Sorauren – French Left

Marshal Soult re-entered Spain to defeat Wellington’s army in detail and rescue the besieged garrisons of Pamplona and San Sebastien. The plan relied on speed. Soult with the main force hustled Cole’s ineptly placed division out of Roncesvalles Pass with …

1813-07-28

503

Marshal Soult re-entered Spain to defeat Wellington’s army in detail and rescue the besieged garrisons of Pamplona and San Sebastien. The plan relied on speed. Soult with the main force hustled Cole’s ineptly placed division out of Roncesvalles Pass with minimal fighting. Cole, along with Picton, retreated much further than Wellington desired, but Wellington was far away and communications were bad. When Cole did stop, he redeemed himself by picking excellent defensive terrain opposite the village of Sorauren. Soult had the numbers to win, but ironically, by funneling too many troops into narrow valleys with poor roads, he lost the speed needed to win the campaign, and his advance slowed to a crawl. On the 27th, Soult’s vanguard made contact with the British at Sorauren. With only Clausel’s Corps on hand (Rielle’s corps was strung out for miles on the bad roads), Soult made no attack. The veteran of Albuera had calculated the numbers needed to drive the British off the Oricain Heights and knew he did not have enough that afternoon. Next day, after a violent night’s thunderstorm, Rielle’s corps was up, and Soult had the numbers needed to fight and win the day before, but the British had gotten reinforcements too. As the French echeloned attacks went in, Rielle’s troops attacked. Maucune’s attack against Anson’s brigade failed miserably, but the second French attack on the Spanish Hill enjoyed success. The two Spanish battalions that had admirably defeated a French probing attack the day before, now broke and allowed the French to gain temporary possession of the hill. Byng’s British brigade, attacking with support from the British artillery near Arleta, retook the hill. Although daylight remained, Soult’s infantry was largely fought out. He could wait no longer for his artillery train and cavalry that were caught up in the mountains. He had lost the race to defeat Wellington in detail, and ordered a withdrawal.

Sorauren, Spain

The Battle of Sorauren was part of a series of engagements in late July 1813 called the Battle of the Pyrenees in which a combined British and Portuguese force under Sir Arthur Wellesley held off Marshal Soult's French forces attempting to relieve Pamplona.

Wikipedia: Battle of Sorauren

French

Portuguese/British/Spanish

Peninsular War