Battle of Belchite (1809)

This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (January 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Battle of Belchite
Part of the Peninsular War
Date 18 June 1809[1] Location Belchite, Spain 41°18′N 0°45′W / 41.300°N 0.750°W / 41.300; -0.750 Result Franco-Polish victory
Belligerents
French Empire Duchy of Warsaw	Kingdom of Spain
Commanders and leaders
Louis Suchet	Joaquín Blake
Strength
13,000[1]	12,000[1]
Casualties and losses
200[1]	2,000[1]

Peninsular war: Aragón Catalonia

200km
125miles

21

Castalla

20

19

Valencia

18

Saguntum

17

16

15

14

13

12

11

10

9

8

7

6

Belchite

5

María

4

3

2

1

  

  current battle

The Battle of Belchite on 18 June 1809 saw a Franco-Polish corps led by Louis Gabriel Suchet fight a small Spanish army under Joaquín Blake y Joyes. Suchet's force won the battle when a lucky hit detonated a large part of the Spanish ammunition supply. The ensuing blast provoked Blake's soldiers into a panicky flight from the battlefield.^[2] The action was fought during the Peninsular War, part of the Napoleonic Wars. Belchite is located 40 kilometres (25 mi) southeast of Zaragoza.