Battle of Krefeld

Battle of Krefeld
Part of the Seven Years' War

Battle of Krefeld
Date23 June 1758
Location
Krefeld, present-day North Rhine-Westphalia
Result Allied victory
Belligerents
Hanover
Prussia
Hesse-Kassel
[a]		  France[3]
Commanders and leaders
Duke of Brunswick Louis de Bourbon
Strength
31,000–32,000 men[1][4] 47,000 men[4][1]
Casualties and losses
1,700–2,100[4][1] 4,000–5,900[4][1]

The Battle of Krefeld (sometimes referred to by its French name of Créfeld, and as Creveld[2]) was fought at Krefeld near the Rhine on 23 June 1758 between a German army[b] under Duke Ferdinand of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and a French army under Count Louis of Clermont during the Seven Years' War. As a result of this Ferdinand's victory, the British government eventually decided to reinforce him with a significant number of troops from the island.[2]

By the time of the battle, the French army in Germany had deteriorated due to poor provisions, poor administration, and constant retreats; all this also had an impact on the soldiers' morale.[4] Its presence there was marked by major defeats such as Krefeld, Rossbach in 1757, and Minden in 1759.

Background

The Hanoverian Army led by Ferdinand, the Duke of Brunswick and brother-in-law of Prussian King Frederick the Great, had driven the French led by the Comte de Clermont back across the Rhine. Ferdinand's own army had crossed to the left bank of the Rhine and was now in a position to threaten the frontier of France itself. The Battle of Rheinberg fought on 12 June proved indecisive. Clermont, who had recently replaced the Duc de Richelieu in command of the French army, was attempting to stem Ferdinand's advance. He chose a defensive line on the south side of a walled canal running roughly east and west. Thus the walled canal constituted a sort of natural fortification that Clermont thought would be easy to defend.

Battle

The allied Prussian and Hanoverian troops led by the Duke of Brunswick seized the initiative attacking the entrenched defensive French forces.[5][c] After feigning an attack against Clermont's own right flank, Ferdinand executed a wide flanking march, crossing the canal out of sight of the French and emerging from a wooded area on Clermont's left flank. Clermont, who had just sat down for a midday meal, was late in sending reinforcements and, as a result, his left flank was crushed.

The Comte de Gisors, the popular, charismatic, only child of the French minister of war, the Duc de Belle-Isle, was mortally wounded while charging at the head of the French Carabiniers. The Comte de St. Germain, who commanded the French left wing, was nevertheless able to put together a sufficient defense to prevent a complete rout, and the French army retired from the field in relatively good order.

Aftermath

The Erbprinz Charles William Ferdinand, son of the ruling Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, who would die of wounds received at the battle of Jena in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars, particularly distinguished himself commanding the allied flanking troops. Clermont asked to be relieved of his command after this defeat, and his wish was granted. He was succeeded in command by Marshal de Contades.

Explanatory notes

  1. ^ No British troops were present, although there is a claim that includes Great Britain as a participant;[1] the first British contingent joined Brunswick on 21 August.[2]
  2. ^ Westphalen (1859) gives the composition of the army.
  3. ^ No British troops were present; the first British contingent joined Brunswick on 21 August.[2]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e Bodart 1908.
  2. ^ a b c d J.W. Fortescue. A history of the British army vol. 2 (London, 1910), p. 341
  3. ^
    • "...the standard of France was white, sprinkled with golden fleur de lis..." (Ripley & Dana 1879, p. 250).
    • On the reverse of this plate it says: "Le pavillon royal était véritablement le drapeau national au dix-huitième siecle...Vue du chateau d'arrière d'un vaisseau de guerre de haut rang portant le pavillon royal (blanc, avec les armes de France)" (Vinkhuijzen collection 2011).
    • "The oriflamme and the Chape de St Martin were succeeded at the end of the 16th century, when Henry III., the last of the house of Valois, came to the throne, by the white standard powdered with fleurs-de-lis. This in turn gave place to the famous tricolour" (Chisholm 1911, p. 460).
  4. ^ a b c d e Decker 1837.
  5. ^ Chase Maenius. The Art of War[s]: Paintings of Heroes, Horrors and History. 2014. ISBN 978-1-320-30955-4

References

  • Media related to Battle of Krefeld at Wikimedia Commons

51°18′10″N 6°30′39″E / 51.3028°N 6.5109°E / 51.3028; 6.5109

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