The first British troops landed at Mondego Bay on 1 August 1808 and 4 days later Sir Arthur Wellesley had 13,000 troops ashore. On the 17 August, Wellesley beat a French force under General Delaborde at Roliça.
(see my article on the Battle of Roliça and Wellington’s first victory in the Peninsular) www.dukeofwellington.org/post/the-battle-of-roli%C3%A7a-17th-august-1808-wellington-s-first-peninsular-attack-and-victory
The fleet however also brought Sir Harry Burrard, who was to replace Wellesley (he in turn was replaced on the 22nd August, following Vimerio by Sir Hew Dalrymple). The replacement of British commander was not made until the evening of the 21st due both to the approaching French Army, and the fact Sir Harry Burrard stayed aboard his ship, HMS Brazen, for comfort, meaning Arthur Wellesley, the future Duke of Wellington, commanded the British force until the closing stages of the battle.
Commander: Sir Arthur Wellesley
1st Brigade: General Rowland Hill
5th Foot
9th Foot
38th Foot
36th Foot, 40th Foot, 71st Foot
5th Brigade: General James Caitland Craufurd
6th Brigade: General Henry Fane
8th Brigade: General Wroth Palmer Acland
Portuguese Troops: Colonel Nicolas Trant
Commander: General Jean-Androche Junot
Brigade: General Antoine-François Brenier de Montmorand
Brigade: General Jean-Guillaume-Barthélemy Thomières
4th Swiss Regiment (2 Companies)
2nd Division: General Louis-Henri Loison
3rd Battalion 12th Légère
Brigade; General Hugues Charlot
3rd Battalion 32nd Ligne
Reserve of Grenadiers: François-Etienne Kellerman
Cavalry Division: General Pierre Maragon
General Junot has pushed his men on through the night of the 20th/21st in order to reach Vimerio before Sir John Moore’s army of an additional 12,000 men could link up with Wellesley’s at the coast.
British cavalry patrols has spotted the marching French troops about 5 kilometres south of Vimerio and reported this intelligence back to Wellesley who, expecting to be replaced as commander soon, ordered the British troops to be stood to, and “under arms by three o’clock in the morning” (Chartrand p.64).
For the opening stage of the battle, Junot directed Brenier’s Brigade, comprising the 4 battalions that had fought under Delaborde at Roliça earlier that week, with a regiment of dragoons, to advance onto the eastern Ridge. Brenier was to continue north and, turn west, to march onto the East Ridge at its furthest point. Junot’s intention was, as soon as Brenier’s attack was well under way, to launch an assault on Vimeiro Hill in Wellesley’s centre.
Seeing the dust arising from Brenier’s trooping marching to the north, Wellesley ordered the four Brigades of, Acland, Bowes’ Ferguson and Nightingall to move to the East Ridge, to repulse the attacking French. As they approached, the two forces moving to the ridge were roughly marching in parallel to one another. Within minutes of reaching the ridge’s top, the British regiments deployed, in a smooth and efficient manner, a way in which the French had not encountered in Spain or Portugal yet.
Junot now felt that the best course of success now lay with a frontal attack on the Vimeiro Hill. This was made by Thomière’s Brigade and Charlot’s Brigade, comprising 4 ½ battalions. Confidence was high and the men advance in their famous columns. General Delaborde led Thomière’s Brigade on the right and Loison led Charlot’s Brigade on the left, with 7 Guns.
[The British advance on the French columns, as Riflemen of the 5/60th fall back. Source Devon Wargaming blog]
The British on the ridge were ready to meet the second attack. The Riflemen and skirmishers had been recalled, so the Artillery had a clear field of fire down the slope. For the first time in a battle, a new type of weapon was about to be used, Shrapnel shells. Devised by their namesake, Sir Henry Shrapnel of the Royal Artillery.
These shells (officially designated “spherical case”) could be fired by cannon to rain their deadly payload of musket balls at increased range and lethality. These shells found a perfect target on the densely packed French columns, though they were twice as wide as they were deep for each battalion, they were closely supported by a following battalion, giving them a ‘snaking’ effect from the British viewpoint.
Junot knew this position must be taken, so he called up both battalions the 1st Grenadier Reserve Regiment to “Pour en finir – put an end to it” (Chartrand p. 73) and capture the ridge.
This time General Kellerman led the attack, instead of coming straight up the slope and hoping for success where failure was met twice before, he attempted to outflank the British by moving along a lower ridge, if they succeeded they would open up the road to the town of Vimerio.
[The 43rd use the Churchyard wall to attack the 1st Grenadier Reserve Regiment from multiple sides. Note the Belgic Shakos were introduced in 1812 onward in the British Army but are common in artistic impressions]
By this point in the battle, Junot had committed nearly all of his troops into the attacks on Vimeiro. By comparison, Wellesley still had fresh reserves and not all the troops on the ridge had actually been fully engaged, so had full ranks and plenty of ammunition but were now spurred on with the successes of the day so far.
Spotting a thin line of British Infantry in the distance, in their recognisable red coat, Solignac deployed the three battalions under his command at the foot of a hill, what he did not know was what, if anything lay over the hill.
Obscured by the rise and shielded by the skirmishers were three Brigades of British infantry under Bowes, Ferguson and Nightingall, consisting of seven battalions on infantry in two lines. Furthermore Acland’s and Crauford’s Brigades were only a little less than 2 kilometres away.
As the French reached the crest they saw over double their number of British Infantry marching towards them, the red coated infantry were so numerous, that even in a double line of battalions they overlapped the French. Solignac had little choice but to stand and fight.
At less than 100 meters, the British presented their muskets and delivered a devastating volley, effectively wiping out the voltiguers to their front and wounding General Jean-Baptiste Solignac.
The whole British line reloaded and stepped forward, ready to engage the main French force. The French returned ineffective fire, there was already mass confusion after the surprise of the three advancing brigades, they were outnumbered, suffering casualties and their commander was wounded.
With a road to their rear, Solignac’s men broke and ran, some British regiments, namely the 36th (Herefordshire) and 40th (2nd Somersetshire) gave pursuit, firing at their backs and catching up with men as they went, taking many prisoner and capturing three guns.
[Reenactors at Vimerio march to new positions]
Brenier immediately ordered his two squadrons of Dragoons to charge down the slope and catch the men of the 71st and 82nd by surprise and maybe recapture the guns. The British troops were caught unawares by the charging Dragoons, but they fell back, rallied and formed a defensive line.
The 29th (Worcestershire) Regiment standing firm against a French attack at Vimiera – by R. Simkin
Unfortunately for the attacking French Dragoons the 29th (Worcestershire) Regiment who had recently lost their commander, Colonel Lake at Roliça just 4 days earlier, came to their aid.
The three British Regiments formed a formidable line and advanced against the French cavalry, firing volleys into them. They carried on up the hill and continued their volleys against the infantry, in a repeat of the earlier attacks Brenier was wounded and the French broke and ran this time leaving their commander behind, so General Antoine-François Brenier de Montmorand was captured on the final attack of the day, after having led the first one of the battle.
The flanking movement had utterly failed, attacking without supporting each other and being surprised in turn, much of the French army was it full retreat and being taken prisoner, Junot had led a disastrous series of attacks and could expect to lose thousands more into captivity, after less than three hours fighting.
At this time a shocking new order came to the British officers. They were to stop their pursuit and halt. A new British Commander had arrived, Sir Harry Burrard.
Waiting, wisely for Wellesley to command the troops through the battle, Burrard assumed the chief command after victory seemed assured, and, believing the French had a reserve as yet untouched, forbade Ferguson to advance.
The very next day Sir Hew Dalrymple assumed the chief command. Sir Harry Burrard and Sir Hew Dalrymple agreed and signed the controversial Convention of Cintra, while Arthur Wellesley was ordered to do so despite his opposition to the convention. All three generals were recalled, back to England. I feel that the Convention of Cintra is worthy of its own investigation and perhaps the topic of a future article.
The British suffered their own losses, but were less than half that of their foe at, 720 in total killed or wounded, which broke down as, 4 officers and 131 men killed, 37 officers and 497 men wounded, 2 officers and 49 missing (likely captured), the Portuguese suffered at least 1 fatality from the Lisbon Police along a cadet and others wounded from their cavalry charge.