Battle of the Bidassoa
1813 CE.
Shown on the map at 43.310°, -1.703°.
The Battle of the Bidasoa (also known the Battle of Larrun) was fought on 7 October 1813. The Allied army of Arthur Wellesley, Marquess of Wellington wrested a foothold on French soil from General Jean-de-Dieu Soult's army. The Allied troops overran the French lines behind the Bidassoa River on the coast and along the Pyrenees crest between the Bidasoa and La Rhune (Larrun). The nearest towns to the fighting are Irun on the lower Bidassoa and Bera on the middle Bidasoa. The battle occurred during the Peninsular War, part of the wider Napoleonic Wars. Wellington aimed his main assault at the lower Bidasoa, while sending additional troops to attack Soult's centre. Believing his coastal sector secure, Soult held the right flank with a relatively weak force while concentrating most of his strength on his left flank in the mountains. However, the British general obtained local intelligence that indicated that water levels on the lower river were much lower than the French suspected. After careful planning, Wellington launched a surprise assault which easily overran the French left flank defences.
Text from the Wikipedia article Battle of the Bidassoa, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.