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Battle of Bussaco
Part of Peninsular War
Date September 27, 1810
Location Bussaco, near Luso, Portugal
Result Anglo-Portuguese victory
Belligerents
Flag of the United Kingdom Britain
Flag of Portugal Portugal		 Flag of France France
Commanders
Flag of the United Kingdom Viscount Wellington André Masséna
Michel Ney
Strength
25,000 British
25,000 Portuguese		 65,000
Casualties and losses
1,250 dead or wounded 4,500 dead or wounded

The Battle of Bussaco (or Buçaco, pronounced [buˈsaku] in Portuguese) (September 27, 1810) resulted in the defeat of French forces by Lord Wellington's Anglo-Portuguese army in Portugal during the Peninsular War. The Peninsular War or Spanish War of Independence pitted an alliance of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal against France Events 489 - Odoacer attacks Theodoric at the Battle of Verona and is defeated again Year 1810 ( MDCCCX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom from 1 January 1801 until 12 April 1927 Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. The Empire of the French (1804-1814 also known as the Empire of France, Greater French Empire, First French Empire, French Empire, or Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, KP, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS ( c Michel Ney, 1st Duc d' Elchingen, 1st Prince de la Moskowa ( January 10 1769 &ndash December 7 1815 Events 489 - Odoacer attacks Theodoric at the Battle of Verona and is defeated again Year 1810 ( MDCCCX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, KP, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS ( c The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom from 1 January 1801 until 12 April 1927 Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. The Peninsular War or Spanish War of Independence pitted an alliance of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal against France

Contents

Overview

Having occupied the heights of Bussaco (a 10-mile long ridge located at 40°20'40"N, 8°20'15"W) with 25,000 British and the same number of Portuguese, Wellington was attacked five times successively by 65,000 French under Marshal André Masséna. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom from 1 January 1801 until 12 April 1927 Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Masséna was uncertain as to the disposition and strength of the opposing forces because Wellington deployed them on the reverse slope of the ridge, where they could neither be easily seen nor easily softened up with artillery. The actual assaults were delivered by the corps of Marshal Michel Ney and Major-General Jean Reynier, but after much fierce fighting they failed to dislodge the allied forces and were driven off with a loss of 4,500 killed or wounded, as against Anglo-Portuguese losses of about 1,250. Michel Ney, 1st Duc d' Elchingen, 1st Prince de la Moskowa ( January 10 1769 &ndash December 7 1815 Jean Louis Ebénézer Reynier ( 14 January 1771 - 27 February 1814) was a French Army general that fought during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic

Organization

Wellington had six British infantry divisions, the Light (Robert Craufurd), 1st (Brent Spencer), 2nd (Rowland Hill), 3rd (Thomas Picton), 4th (Lowry Cole) and 5th (James Leith). The Light Division was a Light infantry Division of the British Army formed in the early 19th Century Major-General Robert Craufurd ( May 5, 1764 &ndash January 23, 1812) was a Scottish soldier and MP General Sir Brent Spencer (1760-1828 served in the British army during the Wars of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars and was Arthur Wellesley 1st General Rowland Hill 1st Viscount Hill of Almaraz GCB, GCH ( 11 August 1772 - 10 December 1842) served in the Lieutenant General Sir Thomas Picton GCB (August 1758 &ndash 18 June 1815) was a British Army officer from Wales Sir Galbraith Lowry Cole 1 May 1772 Dublin - 4 October 1842 Highfield Park Hampshire, was an Irish British Army General Sir James Leith GCB (1763-1845 commanded the 5th Division in the Duke of Wellington 's Anglo-Portuguese army at several critical battles during the Peninsular The latter three divisions each had a Portuguese brigade attached. In addition, there were several all-Portuguese units, a two-brigade infantry division under John Hamilton, and three independent brigades led by Denis Pack, Alexander Campbell and John Coleman. George DeGrey, John Slade, George Anson and Henry Fane led four British cavalry brigades, plus four regiments of Portuguese cavalry. In batteries of six guns apiece, there were six British (Ross RHA, Bull RHA, Thompson, Lawson, two unknown), two King's German Legion (Rettberg, Cleeves) and five Portuguese (Rozierres, Da Cunha Preto, Da Silva, Freira, Sousa) batteries under Edward Howorth. This was the first major battle of the Peninsular War in which units of the reconstituted Portuguese Army fought, and it served as a great morale boost to the inexperienced troops.

Masséna's army included the II Corps under Reynier, the VI Corps led by Ney, the VIII Corps under Maj-Gen Jean Andoche Junot and a cavalry reserve led by Maj-Gen Louis Pierre, Count Montbrun. Jean-Andoche Junot, 1st Duc d' Abrantès ( October 23, 1771 &ndash July 29, 1813) was a French General Louis Pierre Count Montbrun (1770-1812 French Cavalry general served with great distinction in the cavalry arm throughout the wars of the Revolution The divisions of Pierre Merle and Etienne Heudelet made up Reynier's corps. Ney's corps had three divisions under Jean Marchand, Julien Mermet and Louis Loison. General Jean Gabriel Marchand Comte (1765-1851 led a division in Napoleon 's armies during many of the key battles of the Napoleonic Wars. General Julien Augustin Joseph Mermet (born Le Quesnoy 9 May, 1772 &ndash died Paris 28 October, 1837) fought in the Loison General Louis Henri ( May 16, 1771 - December 30, 1816) commanded a division in the armies of Napoleon in the Marengo Ulm Junot had the divisions of Bertrand Clausel and Jean-Baptiste Solignac. Bertrand comte Clausel (or Clauzel) ( December 12, 1772 &ndash April 21, 1842) Marshal of France, was born at Mirepoix Each French corps contained the standard brigade of light cavalry. Jean Baptiste Eblé, Masséna's artillery chief, commanded 112 guns. Jean Baptiste Eble ( December 21 1758 - December 31 1812) was a French General, Engineer and Artilleryman

Plans

Wellington posted his army along the crest of Bussaco Ridge, facing east. To improve his lateral communications, he had his engineers cut a road that ran the length of the ridge. Cole held the left (north) flank. Next came Craufurd, Spencer, Picton and Leith. Hill held the right (south) flank with Hamilton's men attached.

Masséna, goaded by Ney and other officers to attack the British position rather than go around it, ordered a reconnaissance of the steep ridge. He planned to send Reynier at the center of the ridge, which he believed to be the British right flank. Once the II Corps attack showed some signs of success, Masséna would launch Ney's corps at the British along the main road. The VIII Corps stood behind the VI Corps in reserve. While Ney announced that he was ready to attack and conquer, Reynier suddenly had second thoughts, predicting his attack would be beaten.

Battle

Reynier's troops struck in the early morning mist. Heudelet sent his leading brigade straight up the slope in a formation one company wide and eight battalions deep. When the leading regiment reached the top of the ridge, they found themselves facing one British and two Portuguese battalions in line, plus 12 cannon. The French tried to change formation from column into a line. Pelet says, "The column began to deploy as if at an exercise. " But the Allies brought intense musketry to bear. Soon, the French infantrymen were thrown into confusion. However, they clung to a precarious toehold on the ridge.

Several hundred yards to the north, Merle's division thrust up the ridge in a similar formation. Picton hurriedly massed his defenders by utilizing the ridgetop road. Met at the crest by two British and two Portuguese battalions in a concave line, the French tried unsuccessfully to deploy into line. Crushed by converging fire, the French fled down the slope. Merle was wounded while his brigade commander Jean Graindorge fell mortally wounded.

Seeing Heudelet's second brigade standing immobile at the foot of the ridge, Reynier rode up to Maximilien Foy and demanded an immediate attack. Maximilien Sébastien Foy ( 3 February 1775 &ndash 28 November 1825) was a French military leader statesman and writer With the Allies out of position after defeating the first two attacks, Foy hit a weak spot in their defences. Fortuitously, the French struck the least prepared unit in the Allied army—a Portuguese militia unit—and routed it. But the morning mist cleared, revealing no enemies in front of the British right flank. Wellington had already ordered Leith to shift his men to the north to assist Picton. Before Foy's men could consolidate their gain, they were attacked by two of Leith's battalions and some of Picton's men. The French were swept off the ridge and their brigade commander wounded. After seeing this rout, Heudelet's other brigade withdrew to the base of the ridge.

Hearing gunfire, Ney assumed Reynier's men were enjoying success and ordered an attack. In this sector, the main highway climbed a long spur past the hamlets of Moura and Sula to reach the crest at the Convent of Bussaco. Against a very heavy British skirmish line, Loison's division fought its way forward. Near the crest, 1,800 men of the 1/43rd and 1/52nd Light Infantry battalions lay down waiting. The 42nd Regiment of Foot was also known as the 43rd Regiment of Foot between 1747 and 1749 The 52nd (Oxfordshire Regiment of Foot was a Light infantry regiment of the British Army throughout much of the 18th and 19th centuries As Loison's leading brigade approached the convent grounds, the two British units stood up, fired a terrific volley at point blank range and charged with the bayonet. The French brigade collapsed and fled leaving Edouard Simon, their commander, wounded and captured.

A short time later and slightly further south, Loison's second brigade ran into a close-range fire from two batteries plus Anglo-Portuguese musketry. This unit was also routed. A final thrust by one of Marchand's brigades met defeat when it ran into Pack's Portuguese brigade. The two sides occupied the rest of the day in vigorous skirmishing, but the French did not try to attack in force again.

Sequel

Masséna then moved off to the right to flank the position, and Wellington resumed the retreat of his army into the previously fortified Lines of Torres Vedras. The Lines of Torres Vedras were lines of forts built in secrecy to defend Lisbon during the Peninsular War. He reached these by October 10. Events 680 - Battle of Karbala: Shia Imam Husayn bin Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, is decapitated Finding them too strong to attack, Masséna withdrew into winter quarters. Deprived of food for his men and harried by British hit-and-run tactics, he lost a further 25,000 men captured or dead from starvation or sickness before he retreated into Spain early in 1811, freeing Portugal from French occupation except for Almeida, near the frontier. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Year 1811 ( MDCCCXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year During the retreat, the Battle of Sabugal was fought. The Battle of Sabugal was an engagement of the Peninsular War which took place on April 3 1811 between Anglo-Portuguese forces under Arthur Wellesley

References

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