Could the Texans have won at the Alamo?

I think everyone knows the story of the stand at the Alamo by the Texans vs. the Mexican army. It seems to me the Texans were crazy for even trying to defend that position against such overwhelming odds (something like 250 vs. 4,000). While the Alamo did have some pretty good defenses like heavy guns and good sharpshooters, the walls were not heavy enough to withstand bombardment and the guns were not situated well or protected either. Plus they didnt have adequate stores of food or ammunition.

Do you think there could have been a way for them to defend the Alamo? For example with more troops or a better designed defenses could they have held out until relief?

Would it have been better if they had not even tried to defend it but instead fled to fight from a better position?

What do you all think?
 
Odds of 16:1 seem to be favorable for attack. The Alamo was a mission and not a fort. John Wayne, Fess Parker, and Buddy Ebson weren't enough to change the odds. There was no relief. The defeat made for a great slogan. American history made it into a victory anyway.
 
I have to saY no, but if Santa Ana and another important commander are killed at the initial stages of the siege, that would give possibilities that the Mexicans retreat or fall into chaos.
 
They couldn't defend that place with the number of soldiers they had. If they could not at least double the defense, they would be better off retreating and taking up a more defensable position.
 
Despite the Alamo being a tactical failure, you must remember that it was an overall strategic victory, why?

Simple, they held up the Mexicans for such a long time that it led to battles later on that the Texans would win because they had time to rally their forces, and many knew this.
 
the Alamo wasn't defensible with the force there. However, a good alternate scenario is WI the men and guns from the Alamo went to the Presidio La Bahia at Goliad. This was a real fort with stone walls, ramparts, etc. Add the roughly 190 men and 18 guns from the Alamo to Fannin's 350 men and 12 guns, and that would be a hard nut to crack... although there was a problem with shortages of ammo. Even with this though, Santa Anna would likely still have won, since he could bring even larger forces to bear, and could cut the fort off from all supply. However, it would cost him either a lot of time (starving out the defenders) or casualties (assaulting the fort)...
 
Guns of Texas

Once they got themselves surrounded by a bigger force it was over. Tunneling out isn't realy an option. Men from the future bring them machine guns. No. That's been done before.
 
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