Battle of Sobral

Battle of Sobral
Part of the Peninsular War
Sobral and the Lines of Torres Vedras
Date 13–14 October 1810 Location Sobral de Monte Agraço, Portugal Result Anglo-Portuguese victory
Belligerents
French Empire	United Kingdom Kingdom of Portugal
Commanders and leaders
Jean-Andoche Junot	Brent Spencer Lowry Cole
Units involved
VIII Corps	1st Division 4th Division
Strength
16,939	1st Division: 7,053 4th Division: 7,400
Casualties and losses
13 October: 157 14 October: 120	13 October: 139 14 October: 67

The Battle of Sobral (13–14 October 1810) saw an Imperial French army led by Marshal André Masséna probe the Lines of Torres Vedras defended by Arthur Wellesley, Viscount Wellington's Anglo-Portuguese Army. The clash occurred during the Peninsular War, part of the Napoleonic Wars. Sobral de Monte Agraço Municipality is located about 13 kilometres (8 mi) southeast of Torres Vedras and 33 kilometres (21 mi) north of Lisbon, Portugal.

Jean-Andoche Junot's VIII Corps was engaged in the fighting on both days. On 13 October, the French drove back the skirmish line of Lowry Cole's 4th Infantry Division. The following day, Junot's troops seized an outpost belonging to Brent Spencer's 1st Infantry Division, but were quickly ejected from the position by a British counterattack. Masséna soon decided that Wellington's defensive lines were too strong to crack and elected to wait for reinforcements.

References

• Gates, David (2002). The Spanish Ulcer: A History of the Peninsular War. London: Pimlico. ISBN 0-7126-9730-6. 
• Oman, Charles (1996). A History of the Peninsular War Volume III. Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole. ISBN 1-85367-223-8. 
• Smith, Digby (1998). The Napoleonic Wars Data Book. London: Greenhill. ISBN 1-85367-276-9.