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The Battle of Bussaco

The Battle of Bussaco took place on September 27th 1810. It was the major action of Wellingtons tactical withdrawal through Portugal during the summer of that year.

Having concluded his planned retreat west along the Coa and Mondego rivers, Wellington turned to face Massenas invading French army on ground of his own choosing at Bussaco, northeast of Lisbon. Massena was at the head of three corps, totalling 65,500 men and 114 guns. Wellingtons army comprised seven divisions and 60 guns consisting of 26,843 British troops and 25,429 Portuguese troops well positioned on the crest of the Bussaco ridge. Massena launched simple frontal attacks throughout September 27th and made no impression at all before retiring at the end of the day. Having inflicted damage on his enemy at little cost to his own strength, Wellington resumed his retirement towards defences in the Torres Vedras hills.

The model of the Battle of Bussaco was commissioned by Colonel Ribeire de Faria, Director do Museo Militar and executed by Keith Moore in early 2007. The model in encased in glass and is situated in the Portuguese Army Military Museum of Bussaco.

The model is 3m x 2m in size and contains 1151, 25mm figures, producing a scale of approximately 100 to 1.

See More Photos in The Battle of Bussaco Gallery.

The Bussaco Battlefield Today

Travelling into Portugal one follows much the same general route to that Massena traversed with such difficulties in 1810, but which makes most pleasant driving today. The historical cities of Guarda and Viseu are only two of several possible stop overs. One eventually comes to Serra de Bussaco, which has obviously changed greatly since 1810. The actual area of the Battle of Bussaco is now a National Park with lush forest growth.

Precisely where the Bussaco convent stood, a superb Summer Palace of Post Manuelan architecture was built for King Carlos 1st of Portugal between 1889 and 1907. It is now the Bussaco Palace Hotel, one of Portugal's finest.

The ridge is a long mountain with a flat top in places, which extends for some twelve kilometres (7.5 miles) with its highest point being 572m (1977 feet).

In 1810 the long ridge of Bussaco was anything but a stylish resort. It was considered a most remote area, difficult to access, which even the people of Coimbra barely knew. The ridge and its surrounding hills were sparsely populated by rugged mountaineers who made their living from herds of sheep and goats that freely roamed the hills. There were fewer trees on the ridge than there are today. The present day heavily wooded mountains are the result of the modern diversification of the local economy.

With fewer trees and dwellings, visibility in 1810, must have been much better and the Allies would have been able to see the French more clearly than is possible on the same ground today.

As well as the monument to the battle, which stands in the highest plateau and was the position where Wellington posted his cavalry, the Moura (Massena) and Sula (Craufurd) mills have been well preserved and still offer ideal vantage points to view the battlefield from both Allied and French positions. The convent sits amongst the new buildings of the Palace Hotel and is a separate museum and shrine. The military museum is situated at the edge of the park and has a splendid collection of arms and military paraphernalia and a new 3 by 2 meter model depicting the battle in every detail.

See More Photos in Bussaco Battlefield Today Gallery.

 

The Keith Moore Military Figure Collection

Location: Quinta de Alma Freixo

Located on the river Alva midway between the fortress of Almeida and the battlefield of Bussaco. The Quinta de Alma Freixo has a showroom, library and workshop and is complete with display cabinets containing the various figurine collections.

See More Photos in The Keith Moore Military Figure Collection.

90m Collection

Located in the main house this collection contains mainly Le Cimer and Poste Militaire figures, though other British and Italian manufacturers are represented. There are pieces from Gene Abell and other prestigious painters in the collection. The total assembly consists of over 100 figures (18 mounted).

See More Photos in The 90m Collections Gallery.

80/90mm Tradition Collection

Also located in the main house the collection contains almost all of the Napoleonic range (personality duplications have been omitted.) The 127 figures represent the British, French, Prussian and Bavarian participants of the Napoleonic conflict. Included in the collection are ten pieces by Gene Abell and six pieces by the late George Pitwood.

See More Photos in The 80/90mm Tradition Collection.

54mm Figure Collection

This collection consists of almost 1000 pieces (100 mounted) and contains nearly all of the metal figures produced by the leading manufacturers over the past 20 years. Included in the collection are 173 figures by Gene Abell, one of the acknowledged leading military figure painters of recent years. In addition there are 48 Tradition figures painted by the late George Pitwood which were commissioned for the Tradition catalogue in the early nineteen eighties.

See More Photos in The 54mm Figure Collection.

25mm Figures

These figures are prepared for large scale models or war gaming purposes.

See More Photos in The 25mm Figures Gallery.