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.
(Eerste) Slag bij Neerwinden (
- This gave the other French troops in the vicinity of Neerwinden the opportunity to break through the entrenchments of the Allies.
- Luxembourg then returned to his left wing, where the battered troops of the assault on Neerwinden were gathered.
- These were drawn up in conventional formation, with the infantry in front and cavalry to the rear.
- Although Luxembourg has been criticised for failing to exploit his victory, his troops were exhausted, while the poor harvests of previous years meant a lack of forage for the horses and baggage train needed to pursue his opponents.
- 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.
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.
The problem was so acute that capturing the Allied artillery proved a mixed blessing, as the French scarcely had sufficient to move their own. Although Luxembourg has been criticised for failing to exploit his victory, his troops were exhausted, while the poor harvests of previous years meant a lack of forage for the horses and baggage train needed to pursue his opponents. As a result, the Anglo-Dutch armies grew significantly in the following years, allowing William and the Allied army to assume the offensive and gain the initiative. 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. For these reasons it has been suggested by some writers that the battle was actually a strategic victory for William.
Camping La Croix du Vieux Pont ★★★★
A strong force of infantry and dragoons was designated to attack Rumsdorp. Luxembourg concentrated his main assault force of 28,000 men against the Allied right, while his centre and right under Villeroy and Prince de Conti respectively conducted simultaneous attacks to prevent William reinforcing his right. These were drawn up in conventional formation, with the infantry in front and cavalry to the rear.
Fazit: Warum ich Paris liebe?
- While less effective against infantry attack or artillery bombardment, these provided protection from the superior French cavalry.
- 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.
- Again William III rushed in with English battalions to the action, and counterattacked.
- Doing so they abandoned most of their artillery which was entrenched and could not be withdrawn in time.
- 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.
- This attack, however, caused the gunners of English battery on the heights behind Laar to evacuate their position without receiving orders to do so.
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.
Artillery duel and the first French assault
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.
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.
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.
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 slotseater casino no deposit bonus 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.
