The Battle of Gamonal (also known, in Spanish, as the Battle of Burgos) was fought on 10 November 1808, during the Peninsular War in the village of near Burgos, Spain. A French army under Soult overwhelmed the outnumbered Spanish troops under General Belvedere,—had about 8,600 bayonets, 1,100 sabres, and sixteen guns under his orders.
Battle
The French attacked the Spanish positions before Burgos with a ratio 2:1. The two divisions of the Army of Extremadura were arrayed on the open plain at Gamonal and, broken by a massive cavalry charge, fled in panic, leaving the invaders to sack Burgos.
According to Oman (Oman, 1902), if Belvedere had attempted a stand at Burgos, he would have been able to take advantage of that city's ancient fortifications, as well as the broken ground around it: "But with the most cheerful disregard of common military precautions, the Count marched out of Burgos, advanced a few miles, and drew up his army across the high-road in front of the village of Gamonal. He was in an open plain, his right flank ill covered by the river Arlanzon, which was fordable in many places, his left completely 'in the air', near the village of Vellimar".
See also
- Timeline of the Peninsular War
Notes
References
Bibliography
External links
<!--The addition enables mobile users to click at least the next battle or the previous one taken from the navbox "Napoleonic Wars" placed below but invisible in mobile view.-->