vitoria. the north flank (june 21,1813)
The battle in pictures
| THE FIRST CLASHES 13.00- 17.30 h | |||
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| 13.00 h. French artillery delaying the Graham's advance | 13.30 h. Ostwald routing Sarrut 2B/4/P and the divisional artillery | ||
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| 13.30-14.00 h Curto's light cavalrymen try unsuccesfully to stop the British and then are reected by the KGL dragoons. Digeon's dragoons cross the Zadorra | 14.30 Longa and Anson start their detour | ||
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| 14.30 h. 1B/4/P (Sarrut) is routed by the Allied and must retire behind the Zadorra | Digeon try to stop the British but is rejected | 15.00 The British occupy Abechuco | |
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| The Portuguese are near Gamarra whereas Longa approaches Durana bridge | Reille moves toward Arriaga | 15.30 h Digeon re-crosses the Zadorra | |
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| The KGL dragoons routs a French horse battery and then cross the bridge scatering French infantry and cavalry before returning to the North | |||
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| 16.30 h. Longa assaults Durana but is rejected retiring after avoid rout | The French still maintain all the line of the Zadorra | ||
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| 17.30 h Digeon's dragoons cross the Zadorra brisde at Arriaga in a suicidal attack, routing twice the British 1B/5 before be repjected by the squares of the 2B/5 | |||
| There are no French at north of Zadorra river | |||
| THE ALLIED ASSAULT AND THE FRENCH COUNTER-ATTACKS 18.00h | |||
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| 18.00 h The British 2/1 attacks the Gamarra bridge but is rejected by the French | At Gamarra, the last French infantry brigade is dispersed by fire. The Portuguese occupy Gamarra whereas Digeon is rejected by the British | ||
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| The British capture the French battery | Digeon attacks the KGL dragoons being routed but avoid rout and must retire | Curto try to stabilize the situation | |
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| The Arriaga bridgehead is in Allied hands! | Maucune advances against Arriaga | 19.00h Mermet try the British squares near Arriaga but is rejected | |
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| 19.30-20.00 h. Spanish Barcena's division arrives at forced march losing only one straggler! | 20.00h Joseph denies his Royal Guard to Reille | Lamartiniere crosses the Zadorra routing 2B/1 | |
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| and occupying Gamarra (evacuated by the Portuguese) | 20.30 h. Following a generalized melee at the Gamarra bridge the French are expelled from Gamarra, but the triomphant Portuguese are at last dispersed by artillery fire | ||
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| 21.30 h. The British Light Dragoons rout first the French infantry near Gamarra but are then rejected by the fresh French dragoons | Barcena rejects the French cavalry... | ... but Maucune takes Arriaga from the Portuguese | |
| THE NIGHT ARRIVES ENDING THE BATTLE | |||
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| The vital Durana bridge (directly menacing the Bayonne's highway) is in 'Josefinos' hands | Gamarra bridge is in French hands | but the Arriaga bridge is Allied | |
| FINAL RESULTS | |||
| French
losses 73 inf + 16 cav + 3 gun |
Allied
losses 119 inf + 8 cav + 2 guns |
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Frenh points (NB2) 30.5 removed bases + 2 guns (@3) + 51 objectives = 87.5 points |
Allied points (NB2) 22.5 removed bases + 3 guns (@3) + 9 objectives = 40.5 points |
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Frenh points (NB1) 127 figures + 1 captured gun (@2) + 127.5 objectives = 256.5 points |
Allied points (NB1) 89 figures + 1 captured gun (@2) + 15 objectives = 106 points |
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| SUBSTANTIAL FRENCH VICTORY | |||
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
The French got a substantial victory because of the higher proportion of
losses caused and also for maintaining in their hands four of the five
bridges and all the built-up-ares in the south bank of the Zadorra. In
these conditions, the vital road to Bayonne is open, and the possibility
of a British pursuit by the Graham's column is greatly hampered
THE SCENARIO