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Battle of Cervera (1811)
Part of Peninsular War

Cervera
Date4–14 October 1811
Location
Cervera, Catalonia, Spain
41°40′N 1°16′E / 41.667°N 1.267°E / 41.667; 1.267
Result Spanish victory
Belligerents
France First French Empire Spain Kingdom of Spain
Commanders and leaders
France Jacques MacDonald Spain Luis Roberto de Lacy
Units involved
France VII Corps Spain Army of Catalonia
Strength
1,000 8,000
Casualties and losses
995 unknown
Peninsular war: Aragón Catalonia
200km
125miles
21
Battle of Ordal at Ordal, on 13 September 1813
Castalla
20
Battle of Castalla (1812) at Castalla, on 21 July 1812 and on 13 April 1813
19
Battle of Altafulla at Altafulla, on 29 January 1812
Valencia
18
Siege of Valencia (1812) at Valencia, from 26 December 1811 – 9 January 1812
Saguntum
17
Battle of Saguntum at Saguntum, on 25 October 1811
Cervera
16
15
Siege of Figueras (1811) at Figueras, from 4 April to 19 August 1811
14
Battle of Montserrat at Montserrat, on 25 July 1811
13
Siege of Tarragona (1811) from 5 May – 29 June 1811 Siege of Tarragona (1813) from 3 to 11 June 1813
12
Battle of El Pla at El Pla, on 15 January 1811
11
Siege of Tortosa (1810–11) at Tortosa, from 19 December 1810 to 2 January 1811
10
Battle of La Bisbal at La Bisbal, on 14 September 1810
9
Siege of Mequinenza at Mequinenza, from 15 May to 8 June 1810
8
Siege of Lérida at Lérida, on 23 April and 29 April to 14 May 1810
7
Battle of Vic at Vic, on 20 February 1810
6
Battle of Mollet at Mollet, on 21 January 1810
5
Battle of Belchite (1809) at Belchite, on 18 June 1809
María
4
Battle of María at María de Huerva, on 15 June 1809
3
Battle of Alcañiz at Alcañiz, on 23 May 1809
2
Third siege of Girona at Girona, from 6 May to 12 December 1809
1
Battle of Valls at Valls, on 25 February 1809
Map
  current battle

In the Battle of Cervera (4 to 14 October 1811) a Spanish force led by Luis Roberto de Lacy attacked a series of Imperial French garrisons belonging to the VII Corps of Marshal Jacques MacDonald. The actions were highly successful and netted nearly 1,000 enemy prisoners. The clashes occurred during the Peninsular War, part of the Napoleonic Wars. The largest garrison was located at Cervera which is located about 55 kilometres (34 mi) east of Lleida, in Catalonia, Spain.

Background

After the Army of Catalonia was nearly destroyed in the sieges of Tarragona and Figueres during July and August 1811,[1] Lacy replaced Luis González Torres de Navarra, Marquess of Campoverde as Captain General. Marshal Louis Gabriel Suchet struck another blow against the Catalans when his troops seized the miquelet base in the Battle of Montserrat on 25 July 1811. The unpopular but vigorous Lacy quickly reorganized the 8,000-man remnant of his army into three small divisions under Generals Baron de Eroles, Pedro Sarsfield, and Francisco Milans del Bosch. With the Royal Navy's assistance, Lacy seized the Medes Islands at the mouth of the Ter River on 12 September.[2]

Battle

On 4 October 1811, Lacy's forces captured 200 Imperial troops at Igualada on the highway between Barcelona and Lleida. Continuing west, the Spanish column seized a French convoy near Cervera on the 7th. Lacy overwhelmed the garrison of Cervera on 11 October, bagging another 645 prisoners. Finally, on the 14th the Spaniards took 150 more captives at Bellpuig. After these defeats, the French evacuated the monastery of Santa Maria de Montserrat on Montserrat Mountain.[2]

Notes

  1. ^ Smith 1998, pp. 365–366.
  2. ^ a b Oman 1996, pp. 540–541.

References

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