Battle of Almaraz facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Almaraz
Part of the Peninsular War
Date 18–19 May 1812 Location Almaraz, Spain 39°48′N 5°40′W / 39.800°N 5.667°W / 39.800; -5.667 Result Anglo-Portuguese victory
Belligerents
France	Britain Portugal
Commanders and leaders
Colonel Aubert  †	Rowland Hill
Strength
1,100	6,000 9 guns
Casualties and losses
150 killed or wounded 259 captured	33 killed 156 wounded

The Battle of Almaraz was an important fight during the Peninsular War. It happened on May 18–19, 1812, in Almaraz, Spain. In this battle, the Anglo-Portuguese Army (soldiers from Britain and Portugal) led by Lord Hill destroyed a special French bridge.

This bridge was a pontoon bridge, meaning it was made of boats, across the River Tagus. It was guarded by two French forts on each side. The attack was quick, clever, and very brave. By destroying the bridge, the British and Portuguese stopped the two main French armies from easily joining up. This was a big help for the Allied forces before the important Battle of Salamanca.

Why the Battle Happened

By April 1812, the Duke of Wellington, a famous British general, had captured two key fortresses. These were Badajoz and Ciudad Rodrigo, which controlled the main roads between Spain and Portugal. Wellington was now ready to move deeper into Spain with his biggest army yet. He felt strong enough to face any single French army.

However, there were two large French armies in Spain. One was Marmont's Army of Portugal, near Salamanca. The other was Soult's Army of the South. The Tagus River separated these two armies.

The only way for large armies, especially with cannons and heavy supplies, to cross the Tagus River was at a few specific bridges. Many of these bridges were either destroyed or hard to use. The bridge at Almaraz was one of the most important crossing points. If it was destroyed, the French armies would have a much harder time helping each other.

The Fight at Almaraz

The original Almaraz bridge was very old, built in the 1500s. It was partly destroyed by the Spanish in 1809 to keep the French from using it. So, the French built a new pontoon bridge nearby in 1809. This bridge was about 200 meters long. Its middle part could be removed at night for safety.

General Rowland Hill was given the job of attacking this pontoon bridge. He had about 6,000 soldiers and nine cannons. This was almost the same group that surprised a French general named Jean-Baptiste Girard in 1811. Destroying the bridge was a huge challenge. The French had built strong forts on both sides of the river to protect it.

French Defenses

The southern end of the bridge was guarded by a fort called Fort Napoleon. This fort was on top of a steep hill. It could hold 450 soldiers. It had two large steps leading up to its walls, which made it a bit easier for attackers to climb. The back of the fort sloped down to the bridge and had a ditch and a strong tower. This tower was the last place soldiers could hide if the fort was taken.

On the northern side of the Tagus River was Fort Ragusa. This fort stored all the French supplies and ammunition. It also had a tall, strong tower for defense. There was another small fort near the bridge to protect it further.

The French had also made the main road from Trujillo very strong. This road went through the Sierra de Mirabete mountains. There, a castle guarded the pass. The French had built a 12-foot-high wall around the castle with eight cannons. Two smaller forts, Colbert and Senarmont, were also part of these defenses. The mountains were very difficult to cross with wagons or cannons.

Hill's Plan and Attack

General Hill planned to divide his forces into three groups.

• The first group, led by Christopher Chowne, would attack the Mirabete castle.
• The second group, with Portuguese soldiers and all the cannons, would go along the main road to attack the pass defenses.
• The third group, led by Hill himself, would climb through a different mountain pass called La Cueva. They would then approach Almaraz from a different direction.

The three groups started moving on the night of May 16. But the mountains were so rough that by dawn, they were still far from their targets. Hill realized he couldn't surprise the French at the bridge with his cannons. He decided to attack Fort Napoleon and the bridge using only his infantry (foot soldiers).

On the evening of May 18, Hill's group moved through the La Cueva pass. By dawn on May 19, they were only half a mile from Fort Napoleon. However, the French soldiers spotted them crossing the mountains. Colonel Aubert, who commanded Fort Napoleon, was warned. The French quickly removed the two middle boats of the pontoon bridge to make it harder to cross.

The attack on the bridge began at dawn on May 19. Chowne's cannons started firing at Mirabete castle. Even though the defenders of Fort Napoleon knew Hill's troops were there, they were still surprised. British soldiers from the 50th and 71st Regiments suddenly rushed out of cover. They charged up the hill towards the fort, even while the French fired at them from Fort Napoleon and Fort Ragusa.

Many British soldiers were hit as they ran forward. But some reached the top of the hill. They threw their ladders against the fort's walls. The soldiers climbed onto the first step, pulled their ladders up, and then climbed to the top of the walls. Soon, they were fighting hand-to-hand with the French defenders.

Captain Candler of the 50th Regiment was the first to jump over the wall. He was hit by several French bullets. But his men followed him, and the French defenders began to run back towards the bridge. Colonel Aubert, the French commander, bravely refused to surrender. A British sergeant killed him with his pike. French soldiers tried to escape into the tower, but they were forced to give up. The cannons in Fort Ragusa couldn't fire because they might hit their own men running away.

The French soldiers guarding the bridge also retreated across the pontoon bridge. The fight had lasted only 40 minutes. Four brave soldiers from the 92nd Regiment swam to Fort Ragusa. They brought back some boats to help fix the pontoon bridge. Soon, the rest of Hill's army arrived. They found that the French had left all their forts on both sides of the river. Hill ordered the forts to be blown up and the pontoon bridge to be burned.

What Happened Next

The castle at Mirabete stayed in French hands. A false rumor spread that a large French army was coming. This made Hill decide to pull his troops back to Trujillo. Because of this, he missed the chance to completely capture the castle.

The attack on the Almaraz bridge cost the British 33 soldiers killed and 148 wounded. Most of these were from the 50th Regiment. The French lost about 400 soldiers, with 259 of them taken prisoner.

Years later, in 1813, the Duke of Wellington sent an engineer named Henry Sturgeon to fix the bridge. Sturgeon built a new suspension bridge. The bridge that stands there today was built by the Spanish between 1841 and 1845.

Images for kids

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  A painting showing the Battle of Almaraz.

See also

In Spanish: Combate de Almaraz para niños