Battle of Ramillies | Military Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia 3rd Barcelona The Battle of Ramillies / ˈ r æ m ɪ l iː z / , fought on 23 May 1706, was a major engagement of the War of the Spanish Succession . For the Grand Alliance – Austria, England, and the Dutch Republic – the battle had followed an indecisive campaign against the Bourbon armies of King Louis XIV of France in 1705. Although the Allies had captured Barcelona that year, they had been forced to abandon their campaign on the Moselle, had stalled in the Spanish Netherlands , and suffered defeat in northern Italy. Yet despite his opponents' setbacks Louis XIV was desirous of peace – but he wanted it on reasonable terms. For this end, and in order to maintain their momentum, the French and their allies would swing over to the offensive in 1706. The campaign began well for Louis XIV's generals: in Italy Marshal Vendôme had defeated the Austrians at the Battle of Calcinato in April, while in Alsace Marshal Villars had forced the Margrave of Baden back across the Rhine.

Encouraged by these early gains Louis XIV urged Marshal Villeroi to go over to the offensive in the Spanish Netherlands and, with victory, gain a 'fair' peace. Accordingly, the French Marshal set off from Leuven (Louvain) at the head of 60,000 men and marched towards Tirlemont , as if to threaten Zoutleeuw (Léau). Also determined to fight a major engagement, the Duke of Marlborough , commander-in-chief of Anglo-Dutch forces, assembled his army – some 62,000 men – near Maastricht, and marched past Zoutleeuw. With both sides seeking battle, they soon stumbled upon one other on the dry ground between the Mehaigne and Petite Gheete rivers, close to the small village of Ramillies . In less than four hours Marlborough's Dutch , English, and Danish forces [4] overwhelmed Villeroi's and Max Emanuel 's Franco-Spanish-Bavarian army. The Duke's subtle moves and changes in emphasis during the battle – something his opponents failed to realise until it was too late – caught the French in a tactical vice. The battle proved decisive.

With their foe broken and routed, the Allies were able to fully exploit their victory. Town after town subsequently fell, including Brussels, Bruges, Antwerp; by the end of the campaign Villeroi's army had been driven from most of the Spanish Netherlands. With Prince Eugene 's subsequent success at the Battle of Turin in northern Italy, the Allies had imposed the greatest loss of territory and resources that Louis XIV would suffer during the war. The year 1706 had indeed proved to be the Allies' annus mirabilis . Contents Edit After their disastrous defeat at Blenheim in 1704, the next year brought France some respite. The Duke of Marlborough had intended the 1705 campaign – an invasion of France through the Moselle valley – to complete the work of Blenheim and persuade King Louis XIV to make peace, but the plan had been thwarted by both friend and foe alike. [5] The reluctance of his Dutch allies to see their frontiers denuded of troops for another gamble in Germany had denied Marlborough the initiative, [5] but of far greater importance was the Margrave of Baden ’s pronouncement that he could not join the Duke in strength for the coming offensive.

This was in part due to the sudden switching of troops from the Rhine to reinforce Prince Eugene in Italy, and part due to the deterioration of Baden’s health brought on by the re-opening of a severe foot wound he had received at the storming of the Schellenberg the previous year. [6] Moreover, Marlborough had to cope with the death of Emperor Leopold I in May and the accession of Joseph I , which unavoidably complicated matters for the Grand Alliance. [6] The resilience of the French King, and the efforts of his generals, also added to Marlborough’s problems. [7] Marshal Villeroi , exerting considerable pressure on the Dutch commander, Count Overkirk , along the Meuse, took Huy on 10 June before pressing on towards Liège. With Marshal Villars sitting strong on the Moselle, the Allied commander – whose supplies had by now become critical – was forced to call off his campaign on 16 June.

"What a disgrace for Marlborough," exulted Villeroi, "to have made false movements without any result!" [8] With Marlborough’s departure north, the French now transferred troops from the Moselle valley to reinforce Villeroi in Flanders, while Villars marched off to the Rhine. [9] The Anglo-Dutch forces gained minor compensation for the failed Moselle campaign with the success at Elixheim and the crossing of the Lines of Brabant in the Spanish Netherlands (Huy was also retaken on 11 July), but a chance to bring the French to a decisive engagement had eluded Marlborough. [10] The year 1705 proved almost entirely barren for the Duke whose military disappointments were only partly compensated by efforts on the diplomatic front where, at the courts of Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Vienna, Berlin and Hanover, Marlborough sought to bolster support for the Grand Alliance and extract promises of prompt assistance for the following year’s campaign. [11] Prelude Edit On 11 January 1706, Marlborough finally reached London at the end of his diplomatic tour, but he had already been planning his strategy for the coming season.

The first option (although it is debatable to what extent the Duke was committed to such an enterprise) was a plan to transfer his forces from the Spanish Netherlands to northern Italy; once there, he intended linking up with Prince Eugene in order to defeat the French and safeguard Savoy from being overrun. [12] Savoy would then serve as a gateway into France by way of the mountain passes or, alternatively, an invasion with naval support along the Mediterranean coast via Nice and Toulon in connection with redoubled Allied efforts in Spain. [13] However, it seems that the Duke’s favoured scheme was to return to the Moselle valley (where Marshal Marsin had recently taken command of French forces) and once more attempt an advance into the heart of France. [14] But these decisions soon became academic. Shortly after Marlborough landed in the Dutch Republic on 14 April, news arrived of major Allied setbacks in the wider war. Determined to show the Grand Alliance that France was still resolute, Louis XIV prepared to launch a double surprise in Alsace and northern Italy.

[15] On the latter front Marshal Vendôme defeated the Imperial army at Calcinato on 19 April, pushing the Imperialists back in confusion (French forces were now in a position to prepare for the long-anticipated siege of Turin). In Alsace, Marshal Villars took Baden by surprise and captured Haguenau, driving him back across the Rhine in some disorder, thus creating a threat on Landau. [16] With these reverses, the Dutch now refused to contemplate Marlborough’s ambitious march to Italy or, indeed, any plan that denuded their borders of the Duke and their army. [17] Therefore, in the interest of coalition harmony, Marlborough prepared to campaign in the Low Countries. [17] On the move Edit Map of the Low Countries during the War of the Spanish Succession. The village of Ramillies lies near the Mehaigne, a tributary of the Meuse. The Duke left The Hague on 9 May.

"God knows I go with a heavy heart," he wrote six days later to his friend and political ally in England, Lord Godolphin , "for I have no hope of doing anything considerable, unless the French do what I am very confident they will not … " – in other words, court battle. [18] On 17 May the Duke concentrated his Dutch and English troops at Tongeren , near Maastricht. The Hanoverians, Hessians and Danes, despite earlier undertakings, found, or invented, pressing reasons for withholding their support. [16] Marlborough wrote an appeal to the Duke of Württemberg , the commander of the Danish contingent – "I send you this express to request your Highness to bring forward by a double march your cavalry so as to join us at the earliest moment …" [19] Additionally, the King in Prussia, Frederick I , had kept his troops in quarters behind the Rhine while his personal disputes with Vienna and the States-General at The Hague remained unresolved. Nevertheless, the Duke could think of no circumstances why the French would leave their strong positions and attack his army, even if Villeroi was first reinforced by substantial transfers from Marsin’s command.

[20] But in this he had miscalculated. Although Louis XIV wanted peace he wanted it on reasonable terms; for that, he needed victory in the field and to convince the Allies that his resources were by no means exhausted. [21] John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough (1650–1722) by Sir Godfrey Kneller . Following the successes in Italy and along the Rhine, Louis XIV was now hopeful of similar results in Flanders. Far from standing on the defensive therefore – and unbeknown to Marlborough – Louis XIV was persistently goading his marshal into action. "[Villeroi] began to imagine," wrote St Simon , "that the King doubted his courage, and resolved to stake all at once in an effort to vindicate himself." [22] Accordingly, on 18 May, Villeroi set off from Leuven at the head of 70 battalions , 132 squadrons and 62 cannon – comprising an overall force of some 60,000 troops – and crossed the river Dyle to seek battle with the enemy.

Spurred on by his growing confidence in his ability to out-general his opponent, and by Versailles’ determination to avenge Blenheim, Villeroi and his generals anticipated success. [23] Neither opponent expected the clash at the exact moment or place where it occurred. [24] The French moved first to Tirlemont , (as if to threaten Zoutleeuw , abandoned by the French in October 1705), before turning southwards, heading for Jodoigne – this line of march took Villeroi’s army towards the narrow aperture of dry ground between the Mehaigne and Petite Gheete rivers close to the small villages of Ramillies and Taviers; but neither commander quite appreciated how far his opponent had travelled. Villeroi still believed (on 22 May) the Allies were a full day’s march away when in fact they had camped near Corswaren waiting for the Danish squadrons to catch up; for his part, Marlborough deemed Villeroi still at Jodoigne when in reality he was now approaching the plateau of Mont St. André with the intention of pitching camp near Ramillies (see map at right).

[24] However, the Prussian infantry was not there. Marlborough wrote to Lord Raby , the English resident at Berlin: "If it should please God to give us victory over the enemy, the Allies will be little obliged to the King [Frederick] for the success." [25] The following day, at 01:00, Marlborough dispatched Cadogan , his Quartermaster-General, with an advanced guard to reconnoitre the same dry ground that Villeroi’s army was now heading, country that was well known to the Duke from previous campaigns. Two hours later the Duke followed with the main body: 74 battalions, 123 squadrons, 90 pieces of artillery and 20 mortars, totalling 62,000 troops. [26] At about 08:00, after Cadogan had just passed Merdorp, his force made brief contact with a party of French hussars gathering forage on the edge of the plateau of Jandrenouille. After a brief exchange of shots the French retired and Cadogan's dragoons pressed forward.

With a short lift in the mist, Cadogan soon discovered the smartly ordered lines of Villeroi’s advance guard some four miles (6 km) off; a galloper hastened back to warn Marlborough. Two hours later the Duke, accompanied by the Dutch field commander Field Marshal Overkirk , General Daniel Dopff, and the Allied staff, rode up to Cadogan where on the horizon to the westward he could discern the massed ranks of the French army deploying for battle along the four mile (6.4 km) front. [26] Marlborough later told Bishop Burnet that, ‘the French army looked the best of any he had ever seen’. [27] Battle Edit The battlefield of Ramillies is very similar to that of Blenheim, for here too there is an immense area of arable land unimpeded by woods or hedges. [28] Villeroi’s right rested on the villages of Franquenée and Taviers, with the river Mehaigne protecting his flank. A large open plain, just over 1 mile (~2 km) wide, lay between Taviers and Ramillies, but unlike Blenheim, there was no stream to hinder the cavalry.

His centre was secured by Ramillies itself, lying on a slight eminence which gave distant views to the north and east. The French left flank was protected by broken country, and by a stream, the Petite Gheete, which runs deep between steep and slippery slopes. On the French side of the stream the ground rises to Offus, the village which, together with Autre-Eglise farther north, anchored Villeroi’s left flank. To the west of the Petite Gheete rises the plateau of Mont St. André; a second plain, the plateau of Jandrenouille – upon which the Anglo-Dutch army amassed – rises to the east. [28] Initial dispositions Edit Initial attack at the Battle of Ramillies, 23 May 1706. To the south, between Taviers and Ramillies, both commanders positioned the bulk of their cavalry. It was here where Marlborough made the breakthrough. At 11:00, the Duke ordered the army to take standard battle formation. On the far right, towards Foulz, the British battalions and squadrons took up their posts in a double line near the Jeuche stream.

The centre was formed by the mass of Dutch, German, Protestant Swiss and Scottish infantry – perhaps 30,000 men – facing Offus and Ramillies. Also facing Ramillies Marlborough placed a powerful battery of thirty 24-pounders, dragged into position by a team of oxen; further batteries were positioned overlooking the Petite Gheete. On their left, on the broad plain between Taviers and Ramillies – and where Marlborough thought the decisive encounter must take place [29] – Overkirk drew the 69 squadrons of the Dutch and Danish horse, supported by 19 battalions of Dutch infantry and two artillery pieces. [30] Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria, (1662-1726) by Joseph Vivien . Meanwhile Villeroi deployed his forces. In Taviers on his right, he placed two battalions of the Greder Suisse Régiment, with a smaller force forward in Franquenée; the whole position was protected by the boggy ground of the Mehaigne river, thus preventing an Allied flanking movement.

[31] In the open country between Taviers and Ramillies, he placed 82 squadrons under General de Guiscard supported by several interleaved brigades of French, Swiss and Bavarian infantry. Along the Ramillies–Offus–Autre Eglise ridge-line, Villeroi positioned Walloon and Bavarian infantry, supported by the Elector of Bavaria's 50 squadrons of Bavarian and Walloon cavalry placed behind on the plateau of Mont St. André. Ramillies, Offus and Autre-Eglise were all packed with troops and put in a state of defence, with alleys barricaded and walls loop-holed for muskets . [32] Villeroi also positioned powerful batteries near Ramillies. These guns (some of which were of the three barrelled kind first seen at Elixheim the previous year) enjoyed good arcs of fire, able to fully cover the approaches of the plateau of Jandrenouille over which the Allied infantry would have to pass. Marlborough, however, noticed several important weaknesses in the French dispositions.

[33] Tactically, it was imperative for Villeroi to occupy Taviers on his right and Autre-Eglise on his left, but by adopting this posture he had been forced to over-extend his forces. [34] Moreover, this disposition – concave in relation to the Allied army – gave Marlborough the opportunity to form a more compact line, drawn up in a shorter front between the ‘horns’ of the French crescent; when the Allied blow came it would be more concentrated and carry more weight. Additionally, the Duke’s disposition facilitated the transfer of troops across his front far more easily than his foe, a tactical advantage that would grow in importance as the events of the afternoon unfolded. [34] Although Villeroi had the option of enveloping the flanks of the Allied army as they deployed on the plateau of Jandrenouille – threatening to encircle their army – the Duke correctly gauged that the characteristically cautious French commander was intent on a defensive battle along the ridge-line.

[35] Taviers Edit At 13:00 the batteries went into action; a little later two Allied columns set out from the extremities of their line and attacked the flanks of the Franco-Bavarian army. [36] To the south the Dutch Guards , under the command of Colonel Wertmüller, came forward with their two field guns to seize the hamlet of Franquenée. The small Swiss garrison in the village, shaken by the sudden onslaught and unsupported by the battalions to their rear, were soon compelled back towards the village of Taviers. Taviers was of particular importance to the Franco-Bavarian position: it protected the otherwise unsupported flank of General de Guiscard’s cavalry on the open plain, while at the same time, it allowed the French infantry to pose a threat to the flanks of the Dutch and Danish squadrons as they came forward into position. [37] But hardly had the retreating Swiss rejoined their comrades in that village when the Dutch Guards renewed their attack. The fighting amongst the alleys and cottages soon deteriorated into a fierce bayonet and clubbing mêlée, but the superiority in Dutch firepower soon told.

The accomplished French officer, Colonel de la Colonie, standing on the plain nearby remembered – "this village was the opening of the engagement, and the fighting there was almost as murderous as the rest of the battle put together." [38] By about 15:00 the Swiss had been pushed out of the village into the marshes beyond. François de Neufville, Duke of Villeroi, Marshal of France, (1644–1730) by Alexandre-François Caminade . The Battle of Ramillies was Villeroi’s last command. Villeroi’s right flank fell into chaos and was now open and vulnerable. [39] Alerted to the situation de Guiscard ordered an immediate attack with 14 squadrons of French dragoons currently stationed in the rear. Two other battalions of the Greder Suisse Régiment were also sent, but the attack was poorly co-ordinated and consequently went in piecemeal. The Anglo-Dutch commanders now sent dismounted Dutch dragoons into Taviers, which, together with the Guards and their field guns, poured concentrated musketry- and canister-fire into the advancing French troops.

Colonel d’Aubigni, leading his regiment, fell mortally wounded. [40] As the French ranks wavered, the leading squadrons of Württemberg’s Danish horse – now unhampered by enemy fire from either village – were also sent into the attack and fell upon the exposed flank of the Franco-Swiss infantry and dragoons. [41] De la Colonie, with his Grenadiers Rouge regiment, together with the Cologne Guards who were brigaded with them, was now ordered forward from his post south of Ramillies to support the faltering counter-attack on the village. But on his arrival, all was chaos – "Scarcely had my troops got over when the dragoons and Swiss who had preceded us, came tumbling down upon my battalions in full flight … My own fellows turned about and fled along with them." [40] De La Colonie managed to rally some of his grenadiers, together with the remnants of the French dragoons and Greder Suisse battalions, but it was an entirely peripheral operation, offering only fragile support for Villeroi’s right flank.

[42] Offus and Autre-Eglise Edit Field Marshal George Hamilton 1666-1737 Earl of Orkney, by Martin Maingaud . While the attack on Taviers went in the Earl of Orkney launched his first line of English across the Petite Gheete in a determined attack against the barricaded villages of Offus and Autre-Eglise on the Allied right. Villeroi, posting himself near Offus, watched anxiously the redcoats' advance, mindful of the counsel he had received on 6 May from Louis XIV – "Have particular care to that part of the line which will endure the first shock of the English troops." [36] Heeding this advice the French commander began to transfer battalions from his centre to reinforce the left, drawing more foot from the already weakened right to replace them. [41] As the English battalions descended the gentle slope of the Petite Gheete valley, struggling through the boggy stream, they were met by Major General de la Guiche’s disciplined Walloon infantry sent forward from around Offus.

After concentrated volleys, exacting heavy casualties on the redcoats, the Walloons reformed back to the ridgeline in good order. The English took some time to reform their ranks on the dry ground beyond the stream and press on up the slope towards the cottages and barricades on the ridge. [43] The vigour of the English assault, however, was such that they threatened to break through the line of the villages and out onto the open plateau of Mont St André beyond. This was potentially dangerous for the Allied infantry who would then be at the mercy of the Elector’s Bavarian and Walloon squadrons patiently waiting on the plateau for the order to move. [44] Although Henry Lumley ’s British cavalry had managed to cross the marshy ground around the Petite Gheete, it was soon evident to Marlborough that sufficient cavalry support would not be practicable and that the battle could not be won on the Allied right. [45] The Duke, therefore, called off the attack against Offus and Autre-Eglise. To make sure that Orkney obeyed his order to withdraw, Marlborough sent his Quartermaster-General in person with the command.

Despite Orkney’s protestations, Cadogan insisted on compliance and, reluctantly, Orkney gave the word for his troops to fall back to their original positions on the edge of the plateau of Jandrenouille. It is still not clear how far Orkney’s advance was planned only as a feint; according to historian David Chandler it is probably more accurate to surmise that Marlborough launched Orkney in a serious probe with a view to sounding out the possibilities of the sector. [41] Nevertheless, the attack had served its purpose. Villeroi had given his personal attention to that wing and strengthened it with large bodies of horse and foot that ought to have been taking part in the decisive struggle south of Ramillies. [46] Ramillies Edit Meanwhile, the Dutch assault on Ramillies was gaining pace. Marlborough’s younger brother, General of Infantry, Charles Churchill , ordered four brigades of foot to attack the village.

The assault consisted of 12 battalions of Dutch infantry commanded by Major Generals Schultz and Spaar; two brigades of Saxons under Count Schulenburg ; a Scottish brigade in Dutch service led by the 2nd Duke of Argyle ; and a small brigade of Protestant Swiss. [47] The 20 French and Bavarian battalions in Ramillies, supported by Irish dragoons and a small brigade of Cologne and Bavarian Guards under the Marquis de Maffei , put up a determined defence, initially driving back the attackers with severe losses. [48] Seeing that Schultz and Spaar were faltering, Marlborough now ordered Orkney’s second-line British and Danish battalions (who had not been used in the assault on Offus and Autre-Eglise) to move south towards Ramillies. Shielded as they were from observation by a slight fold in the land, their commander, Brigadier-General Van Pallandt, ordered the regimental colours to be left in place on the edge of the plateau to convince their opponents they were still in their initial position.

Therefore, unbeknown to the French who remained oblivious to the Allies’ real strength and intentions on the opposite side of the Petite Gheete, Marlborough was throwing his full weight against Ramillies and the open plain to the south. Villeroi meanwhile, was still moving more reserves of infantry in the opposite direction towards his left flank; crucially, it would be some time before the French commander noticed the subtle change in emphasis of the Allied dispositions. [49] Henry of Nassau, Lord of Overkirk (1640-1708). At around 15:30, Overkirk advanced his massed squadrons on the open plain in support of the infantry attack on Ramillies. Overkirk's squadrons – 48 Dutch, supported on their left by 21 Danish – steadily advanced towards the enemy (taking care not to prematurely tire the horses), before breaking into a trot to gain the impetus for their charge.

[50] The Marquis de Feuquières writing after the battle described the scene – "They advanced in four lines … As they approached they advanced their second and fourth lines into the intervals of their first and third lines; so that when they made their advance upon us, they formed only one front, without any intermediate spaces." [51] The initial clash favoured the Dutch and Danish squadrons. The disparity of numbers – exacerbated by Villeroi stripping their ranks of infantry to reinforce his left flank – enabled Overkirk's cavalry to throw the first line of French horse back in some disorder towards their second-line squadrons. This line also came under severe pressure and, in turn, was forced back to their third-line of cavalry and the few battalions still remaining on the plain. [52] But these French horsemen were amongst the best in Louis XIV’s army – the Maison du Roi , [53] supported by four elite squadrons of Bavarian Cuirassiers. Ably led by de Guiscard, the French cavalry rallied, thrusting back the Allied squadrons in successful local counterattacks.

[54] On Overkirk’s right flank, close to Ramillies, ten of his squadrons suddenly broke ranks and were scattered, riding headlong to the rear to recover their order, leaving the left flank of the Allied assault on Ramillies dangerously exposed. Notwithstanding the lack of infantry support, de Guiscard threw his cavalry forward in an attempt to split the Allied army in two. Ten of Diamonds: The decapitation of Colonel Bringfield. A monument to Bringfield in the north aisle of Westminster Abbey recalls the tale. [55] A crisis threatened the centre, but from his vantage point Marlborough was at once aware of the situation. [45] The Allied commander now summoned the cavalry on the right wing to reinforce his centre, leaving only the English squadrons in support of Orkney. Thanks to a combination of battle-smoke and favourable terrain, his redeployment went unnoticed by Villeroi who made no attempt to transfer any of his own 50 unused squadrons. [45] While he waited for the fresh reinforcements to arrive, Marlborough flung himself into the mêlée, rallying some of the Dutch cavalry who were in confusion. But his personal involvement nearly led to his undoing.

A number of French horsemen, recognising the Duke, came surging towards his party. Marlborough’s horse tumbled and the Duke was thrown – "Milord Marlborough was rid over," wrote Orkney some time later. [56] It was a critical moment of the battle. "Major-General Murray," recalled one eye witness, " … seeing him fall, marched up in all haste with two Swiss battalions to save him and stop the enemy who were hewing all down in their way." [57] Fortunately Marlborough’s newly appointed aide-de-camp, Richard Molesworth , galloped to the rescue, mounted the Duke on his horse and made good their escape, before Murray’s disciplined ranks threw back the pursuing French troopers. [57] After a brief pause, Marlborough’s equerry, Colonel Bringfield (or Bingfield), led up another of the Duke’s spare horses; but while assisting him onto his mount, the unfortunate Bringfield was hit by an errant cannonball that sheared off his head.

One account has it that the cannonball flew between the Captain-General’s legs before hitting the unfortunate colonel, whose torso fell at Marlborough’s feet – a moment subsequently depicted in a lurid set of contemporary playing cards. [57] Nevertheless the danger passed, enabling the Duke to attend to the positioning of the cavalry reinforcements feeding down from his right flank – a change of which Villeroi remained blissfully unaware. [58] Breakthrough Edit Allied squadrons transferred from north to south gave the Allies a 5–3 advantage on the plain where some 25,000 French and Allied cavalry were heavily engaged. [59] The time was about 16:30, and the two armies were in close contact across the whole four-mile (6 km) front, from the skirmishing in the marshes in the south, through the vast cavalry battle on the open plain; to the fierce struggle for Ramillies at the centre, and to the north, where, around the cottages of Offus and Autre-Eglise, Orkney and de la Guiche faced each other across the Petite Gheete ready to renew hostilities.

The arrival of the transferring squadrons now began to tip the balance in favour of the Allies. Tired, and suffering a growing list of casualties, the numerical inferiority of Guiscard’s squadrons battling on the plain at last began to tell. [60] After earlier failing to hold or retake Franquenée and Taviers, Guiscard’s right flank had become dangerously exposed and a fatal gap had opened on the right of their line. Taking advantage of this breach, Württemberg’s Danish cavalry now swept forward, wheeling to penetrate the flank of the Maison du Roi whose attention was almost entirely fixed on holding back the Dutch. Sweeping forwards, virtually without resistance, the 21 Danish squadrons reformed behind the French around the area of the Tomb of Ottomond, facing north across the plateau of Mont St André towards the exposed flank of Villeroi’s army. [61] The final Allied reinforcements for the cavalry contest to the south were at last in position; Marlborough’s superiority on the left could no longer be denied, and his fast-moving plan took hold of the battlefield.

Now, far too late, Villeroi tried to redeploy his 50 unused squadrons, but a desperate attempt to form line facing south, stretching from Offus to Mont St André, floundered amongst the baggage and tents of the French camp carelessly left there after the initial deployment. [62] The Allied commander ordered his cavalry forward against the now heavily outnumbered French and Bavarian horsemen. De Guiscard’s right flank, without proper infantry support, could no longer resist the onslaught and, turning their horses northwards, they broke and fled in complete disorder. [63] Even the squadrons currently being scrambled together by Villeroi behind Ramillies could not withstand the onslaught. "We had not got forty yards on our retreat," remembered Captain Peter Drake, the Irish mercenary serving with the French – "when the words sauve qui peut went through the great part, if not the whole army, and put all to confusion" [64] In Ramillies the Allied infantry, now reinforced by the English troops brought down from the north, at last broke through. The Régiment de Picardie stood their ground but were caught between Colonel Borthwick’s Scots-Dutch regiment and the English reinforcements.

Borthwick was killed, as was Charles O’Brien , the Irish Viscount Clare in French service, fighting at the head of his regiment. [65] The Marquis de Maffei attempted one last stand with his Bavarian and Cologne Guards, but it proved in vain. Noticing a rush of horsemen fast approaching from the south, he later recalled – " … I went towards the nearest of these squadrons to instruct their officer, but instead of being listened to [I] was immediately surrounded and called upon to ask for quarter." [66] Pursuit Edit The roads leading north and west were choked with fugitives. Orkney now sent his English troops back across the Petite Gheete stream to once again storm Offus where de la Guiche’s infantry had begun to drift away in the confusion. [67] To the right of the infantry Lord John Hay’s ‘Scots Greys’ also picked their way across the stream and charged the Régiment du Roi within Autre-Eglise.

"Our dragoons," wrote John Deane, "pushing into the village … made terrible slaughter of the enemy." [67] The Bavarian Horse Grenadiers and the Electoral Guards withdrew and formed a shield about Villeroi and the Elector but were scattered by Lumley’s cavalry. Stuck in the mass of fugitives fleeing the battlefield, the French and Bavarian commanders narrowly escaped capture by General Cornelius Wood who, unaware of their identity, had to content himself with the seizure of two Bavarian Lieutenant-Generals. [68] Far to the south, the remnants of de la Colonie’s brigade headed in the opposite direction towards the French held fortress of Namur." [69] The retreat became a rout. [70] Individual Allied commanders drove their troops forward in pursuit, allowing their beaten enemy no chance to recover. Soon the Allied infantry could no longer keep up, but their cavalry were off the leash, heading through the gathering night for the crossings on the Dyle river. [71] At last, however, Marlborough called a halt to the pursuit shortly after midnight near Meldert, 12 miles (19 km) from the field.

[71] "It was indeed a truly shocking sight to see the miserable remains of this mighty army," wrote Captain Drake, "… reduced to a handful." [72] Aftermath Edit The Duke of Marlborough receives captured standards at Ramillies. Artist: H. Dupray. What was left of Villeroi’s army was now broken in spirit; the imbalance of the casualty figures amply demonstrates the extent of the disaster for Louis XIV’s army: ( see below ). In addition, hundreds of French soldiers were fugitives, many of whom would never remuster to the colours . Villeroi also lost 52 artillery pieces and his entire engineer pontoon train. [73] In the words of Marshal Villars, the French defeat at Ramillies was – "The most shameful, humiliating and disastrous of routs." [74] Town after town now succumbed to the Allies. Leuven fell on 25 May 1706; three days later, the Allies entered Brussels, the capital of the Spanish Netherlands.

Marlborough realised the great opportunity created by the early victory of Ramillies: "We now have the whole summer before us," wrote the Duke from Brussels to Robert Harley , "and with the blessing of God I shall make the best use of it." [75] Malines , Lierre , Ghent, Alost , Damme , Oudenaarde , Bruges, and on 6 June Antwerp, all subsequently fell to Marlborough’s victorious army and, like Brussels, proclaimed the Austrian candidate for the Spanish throne, the Archduke Charles , as their sovereign. [76] Villeroi was helpless to arrest the process of collapse. When Louis XIV learnt of the disaster he recalled Marshal Vendôme from northern Italy to take command in Flanders; but it would be weeks before the command changed hands. Allied gains of the Ramillies campaign 1706. (Note: Dates of capitulation differ slightly depending on source). As news spread of the Allies’ triumph, the Prussians, Hessians and Hanoverian contingents, long delayed by their respective rulers, eagerly joined the pursuit of the broken French and Bavarian forces.

"This," wrote Marlborough wearily, "I take to be owing to our late success." [77] Meanwhile, Overkirk took the port of Ostend on 4 July thus opening a direct route to the English Channel for communication and supply, but the Allies were making scant progress against Dendermonde whose governor, the Marquis de Valée , was stubbornly resisting. Only later when Cadogan and Churchill went to take charge did the town’s defences begin to fail. [78] Vendôme formally took over command in Flanders on 4 August; [79] Villeroi would never again receive a major command – "I cannot foresee a happy day in my life save only that of my death." [2] Louis XIV was more forgiving to his old friend – "At our age, Marshal, we must no longer expect good fortune." [80] In the mean time, Marlborough invested the elaborate fortress of Menin which, after a costly siege, capitulated on 22 August. Dendermonde finally succumbed on 6 September followed by Ath – the last conquest of 1706 – on 2 October.

[81] By the time Marlborough had closed down the Ramillies campaign he had denied the French most of the Spanish Netherlands west of the Meuse and north of the Sambre – it was an unsurpassed operational triumph for the English Duke but once again it was not decisive as these gains did not defeat France. [2] The immediate question for the Allies now was how to deal with the Spanish Netherlands, a subject which the Austrians and the Dutch were diametrically opposed. [82] Emperor Joseph I, acting on behalf of his younger brother King ’Charles III’, absent in Spain, claimed that reconquered Brabant and Flanders should be put under immediate possession of a governor named by himself. The Dutch, however, who had supplied the major share of the troops and money to secure the victory (the Austrians had produced nothing of either) claimed the government of the region till the war was over, and that after the peace they should continue to garrison Barrier Fortresses stronger than those which had fallen so easily to Louis XIV’s forces in 1701. Marlborough mediated between the two parties but favoured the Dutch position. To sway the Duke’s opinion, the Emperor offered Marlborough the governorship of the Spanish Netherlands.

It was a tempting offer, but in the name of Allied unity, it was one he refused. [83] In the end England and the Dutch Republic took control of the newly won territory for the duration of the war; after which it was to be handed over to the direct rule of ‘Charles III’, subject to the reservation of a Dutch Barrier, the extent and nature of which had yet to be settled. [84] Meanwhile, on the Upper Rhine, Villars had been forced onto the defensive as battalion after battalion had been sent north to bolster collapsing French forces in Flanders; there was now no possibility of his undertaking the re-capture of Landau. [85] Further good news for the Allies arrived from northern Italy where, on 7 September, Prince Eugene had routed a French army before the Piedmontese capital, Turin , driving the Franco-Spanish forces from northern Italy. Only from Spain did Louis XIV receive any good news where Das Minas and Galway had been forced to retreat from Madrid towards Valencia, allowing Philip V to re-enter his capital on 4 October.

All in all though, the situation had changed considerably and Louis XIV began to look for ways to end what was fast becoming a ruinous war for France. For Queen Anne also, the Ramillies campaign had one overriding significance – "Now we have God be thanked so hopeful a prospect of peace." [86] Instead of continuing the momentum of victory, however, cracks in Allied unity would enable Louis XIV to reverse some of the major setbacks suffered at Turin and Ramillies. [87] Casualties Edit The total number of French casualties cannot be calculated precisely, so complete was the collapse of the Franco-Bavarian army that day. [73] David G. Chandler ’s Marlborough as Military Commander and A Guide to the Battlefields of Europe are consistent with regards to French casualty figures i.e., 12,000 dead and wounded plus some 7,000 taken prisoner. James Falkner, in Ramillies 1706: Year of Miracles, also notes 12,000 dead and wounded and states ‘up to 10,000’ taken prisoner.

In The Collins Encyclopaedia of Military History, Dupuy puts Villeroi’s dead and wounded at 8,000, with a further 7,000 captured. John Millner’s memoirs – Compendious Journal (1733) – is more specific, recording 12,087 of Villeroi’s army were killed or wounded, with another 9,729 taken prisoner. In Marlborough, however, Correlli Barnett puts the total casualty figure as high as 30,000 – 15,000 dead and wounded with an additional 15,000 taken captive. Trevelyan estimates Villeroi’s casualties at 13,000, but adds, ‘his losses by desertion may have doubled that number’. La Colonie omits a casualty figure in his Chronicles of an old Campaigner; but Saint-Simon in his Memoirs states 4,000 killed, adding 'many others were wounded and many important persons were taken prisoner'. Voltaire, however, in Histoire du siecle du Louis XIV records, 'the French lost there twenty thousand men'.

See also The battle was used as the name of several Royal Navy ships, HMS Ramillies . Notes Battle of Ramillies Battle of Ramillies The Duke of Marlborough’s second victory in the field over the French army of Louis XIV: probably as great a success as Blenheim The Duke of Marlborough and his staff at the Battle of Ramillies 12th May 1706 in the War of the Spanish Succession: piccture by Laguerre: Colonel Brinfield lies in the right foreground. Queen Anne: Battle of Ramillies 12th May 1706 in the War of the Spanish Succession The previous battle of the War of the Spanish Succession is the Battle of Blenheim The next battle of the War of the Spanish Succession is the Battle of Oudenarde To the War of the Spanish Succession index War: Spanish Succession Date of the Battle of Ramillies: 12th May 1706 (Old Style) (23rdMay 1706 New Style). The dates in this page are given in the Old Style. Place of the Battle of Ramillies: Flanders.

Combatants at the Battle of Ramillies: British, Dutch, Austrians, Hanoverians, Prussians and Danes against the French and Bavarians. Scots, Irish, Swiss and Germans fought in the battle on both sides. Generals at the Battle of Ramillies: The Duke of Marlborough against the French Marshal Villeroi. John Churchill Duke of Marlborough: Battle of Ramillies 12th May 1706 in the War of the Spanish Succession Size of the armies at the Battle of Ramillies: The Allied army comprised 62,000 troops (74 battalions, 123 squadrons and 120 guns and mortars) while the French army comprised 60,000 troops (70 battalions, 132 squadrons and 70 pieces of artillery). Uniforms, arms and equipment at the Battle of Ramillies: The British Army of Queen Anne comprised troops of Horse Guards, regiments of horse, dragoons, Foot Guards and foot. In time of war the Department of Ordnance provided companies of artillery, the guns drawn by the horses of civilian contractors.

These types of formation were largely standard throughout Europe. In addition the Austrian Empire possessed numbers of irregular light troops; Hussars from Hungary and Bosniak and Pandour troops from the Balkans. During the 18th Century the use of irregulars spread to other armies until every European force employed hussar regiments and light infantry for scouting duties. Duc de Villeroy: Battle of Ramillies 12th May 1706 in the War of the Spanish Succession: picture by Alexandre-François Caminade Horse and dragoons carried swords and short flintlock muskets. Dragoons had largely completed their transition from mounted infantry to cavalry and were formed into troops rather than companies as had been the practice in the past. However they still used drums rather than trumpets for field signals. Infantry regiments fought in line, armed with flintlock musket and bayonet, orders indicated by the beat of drum. The field unit for infantry was the battalion comprising ten companies, each commanded by a captain, the senior company being of grenadiers. Drill was rudimentary and once battle began formations quickly broke up. The practice of marching in step was in the future.

The paramount military force of the period was the French army of Louis XIV, the Sun King. France was at the apex of her power, taxing to the utmost the disparate groupings of European countries that struggled to keep the Bourbons on the western bank of the Rhine and north of the Pyrenees. Marlborough and his British regiments acted as an uncertain mortar in keeping the edifice of the Imperial cause in Flanders intact. The War of the Spanish Succession was an early outing for the new British Army established after the Restoration in 1685. The regiments that took the field were the forebears of powerful Victorian institutions; Foot Guards, King’s Horse, Royal Dragoons, Royal Scots, Buffs, Royal Welch Fusiliers, Cameronians, Royal Scots Fusiliers and several other prestigious corps. Battle of Ramillies 12th May 1706 in the War of the Spanish Succession: picture by Jan van Huchtenburg: click here to buy this picture Britain fell behind its continental enemies and allies in many respects. There was no formal military education for officers of the Army, competence coming from experience on the field of battle.

Commissions in the horse, dragoons and foot were acquired by purchase, permitting the wealthy to achieve often unmerited promotion. French regiments of 1706: Battle of Ramillies 12th May 1706 in the War of the Spanish Succession: click here to buy this picture Support services were not formally established and depended on the commander. A major contributing feature to the Duke of Marlborough’s success in the field was his concern that his soldiers be properly supplied and by his consummate ability to organise and administer that supply. While every army had formal and explicit rank structures the realities of command and influence were still largely decided by social standing, particularly between armies of different nationality. It was a matter of necessity for John Churchill to have the status of Duke of Marlborough to enable him to exercise decisive influence over the fractious foreign officers he had to work with and over some of his own nationality. In reality his status as duke, while probably of greater significance than his military rank of Captain General, was insufficient to enable him to act as a true commander-in-chief rather than as quasi-chairman of a committee of Dutch, Austrian and British generals.

The uniform of the British Regiments was the long red coat turned back at the lapels and cuffs to show the facings of the regimental colour; dark blue for guards and royal regiments; yellow, green, white or buff for many of the others. The Royal Horse Guards wore blue uniforms; as did the artillery, an organization not yet incorporated into the army proper. Carabiniers at the Battle of Ramillies 12th May 1706 in the War of the Spanish Succession: click here to buy this picture Headgear was the tricorne hat, except for the company of grenadiers in each battalion of foot, the Horse Grenadier Guards, the Royal North British Dragoons (Scots Greys), the three regiments of fusiliers (Royal, Royal North British and Royal Welch) and the drummers of dragoons and foot, all of whom wore the mitre cap. For the infantry a cross belt carried the cartridge case hanging on the right hip. A second cross belt carried the bayonet and hanger sword. Ammunition, carried in the cartridge case, comprised cartridges of paper wrap containing the ball and gunpowder.

French Infantry: Battle of Ramillies 12th May 1706 in the War of the Spanish Succession: picture by Jean Anthoine Watteau For the other European armies national uniforms were in their infancy. The Danish infantry wore grey coats and breeches with green stockings. Some Danish cavalry regiments wore the old buff coats. Hanoverian regiments had taken to wearing red coats. The Prussian army wore dark blue. The Dutch army wore a motley of uniforms although the Guards wore blue and were referred to as the Blue Guards. The native French regiments wore white coats. The foreign regiments in French service, the Scots, Irish and Swiss wore red coats. Winner of the Battle of Ramillies: Decisively the army of the Duke of Marlborough. George Hamilton Earl of Orkney: Battle of Ramillies 12th May 1706 in the War of the Spanish Succession British Regiments at the Battle of Ramillies: King’s Regiment of Horse; later the King’s Dragoon Guards and now the 2nd Queen’s Dragoon Guards.

3rd Regiment of Horse; later the 3rd Dragoon Guards, then the 3rd Carabineers and now the Royal Dragoon Guards. 5th Regiment of Horse; later the 5th Dragoon Guards, then the 5th Inniskilling Dragoon Guards and now the Royal Dragoon Guards. 6th Regiment of Horse; later the 6th Dragoon Guards, then the 3rd Carabineers and now the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. 7th Regiment of Horse; later the 7th Dragoon Guards, then the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards and now the Royal Dragoon Guards. Royal North British Regiment of Dragoons; the Royal Scots Greys and now the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. 5th Dragoons; later the 5th Lancers, then the 16th/5th Royal Lancers and now the Royal Lancers. 1st Regiment of Foot Guards; now the Grenadier Guards. The Royal Regiment; now the Royal Scots. 3rd Foot, the Buffs; now the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment. 8th King’s Foot; now the King’s Regiment.

10th Foot; later the Lincolnshire Regiment and now the Royal Anglian Regiment. 15th Foot; later the East Yorkshire Regiment and now the Prince of Wales’s Regiment of Yorkshire. British 16th Foot charging at the Battle of Ramillies 12th May 1706 in the War of the Spanish Succession: picture by Richard Simkin: click here to buy this picture 16th Foot; later the Bedfordshire Regiment and now the Royal Anglian Regiment. 18th Foot, Royal Irish Regiment; disbanded in 1922. Royal Scots Fusiliers. 24th Foot; later the South Wales Borderers and now the Royal Regiment of Wales. 26th Foot, the Cameronians; later the Scottish Rifles, disbanded in 1968. 28th Foot; later the Gloucestershire Regiment and now the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment. 29th Foot; later the Worcestershire Regiment and now the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment. 37th Foot: later the Royal Hampshire Regiment and now the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment. Royal Artillery.

Battle of Ramillies 12th May 1706 in the War of the Spanish Succession: click here to buy this picture Background to the Battle of Ramillies: Following the great victory of Blenheim on the Danube in 1704 and the collapse of King Louis XIV’s grand plan to overwhelm the Austrian Empire by taking Vienna, the focus of the war for Britain returned to Flanders and Brabant, modern Belgium. In April 1706 the Duke of Marlborough returned to the Low Countries for the campaigning season to find the French army under Marshal Villeroi established behind the defensive line of the Dyle River and showing few signs of moving from this safe position. There seemed little prospect of a decisive field action that year. Marlborough leaked stories to the French high command that he intended to attack the important fortress town of Namur. To his surprise Villeroi’s army began a forward move. While perhaps the Namur story influenced the French marshal, his move was more likely prompted by stinging letters from King Louis requiring some action in Flanders to restore French prestige, severely damaged by the Battle of Blenheim. Marlborough hurried his army forward the meet the French and Bavarians.

Map of the Battle of Ramillies 12th May 1706 in the War of the Spanish Succession: map by John Fawkes Account of the Battle of Ramillies: On 11th May 1706 General Cadogan, Marlborough’s quartermaster general marched in advance of the main army to set up the next day’s camp at the village of Ramillies. As the morning mist dissolved Cadogan, observing the countryside from a point of vantage saw the French army encamped in the open ground before him. Marlborough soon came up with an advanced guard of cavalry and the opposing armies prepared for battle. Villeroi’s army adopted an arc shaped position that ran from the River Mehaigne on its right flank up a slope to the village of Ramillies and from there in a continuing curve behind the marshy Little Gete River to the village of Autre Eglise on its extreme left. The French were busy fortifying the villages of Tavier on the River Mehaigne, Ramillies in the centre of their line, Offuz further to the left and Autre Eglise, garrisoning them with infantry and guns.

The length of the French line was some four miles. First Foot Guards at the Battle of Ramillies 12th May 1706 in the War of the Spanish Succession As at Blenheim the pinning of the French to these fortified strongpoints would hamper the movement of troops along the line and enable Marlborough to choose the decisive point of attack. Villeroi compounded these difficulties by allowing his army’s substantial baggage train to remain too close to the French line further impeding movement. Marlborough began the battle with an attack by British, Dutch and German regiments of foot commanded by Lord Orkney against the French left in the area of Autre Eglise. The marshy ground and the Little Gete made this a tricky operation and Marlborough soon ended the assault, ordering the regiments to return to the hilly ground to the East of the Little Gete, but not before Villeroi had drawn significant infantry forces from his centre to reinforce his left against the attack. It is said that Marlborough intended this assault to be a feint. Once the British Foot regained the hills part of the force defiled off to the left to join the subsequent attack on Ramillies.

These regiments were ordered to leave their colour parties on the right to confuse the French into thinking there remained a threat in that area. On the left flank four Dutch battalions moved forward along the bank of the Mehaigne River to attack the villages of Franquinay and Taviers, while a substantially larger force of foot attacked Ramillies in the French centre, held by the Irish Regiments in the French service, Dorrington’s, Lee’s and Clare’s with seventeen further battalions. Battle of Ramillies 12th May 1706 in the War of the Spanish Succession: picture by Henri Dupray: click here to buy this picture While these infantry attacks got under way the veteran Dutch General Auverquerque moved into the ground between these villages with a strong force of cavalry. Once the two villages on the bank of the Mehaigne were in allied hands and Ramillies masked by the infantry attack, Auverquerque launched his cavalry at the French horse to his front. There then followed a number of massed cavalry mêlées with the advantage swinging from one side to the other. Marlborough brought up mounted regiments from the right wing and plunged with them into the combat.

In the confused fighting the Duke was himself attacked by a party of French dragoons and unhorsed. He was rescued by his aide de camp, Captain Molesworth. During the incident Colonel Brinfield, Marlborough’s secretary was killed by a canon shot as he assisted the Duke to remount. French soldiers after the battle: Battle of Ramillies 12th May 1706 in the War of the Spanish Succession: picture by Jean Anthoine Watteau A decisive thrust was now delivered by the Duke of Württemberg, leading a force of Danish Horse and Dutch Guards along the bank of the Mehaigne and around Villeroi’s right flank. During this attack Württemberg’s cavalry charged and overwhelmed the French Gens D’Armes. The French cavalry, having until this point held their own with great élan began to fall back. In the centre the allied infantry assault on Ramillies after some hours of heavy fighting pushed the French Foot out of the village and supported by British cavalry moved on to assault Offuz.

King’s Horse at the Battle of Ramillies 12th May 1706 in the War of the Spanish Succession French battalions and cavalry regiments attempting to move from the unengaged left to the centre to shore up the breaking line found themselves inextricably entwined with the mass of baggage carts. With the retreat of the cavalry on the right and the expulsion of the French foot from Ramillies and then Offuz, Villeroi’s army retreated all along the line. Pressed hard by the British cavalry the French and Bavarian regiments began to disintegrate and the retreat became a rout. Unlike Blenheim, on this occasion there was a powerful force of fresh cavalry to take up the pursuit and Villeroi’s army was harried over a distance of 20 miles, causing its complete collapse. Pursuit of the French after the Battle of Ramillies 12th May 1706 in the War of the Spanish Succession: picture by Laguerre Casualties at the Battle of Ramillies: Allied casualties were 3,500. French casualties were 13,000.

The whole of the French and Bavarian artillery, 70 guns and mortars, was captured. Follow-up to the Battle of Ramillies: Marlborough’s prompt exploitation of the victory enabled him to take Louvain and the line of the Dyle River from the French. In addition Brussels, Malines, Lerre and Alost surrendered to the allies, followed by Ghent, Bruges, Damme and finally Antwerp and Brussels. Within a fortnight of Ramillies Villeroi had lost almost the whole of Flanders and Brabant to Marlborough and fallen back to the French frontier. Duke of Marlborough leads the British Cavalry into action at the Battle of Ramillies 12th May 1706 in the War of the Spanish Succession: picture by Richard Caton Woodville: click here to buy this picture Regimental anecdotes and traditions from the Battle of Ramillies: Ramillies was the only battle of the war at which the Duke of Marlborough was not in partnership with the Imperial commander Prince Eugene of Savoy. Prince Eugene was at the time commanding the Imperial army in Italy, defeating the French at the Battle of Turin.

It is claimed that in the assault on Ramillies the Irish Brigade in the French service captured the colours of an English regiment, said to have been the Buffs. The colours were given into the safe keeping of the Irish Sisters of an abbey at Ypres. The Royal Scots Greys under Lord John Hay took part in the overthrow of the Gens D’Armes by Auverqueque’s cavalry. Lord Clare of the Irish Brigade was killed in the battle, as were the Prince de Soubise and Marshal Tallard’s son. The Duchess of Marlborough ensured that Colonel Brinfield’s widow received an annual pension of £100 following the death of her husband while assisting the Duke at the battle. The Dutch regiments, including several Scots regiments in the Dutch service distinguished themselves in the battle. Following the battle, the allied troops took to cocking their hats in the “tricorne” form, known as the “Ramillies cock of the hat”. In addition the soldiers took to plaiting their long hair into the “Ramillies tail”. One of the few British officers taken prisoner at Ramillies was Ensign Gardener.

As colonel of a regiment of dragoons Gardner was killed at the Battle of Prestonpans in 1745 during the Jacobite Rebellion. The Duke of Marlborough’s coach at the Battle of Ramillies 12th May 1706 in the War of the Spanish Succession See the British Battles blog on the tapestries commemorating the Duke of Marlborough’s victories during the War of the Spanish Succession at Blenheim Palace. References for the Battle of Ramillies: Marlborough as military commander by David Chandler Fortescue’s History of the British Army Volume 1. Grant’s British Battles. Sullivan’s Irish Brigades in the Service of France. The previous battle of the War of the Spanish Succession is the Battle of Blenheim The next battle of the War of the Spanish Succession is the Battle of Oudenarde Flags of War – Battle of Ramillies Regiment Courcillon and Ga Pa (part 2) The eye candy for this posting is Regiment Courcillon – another French chevaux-leger regiment in the front on the right flank. Figures are by Front Rank and flag by Flags of War.

In part 2 of my write-up of Ga Pa, I hope to give some background on the heart of the game and its most appealing part, the command and control system. I’m drawn to games that put some kind of restrictions on command and control. I play games where you see everything and every unit can do whatever it wants every turn, but I really gravitate towards games where there is much more restriction on what you can do with units. Ga Pa accomplishes this through three mechanisms – limited visibility, limited command actions, and uncontrolled moves. As a bit of background each general has a leadership and initiative rating. You get the generals randomly as part of the game setup sequence. Leadership is on a scale of 1-5, 5 being better (really good actually) and 1 being pathetic. Initiative is on the same scale. I’ll explain how each of these are used as I go along. First, there is visibility. Visibility is determined by weather conditions and battle conditions. On a normal day commanders can pretty much see across the battlefield at the start of the game, but as the action develops, the visibility deteriorates.

The battle goes through stages of light action, medium action, and heavy action based on the number of units that are engaging in fire combat. Once you get to heavy action, visibility is greatly reduced. At the beginning of each turn one determines which generals can command units based on this visibility. The CnC is always considered in command, but his subordinates, in order to be in command, must either be able to see him, but put into command based on an action of the CnC, or take their own initiative to be in command. To take their own initiative they must pass a die roll against their initiative rating. So to begin a turn, you want to have all your commanders visible or expend actions to put the generals in command. Second, there is a limited number of command actions for each commander. Each commander gets 4 of them per turn (we mark these with a d4, and use a red d4 for each commander who begins the turn out of command). The commander can do a number of things with them including move himself, take initiative or put a subordinate in command, or order a unit or a group to do things.

But, in order to succeed at giving orders, he has to pass a d6 roll against his leadership. (You can see now how awful Louis de Bourgogne with a leadership of 2 and initiative of 1 is.) It’s important to keep your troops together in groups (aligned, facing the same way, perhaps in 2 lines) is. It only takes one command action to move a group or a unit, but as the groups start breaking down much more time is spent trying to get them together. Third, as things break down you will find that the 4 actions you have are not enough to give orders to all the units in your command. Units that have received no command might still act. Each one rolls against an uncontrolled unit table to see how they behave. In some cases they will take off on their own towards the enemy. Sometimes this works out well, other times it will cause problems. The behavior is dependent on the type of unit, its circumstances, and a random factor based on a roll against the units quality. It works pretty nicely. Above, the Danish cavalry has already routed the regiment Toulouse and my opponent was unable to control them in his command phase, so they spontaneously charged Courcillon.

This was fine for him. I had managed to control Courcillon and hold them. If they had charged spontaneously, because they are French, they would have been disordered by their charge. These three things (visibility impacted by the intensity of battle, limited control from the commanders, and uncontrolled movement) make for an interesting set of command constraints that makes the commanders spend their time keeping their army organized so it can be effective in battle. Regiment Tarente and Ga Pa Tarente was a horse regiment in the French first line on the right at the Battle of Ramillies. Have to start out with a little eye candy I suppose. I just finished the basing so wanted to get a picture posted. Figures by Front Rank and flags by Flags of War. We are spoiled for choice these days with rules to choose from for gaming the War of Spanish Succession. One could press FoG-R into service if needbe, perhaps with a few changes. It’s a really clean set of rules aimed at the tournament gaming crowd. We play it quite a bit, but have never actually tried using it for WSS. We tried the prepub version of Beneath the Lily Banners.

It was going great until we got into a melee and realized we didn’t have melee rules. I’ve since purchased version 2 of the published rules and we may give them a try at some point. We played Captain General a few times. It has a great period feel and we enjoyed it quite a bit. But we seem to have settled on Ga Pa. Thomas Arnfelts in Sweden wrote Ga Pa for gaming the Great Northern War I believe (Ga Pa is a Swedish expression for attacking I believe). It is now on version 2 and that’s what we’ve been using. There are army lists available that cover the armies of the War of Spanish Succession. We played the other night and I’ll use that game to describe Ga Pa. The thing that is most appealing about Ga Pa is the command friction that the rules provide. I’ll get to that in more detail in a future posting. I only have recently completed enough figures to really give the rules a run through from the ground up and we’ve done it twice now. You start out by choosing the size of game you want to play. Ours are still on the really small end of the spectrum.

We went with 300 points per side and I had almost all of my figures on the table for both sides. You then choose your army. I have two, French and Dutch, but part of the Dutch is a Danish allied contingent. The first decision to make is how many points to set aside for generals. We both chose to use about 75 points. You then dice for the actual generals you will use from the army list. Each general is rated for command, leadership, and a number of points. The Dutch have relatively better generals than the French, mostly average in capability, and you can probably get three for around 75 points. If the three that you dice up exceed 75 points, you still get them, but you then give points to the other side for use in Stratagems. On this night, the Dutch ended up spending about 78 but the French blew past their 75 because they rolled Vendome as one of the generals and he’s an expensive one. So the French ended up owing the Dutch 8 points in the end.

The French generals randomly determined were Louis Joseph de Bourbon, duc de Vendome with a leadership of 4 and an initiative of 5, Francois de Neufville, duc de Villeroy with a leadership of 2 and an initiative of 2, and Louis, duc de Bourgogne, with a leadership of 2 and an initiative of 1. Vendome would make an excellent overall commander. But sadly, Louis de Bourgogne is a prince of the blood, so he gets to be CnC. At this point you divide your army up into numbered commands. I chose to give all my good infantry to Vendome with one cavalry unit to support and a couple of light guns, the bulk of the cavalry to Villeroy with a little infantry, and left Louis with a couple of guns, but as overall CnC. Vendome is 1, Villeroy is 2, and Louis is 3.

My army consisted of: 3 battalions Picardie (veteran infantry) 1 battalion Clare (Irish, veteran infantry) 1 regiment Royal Cravattes (line horse) 2 light guns 2 battalions Sparre (line infantry) 1 battalion Royal Italian (green infantry) 1 regiment Toulouse (line horse) 1 regiment Tarente (green horse) 1 regiment Courcillon (green horse) Louis 2 medium guns Next step is to determine who is the invader. French are (naturally). Then you determine the tactical situation. The Dutch are slightly more aggressive tactically and it’s more likely that they will attack but in this case the French are attacking. Also you make a roll to determine what type of action is being fought. It can be any one of Siege Relief, Rearguard Action, River Crossing, Attack, Set Piece Battle, or Meeting Engagement. Ours ended up being a meeting engagement so everything will be deployed on the table at the start of the battle. The defender chooses the terrain that will be on the table from the list of terrain for the area of the battle within the constraints set out for the area.

In this case there would be 3-5 pieces with a mandatory village. The terrain location and person to place the terrain piece is then diced for. In our case, most of the terrain came down on the defender’s side of the table. It included a village in the center, enclosed fields to the right of it, and behind it (from my perspective), an open field to the left of it and an orchard on the left side of the field on their side of the table. For a meeting engagement the defender fully deploys his lowest numbered command, then the attacker his, then the defender, then the attacker, and so on. All of this setup goes pretty quickly. We didn’t have our armies defined before we started and that’s perhaps the most time consuming piece of it all. So here are a couple of pictures of the lines at the beginning. The cavalry closest to the camera is not visible, but they will play a big role in my next installment so you’ll get to see more of them soon enough. Here is the Dutch line formed and ready to move forward to occupy the village and the field next to it.

The Dutch set up a couple of battalions of infantry on their right end of the line, slightly behind the orchard, two medium batteries deployed to their left, their veteran foot next to them behind the open field, and another battalion of line behind the village ready to move in and occupy it. On this side of the village there was another battalion of foot and two battalions of Danish foot ready to occupy the enclosed field. A regiment of Dutch dragoons (Dopf) are supporting two regiments of Danish cuirassiers just off camera. I set up Vendome on the left, Villeroy on the right, while Louis positioned his two batteries where they would most quickly become ineffective in the middle. You can see most of it here: On turn 1, we’ll be off and running. Regiment Toulouse The regiment Toulouse was brigaded with Royal Etranger at Ramillies. This is a nice looking regiment. I love the combination of gray/white coats with red facings. While that was the standard combination of color for French cav regiments at the time, the front line of cavalry at Ramillies has only one with this combination.

This regiment, like Royal Etranger, was slightly behind the French right. The second line of French cavalry will have many regiments with this combination. I suspect it will look very impressive. The regiment was composed of three squadrons, all depicted below. Once again figures by Front Rank, but the flags are by Flags of War. battle of Ramillies facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about battle of Ramillies The Oxford Companion to British History © The Oxford Companion to British History 2002, originally published by Oxford University Press 2002. Ramillies, battle of, 1706. Marlborough's second major victory in the War of the Spanish Succession, in the Spanish Netherlands (modern Belgium ) north of Namur, is regarded as his masterpiece. A bold advance by a French army of about 70,000 under Villeroi was intercepted by a roughly equal number of allied forces (British–Dutch–Danish) under Marlborough, and routed in a battle dominated by tactical subtleties. French losses were over 13,000, allied losses about 3,500.

As a result France was forced permanently onto the defensive in the war, any French threat to the United Netherlands was ended, and Brussels , Antwerp, and most of the Spanish Netherlands came under allied control. Stephen Badsey Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. MLA

Question: In which war did the Battle of Ramillies take place?
Answer: WAR of the SPANISH SUCCESSION