Battle of Pombal

Battle of Pombal
Part of the Peninsular War
Date11 March 1811
Location39°55′N 8°37′W / 39.917°N 8.617°W / 39.917; -8.617
Result Withdrawal of French forces
Belligerents
 French Empire  United Kingdom
 Portugal
Commanders and leaders
First French Empire Michel Ney United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Viscount Wellington
Kingdom of Portugal Luís do Rego
Strength
9,340 16,000
Casualties and losses
63 37[1]
Map
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200km
125miles
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Fuentes de Oñoro
8
Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro May 1811
Sabugal
7
Battle of Sabugal April 1811
6
Battle of Redinha March 1811
Lisbon
5
Torres Vedras protects Lisbon
Bussaco
4
Battle of Bussaco September 1810
Almeida
3
Siege of Almeida July 1810 3.1 Blockade of Almeida April 1811
Ciudad Rodrigo
2
Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo April 1810
Astorga
1
Siege of Astorga March April 1810
Third French invasion:
1
Siege of Astorga March April 1810
2
Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo April 1810
3
Siege of Almeida July 1810
3.1 Blockade of Almeida April 1811
4
Battle of Bussaco September 1810
5
Torres Vedras protects Lisbon
6
Battle of Redinha March 1811
7
Battle of Sabugal April 1811
8
Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro May 1811

The Battle of Pombal (March 11, 1811) was a sharp but ultimately indecisive skirmish fought at the eponymous town during Marshal Masséna's retreat from the Lines of Torres Vedras, the first in a series of lauded rearguard actions fought by Michel Ney. The French were pursued by Wellington and his British-Portuguese army but the Allied advance was energetically contested by Ney's efforts, preventing Wellington from crushing Masséna's army when it was critically vulnerable.

At Pombal, Ney turned part of his rearguard to face the larger Anglo-Portuguese forces and checked their advance, before withdrawing to rejoin the main body of Masséna's army.

  1. ^ Oman 1911, p. 138.