Battle of Valls

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Battle of Valls
Part of the Peninsular War
BatalladeValls.jpg
Battle of Valls
Date25 February 1809 [1]
Location 41°17′00″N1°15′00″E / 41.2833°N 1.2500°E / 41.2833; 1.2500
Result French-allied victory [1]
Belligerents
Flag of France (1794-1815).svg French Empire
Flag of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy.svg Kingdom of Italy
Flag of the Kingdom of Westphalia.svg Kingdom of Westphalia
Flag of Spain (1785-1873, 1875-1931).svg  Spain
Commanders and leaders
Flag of France.svg Laurent Gouvion Saint-Cyr
Flag of France.svg Annet Morio de L'Isle
Flag of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy.svg Domenico Pino
Theodor von Reding  (DOW) [1]
Strength
13,300 [1] 10,540-11,000 infantry,
700 cavalry,
8 guns [2] [1]
Casualties and losses
1,000 killed or wounded [1] 1,500 killed or wounded [1]
1,500 captured [1]
Peninsular War: Aragón Catalonia
Battle of Valls
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200km
125miles
21
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Castalla
20
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19
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Valencia
18
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Saguntum
17
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16
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15
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14
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13
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12
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11
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10
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9
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8
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7
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6
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5
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María
4
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3
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2
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  current battle

The Battle of Valls was fought on 25 February 1809, during the Peninsular War, between a French force under Laurent Gouvion Saint-Cyr and a Spanish force under Theodor von Reding. Fought near the town of Valls in Catalonia, Spain, the battle ended in a French victory. General Reding was fatally wounded during a cavalry charge against French cavalry.

Contents

Background

The Spanish campaign in early 1809 started with the Battle of Uclés.

Battle

During actions on 15 February 1809, Reding's left wing was cut off from reinforcement by a French attack. Reding decided to retrieve this cut-off army, instead of counter striking at Souham. Planning to meet up with his northern units, Reding left Tarragona with only 2,000 men and most of his cavalry. On his way, he successfully met with units standing guard over the pass to Santa Cristina and another unit at Santas Cruces. Having sufficient strength, he continued to the town of Santa Coloma, whereupon he met with his previously cut-off left wing. With the combined left wing and the forces he took with him, Reding then had a total of almost 20,000 troops at his disposal. Deciding to defend Tarragona, he dispatched 4–5,000 of his men to watch Igualada and pressed home with his remaining men. St. Cyr, aware of Reding's movements, moved to block the two direct routes of returning to Tarragona. Reding, aware that Souham had moved and taken position in the town of Valls, still decided to take the route. Committing his forces to a march at night, Reding got his army to a bridge only two miles out of the town before daybreak.

Upon arriving at the bridge, Reding's vanguard was involved in a skirmish with men of Souham's division. Both commanders, realizing that the time for battle had arrived, rushed to get their men into position. Souham brought the rest of his division out of Valls and set them into position north of town. Reding, deciding this division to be insignificant, pushed his advanced line and most of his center across the river, continuing to send more across until the French division finally broke and fell back to Valls. At this point, most of his men and baggage train had crossed the bridge, but he nonetheless decided to give his men a long break. St. Cyr, learning of the attack later in the day, rushed to Valls with the 7th Italian Dragoons, also bringing the Italian division which would be delayed for six hours before joining the French line at Valls. Having seen the French line rallying when St. Cyr arrived with the Italian Cavalry, Reding pulled his forces back across the river in a defensive position. After three hours had passed, the Italian division had finally caught up to St. Cyr, who formed the French line of battle and crossed the river under constant bombardment. The Spanish forces poured fire onto the French attackers but as the columned French grew close to the Spanish line, the Spaniards began to rout. The only point of hand-to-hand combat came when Reding took his staff and cavalry and attacked the left column, only to be met by the Italian dragoons. in the ensuing melee, Reding himself took three fatal wounds. [3]

French order of battle

VII Corps of General Laurent Gouvion Saint-Cyr on 1 February 1809 [4]
CorpsDivisionStrengthUnits
VII Corps
General of Division
Laurent Gouvion Saint-Cyr
Gouvion-saint-cyr.jpg
1st Division
General of Division
Joseph Souham
General Joseph Souham.jpg
6,220 Flag of France.svg 1st Light Infantry Regiment, 3 battalions
Flag of France.svg 3rd Light Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
Flag of France.svg 7th Line Infantry Regiment, 2 battalions
Flag of France.svg 42nd Line Infantry Regiment, 3 battalions
Flag of France.svg 67th Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
2nd Division
General of Division
Joseph Chabran
Joseph Chabran.jpg
4,037 Flag of France.svg 2nd Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
Flag of France.svg 10th Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
Flag of France.svg 37th Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
Flag of France.svg 56th Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
Flag of France.svg 93rd Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg 2nd Swiss Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
3rd Division
General of Division
Louis François Jean Chabot
Louis Francois Jean Chabot.jpg
1,633 Flag of France.svg Chasseurs des Montagnes, 1 battalion
Flag of the Kingdom of Naples (1811).svg 2nd Neapolitan Infantry Regiment, 2 battalions
4th Division
General of Division
Honoré Charles Reille
General Honore Charles Michel Joseph Reille.jpg
3,980 Flag of France.svg 32nd Light Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
Flag of France.svg 2nd Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
Flag of France.svg 16th Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
Flag of France.svg 56th Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
Flag of France.svg 113th Line Infantry Regiment, 2 battalions
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Valais Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
5th Division
General of Division
Domenico Pino
Domenico Pino.jpg
8,008 Flag of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy.svg 1st Italian Light Infantry Regiment, 3 battalions
Flag of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy.svg 2nd Italian Light Infantry Regiment, 3 battalions
Flag of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy.svg 4th Italian Line Infantry Regiment, 3 battalions
Flag of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy.svg 6th Italian Line Infantry Regiment, 3 battalions
Flag of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy.svg 7th Italian Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
6th Division
General of Division
Giuseppe Lechi
Giuseppe Lechi.jpg
3,941 Flag of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy.svg 2nd Italian Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
Flag of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy.svg 4th Italian Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
Flag of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy.svg 5th Italian Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
Flag of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy.svg Italian Velites Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
Flag of the Kingdom of Naples (1811).svg 1st Neapolitan Infantry Regiment, 2 battalions
German Division
General of Brigade
Annet Morio de L'Isle
5,321 Flag of the Kingdom of Westphalia.svg 1st Westphalian Light Infantry Regiment
Flag of the Kingdom of Westphalia.svg 2nd Westphalian Line Infantry Regiment
Flag of the Kingdom of Westphalia.svg 3rd Westphalian Line Infantry Regiment
Flag of the Kingdom of Westphalia.svg 4th Westphalian Line Infantry Regiment
French Cavalry1,730 Flag of France.svg 24th Dragoon Regiment
Flag of France.svg 3rd Provisional Cuirassier Regiment
Flag of France.svg 3rd Provisional Chasseur Regiment
Italian Cavalry1,862 Flag of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy.svg Napoleone Dragoon Regiment
Flag of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy.svg Royal Chasseur Regiment
Flag of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy.svg Prince Royal Chasseur Regiment
Flag of the Kingdom of Naples (1811).svg Neapolitan Chasseur Regiment
French Artillery2,050 Flag of France.svg Various artillery companies
Italian Artillery585 Flag of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy.svg Various artillery companies
German Artillery48 Flag of the Kingdom of Westphalia.svg Artillery company
Corps Total39,415 Flag of France.svg Flag of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy.svg Flag of the Kingdom of Westphalia.svg Flag of the Kingdom of Naples (1811).svg Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg

Aftermath

The Spanish campaign in early 1809 proceeded with the French advance in Catalonia in the Third siege of Girona and the Battle of Alcañiz.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Bodart 1908, p. 394.
  2. Gates 2002, p. 69.
  3. Oman & Hall 1903, pp. 76-.
  4. Oman 1902b, p. 626.

Bibliography

Further reading

Preceded by
Battle of Corunna
Napoleonic Wars
Battle of Valls
Succeeded by
Tyrolean Rebellion