Combat of Navas de Membrillo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Combat of Navas de Membrillo
Part of the Peninsular War
Date 29 December 1811 Location Near Mérida, Spain 38°54′N 6°20′W / 38.900°N 6.333°W / 38.900; -6.333 Result French victory
Belligerents
French Empire	United Kingdom
Commanders and leaders
Captain Neveux	Rowland Hill
Strength
c. 400	Unknown
Casualties and losses
11 killed, wounded or captured	39–40 killed, wounded or captured

The combat of Navas de Membrillo took place on 29 December 1811 near Mérida, Spain, and saw the British light cavalry of General Rowland Hill assault a small Imperial French force led by Captain Neveux. During the action, the French soldiers formed in square inflicted a sharp defeat to the British cavalrymen. This engagement is considered by historian Ian Fletcher as "one of the more disappointing cavalry episodes in the Peninsula".

Background

On the last days of 1812, Arthur Wellesley, Viscount Wellington, commander-in-chief of the Anglo-Portuguese army, wanted to distract the French forces commanded by Marshal Jean-de-Dieu Soult, which were occupied by the Siege of Tarifa. Thus, he asked Major-General Rowland Hill to lead a raid against the French 5th Infantry Division of General Ludwik Mateusz Dembowski located at Mérida. Hill went to Spain with 12,000 men on December 27 and reached the village of La Rocca at 30 kilometers of Mérida the next day. At the same time and looking for food supplies, a small French force advanced in this direction. This force was made up of three companies of the French 88th Infantry Regiment under Captain Neveux and a detachment of hussars, for a total of around 400 men.

Action

British Light Dragoons during a charge, by Richard Knötel. The 13th Light Dragoons was present with two squadrons at the battle of Navas de Membrillo, on 29 December 1811.

On 29 December, Hill's vanguard fell on the detachment of French hussars near the village of Navas de Membrillo. The hussars quickly informed Captain Neveux who decided to retreat towards Mérida. Seeing this movement, Hill, without infantry support, ordered his cavalry to pursue and capture the fleeing French.

The 2nd Hussars Regiment of the King's German Legion and two squadrons of the 13th Light Dragoons charged Neveux's troop, but the French formed a square in a wood and the attackers were put in disorder by the cork trees which protected the Imperial soldiers. Disorganized, the British light cavalry was repulsed five times by the well-directed fire of the French square. Neveux's men then managed to withdraw towards Mérida, despite the action of the British artillery which arrived on the scene at the end of the engagement.