BATTLE // March 21, 1809
Battle of Miajadas
LOADING MAP TELEMETRY…
Overview
The battle of Miajadas took place on 21 March 1809 in Miajadas, Spain, and saw the Spanish cavalry led by General Henestrosa ambush the 10th French Horse Chasseurs Regiment commanded by Colonel Subervie. The French troopers suffered heavy losses when the two Spanish cavalry regiments charged them by the flank.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Significance
The engagement at Miajadas on 21 March 1809 formed part of the wider contest for Extremadura during the Peninsular War, a theatre in which Spanish regular forces repeatedly sought to contest French movement and control. The action inflicted recorded losses of 132–150 on the 10th French Horse Chasseurs Regiment, a material cost for a single cavalry unit. In a campaign where Spanish regulars frequently operated at a disadvantage against French arms, the outcome at Miajadas demonstrated that coordinated Spanish cavalry could impose meaningful casualties on an equivalent French force when conditions favored surprise.
Tactics
Henestrosa positioned two Spanish cavalry regiments to strike the 10th French Horse Chasseurs in flank. The approach relied on ambush rather than a frontal engagement; the flank charge caught Subervie's troopers before they could reorder and contributed directly to the heavy French losses.
Forces & casualties
Casualties
- Empire français132–150medium
Commanders (2)
French Empire
Jacques Gervais Suberviebrigadier general
Kingdom of Spain
Compare with sibling battle
6 options
Pick a battle to compare side-by-side
Related
6 sibling battles · 3 factions