Lines of Torres Vedras
Encyclopedia
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 November 1809 and September 1810, and used to stop Masséna's
1810 offensive.
. He used a report of Colonel Vincent, ordered by Junot in 1807, describing the excellent defensive capacities in the region nearby Lisbon
. It has been suggested that the study by Major Neves Costa influenced Wellington's decision to construct the Lines, but in fact the plans pre-date Costa's study. He was also inspired by the Martello Towers along the British Channel coast. Wellington after surveying the area personally, ordered in his detailed memorandum dated 20 October 1809 the building of the Lines of Torres, as a system of fortifications blockhouse
s, redoubt
s, ravelin
s, cuts of natural relief, etc. The work began in the Autumn of 1809 and the first line was finished one year later. Construction of the lines continued and in 1812, 34,000 men were still working on them.
The work was supervised by Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Richard Fletcher, assisted by Major John Jones, 11 British
officers, four Portuguese Army
engineers and two KGL
officers. The cost was around £100,000, one of the least expensive but most remunerative military investments in history.
. The French (under Marshal
André Masséna
) discovered upon their arrival at The Lines a barren land (under the scorched earth
policy) and an enemy behind an impenetrable defensive position. Masséna's forces arrived at the Lines on 11 October and shortly afterwards stormed Sobral de Monte Agraço. They were repulsed in an attempt to assault Forte de Alqueidão (Alqueidão Fort), a bigger and better equipped redoubt.
After attempting to wait out the enemy, Masséna was forced to order a French retreat to Spain, starting on the night of 15 November 1810, to re-supply and reinforce his army. Marshal Masséna began his campaign
with his army (l'Armée de Portugal) at 65,000 strong. By the time he reached Torres Vedras, he had 61,000 men (after losing 4,000 at the Battle of Buçaco). When he reached Spain, he had lost 25,000 men (including those lost at Buçaco). One of the coldest winters the area had ever seen hit Portugal and killed many of the French forces. They were also hit by severe illness and disease killing the soldiers in the thousands. The human cost was great for the population, because of the privations they endured. It is estimated that between October 1810 and March 1811 about 50,000 Portuguese died of hunger or disease.
The Allies were reinforced by fresh British troops in 1811 and renewed their offensive. They left The Lines and did not return for the rest of the Peninsular War
.
and using the natural obstacles of the land. They did not comprise solid lines, instead they formed groupings of heavily defended areas that were self supporting, with mobile troops based in fortified camps ready to counterattack when necessary.
The first line, with an extension of 46 km, binds Alhandra
to the estuary of the Sizandro river. The second line, 13 km to the south, has 39 km and binds the Póvoa de Santa Iria
to Ribamar. The third line consisted of a defensive perimeter with 3 km, from Paço de Arcos
to the Tower of Junqueira, protecting a beach of embarcation (St. Julian's) about 27 km to the south of the second line, to be protected by British marines.
Initially using the Lisbon Militia units plus 5,000 to 7,000 hired peasants and later by conscription of all people within 40 miles, supervised by 18 engineering officers and around 150 NCO
s and at a cost of just £100,000 the work was completed, just in time.
Within a year, by the time the French arrived 126 forts and redoubts were built, with ravelins, detached batteries, etc. Rivers were dammed, turning large areas into swamps, ravines were choked with abatis
, miles of walls were built, some 16 ft high. Lateral roads were constructed to enable swift movement of supporting troops, houses and walls demolished to clear fields of fire, hills were scarped to make an unclimbable precipice, and everything was organised to have channels where cross fire from artillery would decimate an attacking force.
The three lines were furnished with 247 pieces of artillery
and provided with around 30,000 men, mainly Portugese militia and home guard ordenanças, plus 8,000 Spanish troops and 2,500 British marines and artillerymen. This left the Regular army, of around 58,000 (being 24,000 Portuguese and 34,000 British), able to manoeuvre behind the first line, to points of danger depending on where the invaders attacked the lines.
The majority of the defences were redoubts holding 200 to 300 troops and 3 to 6 cannon, normally 12 pounder's which could fire canister shot
or round shot
. The redoubt
was protected by a ditch, normally 16ft wide and 12ft deep, with parapet
s 8 to 14ft thick fitted with fire steps and the redoubts were pallisaded.
A possible eastern approach down the Tagus
was protected with anchored gun boats.
The fourth line was built south of the Tagus
in the Almada
highs to hinder an eventual invasion coming from south, with an extension of 8,000 yards (7.3 km): It had 17 redoubts and covered trenches, 86 pieces of artillery, defended by marines, and orderlies of Lisbon, for a total of 7,500 men.
Work continued on the redoubts and 152 were eventually completed.
Substantial portions of the lines still survive today, albeit heavily decayed due to locals re-using 100,000 tons of stones, although there has been some recent renovation work undertaken using EC funding.
1) Redoubts of artillery with Portuguese artillerymen, commanded by Major-General José António Rosa, and situated to fire into preset zones, where the enemy attack was expected. Both lines extended more than 80 km. The first line had 534 artillery pieces.
2) Military roads to cover the rear of the lines and allowing an extraordinary mobility of forces. In September 1810, the field army had some 66,598 regular soldiers. Including the Ordenanças and Milicias, it had 77,690 men.
3) A Semaphore system introduced by the British Navy which allowed a message to be sent around the lines in 7 minutes, or from the HQ to any point in 4 minutes. The signal system had five stations:
4) Secrecy. The building of the lines took, surprisingly, only 10 to 11 months. Lisbon became a peninsula defended by a most efficient system of blockhouse
s. Everything was preserved as a secret, whose maintenance is as surprising as the building of the lines. Only one report appeared in the London newspapers, a major source of information for Napoleon. It is said that when Masséna was first confronted by the Lines, he asked his staff why they had not known about them in advance. "Wellington has made them", replied someone. Masséna shouted, "To the Devil with you! Did Wellington make the mountains?" It is also said that not even the British government knew about the forts and was stunned when Wellington first said in despatches he had retreated to them.
5) The scorched earth policy. North of the lines everything that could supply the invading army was collected, hidden or burnt. A vast tract of land was deserted and perhaps 200,000 inhabitants of the neighbouring districts of the lines were relocated inside the lines. That the French were able to campaign in their vicinity at all was a remarkable feat, according to Wellington:
Ian C. Robertson, Wellington at War in the Peninsular 1808-1814 An overview and guide, 2000.
Fortification
Fortifications are military constructions and buildings designed for defence in warfare and military bases. Humans have constructed defensive works for many thousands of years, in a variety of increasingly complex designs...
built in secrecy to defend Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
during the Peninsular War
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
. Named after the nearby town of Torres Vedras
Torres Vedras
Torres Vedras is a city and a municipality in the district of Lisbon, Portugal, about 50 km north of Lisbon. It belongs to the Oeste subregion and the Centro region.The municipality covers an area of 405.89 km² distributed over 20 freguesias...
, they were ordered by Arthur Wellesley, Viscount 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...
, constructed by Sir Richard Fletcher, 1st Baronet and his Portuguese workers between November 1809 and September 1810, and used to stop 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....
1810 offensive.
Genesis
After his troubling Spanish experience at the Battle of Talavera, Wellington decided to strengthen PortugalPortugal
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...
. He used a report of Colonel Vincent, ordered by Junot in 1807, describing the excellent defensive capacities in the region nearby Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
. It has been suggested that the study by Major Neves Costa influenced Wellington's decision to construct the Lines, but in fact the plans pre-date Costa's study. He was also inspired by the Martello Towers along the British Channel coast. Wellington after surveying the area personally, ordered in his detailed memorandum dated 20 October 1809 the building of the Lines of Torres, as a system of fortifications blockhouse
Blockhouse
In military science, a blockhouse is a small, isolated fort in the form of a single building. It serves as a defensive strong point against any enemy that does not possess siege equipment or, in modern times, artillery...
s, redoubt
Redoubt
A redoubt is a fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on earthworks, though others are constructed of stone or brick. It is meant to protect soldiers outside the main defensive line and can be a permanent structure or a...
s, ravelin
Ravelin
A ravelin is a triangular fortification or detached outwork, located in front of the innerworks of a fortress...
s, cuts of natural relief, etc. The work began in the Autumn of 1809 and the first line was finished one year later. Construction of the lines continued and in 1812, 34,000 men were still working on them.
The work was supervised by Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Richard Fletcher, assisted by Major John Jones, 11 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...
officers, four 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...
engineers and two KGL
King's German Legion
The King's German Legion was a British Army unit of expatriate German personnel, 1803–16. The Legion achieved the distinction of being the only German force to fight without interruption against the French during the Napoleonic Wars....
officers. The cost was around £100,000, one of the least expensive but most remunerative military investments in history.
Effects
The Anglo-Portuguese army was forced to retreat to The Lines after the Battle of BuçacoBattle of Buçaco
The Battle of Bussaco resulted in the defeat of French forces by Lord Wellington's Anglo-Portuguese Army, in Portugal during the Peninsular War....
. The French (under Marshal
Marshal of France
The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
André Masséna
André Masséna
André Masséna 1st Duc de Rivoli, 1st Prince d'Essling was a French military commander during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars....
) discovered upon their arrival at The Lines a barren land (under the scorched earth
Scorched earth
A scorched earth policy is a military strategy or operational method which involves destroying anything that might be useful to the enemy while advancing through or withdrawing from an area...
policy) and an enemy behind an impenetrable defensive position. Masséna's forces arrived at the Lines on 11 October and shortly afterwards stormed Sobral de Monte Agraço. They were repulsed in an attempt to assault Forte de Alqueidão (Alqueidão Fort), a bigger and better equipped redoubt.
After attempting to wait out the enemy, Masséna was forced to order a French retreat to Spain, starting on the night of 15 November 1810, to re-supply and reinforce his army. Marshal Masséna began his campaign
Military campaign
In the military sciences, the term military campaign applies to large scale, long duration, significant military strategy plan incorporating a series of inter-related military operations or battles forming a distinct part of a larger conflict often called a war...
with his army (l'Armée de Portugal) at 65,000 strong. By the time he reached Torres Vedras, he had 61,000 men (after losing 4,000 at the Battle of Buçaco). When he reached Spain, he had lost 25,000 men (including those lost at Buçaco). One of the coldest winters the area had ever seen hit Portugal and killed many of the French forces. They were also hit by severe illness and disease killing the soldiers in the thousands. The human cost was great for the population, because of the privations they endured. It is estimated that between October 1810 and March 1811 about 50,000 Portuguese died of hunger or disease.
The Allies were reinforced by fresh British troops in 1811 and renewed their offensive. They left The Lines and did not return for the rest of the Peninsular War
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
.
Description
The three lines of Torres Vedras had redoubts and forts strategically placed in the top of hills, controlling the roads to LisbonLisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
and using the natural obstacles of the land. They did not comprise solid lines, instead they formed groupings of heavily defended areas that were self supporting, with mobile troops based in fortified camps ready to counterattack when necessary.
The first line, with an extension of 46 km, binds Alhandra
Alhandra
Alhandra is a town and municipality in the state of Paraíba in the Northeast Region of Brazil.-References:...
to the estuary of the Sizandro river. The second line, 13 km to the south, has 39 km and binds the Póvoa de Santa Iria
Póvoa de Santa Iria
Póvoa de Santa Iria is a city and civil parish in the municipality of Vila Franca de Xira, Portugal....
to Ribamar. The third line consisted of a defensive perimeter with 3 km, from Paço de Arcos
Paço de Arcos
Paço de Arcos in Oeiras, Portugal. With an area of 3,49 km², 28 000 inhabitants and population density of 3 390,5 hab/km². It was elevated to town by a decree at December 7, 1926....
to the Tower of Junqueira, protecting a beach of embarcation (St. Julian's) about 27 km to the south of the second line, to be protected by British marines.
Initially using the Lisbon Militia units plus 5,000 to 7,000 hired peasants and later by conscription of all people within 40 miles, supervised by 18 engineering officers and around 150 NCO
Non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
s and at a cost of just £100,000 the work was completed, just in time.
Within a year, by the time the French arrived 126 forts and redoubts were built, with ravelins, detached batteries, etc. Rivers were dammed, turning large areas into swamps, ravines were choked with abatis
Abatis
Abatis, abattis, or abbattis is a term in field fortification for an obstacle formed of the branches of trees laid in a row, with the sharpened tops directed outwards, towards the enemy. The trees are usually interlaced or tied with wire...
, miles of walls were built, some 16 ft high. Lateral roads were constructed to enable swift movement of supporting troops, houses and walls demolished to clear fields of fire, hills were scarped to make an unclimbable precipice, and everything was organised to have channels where cross fire from artillery would decimate an attacking force.
The three lines were furnished with 247 pieces of artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
and provided with around 30,000 men, mainly Portugese militia and home guard ordenanças, plus 8,000 Spanish troops and 2,500 British marines and artillerymen. This left the Regular army, of around 58,000 (being 24,000 Portuguese and 34,000 British), able to manoeuvre behind the first line, to points of danger depending on where the invaders attacked the lines.
The majority of the defences were redoubts holding 200 to 300 troops and 3 to 6 cannon, normally 12 pounder's which could fire canister shot
Canister shot
Canister shot is a kind of anti-personnel ammunition used in cannons. It was similar to the naval grapeshot, but fired smaller and more numerous balls, which did not have to punch through the wooden hull of a ship...
or round shot
Round shot
Round shot is a solid projectile without explosive charge, fired from a cannon. As the name implies, round shot is spherical; its diameter is slightly less than the bore of the gun it is fired from.Round shot was made in early times from dressed stone, but by the 17th century, from iron...
. The redoubt
Redoubt
A redoubt is a fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on earthworks, though others are constructed of stone or brick. It is meant to protect soldiers outside the main defensive line and can be a permanent structure or a...
was protected by a ditch, normally 16ft wide and 12ft deep, with parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
s 8 to 14ft thick fitted with fire steps and the redoubts were pallisaded.
A possible eastern approach down 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...
was protected with anchored gun boats.
The fourth line was built south of 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...
in the Almada
Almada
Almada is a municipality in Portugal, covering an area of 70.2 km² located on the southern margin of the Tagus River. Its municipal population in 2008 was 164,844 inhabitants; the urbanized center had a population of 102,357.The seat is the city of Almada....
highs to hinder an eventual invasion coming from south, with an extension of 8,000 yards (7.3 km): It had 17 redoubts and covered trenches, 86 pieces of artillery, defended by marines, and orderlies of Lisbon, for a total of 7,500 men.
Work continued on the redoubts and 152 were eventually completed.
Substantial portions of the lines still survive today, albeit heavily decayed due to locals re-using 100,000 tons of stones, although there has been some recent renovation work undertaken using EC funding.
Efficiency and cohesion
The efficiency and cohesion of the Lines was based on five points:1) Redoubts of artillery with Portuguese artillerymen, commanded by Major-General José António Rosa, and situated to fire into preset zones, where the enemy attack was expected. Both lines extended more than 80 km. The first line had 534 artillery pieces.
2) Military roads to cover the rear of the lines and allowing an extraordinary mobility of forces. In September 1810, the field army had some 66,598 regular soldiers. Including the Ordenanças and Milicias, it had 77,690 men.
3) A Semaphore system introduced by the British Navy which allowed a message to be sent around the lines in 7 minutes, or from the HQ to any point in 4 minutes. The signal system had five stations:
- Redoubt n.30 close to the ocean (Ponte do Rol)...
- Fort São Vicente
- Monte do Socorro close to Pêro Negro, Wellington’s headquarters. The station was reconstructed in 2008.
- Monte Agraço
- Sobralinho, by the Tejo.
4) Secrecy. The building of the lines took, surprisingly, only 10 to 11 months. Lisbon became a peninsula defended by a most efficient system of blockhouse
Blockhouse
In military science, a blockhouse is a small, isolated fort in the form of a single building. It serves as a defensive strong point against any enemy that does not possess siege equipment or, in modern times, artillery...
s. Everything was preserved as a secret, whose maintenance is as surprising as the building of the lines. Only one report appeared in the London newspapers, a major source of information for Napoleon. It is said that when Masséna was first confronted by the Lines, he asked his staff why they had not known about them in advance. "Wellington has made them", replied someone. Masséna shouted, "To the Devil with you! Did Wellington make the mountains?" It is also said that not even the British government knew about the forts and was stunned when Wellington first said in despatches he had retreated to them.
5) The scorched earth policy. North of the lines everything that could supply the invading army was collected, hidden or burnt. A vast tract of land was deserted and perhaps 200,000 inhabitants of the neighbouring districts of the lines were relocated inside the lines. That the French were able to campaign in their vicinity at all was a remarkable feat, according to Wellington:
Further reading
NORRIS, A.H. e BREMNER, R. W., The lines of Torres Vedras. The first three lines and fortifications south of the Tagus, Lisboa, The British Historical Soc. of Portugal, 1986.Ian C. Robertson, Wellington at War in the Peninsular 1808-1814 An overview and guide, 2000.
External links
- Royal Engineers Museum - Lt Col Sir Richard Fletcher (1768-1813) Architect of the Lines of Torres Vedras
- Royal Engineers Museum The Engineers and the Peninsular War (1808-14)-Construction of the Lines of Torres Vedras
- Semaphore Tower Monte Socorro Historical Reconstruction of semaphore tower.