Second Battle of Porto
| Second Battle of Porto | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Peninsular War | |||||||
Portuguese and British regiments pursuing the retreating French army at the Second Battle of Porto | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| French Empire |
United Kingdom Portugal | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Jean de Dieu Soult | Sir Arthur Wellesley | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 13,000 | 18,400–27,000 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
2,100–2,400 600 killed or wounded 1,500 captured | 150 | ||||||
The Second Battle of Porto, also known as the Battle of the Douro or the Crossing of the Douro, took place on 12 May 1809. General Arthur Wellesley's Anglo-Portuguese Army defeated Marshal Soult's French troops and took back the city of Porto. After taking command of the British troops in Portugal on 22 April, Wellesley (later named 1st Duke of Wellington, Marquess Douro) immediately advanced on Porto and made a surprise crossing of the Douro River, approaching Porto where its defences were weak. Soult's late attempts to muster a defence were in vain. The French quickly abandoned the city in a disorderly retreat.
This battle ended the Second French invasion of Portugal. Soult soon found his retreat route to the east blocked and was forced to destroy his guns and burn his baggage train. Wellesley pursued the French army, but Soult's army escaped annihilation by fleeing through the mountains.