were of particular use against buildings. The British were developing shrapnel (named after the British officer who invented it) which increased the effectiveness of exploding shells against troops in the field, by showering them with metal fragments. This fire interrupted the ceremony taking place in a bastion of the citadel. In fact, Marmont had no intention of attacking Wellington and, on 26th September 1811, the French withdrew to Ciudad Rodrigo. In Portugal and Spain, Swiss troops played a particularly prominent role. The result was the French struggled to move supplies, which could have easily been transported by sea. The 50th drove the  French infantry back through the village in extremely heavy fighting, a detachment of Voltigeurs being captured after attempting to hold the village church. Few and short were the prayers we said,And we spoke not a word of sorrow;But we steadfastly gazed on the face that was dead,And we bitterly thought of the morrow. French infantry began to infiltrate across the El Burgo bridge late on 13th January 1809 and occupied the village of El Burgo. With daybreak on 17th January 1809, the French discovered the absence of the British troops and advanced onto the Heights of Santa Margarita, overlooking Corunna and opened fire. The Napoleonic armies included troops from across Europe as countries bought into the French cause through alliance or conquest. The Duke of Wellington reduced the number of ranks to two, to extend the line of the British infantry and to exploit fully the firepower of his regiments. The two rifle regiments wore dark green jackets. Instead of reinforcing the 50th, Bentinck withdrew the British troops still in Elviña, leaving Napier to be counter-attacked by Mermet’s reserves and his battalion driven back, Napier being severely wounded captured and his major killed. But by May 1809, it was back in Portugal, under the command of Sir Arthur Wellesley, later the Duke of Wellington. Soon afterwards, the second column of the French 31st emerged from the northern end of Elviña and were charged by the 50th Regiment, as the French attempted to form up after their advance through the village. The French were some distance behind, but the fleet was not in harbour. Each infantryman carried a bayonet for hand-to-hand fighting, which fitted the muzzle end of his musket. Size of the armies at the Battle of Corunna: Sir John Moore’s army, with Sir David Baird’s corps from Corunna numbered 35,000 men. Bentinck’s Brigade held the ground around Elviña, with Manningham’s Brigade on its left and Warde’s Guards Brigade in reserve behind; all of Baird’s First Division. Corunna harbour with the British Fleet at the time of the explosion of the magazine in Corunna: Battle of Corunna on 13th January 1809 in the Peninsular War: water colour sketch by Robert Kerr Porter. Service in the Iberian Peninsula was unpopular among regular French troops. We buried him darkly at dead of night,The sods with our bayonets turning,By the struggling moonbeam’s misty lightAnd the lanthorn dimly burning. At around 6pm, the fighting ended all along the line. Many of his battles were won using a combination of the manoeuvrability and fire power of the French guns with the speed of the French columns of infantry, supported by the mass of French cavalry. Then, when Russia turned into a costly failure, more men were taken to replace those lost amid the snows. The two rifle regiments, the 60th and 95th, wore dark green jackets and trousers. Montbrun persisted with his unsuccessful frontal attacks, until Thiébault’s infantry division appeared marching up the road from Ciudad Rodrigo in his support. The French had a high opinion of the British artillery. Cavalry: Lieutenant General Lord Henry Paget: Slade’s Brigade: 10th and 15th Light Dragoons, Stewart’s Brigade: 7th and 18th Light Dragoons and 3rd LD KGL, Dowman’s and Evelin’s troops of horse artillery, 12 guns, Royal Artillery park and reserve: Colonel Harding: 5 artillery brigades and 30 guns. A mile to the north of Elviña, Paget’s Reserve Division held the village of Oza, with Fraser’s Division ½ mile to the west of Oza; these formations protecting Moore’s right flank and the approach to Corunna from the west. While the main army took the direct route over the Cantabrian Mountains to Corunna, Moore sent the two light brigades on the western road via Orense to Vigo, to secure that route, in case it was necessary to meet the British fleet at that port. The British light cavalry wore light blue tunics with characteristic leather helmets covered by a bearskin crest. Arriving at Salamanca, Moore learnt that Napoleon had defeated the Spanish armies and was already in Burgos, Moore’s intended destination. While the French conscript infantry moved about the battle field in fast moving columns, the British trained to fight in line. The fatally wounded Sir John Moore is carried from the field at the Battle of Corunna, also known as the Battle of Elviña, on 16th January 1809 in the Peninsular War: picture by Henri Dupray. The KGL comprised both cavalry and infantry regiments. Moore directed Charles Napier, commanding the 50th Regiment, to reinforce the piquets in Elviña. British 11th Light Dragoons: Battle of El Bodon on 25th September 1811 in the Peninsular War. In 1810 a Gold Medal was issued to be awarded to officers of rank of major and above for meritorious service at certain battles in the Peninsular War, with clasps for additional battles. Combatants at the Battle of El Bodon: British and Portuguese troops against the French. Wellington was by no means in the clear once his troops were withdrawn. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
, Date of the Battle of El Bodon: 25th September 1811, Place of the Battle of El Bodon: In Western Spain, immediately to the south of Ciudad Rodrigo, near the Portuguese border, General de Division Louis-Pierre de Montbrun, French commander at the Battle of El Bodon on 25th September 1811 in the Peninsular War.