Battle of Denain

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Denain


caption=Marshal Villars leads the French charge at the " Battle of Denain." Oil on canvas, 1839.
partof=the War of the Spanish Succession
date=July 24, 1712
place=Denain, present-day France
result=Decisive French victory
combatant1=flag|Holy Roman Empire Austria
flagicon|Netherlands|pri United Provinces
combatant2=flagicon|France|restauration [George Ripley, Charles Anderson Dana, "The American Cyclopaedia", New York, 1874, p. 250, "...the standard of France was white, sprinkled with golden fleur de lis...". * [http://www.anyflag.com/history/fleur23.htm] The original Banner of France was strewn with fleurs-de-lis. * [http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/dgdisplaylargemeta.cfm?strucID=585779&imageID=1236061&parent_id=585395&word=&s=&notword=&d=&c=&f=&sScope=&sLevel=&sLabel=&lword=&lfield=&num=0&imgs=12&total=98&pos=1&snum=] :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)." [http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Flag] from the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica: "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."] Kingdom of France
commander1=Earl of Albermarle
Eugene of Savoy
commander2=Claude de Villars
strength1=105,000
strength2=120,000
casualties1=18,000 dead or drowned
casualties2=5,000 dead or woundedThe Battle of Denain was fought on July 24, 1712, as part of the War of the Spanish Succession, and resulted in a French victory under Marshal Villars against Austrian and Dutch forces under Prince Eugene of Savoy.

Prelude

Eugene had crossed the Scheldt with 105,000 men intending to force a battle with Villars' 120,000 troops. He quickly marched to the town of Denain and occupied it, receiving high ground and the Denain as his supply base. However, the sudden withdrawal (on secret orders from London) of English troops, recently placed under the Duke of Ormonde, led to the allied army being halted.

The battle

Villars took advantage to launch a bayonet attack on a portion of Eugene's army. First, he gave the Austrians and Dutch a taste of his 12-pounders. Next, he filled the field with snipers, and Eugene's troops were devastated. Villars launched his attack, and the French troops descended upon the enemy. Thousands fell to the bayonet and chaos filled the scene. Eugene was outnumbered and smoke was covering his troops and they were firing among themselves. Austrians on the right flank were cut to pieces and slaughtered. The Dutch had the worst fate. There was a terrible carnage in their lines and the French splintered into them, with heavy casualties. The attack however, was repulsed by the reserves and the battered remains of the main army. The attack was followed by three counterattacks by the Austrians. They were torn apart, and the French advanced, pushing them into the river.

About 18,000 Austrian and Dutch soldiers were either killed in battle or drowned, at the cost of 5,000 French troops.

References