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. The Lines were constructed by Portuguese workers, under the supervision of British and Portuguese Army Engineers. The fortifications take their name from the town of Torres Vedras. Image File history File links Lines_of_Torres_Vedras. ... Image File history File links Lines_of_Torres_Vedras. ... Nakhal Fort, one of the best-preserved forts in Oman. ... For other uses, see November (disambiguation). ... 1809 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... September is the ninth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four Gregorian months with 30 days. ... 1810 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The Peninsular War (1808–1814) (known as War of Independence in Spain and as French Invasions in Portugal) was a major conflict during the Napoleonic Wars, fought in the Iberian Peninsula with Spanish, Portuguese, and the British forces fighting against Napoleonic French. ... Torres Vedras is a city (cidade) and municipality (concelho) in the district of Lisbon, Portugal, about 50 km north of Lisbon. ...

Genesis

After his troubling Spanish experience at Talavera, Wellington decided to strengthen Portugal. He used a report of Colonel Vincent, ordered by Junot in 1807, describing the excellent defensive capacities in the region nearby Lisbon and topographical studies by Major Neves Costa. He was also inspired by the Martello Towers along the British Channel coast. Wellington ordered the building of the Lines of Torres, as a system of fortifications blockhouses, redoubts, ravelins, cuts of natural relief, etc. The work began in the Autumn of 1809 and the first line was finished one year later. Construction of the lines continued and in 1812 34,000 men were still working on them. The battle of Talavera was fought on July 27 and 28 of 1809 and resulted in the difficult victory of the British and Spanish under Sir Arthur Wellesley against the French under King Joseph. ... The Most Noble Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS (c. ... 1807 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... District Lisbon Mayor   - Party Carmona Rodrigues PSD Area 84. ... Martello towers are small defensive forts built by the British Empire at the time of the Napoleonic Wars. ... A 19th-century-era block house in Fort York, Toronto In military science, a blockhouse is a small, isolated fort in the form of a single building. ... A ravelin is a triangular fortification used to split an attacking force. ... 1809 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1812 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

The work was supervised by Colonel Fletcher, assisted by Major John Jones, 11 British officers, 2 KGL officers and 4 Portuguese Army engineers. The cost was down to around £100,000, one of the less expensive but remunerative military investments in history. The human cost was great for the population, because of the privations they supported. It is estimated that between October 1810 and March 1811 about 50,000 Portuguese died of hunger or disease. When Napoleon imposed the Convention of Artlenburg (Convention of the Elbe) on July 5, 1803 the Kurfürstentum Hannover (Electorate of Hannover) was disbanded and its army dissolved. ... Engineering is the application of science to the needs of humanity. ... 1810 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1811 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

The Anglo-Portuguese army was forced to retreat to The Lines after the Battle of Buçaco. The French (under Marshall Andre Massena) discovered upon their arrival at The Lines a barren land (under the Scorched Earth policy) and an enemy behind an impenetrable defensive position. The Battle of Buçaco was a battle of the Peninsular War, fought by British and Portuguese forces under the command of the Duke of Wellington on September 27, 1810, to check French pursuit of his retreat to the Lines of Torres Vedras. ... The title of marshal of France (maréchal de France) was derived from the office of marescallus Franciae created by Philippe Auguste for Albéric Clément (circa 1190). ... Andr Mass na (May 6, 1758 - April 4, 1817), Duke of Rivoli, Prince of Essling, was a French soldier in the armies of Napoleon and a Marshal of France. ... A scorched earth defence is a military tactic which involves destroying anything that might be useful to the enemy whilst advancing through or withdrawing from an area. ...

Massena's forces arrived at the Lines on 11 October and shortly afterwards stormed Sobral de Monte-Agraco but were repulsed in the attempt to assault of Fort Alqueidao, a second bigger and better equipped redoubt. After attempting to wait out the enemy, Massena was forced to order a French retreat to Spain, starting on the night of 15 November 1810,to re-supply and reinforce his army. Marshall Massena began his campaign with his army (l'Armee de Portugal) at 65,000 strong. By the time he reached Torres Vedras, he had 61,000 men (after losing 4,000 at the Battle of Buçaco). When he reached Spain, he had lost 25,000 men (including those lost at Buçaco). One of the coldest winters Portugal had ever seen hit Portugal and killed many of the French. They were also hit by severe illness and disease killing the soldiers in their thousands. The Allies were reinforced by fresh British troops in 1811 and renewed their offensive. They left The Lines and did not return for the rest of the Peninsular War. October 11 is the 284th day of the year (285th in Leap years). ... November 15 is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 46 days remaining. ... 1810 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... A military campaign is usally a connected series of battles (or instances of combat in warfare between two or more parties wherein each group seeks to defeat the others) and the maneuvers that is conducted by a military force (regular or irregular) seeking victory in a war. ... The Peninsular War (1808–1814) (known as War of Independence in Spain and as French Invasions in Portugal) was a major conflict during the Napoleonic Wars, fought in the Iberian Peninsula with Spanish, Portuguese, and the British forces fighting against Napoleonic French. ...

Description

The four lines of Torres Vedras had forts strategically placed in the top of hills, controlling the roads to Lisbon and using the natural obstacles of the land. The first line, with an extension of 46 km, binds Alhandra to the estuary of the Sizandro River. The second line, 13 km to the south, has 39 km and binds the Póvoa de Santa Iria to Ribamar. The third line consisted of a defensive perimeter with 3 km, from Paço de Arcos to the Tower of Junqueira, protecting a beach of embarkment (St. Julian's) about 40 km to the south of the second line. District Lisbon Mayor   - Party Carmona Rodrigues PSD Area 84. ...

In seven months, 108 forts and 151 redoubts were built, with ravelins, detached batteries, etc. The three lines were furnished with 1,067 pieces of artillery and provided with 68,665 men, one of the most efficient systems of field blockhouses in military history. Behind them was the field army of 50,000 Anglo-Portuguese regulars, able to manoeuvre against the invaders. Historically, artillery refers to any engine used for the discharge of projectiles during war. ...

The fourth line was built south of the Tagus in the Altos of Almada to hinder an eventual invasion coming from south, with an extension of 8,000 yards (7.3 km): It had 17 redoubts and covered trenches, 86 pieces of artillery, defended by troops of the navy, and orderlies of Lisbon, for a total of 7500 men.

Efficiency and cohesion

The efficiency and cohesion of the Lines was based on 5 points:

1) Redoubts of artillery with Portuguese artillerymen, commanded by major-general José António Rosa, and specialized to fire into preset zones, where the enemy attack was expected; Both lines had more than 80 km. The first line had 534 artillery pieces.

2) Military roads to cover the rear of the lines and allowing an extraordinary mobility of forces. In September 1810, the field army had some 66,598 regular soldiers. Including theOrdenanças and Milicias, it had 77,690 men.

3) A Semaphore system introduced by the British navy allowing a message to be sent around the lines in 7 minutes; or from the HQ to any point in 4 minutes. The signal system had five stations: The semaphore line was a signalling system invented by the Chappe brothers in France. ...

• Redoubt n.30 close to the Ocean (Bridge of Rol)...
• The great redoubt of Torres Vedras (Fort St Vincent)
• Monte do Socorro close to Pêro Negro, Wellington’s headquarters
• Monte Agraço
• Alhandra, by the Tejo.

4) The secret - The building of the lines took, surprisingly, only 7 months. Lisbon became a peninsula defended by a most efficient system of blockhouses. Everything was preserved as a secret, whose maintenance is as surprising as the building of the lines.

5) The scorched earth policy - North of the lines everything that could supply the invading army was collected, hidden or burnt. A vast tract of land was deserted and perhaps 200,000 inhabitants of the neighbouring districts of the lines were relocated inside the lines.