Battle of Villinghausen

Infobox Military Conflict


caption=
conflict=Battle of Villinghausen
partof=the Seven Years' War
date=July 15-July 16, 1761
place= Vellinghausen, near Hamm, present-day Germany
result=Prussian-Hanoverian-British victory
combatant1=flagicon|United Kingdom|1606 Great Britain
flagicon|Hanover|1692 Hanover
flagicon|Prussia|1750 Prussia
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=Duke Ferdinand of Brunswick
Duke of Cumberland
commander2=Duc de Broglie
Prince de Soubise
strength1=~100,000
strength2=~80,000
casualties1=1,400
casualties2=5,000 (Broglie 4,700, Soubise 300)

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.

Notable Officers and Regiments

Notable officers on the Prussian-Hanoverian-British side include:
* Colonel John Manners, Marquess of Granby, 21st Regiment of (Light) Dragoons (Royal Forresters)
* Lieutenant-Colonel (brevet) Charles Cornwallis, 2nd Earl Cornwallis (later 1st Marquess Cornwallis), 12th Regiment of Foot
* Major General George Townshend, 4th Viscount Townshend (later 1st Marquess Townshend), possibly the 24th Regiment of Foot

References

ources

* [http://www.rickard.karoo.net/articles/battles_vellinghausen.html Military History Encyclopedia]
* [http://britishbattles.com/seven-years/vellinghausen.htm BritishBattles.com]