Battle of Fuengirola
13 October 1810

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The handful of Polish infantrymen captured British battery.
The 82nd Foot attempted to retake the guns. The Poles fired
a volley and charged with bayonets. The 82nd broke and fled,
joining the 89th Foot (nickname Blayney's Bloodhounds)
in their flight to the boats. The Poles then loaded the captured
cannons with British ammunition and bombarded the enemy
on the beach.
William Napier writes: "He (Lord Blayney) was immediately
made prisoner; his troops again fled to the beach ..."

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Battle of Fuengirola
Battle of Fuengirola

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Blayney's force sailed from Gibraltar
toward Fuengirola (October 1810).

Blayney's 2,500 British and foreign troops.
"The infantry is the best portion
of the British army."

The (150) Poles at Fuengirola.
"... little dependence could be placed on them."

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"Come and Take It !"

The Poles ran out of the castle,
captured British battery and
routed "foreign" infantry battalion.

The Fight.
The 82nd Foot formed a line and moved forward to
retake the guns. The Poles fired a volley and charged
with bayonets. The 82nd broke and fled, joining the
89th Foot in their flight to the boats.

Casualties, awards and other things.
The casualty returns of 89th Foot have
had the sheets with the casualty listings
for Fuengirola torn out.

The end of the "desperate banditti".

Map of Peninsular War 1810
Map of Peninsular War in 1810

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Blayney's force sailed from Gibraltar
toward Fuengirola (October 1810)

The year of 1810 was very eventful in Spain :
5 February - Siege of Cadiz commences (lifted on 24 Aug 1812)
26 April - 10 July First Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo
24 July - Combat on the Coa (at Almeida)
15 August - Siege of Almeida commences
27 August - Siege of Almeida completed
27 September - Battle of Bussaco
29 September - Wellington’s Army retreats to Lines of Torres Vedras
13 October - Fight at Fuengirola
16 December - Siege of Tortosa commences

Lord Blayney In October 1810 a small British force sailed from Gibraltar toward Fuengirola. It was commanded by Andrew Thomas Blayney, 11th Baron Blayney. He was veteran of Irish, Dutch, Italian, Egyptian and Indian campaign and participant of the siege of Malta.
Blayney served during the retreat through Holland (1794-95) "distinguishing himself in every encounter." It was Lord Blayney's resistance to surrender at Boxtel which prevented this retreat from being a rout. In 1796 he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.
"As commander of the 89th Foot, Blayney's Bloodhounds as they were called, Blayney fought with distinction in the Napoleonic Wars." (- wikipedia.org 2005) In 1810 Blayney's force sailed from Gibraltar toward Fuengirola.

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Blayney's 2,500 British and foreign troops.
"The infantry is the best portion of
the British army..." - French Gen. Foy

Although Britain's glory was principally achieved through the strength of the Royal Navy, the field army and colonial troops played an important role. According to French General Foy, "The infantry is the best portion of the British army..."
British infantry (reenactors) The British line infantry wore red jacket. The cloth was dull red for rank and file and bright scarlet for senior NCOs and officers. The companies of grenadiers and light infantry wore wings of red cloth at the shoulders. Officers jackets were double-breasted, well tailored and often padded to exaggerate the outline. During campaign they wore white (in summer) or grey or grey-blue (in winter) trousers.
The basic tactical unit of British infantry was battalion. It consisted of 10 companies (Grenadiers, Light, 1st, 2nd , 3rd, 4th, 5th , 6th, 7th, 8th)

Lord Blayney had 2,512 British and foreign troops
and number of Spanish guerillas:

  • British II Btn./89th Regiment of Foot (353 men)
    This unit was nicknamed "Blayney's Bloodhounds."
  • British I Btn./82nd Regiment of Foot (932 men)
  • 5 guns (incl. one giant 32pdr) and 69 British gunners
  • foreign battalion (509 men)
  • Spanish Regiment de Toledo (650 men)
  • group of Spanish guerillas
  • British ship-of-the-line Rodney with 74 cannons
  • British frigates and 5 gunboats

    NOTE:
    Some sources give the strength of Blayney's force at 4,500 men (3,500 British and 1,000 Spanish) and Polish-French garrison at 457 (400 Poles and 57 Frenchmen).

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    The (150) Poles in Fuengirola.
    "... little dependence could be placed on them."

    In 1809 Blayney had a very low opinion about the Poles in Fuengirola saying that "little dependence could be placed" on them. Actually they were not so bad. The garrison consisted of one company of 4th Infantry Regiment.
    French Marshal Davout Polish infantry 1807-1809.
Polnische infanterie 1807-1809. In 1809 Marshal Davout (nicknamed The Iron Marshal) reviewed the Polish infantry in Warsaw and selected three regiments (4th, 7th and 9th Infantry Regiment). These troops were sent to Spain to fight for France.
    One company of the 4th Regiment was detached to Fuengirola.

    The 4th Infantry Regiment wore dark blue jacket with yellow lapels and scarlet collars, cuffs and turnbacks. Dark blue trousers (of warm wool) were worn in winter, and white trousers (of cloth) in summer.

    The old castle in Fuengirola remembered the times of wars against the Arabs. It's tiny garrison was commanded by Captain Franciszek Mlokosiewicz. His force actually consisted of 164 Polish, French and ... Spanish soldiers. (William Napier wrote: "garrison, which did not exceed 200 men.")

  • 150 men of Polish 4th Infantry Regiment
  • 11 French dragoons for patrolling the area
  • 4 very old guns and 3 Spanish gunners (they deserted after first shots)

  • ~

    When asked by the British to surrender his post
    the commandant replied: "Come and Take It !"

    Blayney's troops landed at noon and marched northeast along the shore toward the old castle. At 1 pm "large group of Spanish guerillas" captured the cattle near the old castle and killed 2 guards. Approx. 40 Poles grabbed their muskets and ran out after the enemy. However when Captain Mlokosiewicz saw British warships he immediately recalled his men.

    When asked by the British to surrender 
his post the officer replied: 
Come and Take It ! The British and Spanish troops disembarked from the ships. Lord Blayney's infantry after the initial show of force deployed on the hills and the British commander demanded immediate surrender. Officer Mlokosiewicz responded: "Come and take it !"

    British frigate The British frigates and gunboats opened fire. The Poles were forced to serve their old cannons after the Spanish gunners deserted. The Poles sank one gunboat and caused casualties on the remaining four gunboats. Soon the British warships withdrew out of range and only 2 frigates continued fire. (Frigate was usually armed with 18-28 guns on a single deck. Gunboat was much smaller and slower than frigate.)

    After the bombardement of the castle the British and Spanish infantry advanced toward Fuengirola. In the same time the frigates moved closer to the shore. The Poles again opened fire and killed commander of the II Battalion/89th Foot Regiment and few others forcing the redcoats to fall back. The Poles suffered 17 casualties (3 killed and 14 wounded, incl. Captain Mlokosiewicz).

    In the night the Poles expected reinforcements. Either from 60 Polish infantrymen stationed in Mijas or from 200 Poles and 80 French dragoons in Alhaurin. It wasn't long before the smaller group, 60 men, slipped through the positions occupied by British infantry and joined the garrison.

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    The Poles ran out of the castle,
    captured British battery and
    routed "foreign" infantry battalion.

    In the morning the British opened cannonade from land and sea - it broke the tower that collapsed. The British again asked Poles to surrender but Mlokosiewicz didn't even let the emissary in. The bombardement continued and the old castle went on fire. There were very many wounded and at 1:30 pm Mlokosiewicz called a war council to decide what to do next. All officers voted for continuing the fight.

    British ship-of-the-line. A huge British ship-of-the-line Rodney arrived with its 74 cannons, carrying the entire I Btn./82nd Regiment of Foot. Meanwhile Blayney ordered the 89th Regiment of Foot to leave the hill near Fuengirola and march to the beach and draw rations. British battery on a hill was left guarded by Spanish troops and "foreign battalion".

    Lord Blayney sent boats for the I Battalion/82nd Regiment of Foot to bring this unit quickly on land. In terms of numbers it was his strongest battalion and consisted of more than 900 men.

    Mlokosiewicz saw the British movements and - in the same time - noticed that 11 French dragoons were coming from the direction of Fuengirola village. The dragoons were led by Polish officer Bronisz.

    Fuengirola 1810.
The Poles advancing up the hill 
and capturing the British guns. Encouraged by the tiny reinforcement Mlokosiewicz took 130 infantry and ran out of the castle. And then up the slope where stood the British battery. They were joined by French dragoons.

    Enemy's battalion (500 men) fell apart and the Poles took 40 prisoners including Blayney's adjutant. The Poles loaded British cannons with British ammunition and bombarded the British infantry on the beach. Blayney was shocked. He took the 89th Foot, rallied the foreign battalion, and moved against the Poles.

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    The Fight.
    The men of the 82nd Foot formed a line but soon broke ranks
    and joined the 89th Foot in their flight to the boats.
    Blayney stood his ground before being knocked down
    and taken prisoner.

    British infantry officer The 89th Foot advanced up the hill against the Poles who captured the battery. The Poles detonated part of the ammunition, left the battery and happily returned to the castle. Blayney retook his guns and formed 350 British and 1.000 German and Spanish infantry into line.

    The Poles however were not done yet. Officer Bronisz came back with 200 infantrymen (150 garrison + 60 reinforcements). They fired their muskets and charged with bayonets. The 350 men of 89th Foot had enough and broke. Blayney's Bloodhounds (nickname of the 89th) fled before the bayonets of the charging Poles touched them. Blayney however stood his ground before being knocked to the ground and taken prisoner. Napier wrote: "He was immediately made prisoner; his troops again fled to the beach ..." (Napier - "History of the War in the Peninsula 1807-1814" Vol III, p 19)
    The Poles wanted to kill him but Frenchman Frederic Petit saved him.

    The deafeat of the 89th Foot and the loss of Blayney broke the morale of other troops. The Spaniards after few volleys at long range slowly retreated to the beach where the British soldiers attepted to get on the boats and leave. The Poles retook the battery and cannonaded the enemy.

    Meanwhile the 82nd Foot landed on the beach under the cover of 74 cannons from Rodney. They formed a line and moved forward to retake the guns. It was not long however before they broke their ranks and fled to the boats following the steps of Blayney's Bloodhounds.

    The Poles brought their prisoners, including the brave Lord Blayney, to the castle. The British commander was ordered to step on the castle wall and signal to the ships to cease fire. So he did without any hesitation. The warships sailed away.

    Battle of Fuengirola
    The fight near the castle of Fuengirola.

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    Casualties, awards and other things.
    "The British casualty returns of 89th Regiment of Foot
    (preserved in the War Office, signature W.O.25/2105)
    have had the three sheets with the casualty listings
    for Fuengirola torn out." - George Nafziger

    The casualties were pretty heavy on both sides:

  • 120 Polish (20 killed and 100 wounded)
  • 310 British (40 killed, 270 wounded and captured)
    The British-Spanish forces also lost 5 guns, 1 gun boat, 300 rifles and muskets, and 60,000 rounds of ammunition. The Poles captured Lord Blayney and his adjutant.

    General Sebastiani General Sebastiani de la Porta commanded all French and Polish forces around Malaga. He arrived to Fuengirola on October 16th and showered the Poles with praise. He also praised them in the report to Marshal Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult. Mlokosiewicz was awarded with Legion d'Honneur. Blayney's saber is today in Poland, in the city of Krakow. In Warsaw, in the Museum of Army is a picture depicting the defence of Fuengirola.

    During Blayney's long incarceration, the 2nd Earl of Caledon looked after his financial, domestic, and political affairs. On his return, Blayney was given a seat in parliament for Caledon's infamous "rotten borough" of Old Sarum, Wiltshire.
    Blayney described his captors, "The scene that presented itself at this moment can never be effaced from my memory; both [Polish] officers and soldiers had all the appearance of those desperate banditti described in romances; their long moustachios, their faces blackened by smoke and gunpowder, and their bloody and torn clothes, giving to their whole appearance a degree of indescribable ferocity."

    David Chandler calls this old castle of Fuengirola as a fortress and the Poles as French ("The French-occupied fortress refused to capitulate ...") and blamed the foreign troops for Blayney's defeat. He also writes on page 163 "General Sebastiani at the head of 5,000 French troops was heading for the scene from the interior." and on the next page "His [Blayney's] error was soon clear as Sebastiani's column appeared through the smoke ..." Chandler also doesn't mention that Lord Blayney was captured.

    American historian, George Nafziger, mentions one interesting thing about the battle of Fuengirola. He writes: "The casualty returns of the II Battalion/89th Regiment of Foot [preserved in the War Office, signature W.O.25/2105] have had the three sheets with the casualty listings for Fuengirola torn out". (George Nafziger - "Saxons and Poles" p 109)

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    The end of the "desperate banditti".

    In 1813 at Leipzig, the 4th Infantry Regiment was part of an independent division. It defended the nothern flank of Napoleon's army. Despite being outnumbered by the Allies by three to one, they held the village of Wiederitzsch, then Gohlis, and finally Leipzig itself. It was a very aggressive defense, they made several bayonet charges to clear off the streets from the swarming enemy.
    Prussian Graf Henkel von Donnersmark watched this combat and later wrote, "Honour should be given to whomsoever earns it, even if it is the enemy, and in this case I must admit that the Poles repeatedly beat off the Russian assaults even though heavily outnumbered."

    Battle of Leipzig On the last day of the battle of Leipzig, the 4th Infantry was assigned to the rear guard. Heavily outnumbered and surrounded on three sides by the Prussians, Austrians and the hated Russians, the banditti of the 4th Regiment fought to the very end and almost all perished. The few remaining survivors managed to join the fleeing French troops.

    Sources and Links.
    Recommended Reading.

    Nafziger - "Saxons and Poles of the Napoleonic Wars."
    Chandler - "Dictionary of Napoleonic Wars."
    Bielecki and Tyszka - 'Dal Nam Przyklad Bonaparte"
    Polish Infantry.
    Ayuntamiento de Fuengirola.
    4th Infantry Regiment (reenactment group)

    Napoleon, His Army and Enemies