VimieroAugust 21, 1808

The Allies had virtually no cavalry and artillery, but faced the smaller and much better balanced and organized French force from an excellent, though quite extensive, defensive position. The terrain made advantageous use of the French cavalry and artillery difficult. Wellesley had most of his army massed on his left, and Junot planned to hit him in the center while flanking the weak Allied left. Two direct French attacks on Vimiero were repulsed, while the French flanking effort accomplished little due to delays caused by the terrain, which allowed most of the Allied units to shift to their center and left to meet the French moves. The actual battle lasted less than three hours. As a direct result of the battle, Junot's army, beset on every hand by the enraged Portuguese inhabitants and far from its supply sources, was shortly thereafter forced to surrender it.