Battle of Gerona

Overview

The first siege of Girona during the Peninsular War, also called the battle of Gerona, took place from 20 to 21 June 1808, when an Imperial French division led by Guillaume Philibert Duhesme try to overrun a Spanish garrison commanded by Lieutenant Colonels O'Donovan and O'Daly. The French assault failed and the attackers withdrew.

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

Significance

The French assault on Girona in June 1808 was the opening siege operation against the city during the Peninsular War. A French division under Duhesme, outnumbering the Spanish garrison by nearly three to one, failed to overrun the defenders commanded by O'Donovan and O'Daly and withdrew after suffering approximately 700 casualties. The failure demonstrated that numerically superior French forces could not always convert their advantage into a quick reduction of defended Spanish positions, a pattern that would shape the wider contest for Catalonia and the lines of communication running through northeastern Spain.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (3)