fuentes de onoro (May 5, 1811)
The battle in pictures
| THE FIRST PHASE (7.00-10.30 h) | |||||||||
| The cavalry battle (7.00-10.30 h) | |||||||||
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| 7.00-8.30 h. The French cavalry forces the retreat of the British cavalry near Poço Velho | |||||||||
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| 8.30- 9.00h The Britsh cavalry continues its fighting retreat. Meanwhile, Poço Velho is turned by Lamotte's French cavalry accompanying the VI Corps infantry | Scheme of the cavalry battle (7.00 - 9.00 h) | ||||||||
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| 10.00 h. Slade (1B/C) routs the French Dragoons (1B/CR) and, out of control, attacks 2B/CR but is routed and pursued by the madened french | |||||||||
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| Scheme of the cavalry battle (9.30 - 10.30 h) | 10.30 h Whatier (CN) and Arentchild (2B/C) fight indecisely and the British cavalry becomes fatigued | ||||||||
| The fight at Poço Velho (7.00 - 9.30 h) | |||||||||
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| 7.00 h Marchand starts the crossing | 8.00-8.30 h but his two brigades are routed | 9.30 h Under French pressure (Mermet and Lamotte) the British 7th Div. leaves Poço Velho | |||||||
| Fuentes is taken by the French (7.00 - 10.00 h) | |||||||||
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| 7.00-8.30 h. After a bombardment Fuentes is assaulted but the French are repulsed | 9.00-10.00h The Highlanders are dispersed by fire. Ferey takes the village whereas D'Erlon crosses the Dos Casas stream | ||||||||
| THE SECOND PHASE (10.30 - 16.30 h) | |||||||||
| The battle in the Allied right | |||||||||
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| 10.30h Mermet (2/VI) takes the wrong road and Marchand (1/VI) follows him | 10.30 h. Picton is rejected by Ferery | 11.00 h The Grenadiers replace Ferey | 11.00 h The British Guards reject D'Erlon | ||||||
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| 11.30 h Whereas Looison remains in the wood, Solignac advances against the Allied line | 13.00 h Claparede routs Picton's 3B/3 (1) but is stopped by a change of front of 1st Division (2) | 13.30 - 14.30 h The Allied left resists in front of Fuentes | 15.00 h Ferey traverses Fuentes rolling Picton's left | ||||||
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| 15.00 -16.00 Ferey is rolling up the Allied left unit after unit, whereas the Grenadiers are exiting from Fuentes to attack the 1st Division | |||||||||
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| 16.00 h. The Grenadiers attack the Guards | 16.30 h The Grenadiers are dispersed fighting the Guards | 15.30 h. Bessieres fails again his activation | Scheme of the Allied left | ||||||
| 17.00 h THE BATTLE ENDS | |||||||||
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| 17.00 h With both flanks menaced, Wellignton retreats towards Vilar Formoso | Don Julian maintains open the road to Fresneda | ||||||||
| THE FINAL RESULTS | |||||||||
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French Losses 87 inf + 21 cav + 4 art = 13,440 men |
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Allied Losses
129 inf + 14 cav + 4 art = 17,640 men |
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French Victory points (NB2) 34 removed bases+ 2 batteries (x3) + 95 objectives = 135 p. |
Allied Victory points (NB2) 24 removed bases + 2 batteries (x3) + 3 wound/capt. generals + 64 objectives = 94 p. |
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French Victory points (NB1) 147 dispersed/casualties figures + 2 capt. bat. (x2) + 235 objectives = 386 p. |
Allied Victory points (NB1) 112 dispersed/casualties figures + 2 capt. generals (x3) + 1 wound. general + 153 objectives = 273 p. |
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| SUBSTANTIAL FRENCH VICTORY | |||||||||
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
The Massena's flanking movement was accompanied by a successful assault
of Fuentes that never was regained by the Allied, and was used by the
French to turn the Allied left. Unlike the real battle, Massena profited
from his cavalry superiority to make repeated combined-arms attacks
against the Allied right, in combination with frontal infantry attacks
against the Wellington's centre. With his two flanks menaced and a high
proportion of casualties, Wellington was forced to retreat.
In conclusiobn, Almeida was relieved and Massena avenged his expulsion
from Portugal, so the reputation of Wellington will suffer a serious
setback.... maybe forcing his recalling to home?