22 March 1813 – North Spain – Valladolid Campaign

Map of Spain

On 1^st January 1813 Austria, Britain, Prussia and Russia declared war on France

 

Two allied armies would concentrate in Spain

British army at Oporto

Spanish army at Seville

Together they would drive the French out of Spain

 

Duke of Wellington would command the British army

They would concentrate in the Oporto region

They would then march into the Madrid region and engage the French

 

Marshal Soult would command the French army

They would concentrate in the Madrid region

They would hold the region against any allied attack

Regions of Spain

There are three regions in Northern Spain

Oporto Region (on the left) is the concentration area for British army

Barcelona Region (on the right) is the held by irregular Spanish forces

Madrid Region is the disputed area in the middle

Madrid Region

This map is used for strategic (planning) movement.

It shows the location of each army at the start of the campaign

 

Campaign Diary

10 January 1813 – 50% of veteran troops in Spain transferred to Germany

 

12 February 1813 – Veteran French troops replaced by conscripts

 

20 February 1813 – British army declared operational in Oporto region

 

24 February 1813 - British take Cuidad Rodrigo and move into Spain.

 

28 February 1813 – Fourth French army declared operational in Madrid region

 

6 March 1813 - British enter Salamanca

 

22 March 1813 – Start of Valladolid campaign phase

Valladolid District

This map is used for tactical (daily) movement

It shows the location of each corps at the start of the campaign

 

The first campaign phase in northern Spain is in Valladolid district

This map shows the location of both armies at the start of the campaign

The French objective is to hold Valladolid

The British objective is to defeat the French army

Fourth French Army

Marshal Soult

7^th French corps

8^th French corps

13^th Polish corps

16^th Italian corps

21^st French corps

22^nd French corps

Reserve corps

 

Each corps has four infantry brigades, one cavalry brigade and corps artillery

The reserve corps has four infantry brigades for garrison duty

112000 infantry, 6000 cavalry, 180 guns

British Army

Duke of Wellington

1st British corps

2^nd British corps

3^rd British corps

4^th British corps

5^th British corps

6^th British corps

Spanish militia

 

Each British corps has four infantry brigades, one cavalry brigade and corps artillery

Spanish militia has nine infantry brigades

 

British - 96000 infantry, 6000 cavalry, 180 guns

Spanish - 36000 infantry

         

Reference

The campaign diary contains comprehensive details of the whole campaign.   The labels on the right are an index to various parts of the campaign.

 

01 - Introduction to the1813 campaign

02 - Five campaign areas

40 - Introduction to the campaign in northern Spain

41 - Fourth French Army order of battle

42 - British Army order of battle

43 - Daily diary for the campaign in northern Spain

44 - Battle reports of all battles fought in northern Spain

45 - Summary of campaign in northern Spain