Battle of Redinha
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Redinha was a rearguard
action which took place on March 12, 1811, during Masséna's
retreat from Portugal
, by a French division under Marshal Ney
against a considerably larger Anglo-Portuguese force under Wellington
. Challenging the Allies with only one or two divisions, Ney's 7,000 troops were pitched against 25,000-30,000 men. The French delayed the Allied advance and bought valuable time for the main body of the of French army in its withdrawal.
Redinha was the second and most successful rearguard action fought during Masséna's retreat from the Lines of Torres Vedras
in the spring of 1811. Having held off the British at Pombal
on 11 March, Marshal Ney and the French rearguard had retreated to Redinha. Here he took up an apparently vulnerable position, with Mermet's division on a plateau south of the village, and Marchand's division north of the village on the far side of the Ancos River, linked by a narrow bridge, but Wellington was aware that he was close to much larger French formations, and proceeded very carefully.
, his men famished and demoralized, accepted the advice of his despondent lieutenants and began preparations to extricate the French army from Portugal. With his customary sang-froid Masséna drafted orders calling for the army to quit the Tagus abruptly between 4 and 6 March, aiming to secure Coimbra
as a base from which to throw bridges over the Mondego River and afford the army a passage to safety. The French pursued a retrograde movement along the Mondego valley—which Masséna had long contemplated, were it not for Napoleon's express orders forbidding him to budge from the Tagus
—hoping for better foraging country as they exhausted their last reserves of biscuit.
Aware that his preliminary measures of channelling wounded or ill men, heavy guns, and large wagons, would alert the British and Portuguese to his intentions, Masséna took measures to forestall an Allied attempt against his lines. In the Tagus valley where the French were established in depth, a handful of bayonets would suffice to keep Wellington at bay, but along the coastal roads, rapid movements might allow the enemy to seize Leiria
, Pombal
, or Condeixa, cutting the French line of retreat and forcing Masséna south into the Zêzere valley, an inhospitable and dangerous region. By March 5, every corps in the French army was in motion: a concentration at Punhete under Loison
masked the broader movements, Loison feint
ing an attempt to force the Tagus. Marshal Ney raced from Tomar
towards the heights of Leiria with two divisions
(Mermet
and Marchand
) and a cavalry brigade (Montbrun
), adding Conroux's division on the march and putting some 22,000 men on the approach to the sea. Meanwhile, Reynier
moved from Santarém to Tomar, descending the heights at Miranda do Corvo
and establishing himself on the left bank of the Mondego. Junot
would march to Torres Novas, passing Ney, crossing Pombal, and racing on to Coimbra. Loison, after destroying the decoy bridges at Punhete March 7, joined Ney at Leiria, forming Masséna's rearguard.
French parties under Montbrun reconnoitred the Mondego the morning of March 11 but found the river, in full flood, impossible to ford, and Coimbra occupied by Portuguese militia under Nicholas Trant The next day, a location was discovered at Pereira, eight miles upstream, where the river might be passed by a set of bridges, providing some 36 hours could be gained for their construction.
s without a fight the morning of March 11. As the British filed into the village, Ney ordered an abrupt about-face and counterattacked with three battalion
s, brusquely pushing the enemy from the town and throwing the British columns into disorder, with some troops being driven into the river and drowned. The French battalions then put Pombal to the torch
, stalling the Allied pursuit and buying Masséna the crucial hours needed to occupy Coimbra—though, as it turned out, the opportunity was missed.
Picton's division succeeded in mastering the heights and the French fell back. The allies followed but were brought in range of all six of Ney's guns and the British fell back with heavy losses. A bayonet charge from three small battalions of the 27th, the 59th and all Ney's tirailleurs drove the British-Portuguese all the way back to the foot of the heights. On Ney's right, the Light Division suffered a similar fate. They managed to eject the French skirmishers posted in the wood but were met and driven back by infantry and cavalry hidden from view. Cole's men were unable to make any progress.
With both of his flanks driven back, Wellington advanced his centre to attack the position of the French in front. Ney responded with the 25th Light and the 50th of the line, supported by artillery and the 3rd Hussars and the 6th Dragoons. There was a discharge of musketry and artillery, followed by another bayonet and cavalry charge, and the Anglo-Portuguese centre was thrown into confusion. At this point when the allied centre faltered, Ney might have been on the verge of winning a spectacular victory had he been able to more fully engage Mermet's division, driving the allies into the valley Arunca. But the Duke of Elchingen was prudent and recalled his troops back to the bridge, and for an hour continued repulsed further assaults on his position, breaking the ranks of the Anglo-Portuguese with intense musket fire.
By four o'clock Ney had broken all the allied assaults, until Wellington rallied his entire army in four lines and advanced them on the French position, again attempting to turn both flanks. Ney, with no reserves left, fired a salvo from his cannon, creating a screen of smoke to conceal the withdrawal of his troops across the river. Redinha was put to the torch and Ney assumed a new positioned on the other side of the Ancos river. Wellington's again attempted to turn both flanks but Ney withdrew his rearguard to prevent being trapped, retiring to the village of Condeixa.
of two generals which cost so many brave men their lives with no result. Historian John Fortescue likewise defended Wellington, contending that:
Ney has been praised for his remarkable handling of the rearguard. For the loss of 229 men he had held Wellington up for an entire day, giving Masséna the time he needed to force his way across the Mondego River. Wellington himself believed the entire French army was upon him, and was disappointed to discover that it was merely a rear-guard.
Unfortunately for the French Masséna failed to take advantage of that chance. Crucially, in the two days bought by Ney Masséna had not attempted a coup de main
against Coimbra, even though Trant's rather weak garrison had orders to retire immediately if strongly pressed. At the end of 12 March the French were still to the south of the river, and in danger of being trapped by Wellington. The only alternative route open to Masséna was to retreat east towards the Spanish border, and the only road available led east from Condeixa. With the British close to that village, on the morning of 13 March Masséna began the long costly retreat back into Spain which marked the complete failure of his great invasion of Portugal.
The next action would be at Condeixa
, followed by the battles of Casal de Novo and finally, Foz de Arouce.
Rearguard
Rearguard may refer to:* A military detachment protecting the rear of a larger military formation, especially when retreating from a pursuing enemy force. * Rear Guard , a computer game released in 1982...
action which took place on March 12, 1811, during Masséna's
André Masséna
André Masséna 1st Duc de Rivoli, 1st Prince d'Essling was a French military commander during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars....
retreat from Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, by a French division under Marshal Ney
Michel Ney
Michel Ney , 1st Duc d'Elchingen, 1st Prince de la Moskowa was a French soldier and military commander during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. He was one of the original 18 Marshals of France created by Napoleon I...
against a considerably larger Anglo-Portuguese force under Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
. Challenging the Allies with only one or two divisions, Ney's 7,000 troops were pitched against 25,000-30,000 men. The French delayed the Allied advance and bought valuable time for the main body of the of French army in its withdrawal.
Redinha was the second and most successful rearguard action fought during Masséna's retreat from the Lines of Torres Vedras
Lines of Torres Vedras
The Lines of Torres Vedras were lines of forts built in secrecy to defend Lisbon during the Peninsular War. Named after the nearby town of Torres Vedras, they were ordered by Arthur Wellesley, Viscount Wellington, constructed by Sir Richard Fletcher, 1st Baronet and his Portuguese workers between...
in the spring of 1811. Having held off the British at Pombal
Pombal, Portugal
Pombal is a town in Pombal Municipality, Portugal. The population of the city is about 16.000 inhabitants....
on 11 March, Marshal Ney and the French rearguard had retreated to Redinha. Here he took up an apparently vulnerable position, with Mermet's division on a plateau south of the village, and Marchand's division north of the village on the far side of the Ancos River, linked by a narrow bridge, but Wellington was aware that he was close to much larger French formations, and proceeded very carefully.
Background
By February 1810 Masséna, stalled for six months at the Lines of Torres VedrasLines of Torres Vedras
The Lines of Torres Vedras were lines of forts built in secrecy to defend Lisbon during the Peninsular War. Named after the nearby town of Torres Vedras, they were ordered by Arthur Wellesley, Viscount Wellington, constructed by Sir Richard Fletcher, 1st Baronet and his Portuguese workers between...
, his men famished and demoralized, accepted the advice of his despondent lieutenants and began preparations to extricate the French army from Portugal. With his customary sang-froid Masséna drafted orders calling for the army to quit the Tagus abruptly between 4 and 6 March, aiming to secure Coimbra
Coimbra
Coimbra is a city in the municipality of Coimbra in Portugal. Although it served as the nation's capital during the High Middle Ages, it is better-known for its university, the University of Coimbra, which is one of the oldest in Europe and the oldest academic institution in the...
as a base from which to throw bridges over the Mondego River and afford the army a passage to safety. The French pursued a retrograde movement along the Mondego valley—which Masséna had long contemplated, were it not for Napoleon's express orders forbidding him to budge from the Tagus
Tagus
The Tagus is the longest river on the Iberian Peninsula. It is long, in Spain, along the border between Portugal and Spain and in Portugal, where it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Lisbon. It drains an area of . The Tagus is highly utilized for most of its course...
—hoping for better foraging country as they exhausted their last reserves of biscuit.
Aware that his preliminary measures of channelling wounded or ill men, heavy guns, and large wagons, would alert the British and Portuguese to his intentions, Masséna took measures to forestall an Allied attempt against his lines. In the Tagus valley where the French were established in depth, a handful of bayonets would suffice to keep Wellington at bay, but along the coastal roads, rapid movements might allow the enemy to seize Leiria
Leiria
Leiria is a city in Leiria Municipality in the Centro Region, Portugal. It is the capital of Leiria District. The city proper has 50,200 inhabitants and the entire municipality has nearly 120,000...
, Pombal
Pombal, Portugal
Pombal is a town in Pombal Municipality, Portugal. The population of the city is about 16.000 inhabitants....
, or Condeixa, cutting the French line of retreat and forcing Masséna south into the Zêzere valley, an inhospitable and dangerous region. By March 5, every corps in the French army was in motion: a concentration at Punhete under Loison
Louis Henri Loison
Louis Henri Loison briefly joined the French Army in 1787 and after the French Revolution became a junior officer. Blessed with military talent and courage, he rapidly rose to general officer rank during the French Revolutionary Wars. He also got into difficulties because of his fondness for...
masked the broader movements, Loison feint
Feint
Feint is a French term that entered English from the discipline of fencing. Feints are maneuvers designed to distract or mislead, done by giving the impression that a certain maneuver will take place, while in fact another, or even none, will...
ing an attempt to force the Tagus. Marshal Ney raced from Tomar
Tomar
Tomar Municipality has a total area of 351.0 km² and a total population of 43,007 inhabitants.The municipality is composed of 16 parishes, and is located in Santarém District...
towards the heights of Leiria with two divisions
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
(Mermet
Julien Augustin Joseph Mermet
General Julien Augustin Joseph Mermet fought in the Napoleonic Wars as a division commander in Italy and in the Peninsular War.-Empire:...
and Marchand
Jean Gabriel Marchand
Jean Gabriel Marchand, 1st Count Marchand went from being an attorney to a company commander in the army of the First French Republic in 1791. He fought almost exclusively in Italy throughout the French Revolutionary Wars and served on the staffs of a number of generals...
) and a cavalry brigade (Montbrun
Louis Pierre, Count Montbrun
Louis Pierre, Count Montbrun , French cavalry general, served with great distinction in the cavalry arm throughout the wars of the Revolution and the Consulate, and in 1800 was appointed to command his regiment, having served therein from trooper upwards.At the Battle of Austerlitz on 2 December...
), adding Conroux's division on the march and putting some 22,000 men on the approach to the sea. Meanwhile, Reynier
Jean Reynier
Jean Louis Ebénézer Reynier rose in rank to become a French army general officer during the French Revolutionary Wars. He led a division under Napoleon Bonaparte in the French Campaign in Egypt and Syria...
moved from Santarém to Tomar, descending the heights at Miranda do Corvo
Miranda do Corvo
Miranda do Corvo is a Portuguese town and municipality in the Coimbra district of Portugal.Miranda do Corvo literally means "View over the Corvo River." The town has a beautiful church situated on a hill overlooking the area. A large "Rio de Janeiro"-type statue of Jesus also looks out over the...
and establishing himself on the left bank of the Mondego. Junot
Jean-Andoche Junot
Jean-Andoche Junot, 1st Duke of Abrantès was a French general during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.-Early life:...
would march to Torres Novas, passing Ney, crossing Pombal, and racing on to Coimbra. Loison, after destroying the decoy bridges at Punhete March 7, joined Ney at Leiria, forming Masséna's rearguard.
Wellington moves
The Allies stood still between March 4 and 6, tracking the French manoeuvres and trying to discern Masséna's intentions with certainty. To Wellington the apparent French retreat was itself a welcome relief, and the general opted to wait out events rather than risk compromising his advantage with precipitous actions against the enemy (nor was Wellington eager to try conclusions with a commander as reputed as Masséna, even an apparently beaten Masséna, unless it were on his own terms). Unbeknownst to the French, however, several Allied detachments (largely Portuguese recruits) had already seized many positions along the Mondego. Consequently, the Allies did not march until the morning of the 6th, with Wellington directing a circumspect and cautious pursuit of Ney.French parties under Montbrun reconnoitred the Mondego the morning of March 11 but found the river, in full flood, impossible to ford, and Coimbra occupied by Portuguese militia under Nicholas Trant The next day, a location was discovered at Pereira, eight miles upstream, where the river might be passed by a set of bridges, providing some 36 hours could be gained for their construction.
Pombal
Wellington's first check came at the village of Pombal, which Ney initially yielded to the approaching Allied columnColumn (formation)
A military column is a formation of soldiers marching together in one or more files in which the file is significantly longer than the width of ranks in the formation...
s without a fight the morning of March 11. As the British filed into the village, Ney ordered an abrupt about-face and counterattacked with three battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
s, brusquely pushing the enemy from the town and throwing the British columns into disorder, with some troops being driven into the river and drowned. The French battalions then put Pombal to the torch
Incendiary device
Incendiary weapons, incendiary devices or incendiary bombs are bombs designed to start fires or destroy sensitive equipment using materials such as napalm, thermite, chlorine trifluoride, or white phosphorus....
, stalling the Allied pursuit and buying Masséna the crucial hours needed to occupy Coimbra—though, as it turned out, the opportunity was missed.
Battle
Initial movements
Wellington advanced his army in three columns, the right made up of Picton and Pack's divisions, the left of Erskine's, and the centre that of Cole's troops, supported by cavalry under John Slade, Wellington attempted to outflank Ney's position. When one column closed in, the French attacked with (depending on the terrain) musket fire, bayonet or cavalry. Each time the allied columns pressed the French too hard, his troops took the column in the flank and drove it back.Combat of Redinha
Ney's rearguard formed a new position on the heights next to the river Soure, overlooking the allies moving across a small plain on one side and the village of Redinha and the Ancos river on the other. His troops formed two rank lines, supported by artillery, skirmishers placed in strategic locations to the front and cavalry positioned further back. When the Light Division, Pack’s Portuguese Division and Picton’s 3rd Division had been joined by the 4th Division, with the 1st and 6th Divisions close behind, did Wellington begin his attack. The 3rd Division attacked the skirmishers on the heights of the French left, the Light Division attacked those on the right, with Cole's troops advancing on the French centre.Picton's division succeeded in mastering the heights and the French fell back. The allies followed but were brought in range of all six of Ney's guns and the British fell back with heavy losses. A bayonet charge from three small battalions of the 27th, the 59th and all Ney's tirailleurs drove the British-Portuguese all the way back to the foot of the heights. On Ney's right, the Light Division suffered a similar fate. They managed to eject the French skirmishers posted in the wood but were met and driven back by infantry and cavalry hidden from view. Cole's men were unable to make any progress.
With both of his flanks driven back, Wellington advanced his centre to attack the position of the French in front. Ney responded with the 25th Light and the 50th of the line, supported by artillery and the 3rd Hussars and the 6th Dragoons. There was a discharge of musketry and artillery, followed by another bayonet and cavalry charge, and the Anglo-Portuguese centre was thrown into confusion. At this point when the allied centre faltered, Ney might have been on the verge of winning a spectacular victory had he been able to more fully engage Mermet's division, driving the allies into the valley Arunca. But the Duke of Elchingen was prudent and recalled his troops back to the bridge, and for an hour continued repulsed further assaults on his position, breaking the ranks of the Anglo-Portuguese with intense musket fire.
By four o'clock Ney had broken all the allied assaults, until Wellington rallied his entire army in four lines and advanced them on the French position, again attempting to turn both flanks. Ney, with no reserves left, fired a salvo from his cannon, creating a screen of smoke to conceal the withdrawal of his troops across the river. Redinha was put to the torch and Ney assumed a new positioned on the other side of the Ancos river. Wellington's again attempted to turn both flanks but Ney withdrew his rearguard to prevent being trapped, retiring to the village of Condeixa.
Aftermath
As a consequence, the Allies were forced to halt and recuperate for a day on the river Soure. They had lost a minimum 205 men, possibly much more owing to the work of the French artillery—French sources put their casualties higher than 1,800—compared to only 229 men for the French. Wellington's contemporaries, both French and British, criticized his handling of the battle. An unlikely dissenter was the Baron de Marbot who, as an eyewitness, deemed the battle of no consequence and deplored the false prideHubris
Hubris , also hybris, means extreme haughtiness, pride or arrogance. Hubris often indicates a loss of contact with reality and an overestimation of one's own competence or capabilities, especially when the person exhibiting it is in a position of power....
of two generals which cost so many brave men their lives with no result. Historian John Fortescue likewise defended Wellington, contending that:
Ney has been praised for his remarkable handling of the rearguard. For the loss of 229 men he had held Wellington up for an entire day, giving Masséna the time he needed to force his way across the Mondego River. Wellington himself believed the entire French army was upon him, and was disappointed to discover that it was merely a rear-guard.
Unfortunately for the French Masséna failed to take advantage of that chance. Crucially, in the two days bought by Ney Masséna had not attempted a coup de main
Coup de main
A coup de main is a swift attack that relies on speed and surprise to accomplish its objectives in a single blow. The United States Department of Defense defines it as:The literal translation from French means a stroke or blow of the hand...
against Coimbra, even though Trant's rather weak garrison had orders to retire immediately if strongly pressed. At the end of 12 March the French were still to the south of the river, and in danger of being trapped by Wellington. The only alternative route open to Masséna was to retreat east towards the Spanish border, and the only road available led east from Condeixa. With the British close to that village, on the morning of 13 March Masséna began the long costly retreat back into Spain which marked the complete failure of his great invasion of Portugal.
The next action would be at Condeixa
Condeixa-a-Nova
Condeixa-a-Nova , also known as Condeixa, is a town and a municipality in the district of Coimbra, Portugal. It is located 15 km south of Coimbra, and in the Greater Metropolitan Area of Coimbra...
, followed by the battles of Casal de Novo and finally, Foz de Arouce.