Key Facts
- Date
- 12–13 September 1813
- French attacking force
- 12,000 soldiers under Suchet
- Allied army size
- 28,000 (Spanish, British, Germans, Italians)
- Decaen's supporting force
- 7,000 men advancing from northeast
- Strategic result
- Last French victory on Spanish soil
Strategic Narrative Overview
On the night of 12 September, Suchet's 12,000 troops launched a surprise assault on the Allied position at Ordal. Colonel Frederick Adam's advance guard, poorly screened due to inadequate pickets, was overwhelmed and driven from its strong defensive position. The following morning at Vilafranca del Penedès, Allied cavalry clashed with pursuing French horsemen but were forced to retire. Bentinck, having underestimated French strength and intent, abandoned Vilafranca and fell back to Tarragona, then resigned his command.
01 / The Origins
Wellington's decisive victory at the Battle of Vitoria in June 1813 rendered Marshal Suchet's French positions in Valencia and Aragon untenable. Suchet withdrew his forces toward Barcelona, pursued by Lieutenant General Lord Bentinck's Anglo-Allied army of 28,000 troops. Seeking to check the Allied advance, Suchet planned a concentrated strike against the Allied advance guard near the Ordal defile, coordinating with Decaen's 7,000-strong force advancing from the northeast.
03 / The Outcome
Despite the tactical success at Ordal, Suchet could not reverse France's strategic position in Catalonia. French troops were steadily transferred to defend eastern France, forcing Suchet to retreat toward the Pyrenees and leave behind isolated garrisons. These were reduced one by one by Allied forces until only Barcelona remained in French hands when the conflict ended, rendering Ordal's victory strategically hollow.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Marshal Louis Gabriel Suchet, General Charles Mathieu Isidore Decaen.
Side B
1 belligerent
Lieutenant General Lord William Bentinck, Colonel Frederick Adam.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.