Sorauren

28 July, 1813
30 July, 1813

Spanish Battle Tour Guides

With Marshal Soult counterattacking through the Pyrenees, Sir Arthur Wellesley collected a sizeable force, some 24,000 men, and moved to stop him at Sorauren.

While on a reconnaissance, Wellesley was almost captured by the French, but managed to elude them and return to his main force.

Soult, who had 60,000 troops at his disposal, launched an uphill assault with just under half of them and was met by determined British resistance.

The fighting at the top of the ridge was bitter and bloody, but the defenders held the French off.

British reinforcements arrived and Wellesley sent them to assault the enemy right flank. More fresh units reached the field and soon Soult was ordering a withdrawal.

The French suffered 4000 casualties, while Wellesley's army lost 2600 men.

Two smaller battles occurred two days later as the French tried to get between Wellesley's army and the troops surrounding San Sebastian.

At Tolosa, General Hill fended one attempt off and a night retreat, again near Sorauren, cost the French 3500 casualties.

With his momentum dead in the water, Soult withdrew into France to prepare his defences against the imminent British offensive.