…the final phase of the Peninsular War.
"Similar to the other states of the Confederation of the Rhine also the Primas (i.e. first leader, chancellor) of the confederation, the Grand Duke of Francfort Dalberg, had to place troops at Napoleon's disposal. In August 1808 a battalion gathered round Francfort: It consisted of one Grenadier-, one Voltigeur- and four Fusilier companies, each company with 140 men. The total strength of the battalion was 853. The Francfort battalion was part of the german division (Leval) of the 4th Corps , there it belonged to the 3rd Brigade. As part of the division the francfort contingent fought at Mesa de Ibor, Medellin and Talavera. Between 1810 up to the middle of 1812 the battalion was engaged in partisan warfare. Here hard jobs were to do: Everyday live turned round skirmishes, singulary actions against partisans and securing messures.
In the following the engagement of the Francfort battalion from the battle of Vitoria up to the desertion to the british lines in December 1813 shall be retold. Here I want to refer mainly on one book. I think only a few persons know Guillaume Bernay's "Schicksale des Großherzogtums Frankfurt und seiner Truppen" (The fate of the Grand Duchy Francfort and its troops) from 1882. So I wish to translate some passages out of his worth reading book.
The battle of Vitoria was not the biggest battle in the Peninsula but the most decisive. It was the final point in a five years struggle. As a result of the battle the french were driven out of spain, except the troops remaining in some fortresses.
The battlefield of Vitoria was divided by the river Zadorra. At the north bank the british lines deployed. The french had missed to blow up the bridges across the river, a fact, that should be decisive in the struggle. (And now Bernays:)
" The city was encircled by the french army… and all trains should have been removed out of the city. Instead of this the high command gave the permission, that the city remained full of people and vehicles… Also in the north of Vitoria the main train of the army was placed, several thousands of vehicles, and besides this crawling muddle stood the whole french cavalry, face to face with the small roads of the town, and so prevented from every chance to appera in time on the battlefield. In the south of the city parked the main reserve of the artillery, cause there was not enough room in the frontline…"
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