William Harvey
Two battalions, 11th Regiment 1,154
Two battalions, 23rd Regiment 1,201
1st Battalion, Lusitanian Legion 572
Total of Brigade 2,927
Hamilton's Division Maj-Gen John Hamilton
2 battalions, 2nd Line 1,225
2 battalions, 4th Line 1,204
2 battalions, 4th Line 1,271
2 battalions, 10th Line 1,119
Total of Division 4,819
Collins's Brigade Col Richard Collins
2 battalions, 5th Line 985
1 battalion, 5th Caçadores 400
Total of Brigade 1,385
Cavalry Col Loftus William Otway
1st Regiment 327
7th Regiment 314
1 squadron, 5th Regiment 104
1 squadron, 8th Regiment 104
Total cavalry 849
Artillery Maj Alexander Dickson
Portuguese batteries 221 men
2 batteries
Total artillery 221 men
2 batteries
Sources: Unless specified, numbers taken from Oman (1911, Appendix XV).

[edit] Spanish order of battle

Spanish Armies
Unit Commander Complement
Blake's army Gen Joaquín Blake y Joyes
Vanguard Division José de Lardizábal 2,398
3rd Division Gen Francisco Ballesteros 3,525
4th Division Gen José Zayas 4,882
Total infantry 10,805
Cavalry Loy 1,165
Artillery 103 men
1 battery
Castaños's Army Gen Francisco Castaños
Carlos de España's Brigade Carlos de España 1,778
Cavalry Count Penne Villemur 721
Artillery 62 men
1 battery
Sources: Unless specified, numbers taken from Oman (1911, Appendix XV).

[edit] French army

French Army (Soult)
Unit Commander Complement
V Corps Gen Jean-Baptiste Girard
1st Division Gen Jean-Baptiste Girard
34th Ligne 953
40th Ligne 812
64th Ligne 1,589
88th Ligne 899
Total of Division 4,253
2nd Division Gen Honoré Gazan
21st Légère 788
100th Ligne 738
28th Légère 1,367
103rd Ligne 1,290
Total of Division 4,183
Total of Corps 8,437
Werlé's Brigade Brig-Gen François Werlé
12th Légère 2,164
55th Ligne 1,815
58th Ligne 1,642
Total of Brigade 5,621
Godinot's Brigade Brig-Gen Nicolas Godinot
16th Légère 1,673
51st Ligne 2,251
Total of Brigade 3,924
Grenadiers Réunis 1,033
Cavalry Lt-Gen Latour-Maubourg
Briche's Brigade Brig-Gen André Briche
2nd Hussars Col N Vinot 305
10th Hussars Col François de Laval 262
21st Chasseurs 256
Total brigade 823
Bron's Brigade Gen André François Bron
4th Dragoons Col Pierre Joséph Farine 406
20th Dragoons Col N Corbineau 266
26th Dragoons Col N de Montelegier 421
Total brigade 1,093
Bouvier des Éclat's Brigade Brig-Gen Joseph Bouvier des Éclat
14th Dragoons Col Denis Eloi Ludot 316
17th Dragoons Col Frédéric Auguste de Beurman 314
27th Dragoons Col Charles Lallemand 249
Total brigade 879
Unattached cavalry
1st Vistula Uhlans 591
27th Chasseurs 431
4th Spanish Chasseurs 195
Total cavalry 4,012
Artillery Brig-Gen Charles Ruty
V Corps batteries 618 men
Other Batteries 625 men
Total artillery 1,243 men
8 batteries[4]
Sources: Unless specified, numbers taken from Oman (1911, Appendix XVI).

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Gates 1986, p. 147.
  2. ^ Weller 1962, p. 151.
  3. ^ Weller 1962, p. 171.
  4. ^ Gates 1986, p. 254.

[edit] References

  • Gates, David (1986), The Spanish Ulcer: A History of the Peninsular War, Pimlico (published 2002), ISBN 0-7126-9730-6 ;
  • Weller, Jac (1962), Wellington in the Peninsula, Nicholas Vane .