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The Battle of Sorauren was part of a series of engagements in late July 1813 called the
The main French column of about 40,000 men under Clausel and Reille marched to attack Sorauren. On the 27July 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 Wellesley 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 30July the retreat from Sorauren cost the French 3,500 casualties, as they tried to get between Wellesley's army and
With his momentum lost, Soult withdrew into France to prepare his defence against the imminent Allied offensive.
Battle of the Pyrenees
The Battle of the Pyrenees was a large-scale offensive (the author David Chandler recognises the 'battle' as an offensive) launched on 25 July 1813 by Marshal Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult from the Pyrénées region on Emperor Napoleon’s or ...
in which a combined British and Portuguese force under Sir Arthur Wellesley held off Marshal Soult's French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
forces attempting to relieve Pamplona.
Prelude
With sizable Anglo-Portuguese forces tied up in assaulting San Sebastián and besiegingPamplona
Pamplona (; eu, Iruña or ), historically also known as Pampeluna in English, is the capital city of the Chartered Community of Navarre, in Spain. It is also the third-largest city in the greater Basque cultural region.
Lying at near above ...
, 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.
Battle
The main French column of about 40,000 men under Clausel and Reille marched to attack Sorauren. On the 27July 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 Wellesley 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 30July the retreat from Sorauren cost the French 3,500 casualties, as they tried to get between Wellesley's army and San Sebastián
San Sebastian, officially known as Donostia–San Sebastián (names in both local languages: ''Donostia'' () and ''San Sebastián'' ()) is a city and municipality located in the Basque Autonomous Community, Spain. It lies on the coast of the ...
. At Beunza, 5100 Portuguese and 4000 British fended off another attempt.
Aftermath
With his momentum lost, Soult withdrew into France to prepare his defence against the imminent Allied offensive.
Notes
References
Further reading
* * *External links
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sorauren Battles of the Peninsular War Battles involving the United Kingdom Battles involving Portugal Battles involving Spain Battles involving France Battle of Sorauren Battle of Sorauren July 1813 events August 1813 events