Second Battle of Porto

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Second Battle of Porto
Part of the Peninsular War
Portuguese and British regiments pursuing the retreating French army at the Second Battle of Porto
Date 12 May 1809[1] Location Porto, Portugal 41°9′43.71″N 8°37′19.03″W / 41.1621417°N 8.6219528°W / 41.1621417; -8.6219528 Result Anglo-Portuguese victory[1][2]
Belligerents
French Empire	United Kingdom Portugal
Commanders and leaders
Jean de Dieu Soult	Sir Arthur Wellesley
Strength
13,000[1]	18,400–27,000[3][1]
Casualties and losses
2,100–2,400[1] 600 killed or wounded 1,500 captured[4]	150[1]

Lisbon

Roliça

Vimeiro

Chaves

Braga

Grijó

Porto

Almeida

Bussaco

TorresVedras

Redinha

Sabugal

FuentesDeOñoro

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Peninsular war: Portugal
1807 1808 1809 1810 1811

The Second Battle of Porto, also known as the Battle of the Douro or the Crossing of the Douro,^[5] 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.^[6]

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.^[6] Wellesley pursued the French army, but Soult's army escaped annihilation by fleeing through the mountains.