Battle of Alcañiz

Battle of Alcañiz
Part of the Peninsular War
Battle of Alcañiz (Spain)
Date23 May 1809
Location41°03′00″N 0°07′48″E / 41.0500°N 0.1300°E / 41.0500; 0.1300
Result Spanish victory
Belligerents
French Empire Kingdom of Spain
Commanders and leaders
Louis Gabriel Suchet Joaquín Blake y Joyes
Strength
8,000 9,000
Casualties and losses
700 dead or wounded 300 dead or wounded
Peninsular War: Aragón Catalonia
220km
137miles
21
20
Castalla
19
18
Valencia
17
Saguntum
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
María
3
Alcañiz
2
1
  current battle

The Battle of Alcañiz resulted in the defeat of Major-General Louis Gabriel Suchet's French army on 23 May 1809 by a Spanish force under General Joaquín Blake y Joyes.

The victory is credited to General Martín García-Loygorri's superb command of the Spanish artillery, which allowed the French columns to close and then mauled them with well-directed salvos. Loygorri was later promoted to Field Marshal and became the first artillery officer ever to receive the Laureate Cross of Saint Ferdinand.