Battle of Sorauren
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Sorauren was part of a series of engagements in late July 1813 called the Battle of the Pyrenees
in which a combined British
and Portuguese
force under Sir Arthur Wellesley
held off Marshal Soult's French
forces attempting to relieve San Sebastián
.
With sizable Anglo-Portuguese forces
tied up in assaulting San Sebastián and besieging Pamplona
, the new French commander Marshal Soult launched a counterattack with the Armée d'Espagne through Maya and Roncesvalles. Although the French initially enjoyed local superiority, the tough terrain combined with stubborn British and Portuguese resistance slowed the French advance to a crawl.
The main French column, about 40,000 men under Clausel and Reille was marching to attack Sorauren
. On the 27 July the heavily outnumbered British forces there were drawn up on the Oricain ridge. Wellesley made a dramatic ride along the ridge in front of the cheering British and Portuguese troops and Soult postponed the attack until the next day. By the time the French attack was launched, reinforcements had arrived, bringing the total allied force to about 24,000 men.
On the 28th the fighting at the top of the ridge was bitter and bloody, but the defenders held the French off. About midday, the 6th Division arrived and Wellington sent them to assault the French right flank. More fresh units reached the field and Soult soon ordered a withdrawal. The French suffered 4,000 casualties, while Wellesley's army lost 1,500 British, 1,000 Portuguese and 1000 Spaniards.
On the 30th the retreat from Sorauren cost the French 3,500 casualties, as the French tried to get between Wellesley's army and San Sebastian. At Beunza, 5100 Portuguese and 4000 British fended one attempt off.
With his momentum lost, Soult withdrew into France to prepare his defence against the imminent Allied offensive. In European military history, Sorauren is renowned for two things. The Soult offensive is compared to the Ardennes offensive in 1944. Both were a last desperate essay to ward off the enemy and both spent the last military resources of a tyrant. It is also the crowning achievement of the Portuguese Army
in the Peninsular War, which became the working horse of Wellington "the fighting cocks of the army" (Letter to Liverpool, July, 25th, Lesaca.)
Battle of the Pyrenees
The Battle of the Pyrenees was a large-scale offensive 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...
in which a combined British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Portuguese
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...
force under Sir Arthur Wellesley
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...
held off Marshal Soult's French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
forces attempting to relieve San Sebastián
San Sebastián
Donostia-San Sebastián is a city and municipality located in the north of Spain, in the coast of the Bay of Biscay and 20 km away from the French border. The city is the capital of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. The municipality’s population is 186,122 , and its...
.
With sizable Anglo-Portuguese forces
Anglo-Portuguese Army
The Anglo-Portuguese Army was the combined British and Portuguese army that won the Peninsular War, under the command of Arthur Wellesley. The Army is also referred to as the British-Portuguese Army and, in Portuguese, as the Exército Anglo-Luso or the Exército Anglo-Português.The Anglo-Portuguese...
tied up in assaulting San Sebastián and besieging Pamplona
Pamplona
Pamplona is the historial capital city of Navarre, in Spain, and of the former kingdom of Navarre.The city is famous worldwide for the San Fermín festival, from July 6 to 14, in which the running of the bulls is one of the main attractions...
, the new French commander Marshal Soult launched a counterattack with the Armée d'Espagne through Maya and Roncesvalles. Although the French initially enjoyed local superiority, the tough terrain combined with stubborn British and Portuguese resistance slowed the French advance to a crawl.
The main French column, about 40,000 men under Clausel and Reille was marching to attack Sorauren
Sorauren
Sorauren is a small village close to Pamplona in Navarre, Spain. It is surrounded by the mountains "Ezkaba", "Lanzador" and "Txaraka". There can be found the famous romanic stone bridge....
. On the 27 July the heavily outnumbered British forces there were drawn up on the Oricain ridge. Wellesley made a dramatic ride along the ridge in front of the cheering British and Portuguese troops and Soult postponed the attack until the next day. By the time the French attack was launched, reinforcements had arrived, bringing the total allied force to about 24,000 men.
On the 28th the fighting at the top of the ridge was bitter and bloody, but the defenders held the French off. About midday, the 6th Division arrived and Wellington sent them to assault the French right flank. More fresh units reached the field and Soult soon ordered a withdrawal. The French suffered 4,000 casualties, while Wellesley's army lost 1,500 British, 1,000 Portuguese and 1000 Spaniards.
On the 30th the retreat from Sorauren cost the French 3,500 casualties, as the French tried to get between Wellesley's army and San Sebastian. At Beunza, 5100 Portuguese and 4000 British fended one attempt off.
With his momentum lost, Soult withdrew into France to prepare his defence against the imminent Allied offensive. In European military history, Sorauren is renowned for two things. The Soult offensive is compared to the Ardennes offensive in 1944. Both were a last desperate essay to ward off the enemy and both spent the last military resources of a tyrant. It is also the crowning achievement of the Portuguese Army
Portuguese Army
The Portuguese Army is the ground branch of the Portuguese Armed Forces which, in co-operation with other branches of the Portuguese military, is charged with the defence of Portugal...
in the Peninsular War, which became the working horse of Wellington "the fighting cocks of the army" (Letter to Liverpool, July, 25th, Lesaca.)