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Battle of Valls

The Battle of Valls was fought on 25 February 1809, during the Peninsular War, between a French force under Laurent Gouvion Saint-Cyr and a Spanish force under Theodor von Reding. Fought near the town of Valls in Catalonia, Spain, the battle ended in a French victory. General Reding was fatally wounded during a cavalry charge against French cavalry.

Battle of Valls
Part of the Peninsular War

Battle of Valls
Date25 February 1809[1]
Location
Valls, Spain
41°17′00″N 1°15′00″E / 41.2833°N 1.2500°E / 41.2833; 1.2500
Result French-allied victory[1]
Belligerents
First French Empire French Empire
Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic) Kingdom of Italy
Kingdom of Westphalia Kingdom of Westphalia		  Spain
Commanders and leaders
France Laurent Gouvion Saint-Cyr
France Annet Morio de L'Isle
Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic) Domenico Pino		 Theodor von Reding (DOW)[1]
Strength
13,300[1] 10,540-11,000 infantry,
700 cavalry,
8 guns[2][1]
Casualties and losses
1,000 killed or wounded[1] 1,500 killed or wounded[1]
1,500 captured[1]
Peninsular War: Aragón Catalonia
Map
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21
Battle of Ordal at Ordal, on 13 September 1813
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Battle of Castalla (1812) at Castalla, on 21 July 1812 and on 13 April 1813
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Siege of Valencia (1812) at Valencia, from 26 December 1811 – 9 January 1812
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Siege of Tarragona (1811) from 5 May – 29 June 1811 Siege of Tarragona (1813) from 3 to 11 June 1813
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Battle of El Pla at El Pla, on 15 January 1811
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Siege of Tortosa (1810–11) at Tortosa, from 19 December 1810 to 2 January 1811
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Battle of La Bisbal at La Bisbal, on 14 September 1810
9
Siege of Mequinenza at Mequinenza, from 15 May to 8 June 1810
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Siege of Lérida at Lérida, on 23 April and 29 April to 14 May 1810
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6
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3
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2
Third siege of Girona at Girona, from 6 May to 12 December 1809
Valls
1
  current battle

Background

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The Spanish campaign in early 1809 started with the Battle of Uclés.

Battle

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During actions on 15 February 1809, Reding's left wing was cut off from reinforcement by a French attack. Reding decided to retrieve this cut-off army, instead of counter striking at Souham. Planning to meet up with his northern units, Reding left Tarragona with only 2,000 men and most of his cavalry. On his way, he successfully met with units standing guard over the pass to Santa Cristina and another unit at Santas Cruces. Having sufficient strength, he continued to the town of Santa Coloma, whereupon he met with his previously cut-off left wing. With the combined left wing and the forces he took with him, Reding then had a total of almost 20,000 troops at his disposal. Deciding to defend Tarragona, he dispatched 4–5,000 of his men to watch Igualada and pressed home with his remaining men. St. Cyr, aware of Reding's movements, moved to block the two direct routes of returning to Tarragona. Reding, aware that Souham had moved and taken position in the town of Valls, still decided to take the route. Committing his forces to a march at night, Reding got his army to a bridge only two miles out of the town before daybreak.

Upon arriving at the bridge, Reding's vanguard was involved in a skirmish with men of Souham's division. Both commanders, realizing that the time for battle had arrived, rushed to get their men into position. Souham brought the rest of his division out of Valls and set them into position north of town. Reding, deciding this division to be insignificant, pushed his advanced line and most of his center across the river, continuing to send more across until the French division finally broke and fell back to Valls. At this point, most of his men and baggage train had crossed the bridge, but he nonetheless decided to give his men a long break. St. Cyr, learning of the attack later in the day, rushed to Valls with the 7th Italian Dragoons, also bringing the Italian division which would be delayed for six hours before joining the French line at Valls. Having seen the French line rallying when St. Cyr arrived with the Italian Cavalry, Reding pulled his forces back across the river in a defensive position. After three hours had passed, the Italian division had finally caught up to St. Cyr, who formed the French line of battle and crossed the river under constant bombardment. The Spanish forces poured fire onto the French attackers but as the columned French grew close to the Spanish line, the Spaniards began to rout. The only point of hand-to-hand combat came when Reding took his staff and cavalry and attacked the left column, only to be met by the Italian dragoons. in the ensuing melee, Reding himself took three fatal wounds.[3]

French order of battle

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VII Corps of General Laurent Gouvion Saint-Cyr on 1 February 1809[4]
Corps Division Strength Units
VII Corps
General of Division
Laurent Gouvion Saint-Cyr
 
 1st Division
General of Division
Joseph Souham
 
 6,220   1st Light Infantry Regiment, 3 battalions
  3rd Light Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
  7th Line Infantry Regiment, 2 battalions
  42nd Line Infantry Regiment, 3 battalions
  67th Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
2nd Division
General of Division
Joseph Chabran
 
 4,037   2nd Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
  10th Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
  37th Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
  56th Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
  93rd Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
  2nd Swiss Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
3rd Division
General of Division
Louis François Jean Chabot
 
 1,633   Chasseurs des Montagnes, 1 battalion
  2nd Neapolitan Infantry Regiment, 2 battalions
4th Division
General of Division
Honoré Charles Reille
 
 3,980   32nd Light Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
  2nd Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
  16th Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
  56th Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
  113th Line Infantry Regiment, 2 battalions
  Valais Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
5th Division
General of Division
Domenico Pino
 
 8,008   1st Italian Light Infantry Regiment, 3 battalions
  2nd Italian Light Infantry Regiment, 3 battalions
  4th Italian Line Infantry Regiment, 3 battalions
  6th Italian Line Infantry Regiment, 3 battalions
  7th Italian Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
6th Division
General of Division
Giuseppe Lechi
 
 3,941   2nd Italian Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
  4th Italian Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
  5th Italian Line Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
  Italian Velites Infantry Regiment, 1 battalion
  1st Neapolitan Infantry Regiment, 2 battalions
German Division
General of Brigade
Annet Morio de L'Isle 		5,321   1st Westphalian Light Infantry Regiment
  2nd Westphalian Line Infantry Regiment
  3rd Westphalian Line Infantry Regiment
  4th Westphalian Line Infantry Regiment
French Cavalry 1,730   24th Dragoon Regiment
  3rd Provisional Cuirassier Regiment
  3rd Provisional Chasseur Regiment
Italian Cavalry 1,862   Napoleone Dragoon Regiment
  Royal Chasseur Regiment
  Prince Royal Chasseur Regiment
  Neapolitan Chasseur Regiment
French Artillery 2,050   Various artillery companies
Italian Artillery 585   Various artillery companies
German Artillery 48   Artillery company
Corps Total 39,415          

Aftermath

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The Spanish campaign in early 1809 proceeded with the French advance in Catalonia in the Third siege of Girona and the Battle of Alcañiz.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Bodart 1908, p. 394.
  2. ^ Gates 2002, p. 69.
  3. ^ Oman & Hall 1903, pp. 76-.
  4. ^ Oman 1902b, p. 626.

Bibliography

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  • Bodart, Gaston (1908). Militär-historisches Kriegs-Lexikon (1618-1905). Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  • Gates, David (2002). The Spanish Ulcer: A History of the Peninsular War. London: Pimlico. ISBN 0-7126-9730-6.
  • Oman, Charles; Hall, John A. (1903). A History of the Peninsular War. Vol. 2. Clarendon Press.
  • Oman, Sir Charles William Chadwick (1902b). A History of the Peninsular War. Vol. II. Oxford: Clarendon Press. Retrieved 22 May 2021.

Further reading

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  • Smith, Digby (1998). The Napoleonic Wars Data Book. London: Greenhill. ISBN 1-85367-276-9.
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Preceded by
Battle of Corunna 		Napoleonic Wars
Battle of Valls 		Succeeded by
Tyrolean Rebellion
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