Saragossa, the 2nd seige
Battle Name : Saragossa, the 2nd seige
Date(s) : 20 December 1808 - 20 February 1809
Part of : The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , The Peninsular Campaign ,
Outcome : A victory for French Peninsular Army [Corps lll and V] over Spanish garrison & people of Saragossa
Type of battle : Land, Seige
Summary
The city of Saragossa, garrisoned by 60,000 Spanish soldiers, peasants, townsmen and clergy held out against a French beseiging force of lll Corps [Junot] and V Corps [Mortier] for 2 months before the city fell, bit by bit.
The taking of the city was marked by fierce house-to-house fighting. Every building was hard won against determined resistance, particulaly from the Spanish Monks.
Many of the buildings required sapping and mining, and vicious melees took place underground as sapping broke through into occupied cellars of counter-mining.
Location
The city of Saragossa, [now Zaragosa] on the river Ebro in Aragon,northern Spain. (Spain)
More details
The city of Saragossa, garrisoned by 60,000 Spanish soldiers, peasants, townsmen and clergy held out against a French beseiging force under General Lannes for 2 months before the city fell, bit by bit.
The taking of the city was marked by fierce house-to-house fighting. Every building was hard won against determined resistance, particulaly from the Spanish Monks.
Many of the buildings required sapping and mining, and vicious melees took place underground as sapping broke through into occupied cellars of counter-mining.
Casualty figures
Spanish garrison & people of Saragossa
- Number engaged :
- 60,000
- Casualties :
- 6,000 (10.00%)
French Peninsular Army [Corps lll and V]
- Number engaged :
- 34,000
- Casualties :
- 10,000 (29.41%)
Some gallery images :