BATTLE // September 27, 1810

Battle of Bussaco

Name: Battle of Bussaco
Start: 1810-09-27
End: 1810-09-27
Location: Battle of Bussaco

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Overview

The Battle of Buçaco or Bussaco was fought on 27 September 1810 during the Peninsular War in the Portuguese mountain range of Serra do Buçaco, resulting in the defeat of French forces by Lord Wellington's Anglo-Portuguese Army. Having occupied the heights of Bussaco with a total of 26,843 British and 25,429 Portuguese troops, Wellington was attacked five times successively by invasion force of 65,050 French under Marshal André Masséna. Masséna was uncertain as to the disposition and strength of the opposing forces because Wellington had deployed them on the reverse slope of the ridge, where they could neither be easily seen nor easily softened up with artillery.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Bussaco checked the French Army of Portugal's advance into the Iberian interior and demonstrated the defensive potential of Wellington's Anglo-Portuguese force. Masséna's invasion column, numerically superior at roughly 65,000 troops, was repulsed across five successive assaults, inflicting casualties that significantly exceeded Anglo-Portuguese losses. The action bought Wellington time and confirmed the viability of the Portuguese army as a combined-arms partner. Although Wellington subsequently withdrew rather than hold the ridge permanently, Bussaco established a pattern of deliberate positional defense that would characterize the Allied approach through the remainder of the Peninsular campaign. The defeat contributed to Masséna's inability to drive the Allies from Portugal before the Lines of Torres Vedras arrested the French advance entirely.

Tactics

Wellington deployed his Anglo-Portuguese force on the reverse slope of the Serra do Buçaco ridge, concealing both the disposition and strength of his troops from Masséna's observation. This positioning also rendered Allied units largely immune to French artillery preparation. Masséna, uncertain of what faced him, committed his force to five successive frontal assaults up the heights. Each attack encountered defenders who were largely sheltered until the moment of engagement, negating the French numerical advantage and producing disproportionate French casualties.