Battle of the Pyrenees, July 28th 1813, by Thomas Sutherland
Date
25 July – 2 August 1813
Location
North Pyrenees, Spain
43°2′48″N1°36′48″W / 43.04667°N 1.61333°W / 43.04667; -1.61333 (Port de Velate)
Result
Coalition victory
Belligerents
French Empire
Coalition Forces
British Empire
Portuguese Empire
Spanish Empire
Commanders and leaders
Jean-de-Dieu Soult
Arthur Wellesley
Francisco de Longa
Strength
60,000[1]-79,000[2]
55,000[1]-62,000[3]
Casualties and losses
12,501 killed, wounded or captured[4]
7,000 killed, wounded or captured[5]
v
t
e
Peninsular War 1813–1814
Vitoria and the Pyrenees 1813
Morales
San Millan
Vitoria
Tolosa
Pamplona
San Sebastián
Pyrenees
Maya
Roncesvalles
Sorauren
Lizasso
Buenza
Campaign in south-west France 1813–1814
San Marcial
Bidassoa
Nivelle
Nive
Garris
Bayonne
Orthez
Toulouse
v
t
e
Portugal in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars
War of the Pyrenees 1793-1795
Toulon
2nd Boulou
Sant Llorenç de la Muga
Villelongue
Capmany
Bascara
Mediterranean Campaign 1798
Malta
War of the Oranges 1801
First invasion of Portugal 1807–1808
Olhão
Padrões de Teixeira
Évora
Roliça
Vimeiro
Second invasion of Portugal 1809
Chaves
Braga
1st Porto
Amarante
Grijó
2nd Porto
Third invasion of Portugal 1810–1811
River Côa
1st Almeida
Bussaco
Trant's raid
Battle of Sobral
Pombal
Redinha
Condeixa
Casal Novo
Foz de Arouce
Sabugal
2nd Almeida
Fuentes de Oñoro
Aldeia da Ponte
Spain 1811-1813
1st Badajoz
Barrosa
2nd Badajoz
Usagre
El Bodón
Arroyo dos Molinos
Ciudad Rodrigo
3rd Badajoz
Almaraz
Salamanca Forts
Salamanca
Majadahonda
Burgos
Tordesillas
San Millan
Vitoria
Tolosa
Pamplona
San Sebastián
Pyrenees
Maya
Roncesvalles
Sorauren
Lizasso
Buenza
France 1813-1814
Bidassoa
Nivelle
Nive
Garris
Orthez
Toulouse
Bayonne
Overseas
Guerra de 1801
Guiana
Banda Oriental
Peninsular War Vitoria and the Pyrenees, 1813–1814
50km 30miles
San Marcial
8
Maya
7
Pyrenees
6
San Sebastián
5
Pamplona
4
Tolosa
3
Vitoria
2
San Millan
1
current battle
The Battle of the Pyrenees was a large-scale offensive (the author David Chandler recognises the 'battle' as an offensive[6]) launched on 25 July 1813 by Marshal Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult from the Pyrénées region on Emperor Napoleon's order, in the hope of relieving French garrisons under siege at Pamplona and San Sebastián. After initial success the offensive ground to a halt in the face of increased allied resistance under the command of Arthur Wellesley, Marquess of Wellington. Soult abandoned the offensive on 30 July and headed toward France, having failed to relieve either garrison.
The Battle of the Pyrenees involved several distinct actions. On 25 July, Soult and two French corps fought the reinforced British 4th Division and a Spanish division at the Battle of Roncesvalles. The Allied force successfully held off all attacks during the day, but retreated from the Roncesvalles Pass that night in the face of overwhelming French numerical superiority. Also on the 25th, a third French corps severely tried the British 2nd Division at the Battle of Maya. The British withdrew from the Maya Pass that evening. Wellington rallied his troops a short distance north of Pamplona and repelled the attacks of Soult's two corps at the Battle of Sorauren on 28 July.
Instead of falling back to the northeast toward Roncesvalles Pass, Soult made contact with his third corps on 29 July and began to move north. On 30 July, Wellington attacked Soult's rearguards at Sourauren, driving some French troops to the northeast, while most continued to the north. Rather than use the Maya Pass, Soult elected to head north up the Bidassoa River valley. He managed to evade Allied attempts to surround his troops at Yanci on 1 August and escaped across a nearby pass after a final rearguard action at Etxalar on 2 August. The French suffered nearly twice as many casualties as the Allied army.
^ abBodart 1908, p. 453.
^Glover 2001, p. 248.
^Glover 2001, p. 249.
^Smith 1998, p. 434.
^Glover 2001, p. 258.
^Chandler 1979, p. 351.
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