Spanish 2nd Cavalry Division at Talavera - Almanza Dragoon Regiment

2nd Spanish Cavalry Division - Lieutenant General Duque de Albuquerque
Infante Cavalry Regiment
Alcantara Cavalry Regiment
Pavia Dragoon Regiment
Almanza Dragoon Regiment
1st & 2nd Hussars of Estremadura

The 3rd Almanza Dragoons completes the final cavalry regiment in Lieutenant General Albuquerque's 2nd Spanish Cavalry Division that were positioned to cover the extreme left of the allied line at Talavera in the afternoon in the northern valley.

As mentioned in the previous post on the Pavia Dragoon Regiment, the Spanish dragoons had gone through a period of change between 1803 to 1805 when they were all converted into light cavalry dressed in the green uniform seen in the illustration below and then converted back into dragoon regiments in 1805 causing many units still being portrayed in their former dress several years after the reform and into the war with Imperial France following invasion in 1808.

Arguably the cream of Spanish forces were sent off to support French forces in Prussia in 1807 under General La Romana and the Almanza Regiment formed part of the light cavalry component of this elite corps.

The troops were later repatriated under the noses of French troops back to Spain in 1808 by the British Royal Navy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evacuation_of_the_La_Romana_Division

Spanish Army under Romana upon its return from Denmark - 9th October l808
Commanding General: Lt. General Marques de la Romana
Chief of Artillery: Brigadier Josef Montes Salazar
Chief of Engineers: Colonel Miguel Rengel`

Zamora Infantry Regiment (3)(39/l,757)
Princesa Infnatry Regiment (3)(56/l,953)
lst de Cataluña Light Infantry Regiment (l)(42/l,066)
lst de Barcelona Light Infantry Regiment (l)(37/l,205)
Det/Guadalajara Infantry Regiment (2/l20)
Det/Austrias Infantry Regiment (2/20)
Misc. ill personnel (0/200)

Rey Cavalry Regimetn (4)(37/55l)
Infante Cavalry Regiment (4)(34/56l)
Almansa Dragoon Regiment (4)(38/560)
Villaviciosa Dragoon Regiment (4)(32/580)
Det/Algarve Cavalry Regiment (l/l2)

Artillery (l4/349)
l3 4pdrs
6 8pdrs
6 7" howitzers
Sapper Company (5/59)
Seccion de Historia Militar, Ejercito Español, Estados de la
Organizacion y Fuerza de los Ejercitos Españoles Beligerantes en
la Peninsula, durante la Guerra de España contra Bonaparte, Viuda
é Hijos de D. Antonio Brum, Barcelona, 1822

3rd Almanza Cazadores (right) as they would have appeared in Hamburg in 1807

In June 1808 following the Spanish insurrection, Oman lists in detail the forces on hand with a list of the available cavalry regiments and their strengths with the Almanza theoretically able to field 479 men at that time.

Cavalry (---H) - number of horses
lst Rey Heavy Cavalry Regiment (5)(38/634)(467H)
2nd Reina Heavy Cavalry Regiment (5)(4l/668)(202H)
3rd Principe Heavy Cavalry Regiment (5)(42/573)(434H)
4th Infante Heavy Cavalry Regiment (5)(42/6l5)(494H)
5th Borbon Heavy Cavalry Regiment (5)(42/6l6)(450H)
6th Farnesio Heavy Cavalry Regiment (5)(39/5l7)(359H)
7th Alcantara Heavy Cavalry Regiment (5)(42/589)(490H)
8th Espana Heavy Cavalry Regiment (5)(39/553)(358H)
9th Algarve Heavy Cavalry Regiment (5)(42/572)(455H)
l0th Calatrava Heavy Cavalry Regiment (5)(44/679)(369H)
llth Santiago Heavy Cavalry Regiment (5)(44/549)(370H)
l2th Montesa Heavy Cavalry Regiment (5)(40/667)(259H)
lst Rey Cazadore Regiment (5)(40/577)(l85H)
2nd Reina Cazadore Regiment (5)(42/58l)(42lH)
3rd Almanza Cazadore Regiment (5)(38/598)(479H)
4th Pavia Cazadore Regiment (5)(42/663)(507H)
5th Villaviciosa Cazadore Regiment (5)(35/628)(448H)
6th Sagunto Cazadore Regiment (5)(39/499)(l89H)
lst Numancia Hussar Regiment (5)(4l/630)(327H)
2nd Lusitania Hussar Regiment (5)(42/554)(409H)
3rd Olivenza Hussar Regiment (5)(37/558)(468H)
4th Voluntarios de Espana Hussar Regiment (5)(34/548)(460H)
5th Maria Luisa Hussar Regiment (5)(40/680)(394H)
6th Espanoles Hussar Regiment (5)(38/692)532H)

On their return from Denmark the Almanza headed south towards Badajoz to re-equip and join the forming Army of Estremadura under General Cuesta.

They arrived in time to be included in the force that met and were defeated by Victor's I Corps at Medellin in March.

Spanish Army at Medellin - 28 March l809
Commanding General: Cuesta (24,000 men total)

Forces from Army of Estremadura:
4/Spanish Guard Infantry Regiment
4/Walloon Guard Infantry Regiment
2nd Majorca Infantry Regiment
2nd Catalonia Light Infantry Regiment
Provincial of Badajos
Provincial Grenadiers
Badajoz Infantry Regiment (2)
Zafra Infantry Regiment*
Truxillo Infantry Regiment*
Merida Infantry Regiment
Plasencia Infantry Regiment*
La Serena Infantry Regiment
Leales de Ferdinando VII (2)*
Total l5 Battaliaons

Troops of old Army of Reserve of Madrid
2/Walloon Guard Infantry Regiment
Jaen Infantry Regiment (2)
Irlanda Infantry Regiment (2)
Parovincial of Toledo
Provincial of Burgos
2nd Volunteers of Madrid
3rd Seville Infantry Regiment

Troops from the Army of the Center
Campo Mayor Infantry Regiment
Provincial of Guadix
Provincial of Cordova
Osuna Infantry Regiment (2)
Granaderos del General
Tiradores de Cadiz

Cavalry (3,000 to 3,200)
Old Army of Estremadura
4th Hussar (Volunteers of Spain) Regiment
lst Hussars of Estremadura (formerly Maria Luisa)

From La Romana's Danish Division:
Rey Cavalry Regiment
Infante Cavalry Regiment
Almanza Cavalry Regiment

New Levies:
Cazadores de Llerena
Imperial de Toledo

Other:
Reyna Cavalry Regiment
Artillery & Sappers:
30 guns - (650)
2 Sapper Coys - 200 men
* Not at battle.

Source - Oman, A History of the Peninsular War

My Almanza Dragoon Regiment are composed of figures from AB supplied by Fighting 15s and are the fifth and final regiment completed as part of 2nd Cavalry Division.

References consulted:
Talavera - Wellington's First Victory in Spain, Andrew W. Field
Napoleonic Armies - Ray Johnson
The Armies of Spain and Portugal - Nafziger
History of the Peninsular War - Sir Charles Oman
The Spanish Army of the Napoleonic Wars(1) Chartand & Younghusband (Osprey Men at Arms)
http://www.eborense.es/batalla_talavera1809_indice.html

Next up a full parade of General Albuquerque and his 2nd Spanish Cavalry Division