Battle of Rocoux

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Rocoux


caption=The Battle of Roucoux, 1746
partof=the War of the Austrian Succession
date=11 October, 1746
place=Liege, Belgium
result=French victory
combatant1=flagicon|Holy Roman Empire ["1911 Encyclopedia Britannica", entry National Flags: "The Austrian imperial standard has, on a yellow ground, the black double-headed eagle, on the breast and wings of which are imposed shields bearing the arms of the provinces of the empire . The flag is bordered all round, the border being composed of equal-sided triangles with their apices alternately inwards and outwards, those with their apices pointing inwards being alternately yellow and white, the others alternately scarlet and black ." Also, Whitney Smith, "Flags through the ages and across the world", McGraw-Hill, England, 1975 ISBN 0-07-059093-1, pp.114 - 119, "The imperial banner was a golden yellow cloth...bearing a black eagle...The double-headed eagle was finally established by Sigismund as regent...".] Austria
flagicon|United Kingdom|1606 Great Britain
flagicon|Hanover|1692 Hanover
flagicon|Netherlands|pri Dutch Republic
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)."] France
commander1=flagicon|Holy Roman Empire Charles of Lorraine
flagicon|United Kingdom|1606 John Ligonier
flagicon|Netherlands|pri Prince of Waldeck
commander2=flagicon|France|restauration Maurice de Saxe
strength1=97,000 [Skrine, Francis Henry."Fontenoy and Great Britain's Share in the War of the Austrian Succession 1741-48." London, Edinburgh, 1906, p.311: "24,000 British, Hanoverians and Hessians...49,000 Austrians. The left wing, of 24,00 Dutch troops..."]
strength2=80,000
casualties1=4,000-5,000 ["Gentlemen's Magazine" Vol. XVI 1746 page 542, Copy of a Letter sent from Sir John Ligonier to the Earl of Sandwich at Breda, relating to the Action on the 11th Inst. Dated from the Camp of Losser, Oct. 12]
30 cannon [Smollett, Thomas. "The History of England from the Revolution to the Death of George II." London, 1848, Vol. II, p. 509]
casualties2=3,500 [Skrine, Francis Henry."Fontenoy and Great Britain's Share in the War of the Austrian Succession 1741-48." London, Edinburgh, 1906, p.313.] |The Battle of Rocoux (11 October,1746) was a French victory over an allied Austrian, British, Hanoveran and Dutch army outside Liege during War of the Austrian Succession.

Preliminary maneuvers

The French army was commanded by Marshall Saxe and the army of the Pragmatic Allies by Prince Charles of Lorraine of Austria and the British General Sir John Ligonier. Saxe had nearly completed his campaign to take Flanders and was threatening to invade Holland. The allies took up a position next to Liege with the Dutch under Waldeck on the left from Liege to Rocoux, the British and Hanoverians in the center and the Austrians on the right almost to the River Jaar.

The battle

The French main attack went against the Dutch portion on the left of the allied line between Liege and Rocoux, heavily defeating it on the third assault. [ "Gentlemen's Magazine" Vol. XVI, 1746, page 542. Extract of a Letter from a Dutch Officer, Relating to the Action near Liege. "The affair that we had yesterday with the French begun in the evening. The fire which the enemy made upon us from their mask'd batteries, and otherwise, was one of the most terrible ever seen, and it look'd as if hell had opened her mouth to swallow us up. As I was of the rear-guard, and among the hindmost of my troop, in retiring from the field of battle, 'tis a miracle I escaped. As the stragglers come in, we hope to make some abatement in the number said to be lost.",] In the face of a general French advance the allied line began to give way. The Austrians on the allied right were not engaged and made no attempt to take the iniative and advance against the exposed French left flank. Lingonier's cavalry and some British infantry formed a rear guard that held off the French as the army withdrew. The French were victorious, immediately capturing Liege and breaking Austrian control over the Netherlands.

The aftermath

The French were victorious, immediately capturing Liege and breaking Austrian control over the Netherlands.
Map of Battle of Rocoux

Notes

References

* Browning, Reed."The War of the Austrian Succession", St. Martin's Press, New York, (1993): ISBN 0-312-12561-5
* Chandler, David. "The Art of Warfare in the Age of Marlborough." Spellmount Limited, (1990): ISBN 0-946771-42-1
* Skrine, Francis Henry. "Fontenoy and Great Britain's Share in the War of the Austrian Succession 1741-48." London, Edinburgh, 1906.