Battle of Orthez order of battle
The Battle of Orthez (27 February 1814) saw the Anglo-Portuguese Army commanded by Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, Marquess of Wellington attack an Imperial French army under Marshal Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult. Soult's army was posted on a ridge to the north of the town of Orthez in southern France and in the town itself. For over two hours the outnumbered French repulsed repeated Allied assaults on their right flank, forcing Wellington to order a general assault. After a struggle, the Allies overcame the French defenses and Soult was compelled to order a retreat. At first, the French divisions withdrew in good order, but as they approached the bridge over the Luy de Béarn at Sault-de-Navailles, many soldiers began to panic. The next day Soult decided that his army was too demoralized to resist more attacks and continued his retreat. Allied casualties were about 2,200 while the French lost about 4,000 killed, wounded and captured. The battle was fought near the end of the Peninsular War.[1]
Orders of Battle
[edit]Allied Army
[edit]Corps | Division | Strength | Brigade | Strength | Units | Losses |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Field Marshal William Beresford |
4th Division Lieutenant General Lowry Cole |
5,952 | Major General William Anson |
1,814 | 3rd Battalion/27th Infantry Regiment | 6 |
1st Battalion/40th Infantry Regiment | 5 | |||||
1st Battalion/48th Line Infantry Regiment | 14 | |||||
Major General Robert Ross (WIA) |
1,735 | 1st Battalion/7th Infantry Regiment | 68 | |||
1st Battalion/20th Infantry Regiment | 123 | |||||
1st Battalion/23rd Infantry Regiment | 88 | |||||
Brigadier General José Vasconcellos |
2,385 | 11th Port. Infantry Regiment, two battalions | 148 | |||
23rd Port. Infantry Regiment, two battalions | 122 | |||||
7th Caçadores Battalion | 25 | |||||
7th Division Major General George Townshend Walker |
5,643 | Lieutenant Colonel John Gardiner |
1,865 | 1st Battalion/6th Infantry Regiment | 145 | |
2nd Battalion/24th Infantry Regiment | 35 | |||||
2nd Battalion/56th Line Infantry Regiment | 31 | |||||
Brunswick Oels Infantry Regiment | 48 | |||||
Major General William Inglis |
1,420 | 51st Infantry Regiment | absent[3] | |||
68th Infantry Regiment | 31 | |||||
1st Battalion/82nd Infantry Regiment | 38 | |||||
Chasseurs Britanniques Regiment | 40 | |||||
Colonel John Milley Doyle |
2,358 | 7th Port. Infantry Regiment, two battalions | 0 | |||
19th Port. Infantry Regiment, two battalions | 0 | |||||
2nd Caçadores Battalion | 3 | |||||
Lieutenant General Thomas Picton |
3rd Division Lieutenant General Thomas Picton |
6,626 | Major General Thomas Brisbane |
2,491 | 1st Battalion/45th Infantry Regiment | 132 |
5th Battalion/60th Infantry Regiment | 42 | |||||
74th Infantry Regiment | 34 | |||||
1st Battalion/88th Infantry Regiment | 269 | |||||
Major General John Keane |
2,006 | 1st Battalion/5th Infantry Regiment | 40 | |||
2nd Battalion/83rd Infantry Regiment | 58 | |||||
2nd Battalion/87th Infantry Regiment | 109 | |||||
94th Infantry Regiment | 15 | |||||
Colonel Manley Power |
2,129 | 9th Port. Infantry Regiment, two battalions | 49 | |||
21st Port. Infantry Regiment, two battalions | 37 | |||||
11th Caçadores Battalion | 23 | |||||
6th Division Lieutenant General Henry Clinton |
5,571 | Major General Denis Pack |
1,415 | 1st Battalion/42nd Infantry Regiment | 60 | |
1st Battalion/79th Infantry Regiment | absent[3] | |||||
1st Battalion/91st Infantry Regiment | 12 | |||||
Major General John Lambert |
2,300 | 1st Battalion/11th Infantry Regiment | 0 | |||
1st Battalion/32nd Infantry Regiment | 0 | |||||
1st Battalion/36th Infantry Regiment | 0 | |||||
1st Battalion/61st Infantry Regiment | 7 | |||||
Colonel James Douglas |
1,856 | 8th Port. Infantry Regiment, two battalions | 9 | |||
12th Port. Infantry Regiment, two battalions | 5 | |||||
9th Caçadores Battalion | 10 | |||||
Lieutenant General Rowland Hill |
2nd Division Lieutenant General William Stewart |
7,780 | Major General Edward Barnes |
2,013 | 1st Battalion/50th Infantry Regiment | 14 |
1st Battalion/71st Infantry Regiment | 12 | |||||
1st Battalion/92nd Infantry Regiment | 3 | |||||
Major General John Byng |
1,805 | 1st Battalion/3rd Infantry Regiment | 2 | |||
1st Battalion/57th Infantry Regiment | 0 | |||||
2nd Battalion/31st Infantry Regiment | 2 | |||||
1st Battalion/66th Infantry Regiment | 0 | |||||
Colonel Robert O'Callaghan |
1,664 | 1st Battalion/28th Infantry Regiment | 0 | |||
2nd Battalion/34th Infantry Regiment | 0 | |||||
1st Battalion/39th Infantry Regiment | 0 | |||||
Colonel Henry Hardinge |
1,856 | 6th Port. Infantry Regiment, two battalions | 0 | |||
18th Port. Infantry Regiment, two battalions | 0 | |||||
6th Caçadores Battalion | 0 | |||||
Portuguese Division Major General Carlos Frederico Lecor |
4,465 | Brigadier General Hippolita Da Costa |
2,109 | 2nd Port. Infantry Regiment, two battalions | 3 | |
14th Port. Infantry Regiment, two battalions | 0 | |||||
Brigadier General John Buchan |
2,356 | 4th Port. Infantry Regiment, two battalions | 1 | |||
10th Port. Infantry Regiment, two battalions | 1 | |||||
10th Caçadores Battalion | 10 | |||||
Reserve | Light Division Major General Charles Alten[note 1] |
3,480 | Major General James Kempt |
British total 1,777 |
1st Battalion/43rd Infantry Regiment | absent[3] |
1st Battalion/95th Infantry Regiment | absent[3] | |||||
3rd Battalion/95th Infantry Regiment | 0 | |||||
3rd Caçadores Battalion | 26 | |||||
Major General John Ormsby Vandeleur |
Port. total 1,703 |
1st Battalion/52nd Infantry Regiment | 89 | |||
2nd Battalion/95th Infantry Regiment | 0 | |||||
17th Port. Infantry Regiment | 0 | |||||
1st Caçadores Battalion | 47 | |||||
Cavalry | Cavalry Division Lieutenant General Stapleton Cotton |
3,373 | Major General Edward Somerset |
1,619 | 7th Hussar Regiment | 16 |
10th Hussar Regiment | 1 | |||||
15th Hussar Regiment | 9 | |||||
Major General Hussey Vivian |
989 | 18th Hussar Regiment | 0 | |||
1st Hussar Regiment, King's German Legion | 0 | |||||
Major General Henry Fane |
765 | 13th Light Dragoon Regiment | 9 | |||
14th Light Dragoon Regiment | 2 | |||||
Artillery | Not given | 1,162 54 guns |
Not given | 1,162 54 guns |
6 British Batteries | 28 |
1 King's German Legion Battery | 0 | |||||
1 Portuguese Battery | 0 | |||||
Engineers, etc. | Not given | 350 | Not given | 350 | Staff | 6 |
Engineers | 2 | |||||
Wagon drivers | 0 | |||||
Total strength and casualties | Allied strength: | 44,402 | By nationality: | 26,798 | British | 1,645 |
17,604 | Portuguese | 529 |
French Army
[edit]Corps | Division | Strength | Losses | Brigade | Units |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
General of Division Honoré Charles Reille |
5th Division General of Brigade Claude Pierre Rouget vice General of Division Jean-Pierre Maransin |
3,717 | 521 | General of Brigade Étienne de Barbot |
4th Light Infantry Regiment, one battalion |
40th Line Infantry Regiment, two battalions | |||||
50th Line Infantry Regiment, one battalion | |||||
General of Brigade Claude Pierre Rouget |
27th Line Infantry Regiment, one battalion | ||||
34th Line Infantry Regiment, one battalion | |||||
59th Line Infantry Regiment, one battalion | |||||
4th Division General of Division Eloi Charlemagne Taupin |
5,455 | 591 | General of Brigade Jean-Pierre-Antoine Rey |
12th Light Infantry Regiment, two battalions | |
32nd Line Infantry Regiment, two battalions | |||||
43rd Line Infantry Regiment, two battalions | |||||
General of Brigade Joseph Gasquet |
47th Line Infantry Regiment, two battalions | ||||
55th Line Infantry Regiment, one battalion | |||||
58th Line Infantry Regiment, one battalion | |||||
Detached from Harispe | Not given | 448 | General of Brigade Marie Auguste Paris[note 2] |
10th Line Infantry Regiment, two battalions | |
81st Line Infantry Regiment, one battalion | |||||
115th Line Infantry Regiment, one battalion | |||||
General of Division Jean-Baptiste Drouet, comte d'Erlon |
1st Division General of Division Maximilien Sébastien Foy (WIA) |
3,839 | 349 | General of Brigade Joseph François Fririon |
6th Light Infantry Regiment, one battalion |
69th Line Infantry Regiment, two battalions | |||||
76th Line Infantry Regiment, one battalion | |||||
General of Brigade Pierre André Hercule Berlier |
36th Line Infantry Regiment, two battalions | ||||
39th Line Infantry Regiment, one battalion | |||||
65th Line Infantry Regiment, two battalions | |||||
2nd Division General of Division Jean Barthélemy Darmagnac |
5,022 | 566 | General of Brigade Louis Jean-Baptiste Leseur |
31st Light Infantry Regiment, two battalions | |
51st Line Infantry Regiment, one battalion | |||||
75th Line Infantry Regiment, two battalions | |||||
General of Brigade Jean-Baptiste Pierre Menne |
118th Line Infantry Regiment, three battalions | ||||
120th Line Infantry Regiment, three battalions | |||||
General of Division Bertrand Clausel |
6th Division General of Division Eugène-Casimir Villatte |
4,609 | 339 | General of Brigade Louis Paul Baille de Saint Pol |
21st Light Infantry Regiment, one battalion |
86th Line Infantry Regiment, one battalion | |||||
96th Line Infantry Regiment, one battalion | |||||
100th Line Infantry Regiment, one battalion | |||||
General of Brigade Étienne-François Lamorendière |
28th Light Infantry Regiment, one battalion | ||||
103rd Line Infantry Regiment, two battalions | |||||
119th Line Infantry Regiment, two battalions | |||||
8th Division General of Division Jean Isidore Harispe |
5,084 | 834 | General of Brigade Guilhem Dauture |
9th Light Infantry Regiment, two battalions | |
25th Light Infantry Regt., two battalions (at Lescar)[5] | |||||
34th Light Infantry Regiment, two battalions | |||||
General of Brigade Jean-Baptiste Charles Baurot |
45th Line Infantry Regiment, one battalion | ||||
115th Line Infantry Regiment, one battalion | |||||
116th Line Infantry Regiment, one battalion | |||||
Cavalry | General of Division Pierre Benoît Soult[note 3] |
2,000[6] | 266 | General of Brigade Jean-Baptiste Breton |
2nd Hussar Regiment (near Pau)[5] |
13th Chasseurs-à-Cheval Regiment | |||||
21st Chasseurs-à-Cheval Regiment | |||||
General of Brigade Jacques-Laurent Vial |
5th Chasseurs-à-Cheval Regiment | ||||
10th Chasseurs-à-Cheval Regiment | |||||
15th Chasseurs-à-Cheval Regiment | |||||
22nd Chasseurs-à-Cheval Regiment (at Pau)[5] | |||||
Artillery | Not given | 48 guns[7] | 59 | Not given | Not given |
Reserve | General of Division Jean-Pierre Travot |
7,267 3,750[6] |
Not given | General of Brigade Bernard Pourailly |
"New conscript levies" |
General of Brigade Armand Wouillemont de Vivier |
"New conscript levies" | ||||
Total strength and casualties | 34,993 | 3,985 | 6 guns were lost. | Losses include 8 staff officers and 4 sappers. |
Notes
[edit]- Footnotes
- ^ Light Division organization is taken from Glover (2001) p. 383. Strength and losses are from Smith.
- ^ Smith gave separate casualties for Paris' brigade, but did not list its strength or composition in Smith (1998) pp. 500–501. Paris' units come from Smith (1998) p. 483. They are removed from Baurot's brigade of Harispe, which was credited with seven battalions on p. 500.
- ^ French cavalry order of battle is listed under the Battle of Toulouse in Smith (1998) p. 518. For Orthez, Smith listed only seven squadrons from the 15th, 21st and 22nd Chasseurs.
- Citations
- ^ Glover 2001, pp. 320–323.
- ^ Smith 1998, pp. 501–504.
- ^ a b c d Oman 1997, p. 357.
- ^ Smith 1998, pp. 500–501.
- ^ a b c Oman 1997, p. 354.
- ^ a b Oman 1997, p. 355.
- ^ Gates 2002, p. 455.
References
[edit]- Broughton, Tony (2010). "Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815". The Napoleon Series. Retrieved 30 December 2016. This is an excellent source for the full names of French generals.
- Gates, David (2002). The Spanish Ulcer: A History of the Peninsular War. London: Pimlico. ISBN 0-7126-9730-6.
- Glover, Michael (2001). The Peninsular War 1807–1814. London: Penguin. ISBN 0-141-39041-7. This source provided the full names of Allied generals.
- Oman, Charles (1997) [1930]. A History of the Peninsular War Volume VII. Vol. 7. Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole. ISBN 1-85367-227-0.
- Smith, Digby (1998). The Napoleonic Wars Data Book. London: Greenhill. ISBN 1-85367-276-9.
Further reading
[edit]- Rozes, Stéphane. "Bataille d'Orthez: 27 Février 1814".