Battle of Stekene

Last updated
Battle of Stekene
Part of the War of the Spanish Succession
Spaanse linie.jpg
Date27 June 1703
Location
Stekene, Spanish Netherlands, present-day Belgium
Result Dutch victory
Belligerents
Statenvlag.svg  Dutch Republic Royal Standard of the King of France.svg  France
Bandera de Espana 1701-1748.svg Bourbon Spain
Commanders and leaders
Statenvlag.svg Karel Willem Sparre Royal Standard of the King of France.svg Charles la Mothe
Strength
7,000 [1] French soldiers:
2,500 [1]
Local farmers:
1,500–6,000
Casualties and losses
900–1,300 killed or wounded [2] [1] 700 killed or wounded [1]
330 captured [a]

The Battle of Stekene took place on 27 June 1703, during the War of the Spanish Succession, when a Dutch force of 7,000 men, under Karel Willem Sparre, attacked the Franco-Spanish defensive that ran from Ostend to Antwerp. The lines at Stekene were defended by 2,500 French soldiers under La Mothe and 1,500 to 6,000 local Flemish farmers. After a 3-hour long battle, the French abandoned their posts, which allowed the Dutch to capture the defensive works. The Dutch then attacked and captured the village of Stekene itself where the local farmers fiercely resisted.

Contents

Prelude

The War of the Spanish Succession had commenced in the Netherlands in 1702 with the siege and capture of Kaiserswerth, and with the unsuccessful assault of the French army on Nijmegen. Marlborough, later seeing himself at the head of 60,000 men, took advantage of this strong force by going on the offensive and penetrating into the Spanish Netherlands. The fortresses along the Meuse of Venlo, Stevensweert, Roermond and Liège succumbed to the Allies during this campaign. [3]

The French commanders observed the sieges of those cities idly. They had no other intention than to protect the regions of Brabant by means of an extensive entrenched line, which, passed over to the right bank of the Scheldt at Antwerp, and extended over Herentals, Aarschot, Diest and the Mehaigne near Huy to the Meuse. [3]

In 1703 the campaign began with the siege of Bonn, which gave way to Menno van Coehoorn's attacks in the first half of May. After the surrender of that fortress, Marlborough and the army under Coehoorn that had conducted the siege joined the army with which Ouwerkerk had repulsed Villeroy at Maastricht, for the purpose of preventing him from advancing to the aid of Bonn. The greater part of May and June continued with inconclusive movements on both side, after which Marlborough decided to attack and break through the entrenched lines behind which the French army had withdrawn. [4]

Marlborough proposed sieges of Ostend and Huy to draw French forces away from the vital centre of Antwerp, but his plan was vetoed by the Dutch. [5] Instead Marlborough now planned to break through the lines near Diest with the main army of 55,000 men under himself and Ouwerkerk, while on the left bank of the Scheldt a division under generals Coehoorn and Karel Willem Sparre would attack the lines, opposite Dutch Flanders. Another division under general Count Wassenaer Obdam, had to enclose Antwerp via the other side of the Scheldt, and to that end advance to the village of Ekeren. [6]

Attack on the lines

On the 27th of June, Coehoorn and Sparre undertook a maneuver towards the French lines. Coehoorn directed an assault near Kallo, and his forces, without much difficulty or the loss of many troops, managed to secure a redoubt and break through the lines. [7]

While these events unfolded near the Scheldt, Sparre executed a maneuver between Sluis and Sas van Gent. This maneuver aimed to mislead the French Count of La Motte, who was closely observing Sparre's actions. To achieve this, Sparre set out towards Bruges on the morning of the twenty-sixth, creating the appearance of an intention to inspect the lines there. However, in the evening, he abruptly altered his course, redirecting his forces towards the Land of Waas. This tactical shift led them to the vicinity of the enemy's entrenched positions at a village named Stekene. In this area, seven battalions of foot soldiers and a few thousand peasants were stationed to guard the lines. Sparre, despite the presence of this opposition thought this was the best place for an attack. [8]

In the morning, around four o'clock, Dutch artillery opened fire. This was mainly aimed at destroying the palisades. Much damage to the earthworks themselves or the morale of the defenders was probably not caused. Sparre arranged his troops in proper formation and rallied them with a speech. Between six and seven in the morning, the attack against the French lines commenced. These particular lines were guarded by a small flowing river rather than a moat. In front went the grenadiers and pioneers, who filled the river with fascines and did the initial work with hand grenades. They were followed by the rest of the infantry in three columns. Sparre himself led the centre, Lauder the right and Vassy the left. [9] Despite the exposure to enemy fire, the Dutch forces filled the river, creating a passage. They engaged in direct combat with the defenders, persisting through their resistance. After a protracted and intense confrontation, the defenders eventually retreated, leaving the defensive line open for the Allies. [10]

This undertaking, among the more costly of the conflict, incurred a toll of around 1,100 casualties for the Dutch, encompassing both fatalities and injuries. A significant portion of these losses transpired as the intensity of the battle already waned. This was because the farmers had opened a heavy fire on Sparre's army from the houses in the village of Stekene. These peasants held their ground tenaciously, prompting General Sparre to deviate from the customary rules of war. He ordered his troops to show no quarter, insisting that those who resisted be met with the blade, aiming to dissuade further enemy resistance. [11]

Aftermath

Why, after achieving this victory, Coehoorn and Sparre did not turn to the west side of Antwerp, to enclose that city and also to come into direct contact with the force under Obdam, which had approached Antwerp on the right bank of the Scheldt, remains a question. Instead, the divisions of Coehoorn and Sparre, after having scored a victory, remained idle in the Land of Waas. [12]

The other armies met little success. The main army under Marlborough and Ouwerkerk started its manoeuvre too early. By the end of June, the army had already stripped the area around Maastricht and Liège bare and would therefore have to move elsewhere. Obdam's army, positioned on the other side of Antwerp near Ekeren, only nearly escaped desctruction after being attacked by a French detachment under Louis-François de Boufflers. [13]

Although Huy, Limbourg and Geldern fell into Allied hands in the months following Stekene and Ekeren, Marlborough failed to bring Villeroy's main army to battle. [14] He feared that the lack of decisive success in the Low Countries would deter the Dutch from sending troops to Germany, where the Holy Roman Emperor was in an increasingly dire military situation. [15]

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 280 of the 330 captured were farmers

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John William Friso</span> Prince of Orange, dutch prince (1687–1711)

John William Friso became the (titular) Prince of Orange in 1702. He was the Stadtholder of Friesland and Groningen in the Dutch Republic. He also served in the Dutch States Army during the War of the Spanish Succession until his death by accidental drowning in the Hollands Diep in 1711.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Fleurus (1690)</span> Battle in the Nine Years War between France and the Grand Alliance

The Battle of Fleurus, fought on 1 July 1690 near Fleurus, then part of the Spanish Netherlands, now in modern Belgium, was a major engagement of the Nine Years' War. A French army led by Marshall Luxembourg defeated an Allied force under Waldeck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Denain</span> 1712 battle

The Battle of Denain was fought on 24 July 1712 as part of the War of the Spanish Succession. It resulted in a French victory, under Marshal Villars, against Dutch and Austrian forces, under Prince Eugene of Savoy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Seneffe</span> 1674 battle during the Franco-Dutch War

The Battle of Seneffe took place on 11 August 1674 during the Franco-Dutch War, near Seneffe in Belgium, then part of the Spanish Netherlands. A French army commanded by Condé and a combined Dutch, Imperial, and Spanish force under William of Orange. One of the bloodiest battles of the war, over 20% of those engaged on both sides became casualties, and the result is disputed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Landen</span> 1693 battle of the Nine Years War

The Battle of Landen, also known as Battle of Neerwinden took place on 29 July 1693, during the Nine Years' War near Landen, then in the Spanish Netherlands, now part of Belgium. A French army under Marshal Luxembourg defeated an Allied force led by William III.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Oudenarde</span> Battle in the War of the Spanish Succession

The Battle of Oudenarde, also known as the Battle of Oudenaarde, was a major engagement of the War of the Spanish Succession, pitting an Anglo-Dutch force consisting of eighty thousand men under the command of the Duke of Marlborough, Lord Overkirk and Prince Eugene of Savoy against a French force of eighty-five thousand men under the command of the Duc de Bourgogne and the Duc de Vendôme, the battle resulting in a great victory for the Grand Alliance. The battle was fought near the city of Oudenaarde, at the time part of the Spanish Netherlands, on 11 July 1708. With this victory, the Grand Alliance ensured the fall of various French territories, giving them a significant strategic and tactical advantage during this stage of the war. The battle was fought in the later years of the war, a conflict that had come about as a result of English, Dutch and Habsburg apprehension at the possibility of a Bourbon succeeding the deceased King of Spain, Charles II, and combining their two nations and empires into one.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Menno van Coehoorn</span> Dutch States Army officer and engineer (1641–1704)

Menno, Baron van Coehoorn was a Dutch States Army officer and engineer, regarded as one of the most significant figures in Dutch military history. In an era when siege warfare dominated military campaigns, he and his French counterpart Vauban were the acknowledged experts in designing, taking and defending fortifications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Elixheim</span> 1705 conflict in the War of the Spanish Succession

At the Battle of Elixheim, 18 July 1705, also known as the Passage of the Lines of Brabant during the War of the Spanish Succession, the Anglo-Dutch forces of the Grand Alliance, under the Duke of Marlborough, successfully broke through the French Lines of Brabant. These lines were an arc of defensive fieldworks stretching in a seventy-mile arc from Antwerp to Namur. Although the Allies were unable to bring about a decisive battle, the breaking and subsequent razing of the lines would prove critical to the Allied victory at Ramillies the next year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Ekeren</span> Part of the War of the Spanish Succession (1703)

The Battle of Ekeren, which took place on 30 June 1703, was a battle of the War of the Spanish Succession. A Bourbon army of around 24,000 men, consisting of troops from France, Spain and Cologne, surrounded a smaller Dutch force of 12,000 men, which however managed to break out and retire to safety.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacob van Wassenaer Obdam (younger)</span> Dutch States Army officer

Jacob van Wassenaer Obdam was a Dutch States Army officer from the prominent Van Wassenaer family who served in the Franco-Dutch War, Nine Years' War and War of the Spanish Succession. His extensive career made him eligible for the supreme command of the Dutch States Army in 1703, but his military career came to an abrupt end after he fled his army during the Battle of Ekeren and the position was given to Hendrik van Nassau-Ouwerkerk instead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frederik Johan van Baer</span> Dutch States Army officer

Frederik Johan van Baer, Lord of Slangenburg was a Dutch States Army officer. He served under William of Orange in the Franco-Dutch War and Nine Years' War. He was to become a controversial figure for his role in the War of the Spanish Succession. While a talented general, he possessed a very difficult character. Slangenburg was often at odds with his fellow generals, especially the Allied commander-in-chief, the Duke of Marlborough. The hero status he acquired as a result of his conduct in the Battle of Ekeren couldn't prevent his eventual dismissal during the 1705 campaign. Leading writer Thomas Lediard to remark that Slangenburg: lost by his tongue what he had gained by his sword.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">François Nicolas Fagel</span> Dutch States Army officer and nobleman

François Nicolas Baron Fagel was a Dutch States Army officer and nobleman. He was a nephew of Gaspar Fagel and took part in many battles during his career. As an infantry officer, he played an important role several battles, including the Battle of Landen, the Battle of Ekeren and the Battle of Malplaquet. From 1704 to 1705, he commanded, Allied forces in Portugal in concert with the Earl of Galway. He also was a siege expert and led the sieges of Béthune, Bouchain and Le Quesnoy in 1710, 1711 and 1712 respectively. He was the son of Nicolaas Fagel, mayor of Nijmegen, and Elisabeth Robbé.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Huy (1694)</span>

The 1694 siege of Huy or second siege of Huy took place during the Nine Years' War, between 22 September and 27 September 1694. The campaign of 1694 started rather late in the year. The French limited themselves to defending what they already had and William III first wanted to await the outcome of the expedition to Brest. The Anglo-Dutch amphibious assault was a failure; 2000 of the 7000 allies died in the assault. At the same time William III was gathering the Anglo-Dutch army at Leuven. At the end of July he reviewed the troops there and they were in excellent condition. The Anglo-Dutch army was reinforced by 6,000 Bavarian troops in the pay of Spain and numbered 84,000 men in total. The allies possessed the numerical advantage so the French remained on the defensive. When this became clear to William III he sent the Duke of Holstein Plön and Menno van Coehoorn with an army to take the city of Huy. Five days later on 27 September, the French garrison surrendered. The 780 remaining defenders of the original 1200 were allowed to march out with the honours of war. William III felt that enough had been achieved this year: He had captured Diksmuide earlier that year and due to the capture of Huy the allies did not have to keep as many troops on garrison duty in Liége, and the Meuse was again in allied hands up to Namur. It also allowed him to plan for the siege of Namur the next year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claude Frédéric t'Serclaes, Count of Tilly</span> Dutch States Army officer and nobleman

Claude Frederic t'Serclaes, Count of Tilly was a Dutch States Army officer and nobleman. He took part in the Franco-Dutch War, Nine Years' War and the War of the Spanish Succession and proved a brave and capable cavalry general. In 1708 he became the de facto supreme commander of the Dutch army, and led the Allied forces together with the Duke of Marlborough and Eugene of Savoy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Assault on Nijmegen (1702)</span> 1702 battle of the War of the Spanish Succession

The assault on Nijmegen occurred during the War of the Spanish Succession, on 10 and 11 June 1702 involving French troops under the Duc de Boufflers against the small garrison and some citizens of the city of Nijmegen and an Anglo-Dutch army under the Earl of Athlone.

Frederik Sirtema van Grovestins was a Dutch States Army officer. He advanced through the various ranks in the army, from captain and cavalry captain (Ritmeester) to lieutenant-general of cavalry. Furthermore, he became general-quarter-master of the army and colonel of a regiment on foot at the repartition of Zeeland. In 1712 he became governor of Bouchain, in 1718 of Bergen-op-Zoom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frederick Christiaan van Reede, 2nd Earl of Athlone</span> Dutch States Army officer, diplomat and nobleman

Frederick Christiaan van Reede, 2nd Earl of Athlone was a Dutch States Army officer, diplomat and nobleman who fought during the Nine Years' War and the War of the Spanish Succession.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniël van Dopff</span>

Daniël Wolf baron van Dopf was a Dutch States Army officer and nobleman. He was, among other things, general of the cavalry of the Dutch army during the War of the Spanish Succession, Quartermaster general of that army, and later commander and governor of the fortress of Maastricht.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bombardment of Givet</span> 1696 bombardment during the Nine Years War

The Bombardment of Givet took place during the Nine Years' War on 16 March 1696. A Dutch army under Menno van Coehoorn and the Earl of Athlone closed in on the French town of Givet with the aim of destroying the supplies held there. In this way, they hoped that the French would not be able to mount an offensive that year. The action was a success and prevented the French from launching a major offensive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Venlo (1702)</span> Military siege by the Grand alliance against French troops

The siege of Venlo was a 12-day siege of the city of Venlo commenced by the Grand Alliance which saw the city being taken after being occupied by French troops the year before. The siege of Venlo in 1702 was one of many sieges that Venlo had endured throughout its history.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Bodart 1908, p. 132.
  2. ↑ Van Lennep 1880, p. 244.
  3. 1 2 Knoop 1861b, p. 347.
  4. ↑ Knoop 1861b, p. 348.
  5. ↑ Lynn 1999, p. 308.
  6. ↑ Van Nimwegen 2020, p. 266.
  7. ↑ De Vryer 1738, p. 361.
  8. ↑ De Vryer 1738, p. 362.
  9. ↑ Wijn 1956, p. 288.
  10. ↑ De Vryer 1738, p. 362—363.
  11. ↑ De Vryer 1738, p. 363.
  12. ↑ Knoop 1861, p. 60.
  13. ↑ Van Nimwegen 2020, p. 64.
  14. ↑ Van Lennep 1880, pp. 245–246.
  15. ↑ Coombs 1958, p. 266.

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.