Strategic Situation: : In 1657, the efficient
diplomacy of the Cardinal Mazarin brings the England of Cromwell in an offensive
alliance with France against Spain, the price being the harbour of Dunkirk.
The operation of Dunkirk was commanded by the Viscount of Turenne with
the reinforcement of 6000 English under Lord Lockhart and a fleet of
18 ships. The campaign started the 14 of May and the 25 the Anglo-French army
was beginning the siege of Dunkirk defended by the Marques of Legañez
with 800 horse and 2200 foots. The Spanish governor of Flanders (Don Juan
José de Austria) reacted slowly and it is not until the 13 of June
that a Spanish army, supported by French rebels under the prince of Condé,
presented in front of the French positions. It seems that the objective of
Don Juan Jose de Austria was not to gives battle because part of his infantry
and all the guns were not with him.
Well served by his scouts, Turenne decided to leave some troops (3000 –
4000 men) to guards the trench in front of Dunkirk and to march with the
rest of his troops to attack the Spanish army. With this manoeuvre the French
surprised the Spanish commander who had sent in the early hours of the day,
half of the Spanish cavalry to forage nearby the city of Furnes.
The Anglo-French army was commanded by the Viscount
of Turenne and has some 19 battalions, 57 squadrons and 2 batteries of
artillery.
On the right, commanded by the Count of du Créqui,
we have a first line with a battalion (Montgommery-Duras) near the
canal, 14 cavalry squadrons (in 4 brigades) and a battalion (Bretagne)
and a second line with 10 cavalry squadrons (in 3 brigades).
In the centre, Commanded by Turenne, we find a first line
with 7 french battalions (1xGardes Françaises, 2xGardes Suisses,
1xPicardie, 2xTurenne-infanterie and 1xBout de Bois),
on the left 4 English battalions (1xMorgan, 1xLillington, 1xAlsop
and 1xCochrane). Behind this line we have 7 squadrons of Gendarmerie
and Chevaux legers under Monsieur de La Salle followed by a second
line of infantry with 4 french battalions (1xEspagny, 1xde la marine,
1xRambures and 1xPiedmont) with on the left 2 English battalions
(1xGibbons/Salmo and 1xLockhart).
On the left, commanded by the Marques of Castelnau, we have
a first line of 13 cavalry squadrons (in 3 brigades) and a second line of
10 cavalry squadrons,(in 2 brigades).
At last the reserve of 4 squadrons was commanded by the Duc of
Richelieu and the two batteries of 5 guns were situated near the beach
and on the grassland area.
note: in front of Dunkirk we have also 14 companies
of the French guards, 2 regiments of infantry and 10 cavalry squadrons.
The Spanish army was divided in 2 corps, the Spanish Army of Flanders
on the right and the centre and the small corps of French rebels on the left.
On the right, we find under the command of Don Juan de Austria
a vanguard of 1 battalion (Gaspar Bonnifaz) installed in a high dune
of 50 m, behind we found 3 Spanish battalions (1xMeneses, 1xDiego
de Coni and 1xCerraldo).
On the centre [1], commanded by the Marques of Caracena, we have
2 English royalist battalions (1xYork/Bristol and 1xNewbourgh),
3 Walloon battalions (could be from the tercio of 1xConte de Megen
?, 1xLord Richebourg ? and 1x prince of Robecq ?) and a composite
German battalion (1x Serinschen /Doumares).
Behind the infantry we find the Spanish cavalry [2] deployed in four lines:
first line, 8 squadrons, second lines, 12 squadrons, third and fourth line
10 squadrons each. In total we have 10 battalions (< 5000 foots) and 40
squadrons (~ 5 000 horses) for the Spanish.
On the Left we have the French rebels under the prince of Condé
with a first line made of, from right to left the battalion (Guitau-Infanterie),
3 cavalry squadrons and a battalion (Persan-Infanterie) and on the
extreme left near the canal a detachment of musketeers. Behind this line we
find the core of the Condé’s cavalry [2] deployed in four lines, with
respectively 7 squadrons for the first and 4 squadrons each for the other
three. In total 2 battalions ( > 1000 foots)and 22 squadrons (< 3 000
horses).
[1] Following some French sources we have 2 walloon battalions
and 2 Irish battalions
[2] As we said before during the morning part of the Spanish cavalry (2000
– 4000 men) was near Furnes and I do not know if the 8 000 horses were present
during the battles, probably no….
The battle took place to the north of the city in the
dunes between the sea and the canal of Dunkirk – Furnes. To be more precise
we have some 800 metres of intertidal beach 1,200 metres of Dunes and roughly
1000 metres of grassland before the canal..
A: English warships bombard the Spanish army and stopped the deployment of the Spanish cavalry on the intertidal beach. At the same time, Turenne had organised his army and marched slowly in the Dunes against the enemy’s position (the approach march took more than 3 hours). During this lap of time the French artillery will fire 5 salvos to the Spanish position and part of the missing Spanish cavalry will join their position.
B: 4 English battalions, under the command of Lord Lockart attacked the dune where Tercio of Bonniface is positioned. Fierce hand to hand combat take place on the dune and by two times the English are repulsed. Meantime the cavalry of Castelneau move slowly on the intertidal beach to take the Spanish flank.
C: On the centre the French infantry advanced toward the Spanish position preceded by several detachments of musketeers which open an accurate fire on the Walloon battalions. On the right wing the cavalry of Créqui attack, with success, the rebels of Condé.
D: Lord Lockart renews the attack supported by the French artillery, commanded musketeers and some squadrons of French cavalry; This time the assault succeed forcing the Spanish of boniface off of the top of the dune and sending back the covering tercio of Coni. At the same time the core of Castelnau’s cavalry enter in action against the flanck of the Spanish horses.
E: In the centre, the French infantry take the Spanish position after a short fighting. The broken Spaniards are sent back to the cavalry lines
F : On the left Spanish wing, Condé retire his infantry regiments and launch, with several cavalry squadrons, a desperate counter-attack against the cavalry of de Créqui. Condé horsemen repulse the French royalist and charge the advancing French infantry.
G: Heavy fighting involve the elite French infantry (Gardes française et Suisse) and the second line of de Créqui with the cavalry of Condé. Turenne reorganised the French troops to prepare the final attack.
H: Near the beach, the Spanish tried to stop the cavalry of Castelnau with little success. The Spanish infantry try to retire to a safer place and with a common accord the English of Lockart stop their attack on the English royalist in Spanish service
I: The last resistances of the Spanish are broken and the English and French capture thousands of enemies’ troops.
J: The squadrons of Condé face a superior enemy and are forced to break. Knowing the fate of the Spanish army and looking the advancing and victorious French troops, Condé ordered the retreat.
At last in 1659, France and Spain agreed to sign the peace of the Pyrenean who settled the new power of the French monarchy.