East of the Landen Brook, dismounted dragoons stormed Neerlanden, penetrated it twice, but were thrown back each time. The foremost line of the French cavalry, comprising the elite Maison du Roi, advanced as if to storm it, but encountered a formidable gunfire, prompting a hasty retreat. While this was going on, French cavalry, after conquering Laar, pushed across the Laar Brook and attacked the Spanish cavalry, which it overran. Count Solms, general of the Allied infantry, was mortally wounded in this phase of the battle. The army of the Dutch Republic always possessed very large amounts of artillery and the Allied artillery regiments were better equipped than those of the French. In this formation his tightly packed French lines in the centre were, however, optimal targets for Allied artillery.
Luxembourg took 7,000 infantry from his centre and left wing for a third attack on the allied right. The cavalry of the Maison du Roi immediately charged the discouraged Hanoverian cavalry, but were checked by several battalions of Dutch infantry whom William had brought up from the Allied centre. He still had 20 battalions of infantry in reserve, including seven battalions of the Maison du Roi, the elite of the French army, and his cavalry of 30,000 men was still almost intact. This important counterattack, carried out with the help of English battalions from the centre sent by William III, restored the original allied lines.
Maximilian commanded the Allied right, with the centre led by William himself, and Henry Casimir II the left. Since the Allied army was outnumbered by 70,000 to 50,000, he assumed William would link up with Würtemberg before risking battle. William increased the Liège garrison to 17,000, while his remaining troops established a line running in a rough semicircle from Eliksem on the right, to Neerwinden on the left. When the attack in Germany proved unexpectedly successful, in early June Luxembourg was ordered to reinforce it with 28,000 of his own troops and prevent the Allies doing the same.
Wie kann man lange Warteschlangen vermeiden?
While less effective against infantry attack or artillery bombardment, these provided protection from the superior French cavalry. During their retreat his troops faced not only the enemy infantry in Rumsdorp and Attenhoven, but also the majority of the 125 French squadrons under Feuquières, which surrounded them from all sides. William led a number of cavalry charges himself, was nearly captured, but succeeded in slowing the French down and gained time for his pursued troops to scramble across the river. At the same time as the assault on Neerwinden and Laar de Feuquières ordered French infantry from Rumsdorp to secure a passage through the Allied centre, which had been largely deserted. His subordinates advised him, in view of the sinking courage of his troops and the great losses his infantry had suffered, to break off the fight. Three assault columns, consisting of 28 battalions, launched a furious attack; Berwick in the middle stormed Neerwinden, while to his left the Lieutenant-General Rubantel and to his right the Lieutenant-General De Montchevreuil, supported his attack.
Artillery duel and the first French assault
Although the retreat on the right was carried out in disarray, both William and Maximilian managed to get to safety. The charges of the Dutch and English cavalry, under the personal leadership of William, were more successful. He then brought up his cavalry to form up on the other side of the Allied entrenchments. This gave the other French troops in the vicinity of Neerwinden the opportunity to break through the entrenchments of the Allies. With the exception of the south-western edge, Neerwinden was recaptured after a long and bloody battle and then Laar too. Rumsdorp was taken by them, but their attack on the entrenched line behind it was repulsed.
(Eerste) Slag bij Neerwinden (
- The fact that William was able to save Liège and Maastricht from an attack, and the success of the Duke of Württemberg’s raid in French Flanders meant that the 1693 campaign could be seen as overall Allied success.
- Count Solms, general of the Allied infantry, was mortally wounded in this phase of the battle.
- The foremost line of the French cavalry, comprising the elite Maison du Roi, advanced as if to storm it, but encountered a formidable gunfire, prompting a hasty retreat.
- With the exception of the south-western edge, Neerwinden was recaptured after a long and bloody battle and then Laar too.
- Luxembourg increased his field force to 116,000 by stripping garrisons from towns throughout Maritime Flanders, including Dunkirk and Ypres.
- Luxembourg’s infantry was so battered that he indeed had to refrain from besieging Liège, while the return of Württemberg’s corps meant that the Allies were able to replace their losses within days.
A mutiny even broke out in the French army in which entire regiments rioted and demanded payment of back pay in threatening fashion. William had a silver medal struck to celebrate his success in 'saving Liege' and escaping with the bulk of his troops. Estimates of Allied losses range from 8,000 to 18,000 killed and wounded, with another 1,500 or 2,000 captured.
In the centre, the open ground between Neerwinden and Neerlanden was solidly entrenched, with the village of Rumsdorp on the centre-left as an advance post. Factors behind this decision included lack of cavalry to cover an orderly retreat, while the small battlefield would prevent Luxembourg making full use of his superior numbers. The Irish Brigade fought on the French side and suffered severe losses; including the Irish Jacobite hero Patrick Sarsfield, who was mortally wounded during an attack on the village of Neerwinden.
- Shortly after the commencement of the attack on Neerwinden and Laar, the French center made an attempt to breach the fortified line of the Allies.
- He ordered an attack with the entire infantry at once, while personally leading the attack on Laar and Neerwinden.
- In the centre, the open ground between Neerwinden and Neerlanden was solidly entrenched, with the village of Rumsdorp on the centre-left as an advance post.
- During their retreat his troops faced not only the enemy infantry in Rumsdorp and Attenhoven, but also the majority of the 125 French squadrons under Feuquières, which surrounded them from all sides.
- There are currently no job vacancies being advertised at this moment in time, but we would still love to hear from you.
- The charges of the Dutch and English cavalry, under the personal leadership of William, were more successful.
The stubbornness with which 44 French and probably 33 German and English battalions, 30,000 to 40,000 men in all, fought here in a confined space and a short distance caused very heavy losses on both sides. Again William III rushed in with English battalions to the action, and counterattacked. He reorganised and reinforced this wing with 7,000 men from his general reserve and ordered a second attack on Laar slotseater casino no deposit bonus and Neerwinden, this time led by the Prince de Conti. Luxembourg then returned to his left wing, where the battered troops of the assault on Neerwinden were gathered. The Dutch artillerymen had switched to canister shot and were killing hundreds of French troops.
Second French assault
Maximilian of Bavaria and his German and Spanish cavalry were swiftly overwhelmed and forced to retreat across the Gete. There were by now 125 squadrons behind the allied lines and the battle had dissolved into a hand-to-hand combat of 30,000 to 40,000 horsemen clashing in a space of less than three square kilometres. Doing so they abandoned most of their artillery which was entrenched and could not be withdrawn in time. Around this moment the Dutch artillerymen ceased their fire and retreated, probably to avoid falling into the hands of the advancing enemy.c The Dutch were in turn forced to retreat by an attack of the French and Swiss Guards. He ordered an attack with the entire infantry at once, while personally leading the attack on Laar and Neerwinden.
Fazit: Warum ich Paris liebe?
The Allies hastily constructed earthworks running between Laar and Neerwinden, containing 80 of their 91 pieces of heavy artillery. Luxembourg increased his field force to 116,000 by stripping garrisons from towns throughout Maritime Flanders, including Dunkirk and Ypres. Most of the fighting took place on the Allied right, which the French assaulted three times before finally breaking through. A French army under Marshal Luxembourg defeated an Allied force led by William III.
Shortly after the commencement of the attack on Neerwinden and Laar, the French center made an attempt to breach the fortified line of the Allies. The French had suffered very heavy losses, Montchevreuil had been killed and Berwick captured. A counterattack by the Elector of Bavaria on the flanks of Rubantel and Montchevreuil forced them both out of the village and then Berwick's corps, after which Laar was also recaptured. This attack, however, caused the gunners of English battery on the heights behind Laar to evacuate their position without receiving orders to do so. But the French were in turn thrown back across the stream with great losses. The most valiant officers of our army had never seen such a cannonade, so long and so close, and more like the fighting at sea than on land.
William quickly replaced his losses and in 1694 achieved numerical superiority in Flanders for the first time in the war. Although forced to abandon their guns, most of the Allied army retreated in good order as the French were too exhausted to initiate a pursuit. Having achieved local superiority in numbers, Luxembourg attacked the main Allied army, which was holding positions around Landen.
You can update your choices at any time in your settings. There are currently no job vacancies being advertised at this moment in time, but we would still love to hear from you. It is during this battle that, seeing the French determination to gain the high ground in spite of the murderous Allied bombardment, William is alleged to have exclaimed "Oh! That insolent nation!". Landen would be Luxembourg's last battle as he died in January 1695, depriving Louis of his best general.