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For the battle near Madrid in the Spanish Civil War, see Battle of the La Corunna Road.

Battle of Corunna
Part of the Peninsular War
Date January 16, 1809 Location Corunna, Galicia, Spain Result British withdrawal[1][2]
Combatants
United Kingdom	First French Empire
Commanders
John Moore †	Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult
Strength
16,000 infantry 9 guns	12,000 infantry 4,000 cavalry 20 guns
Casualties
900 dead or wounded	1,500 dead or wounded[3]

Tiled Map of the Battle

Moore's tomb in San Carlos Garden at Corunna

Moore's monolith in the old battlefield, now a campus of the University of Corunna

The Battle of Corunna (or of La Corunna, A Coruña, La Coruña, or Elviña) was a battle of the Peninsular War which took place on January 16, 1809, between 16,000 British under Sir John Moore, and 16,000 French under Marshal Soult. Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ... Combatants Spanish Republic CNT-FAI UGT POUM Soviet Union International Brigades Spanish State Falangists Carlists Fascist Italy Nazi Germany Army Comrades Association Commanders Manuel Azaña Francisco Largo Caballero Juan Negrín Francisco Franco Casualties Civilians killed/wounded = hundreds of thousands The Spanish Civil War, which lasted from July 17... The Battle of the Corunna Road was a battle of the Spanish Civil War from 13 December 1936 to 15 January 1937, north west of Madrid. ... Combatants Spain United Kingdom Portugal French Empire The Peninsular War was a major conflict during the Napoleonic Wars, fought on the Iberian Peninsula by an alliance of Spain, Portugal, and Britain against the Napoleonic French Empire. ... January 16 is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1809 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... A Coruña , (in English Corunna, in Spanish La Coruña, and in Galician A Coruña) is a Galician city, in north-western Spain. ... Galicia (Spain) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_France. ... The First French Empire, commonly known as the French Empire or the Napoleonic Empire, covers the period of the domination of France and much of continental Europe by Napoleon I of France. ... Sir John Moore (November 13, 1761 – January 16, 1809) was a British soldier and General. ... Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult, duc de Dalmatie (March 29, 1769 – November 26, 1851) was a French general and statesman, named Marshal of France in 1804. ... Combatants Spain United Kingdom Portugal French Empire The Peninsular War was a major conflict during the Napoleonic Wars, fought on the Iberian Peninsula by an alliance of Spain, Portugal, and Britain against the Napoleonic French Empire. ... Combatants France Spain Commanders Charles de Lefebvre Joaquín Blake Strength 24,000 19,000 Casualties 300 dead or wounded 600 dead or wounded The Battle of Pancorbo was one of the opening engagements in Napoleons invasion of Spain. ... Combatants France Spain Commanders Claude Victor-Perrin, duc de Belluno Joaquín Blake y Joyes Strength 13,000 24,000 Casualties 300 dead or wounded 300 captured 50 dead or wounded The Battle of Valmaseda took place on November 5, 1808, during Lieutenant-General Blakes retreat from superior French... The Battle of Burgos was fought on November 7, 1808, and resulted in a French victory under Marshall Soult against the Spanish under General Belveder. ... The Battle of Espinosa was fought on November 10, - 11, 1808 at Cantabrian mountains and resulted in a French victory under General Victor against the Spanish under Lieutenant General Blake, leading his army of Galicia. ... The Battle of Tudela was a battle during the Peninsular War fought on November 23, 1808 near Tudela, Spain. ... Combatants France Spain Commanders Napoleon I of France Benito de San Juan Strength 45,000 20,000 infantry 16 guns Casualties Unknown 250 dead or wounded The Battle of Somosierra was a battle of the Peninsular War that took place on November 30, 1808 at the Somosierra pass in the... Combatants France Spain Commanders Jeannot de Moncey Édouard Mortier José de Palafox y Melzi Strength 35,500 regulars 33,000 regulars Casualties 10,000 dead 54,000 dead The Second Siege of Saragossa was the second of the two sieges of that city during the Peninsular War and is widly... The Battle of Ucles was fought on January 13, 1809, and resulted in a French victory under General Victor against the Spanish under General Venegas. ... Combatants France Spain Commanders Unknown José de Mendizábal Strength 1,000 regulars 1,500 militia Casualties 1,000 dead, wounded, or captured Unknown The Battle of Villafranca del Bierzo took place on March 17, 1809, during the French occupation of León in the Peninsular War. ... The Battle of Ciudad-Real was fought on March 27, 1809, and resulted in a French victory under General Sebastiani against the Spanish under General Cartojal. ... Combatants France Spain Commanders Claude Victor Gregorio de la Cuesta Strength 13,000 infantry 4,500 cavalry 50 guns 20,000 infantry 3,000 cavalry 30 guns Casualties 1,000 dead or wounded 8,000 dead or wounded 2,000 captured In the Peninsular War, the Battle of Medellín... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Battle of Grijo (May 10 – May 11, 1809) was a victory for the Anglo-Portuguese army commanded by Sir Arthur Wellesley (the future 1st Duke of Wellington) over the French army commanded by Marshal Soult in the Peninsular War In The History of the Rifle Brigade, Willoughby Verner describes... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Combatants France Spain Commanders Louis Gabriel Suchet Joaquín Blake Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties 1,500 dead or wounded 300 dead or wounded The Battle of Alcañiz resulted in the defeat of General Suchets French army on May 23, 1809 by a Spanish force under General Blake. ... Combatants France Spain Commanders Louis Gabriel Suchet Joaquín Blake Strength 12,000 infantry 14,000 infantry 500 cavalry Casualties 800 dead or wounded 2,000 dead or wounded The Battle of María, also known as the Battle of Belchite, resulted in the defeat of part of General Blake... Combatants Spain Britain France Commanders Duke of Wellington Gregorio de la Cuesta Baron Sebastiani Joseph Bonaparte Claude Victor Strength 20,000 British 33,000 Spanish 50,000 Casualties 6,500 dead or wounded 7,390 dead or wounded The Battle of Talavera was a battle of the Peninsular War. ... The Battle of Almonacid was fought on August 11, 1809 during the Peninsular War and resulted in a French victory under General Sebastiani against the Spanish under General Venegas. ... Combatants France Spain Commanders Michel Ney Duque del Parque Strength 10,000 infantry 1,200 cavalry 14 guns 10,000 infantry 1,000 cavalry Casualties 1,300 dead or wounded 672 dead or wounded The Battle of Tamamés was a sharp reversal suffered by part of Marshal Neys... The Lines of Torres Vedras The Lines of Torres Vedras were a line of forts in Portugal built in secrecy between November 1809 and September 1810 during the Peninsular War. ... In the Peninsular War, the Battle of Ocana was fought on November 19, 1809 and resulted in a victory of the French under Marshall Soult against the Spanish under General Don Juan de Arizagua. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1944x2592, 2062 KB) Mapa de la Batalla de Elviña en las guerras napoleonicas. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1944x2592, 2062 KB) Mapa de la Batalla de Elviña en las guerras napoleonicas. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2592x1944, 2328 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: John Moore (British soldier) Battle of Corunna Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create or digitize it. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2592x1944, 2328 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: John Moore (British soldier) Battle of Corunna Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create or digitize it. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1944x2592, 2054 KB) Monolito conmemorativo de la Batalla de Elviña. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1944x2592, 2054 KB) Monolito conmemorativo de la Batalla de Elviña. ... Combatants Spain United Kingdom Portugal French Empire The Peninsular War was a major conflict during the Napoleonic Wars, fought on the Iberian Peninsula by an alliance of Spain, Portugal, and Britain against the Napoleonic French Empire. ... January 16 is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1809 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Sir John Moore (November 13, 1761 – January 16, 1809) was a British soldier and General. ... Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult, duc de Dalmatie (March 29, 1769 – November 26, 1851) was a French general and statesman, named Marshal of France in 1804. ...

Background

Following the Convention of Cintra, and the repatriation of the French army following the Battle of Vimeiro, the commanders of the British army were recalled, including Sir Arthur Wellesley, to face a court of inquiry. Therefore, the British expedition to Portugal and Spain was left to Sir John Moore, a military commander of some note for his reformation of light infantry tactics. The Convention of Sintra (or Cintra) was an agreement signed on August 30, 1808 during the Peninsular War. ... The Battle of Vimeiro was fought on August 20, 1808 and resulted the victory of the British under the Duke of Wellington against the French under General Junot. ... Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (1 May 1769–14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish soldier and statesman, widely considered one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century. ...

However, the campaign which followed was marked by defeat, privation, and winter conditions which took the lives of over 6,000 British soldiers. The retreat, made in a harsh winter, was a shambles. The exhausting marches, cold weather and frequent skirmishes with the leading French units saw many turn to alcohol and become so drunk they were left behind. Moore ignored the advice of General La Romana and shunned his Spanish allies. With Napoleon himself leading an army in Spain the British were driven into a precipitate flight toward the far northern port of Corunna near the Bay of Biscay. Moore, in his obsession to reach the sea, had "placed his army in an impossible situation and then, after days of uncertainty and vacillation, had been chased half way across Spain ignoring every position of strength at which he might have turned and fought back successfully."^[4] Lieutenant-General Caro y Sureda, Marquis de La Romana. ... A Coruña , (in English Corunna, in Spanish La Coruña, and in Galician A Coruña) is a Galician city, in north-western Spain. ...

While the French fought through a series of tenacious and vexing Spanish and British rear-guard actions, Napoleon received information that Austria was preparing for war. He left it to Soult to finish the elimination of the British army and return to France to met the Austrian threat. The remnant of the British army were within sight of the waiting ships of the Royal Navy when Soult arrived with his French Corps. Soult faced the British army at Corunna at the very time it was arranging its evacuation. But far from being a crashing onslaught the attack was delayed and methodical; in part owing to rugged terrain and the difficulty of dragging the French guns to the crest near the town.

The battle

On January 15, 500 French tiraillers under General Jardon led the first attack across the broken terrain, driving the British back from Palavea and Penasquedo. French columns storming the heights of Monte Mero were exposed to harrowing fire from the British light infantry but, with supporting fire from the French artillery, managed to drive the 59th Regiment back onto the crest. An attempt by the 51st Foot to capture the French guns ran afoul a body of French infantry and the British were cut down and routed. On the 16th the French entered Elvina. The celebrated counterattack by the 42nd Highlanders forced the French back after a bloody struggle with the bayonet, but the rout of the 50th Foot forced the Scots to retreat back to their pickets.

The battle for Elvina was not yet decided when Sir John Moore was struck in the chest by a cannonball and died on the field. The 42nd Highlanders crashed into the village once more and fought on into the darkness. That night the British abandoned the battlefield and fled to their boats. The French pursuit was swift, and by morning French guns had opened fire on the sloops and transports in the bay. Only the spirited resistance of Corunna's small Spanish garrison under General Alcedo kept the French at bay while the British escaped.^[5] Supporting fire from naval frigates and battleships kept Soult at a safe distance and the British managed to slip away and return to Britain. The British at Corunna lost about 900 dead or wounded. French losses are not known with certainty. Soult, meanwhile, laid hands on the supplies abandoned by the British, including 20,000 muskets.

Results

The campaign and Battle of Corunna foreshadowed many of the problems to be encountered by the British army within the Peninsula. First and foremost, it highlighted the need for a reliable method of supply. The sufferings of the British army in the withdrawal were undoubtedly terrible, but worse was that it forced many soldiers to loot and ravish the Spanish countryside. This of course did not endear the British to their Spanish allies. Subsequently the future commander Arthur Wellesley planned a logistical system in conjunction with Spanish, Portuguese, and British units with great efficiency, and ensured that the British consistently paid local suppliers and merchants. The campaign also cited the potential disaster in a winter campaign, which further contributed to much of the privations sustained by the army.

Finally, the lack of communication between allies contributed to an overall disaster. The role of the British army under Moore was to support the role of the Spanish armies confronting Napoleon. However, when Moore arrived at Salamanca, he was unaware that Napoleon had already defeated the Spanish. Afterwards, profound efforts were undertaken to centralise command and communication, mostly under British commanders such as Wellesley and Beresford. The British returned to Portugal later that year, refreshed, resupplied and with a new commander, Sir Arthur Wellesley, who went on to become the 1st Duke Of Wellington and a constant thorn in Napoleon's side. Salamanca: Plaza Mayor Towers of the Old and New Cathedrals Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Salamanca Salamanca (population 160,000) is a city in western Spain, the capital of the province of Salamanca, which belongs to the autonomous community(region) of Castile-Leon(Castilla y León). ...

Notes

References

• Chandler, David G. The Campaigns of Napoleon. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1995. ISBN 0-02-523660-1
• Battle of Corunna (Elvina), 1809