Battle of the Côa

Overview

The Combat of the Côa was a military engagement that occurred during the Peninsular War period of the Napoleonic Wars. It took place in the valley of the Côa River and it was the first significant battle for the new army of 65,000 men controlled by Marshal André Masséna, as the French prepared for their third invasion of Portugal.

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

Significance

The Combat of the Côa occurred in the valley of the Côa River during the Peninsular War and marked the first significant engagement for the newly assembled French army of 65,000 men under Marshal André Masséna as they prepared for the third invasion of Portugal. The engagement involved roughly comparable forces on each side, with France fielding approximately 5,550 troops and Britain around 5,300 under Robert Craufurd. French casualties reached 1,000, indicating the action was sharply contested despite the disparity in overall campaign strength. As the opening significant test for Masséna's force before the invasion proper, the battle served as an early indicator of the resistance French forces would encounter as they pressed into Portugal.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (3)