Battle of Fuengirola facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Fuengirola |
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| Part of the Peninsular War | |||||||
 Battle of Fuengirola, a painting by January Suchodolski oil on canvas, 93 x 66 cm, Polish Army Museum |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United Kingdom Spain |
.svg){kind=small} Duchy of Warsaw France |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Lord Blayney (POW) |
Franciszek Młokosiewicz |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 3,501 British 1,000 Spanish |
400 Polish 57 French |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 65 killed 70 wounded 200 captured 5 guns captured 300 rifles & muskets captured 60,000 rounds of ammunition captured 1 gunboat captured |
20 killed 100 wounded |
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The Battle of Fuengirola took place on October 15, 1810. It was a fight between a small group of Polish soldiers and a much larger force of British and Spanish troops. The battle happened at a very old castle in Fuengirola, a town in Spain.
The Polish soldiers were part of the Duchy of Warsaw army, which was allied with France under Napoleon. They were defending Sohail Castle against an attack from both the sea and land. Even though they were greatly outnumbered, the Polish troops managed to defeat the British and Spanish forces. They caused many losses for the British and even captured their commander, Lord Blayney.
Contents
What Led to the Battle?
Fuengirola's History
The town of Fuengirola has been an important place for trade for a very long time. To protect it from attacks by sea, people called the Moors built a strong stone castle. This castle was located on a hill between the Mediterranean Sea and the Fuengirola River.
The Peninsular War in Spain
During the Peninsular War (a big conflict in Spain and Portugal), the area around Fuengirola was not seen as very important. French forces took control of it easily. By 1810, there was almost no fighting from local groups in this region. Because of this, some Polish army units were sent there in October 1810. They were meant to rest and guard the area after fighting in other places.
Who Was Defending the Castle?
Sohail Castle was defended by about 150 Polish soldiers from the 4th Infantry Regiment. They also had 11 French dragoons (soldiers on horseback). Captain Franciszek Młokosiewicz was in charge of this group. Other small groups of Polish soldiers were in nearby towns. About 60 infantrymen were in Mijas, and 200 infantrymen with 40 dragoons were in Alhaurin. All these soldiers were part of a larger French army group. This group was led by General Horace François Bastien, baron Sébastiani and was based in Málaga. Their job was to stop Spanish fighters from getting weapons from Gibraltar.
The British Plan
In the autumn of 1810, British Major General Lord Blayney decided to attack the port of Málaga. He planned to launch a surprise attack from Gibraltar. The beaches near Fuengirola seemed like a good place to land his soldiers. Spanish local fighters told the British that the castle defenders were few and had no backup.
So, in October 1810, Blayney gathered his forces. He had about 1,700 soldiers, including British troops, a group of soldiers who had left the French army, and a Spanish regiment. They boarded a small fleet of ships. This fleet included two large frigates, five smaller gunboats, and other transport ships.
The Battle Begins
Landing and First Attack
On October 14, 1810, the British ships arrived at Cala Moral Bay. This bay was about two miles southwest of Fuengirola. The British soldiers landed on the beach and were joined by some Spanish local fighters. Lord Blayney led his troops along the shore towards Fuengirola. His ships sailed alongside them.
Around 2:00 PM, they reached the castle. The British general sent a messenger to ask the Polish commander to give up. Captain Młokosiewicz refused. After that, the British ships started firing their cannons at the castle.
Polish Resistance
Even though the Poles were outnumbered, they fought bravely. One Polish sergeant, Zakrzewski, even managed to sink a British gunboat! The other gunboats moved away, out of reach of the two small Polish cannons.
Lord Blayney then tried to attack the castle walls directly. He used the cover fire from his two frigates. But after Major Grant, a British commander, was killed, Blayney ordered his troops to pull back.
Night and Reinforcements
During the night, Blayney brought his cannons ashore. British engineers built two places for the cannons near the castle. They planned to use these to break down the castle walls.
Meanwhile, the Polish soldiers from Mijas, led by Lieutenant Chełmicki, heard the cannons. They managed to sneak past the British lines and join the defenders inside the castle. The Polish group in Alhaurin, led by Major Bronisz, also heard the noise. Early on October 15, they marched towards Mijas. There, they fought a Spanish-German unit of 450 soldiers sent by Blayney. The Poles charged with bayonets and scattered the enemy.
A Surprise Attack
On the morning of October 15, the British cannons fired heavily. They managed to destroy one of the castle towers. Around 2:00 PM, more British and Spanish warships arrived. They brought 932 more soldiers.
To deal with this new threat, Captain Młokosiewicz decided to launch a surprise attack. He left the castle mostly guarded by wounded soldiers. He then led his remaining 130 soldiers out of the castle. The attackers were completely surprised. Even though the Spanish regiment guarding the cannons had many more soldiers (about 10 to 1), they ran away in a panic. The Poles turned the captured cannons away from the castle and started firing at the British positions. The shots didn't hit much, but they made it very hard for the British to get organized.
The Final Push
After about half an hour, Blayney managed to get his troops back in order on the beach. He ordered an attack on the cannons that the Poles had captured. The outnumbered Poles blew up their gunpowder supplies and went back towards the castle.
However, before the British and Spanish could push further, they were attacked from their left side. This was Major Bronisz's Polish group from Alhaurin, who had just arrived. About 200 fresh and well-equipped Poles distracted the British. This gave Captain Młokosiewicz time to regroup his soldiers and attack the right side of the British line. This almost simultaneous attack by the Polish units, helped by about 30 French cavalrymen, surprised the enemy soldiers. They soon started to waver.
When Lord Blayney was captured by the Poles, his soldiers sounded the retreat. They began a messy escape back to their ships. They were even under fire from their own cannons, which the Poles had captured again!
What Happened After?
The brave defense of the castle in Fuengirola was a rare event. It was one of the few times Polish soldiers fought against British forces. It was also one of the few big defeats for the British in the Peninsular War.
Lord Blayney tried to make the battle seem less important in his writings. But he himself was held prisoner by the French for almost four years, until 1814. His sword, which he surrendered, is now on display in a museum in Kraków.
Some British historians have said that the British lost because General Sébastiani's French relief force arrived from Málaga. However, Sébastiani's own report says his troops reached Fuengirola the morning after the battle. So, the debate about why the British lost still continues.
See also
In Spanish: Batalla de Fuengirola para niños
