Badajoz 1812: Wellington's bloodiest siegeThe storming of Badajoz was an epic action which involved Wellington's infantry in some of the most savage hand-to hand fighting of the whole Peninsular War. At appalling cost in a nightmare assault during the night of the 6 April 1812, Wellington's soldiers hacked their way over the bodies of their dead and wounded and through the huge medieval walls of the town. These were held with great tenacity, skill and courage by a resolute French and German garrison. Having stormed the town the battle-crazed army went berserk and the horrors of the sacking which followed, as much as the sublime courage of the attackers, have passed into legend. |
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18-pounders 19 January 24-pounders 3rd Division 4th and Light 5th Division Albuera Allied April artillery assault Barrié battalion Beresford besiegers Breach at Ciudad breaching batteries British army British troops Caçadores castle enclosure casualties Ciudad Rodrigo command convent of San curtain wall damage defeats Soult defenders enfilade escalade fausse braie force fortress French garrison French troops glacis Greater Teson Guadiana gunners infantry ladders Lesser Breach Lesser Teson Light Division lunette San Roque Mackinnon main breach March Marmont Massena night officers Pardaleras Peninsula Peninsular War Phillipon Picurina players Portugal Portuguese Brigade ramparts ravelin Regiment Rivellas river Guadiana Robert Craufurd Rodrigo and Badajoz Roman bridge Royal Engineers San Christobal San Sebastian San Vincente bastion Santa Maria bastion saps shot siege of Badajoz Sir Richard Fletcher soldiers sortie Spain stormers storming of Badajoz surrendered town town’s Trinidad bastion Umpire wargame Wellington Wellington’s army whilst William Carr Beresford wounded XXXX