9 June 1813 – Battle of Santa Amalia

Tactical map of battle area

French launch a surprise attack on Santa Amalia

1^st Spanish corps is in and around the town

2^nd Spanish corps will arrive at the start of move 1

3^rd Spanish corps will arrive at the start of move 5

 

37^th French corps enters table at start of move 1

38^th and 39^th corps both arrive at the start of move 5

 

13^th French Army – 10 infantry brigades, 3 cavalry brigade, 3 corps artillery

1^st Spanish Army – 11 infantry brigades, 2 cavalry brigade, 3 corps artillery

Table at start of battle

HQ and 1 Spanish corps in and around Santa Amalia

2 Spanish corps will arrive at the start of move 1

3 Spanish corps will arrive at the start of move 5

 

HQ and 37 French corps will arrive at the start of move 1

38 French and 39 Polish corps will arrive at  the start of move 5

End of move 2

Spanish commander has taken command of half of 1 corps

The remainder of 1 corps is in the town and to the right of it.

2 corps has arrived and is moving towards the woods

3 corps will arrive at the start of move 5

 

French commander has taken command of half of 37 corps

Remainder of 37 corps is moving through the pass

End of move 4

Spanish expand to the left

2^nd corps moves to take up position behind the walled farm

Reserve open fire on approaching French infantry

1^st  corps advance to engage French as they emerge from pass

 

French redeploy

Reserve infantry move onto hill due to Spanish artillery fire

37^th corps deploy in front of town, artillery move onto hill

End of move 6

Spanish move into position

1^st  corps receive first casualties, fail morale and are shaken

Reserve wait for French to advance

2^nd corps arrive at woods on the left

3^rd corps enter table centre rear

 

French artillery inflict first casualties

38^th corps move onto hill

37^th corps artillery fire on infantry outside town

Reserve infantry on hill to left of pass

39^th corps advance between farm and pass

End of move 8

Spanish lose infantry melee

1^st corps infantry lose melee and retire shaken with 20% casualties

Reserve cavalry charge French gunners, who retreat  into square

2^nd corps complete deployment to the left of the town

3^rd corps move to deploy to the right of the town

 

French approach town

38^th corps move over right hand hill

37^th corps infantry win melee and force Spanish to retreat shaken

Reserve infantry approach town

39^th corps deploy, gunners abandon guns and retire to square

End of move 10

Spanish lose town

3^rd corps forced to halt due to French advance

1^st corps routed and abandon town

Reserve hold to left of town

2^nd corps deploy in support of Reserve

 

French attack

38^th corps cavalry rout shaken Spanish infantry

37^th corps storm town and rout garrison

Reserve cavalry rout Spanish gunners

39^th corps advance and receive casualties

End of move 12

Spanish retreat and abandon Amalia

3^rd corps retreat with minimum casualties

1^st corps rout with five brigades in rout

Reserve retreat with artillery in rout

2^nd corps retreat with one brigade in rout

 

French occupy Amalia

38^th corps advance but unable to pin retreating Spanish

37^th corps take town with light casualties

Reserve advance, but cavalry are shaken

39^th corps advance but only when Spanish rout

 

Summary

A slow battle due to the late arrival of most of both armies

1^st Young Guard have won the battle almost without support

Not only have they taken the town, but they have routed 1^st Spanish corps

The remainder of the French army arrived too late to take much part in the fighting

 

The French have lost 3 infantry and 1 cavalry casualties (1300 men)

The Spanish have lost 5 infantry, 2 artillery and 1 cavalry casualties (2300 men)

9 June 1813 – Southern Spain – Day 1

The campaign opens with a surprise French attack on Santa Amalia

 

In the north French attack Santa Amalia

In the centre both armies observe and resupply

In the south both armies observe and resupply

 

Both armies have established a regular supply system

The French main depot is at Toledo

The Spanish main depot is at Merida

 

The French have occupied all of the towns in Toledo district

Their Spanish garrisons have become guerrilla brigades

As the French corps advance into Merida district they will become active

 

8 June 1813 – Southern Spain – Merida Campaign

 

Map of Europe

 

This map shows the location of the five campaign areas. 

Each square is a military region.  

The rear base of each army group is shown.  

The stars show the location of previous phases.  

The colour indicates which side won.  

 

This is the 84^th phase since the campaign started in April 2009.  

It is the 12^th in the sixth revision which started in June 2020 

 

The white star shows the location of Merida

 

Map of Spain

This map shows the location of the four army groups in Spain.  

Each square is a military district.  

Nine squares is a military region.  

The stars show the location of previous campaigns fought in Spain. 

The colour of the star indicates which side won.  

 

The white star shows the location of Merida

 

There are two allied armies in Spain

British army at Oporto

Spanish army at Seville

Their objective is to drive the French out of Spain

 

General Giron commands the Spanish army

They are concentrated in the Seville region

Their objective is to advance into the Madrid region and engage the French

 

Marshal Suchet commands the Fifth French army

They are concentrated in the Madrid region

Their objective is to march south and defeat the Spanish army

 

This map shows the current location of the four armies.
The colour of stars indicated which army has won the previous campaign phases.    

 

Map of South Spain

This map shows the location of the French and Spanish army.  

Each square is a military district.  

Nine squares is a military region.  

The stars show the location of previous campaigns fought in Spain. 

The colour of the star indicates which side won

 

There are three regions in Southern Spain

Lisbon Region (on the left) is held by the Portuguese army

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

Seville Region is the disputed area in the middle

 

This map shows the current location of the French and Spanish armies

Seville Region

This map shows the location of the French and Spanish army. 

Each square is a military district.  

Nine squares is a military region.  

The stars show the location of previous campaigns fought in Spain. 

The colour of the star indicates which side won

 

This map is used for strategic (planning) movement.

Merida/Toledo District

This map shows the campaign area

It covers the area between Merida and Toledo

The district border is in the middle of the map

 

It shows the location of each French and Spanish corps.

It also shows depots and detached brigades

Each square is a 2x2 foot scenic square.  

Nine squares is a wargames table.  

Nine squares is also a military district.   

 

This map is used for tactical (daily) movement

 

The Spanish objective is to hold the city of Merida

The French objective is to defeat the Spanish army

 

Campaign Diary

01 Feb 1813           Austria, Britain, Prussia, Russia and Spain declared war on France

04 Feb 1813          Spanish army operational n Saville region

28 Feb 1813           Fifth French army operational in Madrid Region

09 Mar 1813           Start of Toledo campaign phase

13 Mar 1813           Spanish win Toledo campaign phase

20 Apr 1813            Start of Cuidad Real campaign phase

30 Apr 1813            French win Cuidad Real campaign phase

08 Jun 1813            Start of Merida campaign phase            

 

Fifth French Army

Marshal Suchet

37^th French corps

38^th French corps

39^th Vistula corps

40^th French corps

41^st Baden corps

42^nd Polish corps

43^rd French corps

44^th Westphalian corps

45^th Italian corps

 

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

144,000 infantry, 9000 cavalry, 270 guns

 

Spanish Army

General Giron

1^st Spanish corps

2^nd Spanish corps

3^rd Spanish corps

4^th Spanish corps

5^th Spanish corps

6^th Spanish corps

7^th Spanish corps

8^th Spanish corps

9^th Spanish corps

 

1^st, 2^nd, 4^th and 7^th corps have four infantry and one cavalry brigades, plus corps artillery

3^rd, 5^th, 6^th, 8^th and 9^th corps have three infantry brigades and corps artillery

There are also 12 militia brigades, one in each town

 

144,000 infantry, 24,000 militia, 4000 cavalry, 270 guns

 

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

50 - Introduction to the campaign in southern Spain

51 - Fifth French Army order of battle

52 - Spanish Army order of battle

53 - Daily diary for the campaign in southern Spain

54 - Battle reports of all battles fought in southern Spain

55 - Summary of campaign in southern Spain