Battle of Usagre
{{Short description|1811 battle during the Peninsular War}}
{{More footnotes|date=July 2011}}
{{Use shortened footnotes|date=May 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = Battle of Usagre
| partof = the Peninsular War
| image = Localização de Usagre.jpeg
| image_size =
| caption = Battle of Usagre
| date = 25 May 1811
| coordinates = {{coord|38.3449|N|6.1716|W}}
| map_type =
| map_relief =
| map_size =
| map_caption =
| result = Coalition victory
| territory =
| combatant1 = {{flagicon|First French Empire}} French Empire
| combatant2 = {{plainlist|
- {{flagicon|United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland}} British Empire
- {{flagdeco|Portugal|1750}} Portuguese Empire
- {{flagdeco|Spain|1785}} Spanish Empire
}}
| commander1 = {{flagicon|First French Empire}} Victor de Faÿ
| commander2 = {{flagicon|United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland}} William Lumley
| strength1 = 3,500
| strength2 = 2,000
6 guns
| casualties1 = 250 killed, wounded or captured{{sfn|Fortescue|1917|p=220}}
| casualties2 = 20 killed, wounded or captured
}}
{{Campaignbox Peninsular War (1811-1812)}}
{{Campaignbox Portugal in the Napoleonic Wars}}
{{OSM Location map
| coord = {{coord|40.6|-7}}
| zoom = 5
| float = right
| nolabels = 1
| width = 304
| height = 160
| title = Peninsular War
Castile 1811–13
| caption = {{legend|black|current battle}}
| shapeD=n-circle
| shape-colorD=dark blue
| shape-outlineD=white
| label-colorD = dark blue
| label-sizeD = 12
| label-posD = left
| label-offset-xD =
| label-offset-yD =
| label1 = Badajoz
| mark-coord1 = {{coord|38.88|-6.98}}
| mark-title1 = First siege of Badajoz (1811)
from 26 January 1811 to 11 March 1811
Second siege of Badajoz (1811)
from 22 April to 12 May 1811
from 19 May to 10 June 1811
Siege of Badajoz (1812)
from 16 March to 6 April 1812
| label2 =
| mark-coord2 = {{coord|38.90|-6.98}}
| mark-title2 = Battle of the Gebora at Gebora, on 19 February 1811
| label3 = Campo Maior
| mark-coord3 = {{coord|39|-7.05}}
| mark-title3 = Battle of Campo Maior at Campo Maior, on 25 March 1811
| label-pos3 = right
| label-offset-x3 = 20
| label4 =
| mark-coord4 = {{coord|38.72|-6.82}}
| mark-title4 = Battle of Albuera at Albuera, on 16 May 1811
| label-pos4 = bottom
| label-offset-x4 = -10
| label5 = Usagre
| mark-coord5 = {{coord|38.35|-6.17}}
| mark-title5 = Battle of Usagre at Usagre, on 25 May 1811
| label-color5 = black
| shape-color5 = black
| label6 = Arlabán
| mark-coord6 = {{coord|42.98|-2.57}}
| mark-title6 = Battle of Arlabán (1811)
on 25 May 1811
Battle of Arlabán (1812)
on 9 April 1812
| label7 =
| mark-coord7 = {{coord|42.53|-5.93}}
| mark-title7 = Battle of Cogorderos at Cogorderos, on 23 June 1811
| label8 =
| mark-coord8 = {{coord|39.18|-6.17}}
| mark-title8 = Battle of Arroyo dos Molinos at Arroyo dos Molinos, on 28 October 1811
| label9 =
| mark-coord9 = {{coord|38.9|-6.33}}
| mark-title9 = Battle of Navas de Membrillo at Navas de Membrillo, on 29 December 1811
| label10 = Ciudad Rodrigo
| mark-coord10 = {{coord|40.56|-6.54}}
| mark-title10 = Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo (1812) at Ciudad Rodrigo, from 7 to 20 January 1812
| label11 =
| mark-coord11 = {{coord|38.28|-6.07}}
| mark-title11 = Battle of Villagarcia at Villagarcia, on 11 April 1812
| label12 =
| mark-coord12 = {{coord|39.8|-5.67}}
| mark-title12 = Battle of Almaraz at Almaraz, from 18 to 19 May 1812
| label13 =
| mark-coord13 = {{coord|38.37|-5.83}}
| mark-title13 = Battle of Maguilla at Maguilla, on 11 June 1812
| label14 = Astorga
| mark-coord14 = {{coord|42.46|-6.06}}
| mark-title14 = Siege of Astorga (1812) at Astorga, from 29 June to 19 August 1812
| label15 = Salamanca
| mark-coord15 = {{coord|40.89|-5.65}}
| mark-title15 = Battle of Salamanca at Salamanca, on 22 July 1812
| label-offset-x15 = 5
| label-offset-y15 = -2
| label16 =
| mark-coord16 = {{coord|40.86|-5.43}}
| mark-title16 = Battle of García Hernández at Garcihernández, on 23 July 1812
| label17 =
| mark-coord17 = {{coord|40.47|-3.87}}
| mark-title17 = Battle of Majadahonda at Majadahonda, on 11 August 1812
| label18 = Burgos
| mark-coord18 = {{coord|42.35|-3.7}}
| mark-title18 = Siege of Burgos at Burgos, from 19 September to 21 October 1812
| label-pos18 = right
| label19 =
| mark-coord19 = {{coord|42.15|-4.1}}
| mark-title19 = Battle of Venta del Pozo at Villodrigo, on 23 October 1812
| label20 =
| mark-coord20 = {{coord|41.5|-5}}
| mark-title20 = Battle of Tordesillas (1812) at Tordesillas, from 25 to 29 October 1812
}}
In the Battle of Usagre on 25 May 1811, Anglo-Allied cavalry commanded by Major-General William Lumley routed a French cavalry force led by Major-General Marie Victor Latour-Maubourg at the village of Usagre, Spain, in the Peninsular War.
Background
A week after the very bloody Battle of Albuera, Marshal Nicolas Soult sent Latour-Maubourg's cavalry to discover the position of Marshal William Carr Beresford's Allied army. On 25 May, the French cavalry came upon a line of Portuguese cavalry vedettes on a ridge behind the village of Usagre. Lumley posted the bulk of his forces behind the ridge, out of sight.
Forces
Lumley's force included the 980 troopers of Colonel George de Grey's brigade (3rd Prince of Wales Dragoon Guards, 4th Queen's Own Dragoons), and the 13th Light Dragoons under Lieutenant-Colonel Joseph Muter,{{sfn|Bromley|Bromley|2015|p=111}} the 1,000-sabre Portuguese cavalry under Colonel Loftus William Otway (1st and 7th Dragoons, with elements of the 5th and 8th) and the 300 Spanish troopers led by Penne Villemur, plus Lefebvre's Troop (Royal Horse Artillery).{{sfn|Oman|1913|p=107}}
Latour-Maubourg led two dragoon brigades under Brigadier-General Bron (4th, 20th and 26th Dragoons) and Brigadier-General Bouvier des Éclaz (14th, 17th and 27th Dragoons). He sent four regiments of light cavalry under Brigadier-General Briche on a wide flanking manoeuvre. The French had about 3,500 horsemen. Confident in his numerical superiority, Latour-Maubourg pressed ahead.
Battle
Lumley ignored the French flanking force because he knew that they would not arrive in time. He let the 4th and 20th Dragoons of Bron's brigade pass through Usagre, cross the bridge and form up on the other side. As the 26th Dragoons began crossing the span, Lumley attacked. He brought up his cavalry and sent six British squadrons, supported by six Portuguese squadrons on their right, against the two deployed French regiments.
The French horsemen were defeated and thrown back on the 26th Dragoons, who were still jammed on the bridge. With the British cavalry all around them and their retreat blocked, the French dragoons were cut to pieces. Latour-Maubourg's only recourse was to dismount the first regiment of Bouvier des Eclat's brigade and use the dragoons to hold the houses near the bridge. At last, the remnants of Bron's regiments fought their way back, covered by carbine fire from the village.
Results
The French lost 250 killed or wounded, plus 78 captured, mostly from the 4th and 20th Dragoons. The British only lost 20 troopers killed or wounded.{{sfn|Smith|1998|p=364}}
Notes
{{reflist}}
References
- {{cite book | last1=Bromley | first1=Janet | last2=Bromley | first2=David | year=2015 | title=Wellington's Men Remembered Volume 2: A Register of Memorials to Soldiers who Fought in the Peninsular War and at Waterloo- Volume II: M to Z | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5IOuCAAAQBAJ | publisher=Pen and Sword | isbn=978-1-4738-5768-1}}
- {{citation
| last = Fortescue
| first = Sir John
| author-link = John Fortescue (military historian)
| publication-date = 1917
| year = 1917
| title = A History of the British Army
| volume = VIII
| publisher = Macmillan
| url = https://archive.org/details/historyofbritish08fortuoft
| access-date =13 September 2007
}};
- {{cite book | last=Oman | first=Charles | date=1913 | title=Wellington's Army, 1809–1814 | location=London | publisher=Greenhill | isbn=0-947898-41-7}}
- {{cite book | last=Smith | first=Digby | year=1998 | title=The Napoleonic Wars Data Book | publisher=Greenhill | isbn=1853672769}}
Further reading
- {{cite book | last=Glover | first=Michael | date=1974 | title=The Peninsular War 1807-1814 | publisher=Penguin | isbn=0-14-139041-7}}
External links
- {{commons-inline}}
{{Sequence
| prev = Battle of Albuera
| list = Napoleonic Wars
| curr = Battle of Usagre
| next = Battle of Saguntum
}}
{{Napoleonic Wars}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Usagre 1811}}
Category:Battles of the Peninsular War involving Spain
Category:Battles of the Peninsular War involving the United Kingdom
Category:Battles of the Peninsular War involving Portugal