Battle of Bascara (1795)

Battle of Bascara (1795)
	Part of War of the Pyrenees
Date	14 June 1795
Location	Bàscara, Catalonia, Spain
Result	Spanish-Portuguese victory
Belligerents
Spain; Portugal	France
Commanders and leaders
José de Urrutia; John Forbes	Barthélemy Schérer
Units involved
Army of Catalonia; Auxiliary Army to the Crown of Spain	Army of the Eastern Pyrenees
Strength
35,000	25,000
Casualties and losses
546	2,500, 4 guns

The Battle of Bascara on 14 June 1795 saw a Republican French army led by Barthélemy Louis Joseph Schérer clash with a Spanish Royal army commanded by José de Urrutia y de las Casas. While Scherer's army was on a foraging expedition, Urrutia believed that his army was under attack. The Spanish general quickly massed his troops and assaulted the French center, forcing it to withdraw. Bàscara is located 24 kilometres (15 mi) north of Girona, Spain. The fighting occurred during the War of the Pyrenees, part of the War of the First Coalition.

Under the command of Catherine-Dominique de Pérignon, the Army of the Eastern Pyrenees won a great victory at Black Mountain and captured two fortresses. However, subsequent operations were not successful and Pérignon was replaced by Schérer. The French government ordered the army to stand on the defensive. Though the French were beaten, Pierre Augereau's right flank division prevented a Spanish pursuit. Not long after the inadvertent action at Bàscara, the Peace of Basel was signed and the war ended.

References

Phipps, Ramsay Weston (2011). The Armies of the First French Republic: Volume III The Armies in the West 1793 to 1797 And, The Armies In The South 1793 to March 1796. USA: Pickle Partners Publishing. ISBN 978-1-908692-26-9.
Prats, Bernard (2007). "Triomphe Espagnol Bascara" (in French). Retrieved 15 July 2014.
Smith, Digby (1998). The Napoleonic Wars Data Book. London: Greenhill. ISBN 1-85367-276-9.