Battle of Villinghausen

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Battle of Villinghausen
Part of the Seven Years' War
Date July 15-July 16, 1761
Location Vellinghausen, near Hamm, present-day Germany
Result Prussian-Hanoverian-British victory
Belligerents
Flag of the United Kingdom Great Britain

Flag of Province of Hanover Hanover
Flag of Prussia Prussia

 Flag of France[1] France
Commanders
Duke Ferdinand of Brunswick
Duke of Cumberland		 Duc de Broglie
Prince de Soubise
Strength
~100,000 ~80,000
Casualties and losses
1,400 5,000 (Broglie 4,700, Soubise 300)
v • d • e
Seven Years' War:

European theatre
Monument for the Battle of Villinghausen; erected about 1912
Monument for the Battle of Villinghausen; erected about 1912

The Battle of Villinghausen (or Vellinghausen) was fought on 15 and 16 July 1761 between a large French army and a combined Prussian-Hanoverian-British force led by Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick.

Two French armies, under two Marshals, Duc de Broglie and Prince de Soubise met up in July 1761, intending to force Prince Ferdinand out of Lippstadt, an important town. The allied Prussian-Hanoverian-British forces lined up along a series of hills, with their left anchored by the Lippe River (in the north), and the Ahse River in their centre. The French army advanced on July 15, and Broglie's troops in the north made progress against German troops under Wutginau. However, British troops under Granby just south of Wutginau held their ground and the French assault stalled. Reinforcements for both sides arrived that night and Ferdinand strengthened his left at the expense of his right.

The next morning, Broglie continued his attack on the Allied left, expecting Soubise to attack the weakened Allied right. However, Soubise only ordered a few small actions against the right, due in part that both French commanders were the same rank and reluctant to take orders from the other. Allied reinforcements under Wolff soon arrived along the Lippe River and attacked the French flank, halting Broglie's attack and forcing his men to withdraw. By about noon, the French were in full retreat and the battle was over.

[edit] Notable Officers and Regiments

Notable officers on the Prussian-Hanoverian-British side include:

[edit] References

  1. ^ 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...". *[1]The original Banner of France was strewn with fleurs-de-lis. *[2]: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)."

[edit] Sources

Coordinates: 51°39′44″N, 7°59′43″E