Siege of Tarifa (1812)

Puerta de Jerez, a Tarifa city gate from the Middle Ages

Date	19 December 1811 to 5 January 1812
Location	Tarifa, Spain
Result	Anglo-Spanish victory

Belligerents

Commanders and leaders

Jean François Leval

Francisco Copons

John Byrne Skerrett

Strength

8,000, 16 guns

2,300, 26 guns

Casualties and losses

680, 9–14 guns

In the Siege of Tarifa from 19 December 1811 to 5 January 1812, an Imperial French army under Jean François Leval laid siege to an Anglo-Spanish garrison led by Francisco Copons. Despite the advice of British Colonel John Byrne Skerrett to evacuate the town, Copons decided to hold out. Some wanted to evacuate to and defend the small island that was attached by a causeway from the town.

Tarifa is located on Route 340 on the southernmost tip of Spain, or about 65 miles (105 km) southeast of Cadiz. The siege occurred during the Peninsular War, part of the Napoleonic Wars.

General of Division Jean François Leval commanded a corps of 15,000 soldiers, with 8,000 present with 16 siege guns. His French troops included three battalions of the 16th Light Infantry Regiment, two battalions each of the 43rd, 51st, 54th, 63rd, 94th, and 95th Line Infantry Regiments, and one battalion each of the 27th Light and 8th Line Infantry Regiments. Leval's Polish contingent was made up of two battalions each of the 7th and 9th Infantry Regiments and his cavalry comprised four squadrons each of the 16th and 21st Dragoon Regiments.

General Francisco Copons led the defenders, who numbered under 3,000 men and 26 guns. His Spanish brigade included one battalion each of the Irlanda and Cantabria Infantry Regiments, one company of Cazadores (sharpshooters), 120 gunners, and 25 cavalrymen. Colonel John Byrne Skerrett's British brigade consisted of the 2nd Battalion of the 47th Foot, 1st Battalion of the 82nd Foot, 2nd Battalion of the 87th Foot, the flank companies of the 1st Battalion of the 11th Foot, one company of the 95th Rifles, one-half squadron of the 2nd King's German Legion Hussar Regiment, and one foot artillery battery.

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