Capitulation of Diksmuide

Last updated

Siege of Diksmuide July 1695
Part of the Nine Years' War
Diksmuide stadhuis, belfort, St Niclaas.jpg
Diksmuide Town Hall and St Nicholas Church
Date25 July – 27 July 1695
Location
Result French victory
Belligerents
Royal Standard of the King of France.svg  France Grand Alliance
Flag of Cross of Burgundy.svg  Spain
Banner of the Holy Roman Emperor (after 1400).svg  Holy Roman Empire
Statenvlag.svg  Dutch Republic
Flag of England.svg  England
Commanders and leaders
Royal Standard of the King of France.svg Villeroy
Royal Standard of the King of France.svg Montal
Flag of Scotland.svg Colonel Graham
Flag of Scotland.svg Major Duncanson
Strength
8,000 3,500 - 4,000 estimated
Casualties and losses
Minimal Minimal
Garrison taken prisoner

The Capitulation of Diksmuide , or Dixmuide, then in the Spanish Netherlands, took place from 26 to 28 July 1695, during the 1689 to 1697 Nine Years' War. An Allied garrison of around 4,000 men surrendered to a superior French force.

Contents

After six years of war, both sides were financially exhausted; the focus of the 1695 campaign was the Allied siege of Namur, captured by the French in 1692. By attacking garrisons like Diksmuide, the French commander sought to prevent the Allies resupplying their army outside Namur.

Its capitulation after only two days resulted in the court martial of garrison commander Major General Ellenberg, and other senior officers. While the reason for his surrender is still disputed, Ellenberg was executed and several officers dismissed.

Namur surrendered to the Allies in September; although fighting did not formally end until 1697, this was the last major event of the war. The French withdrew from Diksmuide following the Treaty of Ryswick.

Background

Under William's leadership, the Alliance held together through four years of war, with losses that were damaging, but not critical. By 1694, they held a numerical advantage in Flanders, and had recaptured towns like Huy and Diksmuide. However, both sides were also struggling with the huge economic and social costs of the war. [1]

The 1690s marked the lowest point of the so-called Little Ice Age, a period of cold and wet weather affecting Europe in the second half of the 17th century. Famine in France and Italy was mirrored elsewhere, including Spain and Scotland, where the harvest failed in 1695, 1696, 1698 and 1699 and an estimated 5-15% of the population starved to death. [2]

Belgium relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
Diksmuide
Red pog.svg
Deinze
Red pog.svg
Brussels
Red pog.svg
Coutrai
Red pog.svg
Charleroi
Red pog.svg
Namur
Red pog.svg
Huy
Red pog.svg
Mons
The 1695 Flanders campaign; key locations

Most campaigns in this theatre took place in the Spanish Netherlands, a compact area 160 kilometres wide, its highest point only 100 metres above sea level, dominated by canals and rivers, the primary means of transport until the advent of railways in the 19th century. Namur's position at the intersection of the Sambre and Meuse rivers made it vital for defending the Netherlands against French invasion, and its recapture the main Allied objective for 1695. [3]

In April 1695, Louis ordered Boufflers to build entrenchments between the Scheldt and Lys, from Coutrai or Kortrijk to Avelgem. [4] William marched on these in June, with the bulk of the Allied forces, but secretly detached Frederick of Prussia to Namur. Once Frederick was in place on 2 July, William joined him; the Allies were now split into a besieging force of 58,000 at Namur and a field army of 102,000 under Prince Vaudémont to cover Villeroi. [5]

To support Vaudémont and secure supply lines for the besiegers, it was vital to hold as many crossing points as possible. One of the most important was Diksmuide, positioned on the Lys; while little more than a large village, even nearby Deinze controlled a bridge across the Lys, making it of far greater strategic significance than its size indicates. [6]

Siege

Yser river and landscape near Diksmuide, a good example of the geography in this area Diksmuide - Polders - IJzer.jpg
Yser river and landscape near Diksmuide, a good example of the geography in this area

Vaudémont's task was to keep his army between Villeroy and Namur; Villeroy tried to tempt him out of position by attacking Allied-held towns like Knokke and Beselare, now Zonnebeke, but he refused to be drawn. It was accepted even places like Namur would fall given enough time, so the garrisons in Diksmuide and Deinze were expected to delay Villeroy for as long as possible. [7]

Diksmuide sits on the Yser River, which begins in France, then runs through the town before entering the North Sea at Nieuwpoort. French defences followed the Yser via Ypres and Comines to Espierres and hardly changed between 1689-1694; its enduring strategic significance led to this line being fought over in both 1914 and 1940, while Diksmuide itself was attacked by the Germans in October 1914. [8]

The garrison commander at Diksmuide was Major-General Ellenberg, an experienced Dane who served William in Ireland and elsewhere. The town was taken by the Allies in 1694, and although the defences were in a poor state, it was held by a strong garrison of eight battalions of infantry plus several squadrons from Lloyd's Dragoons. [9]

Vaudémont's covering army had been reduced by the need to bolster the assault forces at Namur; by stripping garrisons from Ypres and Menin, Villeroi achieved local superiority of 90,000 to 37,000. However, an attack on 14 July failed to break the Allied line; Vaudémont was able to conduct an orderly retreat, using the bridge across the Lys at Deinze. [10]

Shortly after this, a force under the Comte de Montal appeared before Diksmuide; Ellenberg opened the sluice gates, while the Allied commander at Nieuwpoort broke the dykes, flooding the area around the town. This meant Diksmuide could only be assaulted from the east and while this was the weakest part of the defences, the position was considered 'serious but not desperate.' [11]

Surrender

Flooding via sluice gates was common and used at Diksmuide Inundation.jpg
Flooding via sluice gates was common and used at Diksmuide

On 26 July, Montal began firing on the town; after only two days, Ellenberg held a council with his senior officers, and proposed they surrender the town, arguing further resistance was pointless. [12] Eight officers signed the articles of surrender, including Colonel Graham, commander of a regiment in the elite Scots Brigade; the only exception was Major Robert Duncanson of Lorne's. [13] On 29 July, Colonel O'Farrell, commander of the garrison at Deinze, also capitulated to a French force under Feuquières without a shot being fired. [14]

By now, siege warfare was an exact art, the rules of which were so well understood wagering on the outcome and duration of a siege became a popular craze; in 1691, the then enormous sum of £200,000 was alleged to have been bet on the outcome of the Siege of Limerick. [15] Professional honour demanded a defence, but so long as they surrendered once 'a practicable breach' had been made, garrisons were given generous terms. [16] Contemporaries felt Diksmuide should have been held for at least eight days; its rapid capitulation was extremely unusual, especially as Ellenberg opened negotiations with the besiegers. [13]

The terms of surrender meant the garrison became prisoners, rather than being allowed to keep their weapons, and free passage to Allied lines. [17] One suggestion is that Ellenberg was a capable and reliable subordinate who could not exercise command on his own. [18] This seems unlikely for an experienced senior officer, since taking or holding fortifications was the dominant form of warfare in this period. [19] At his trial, Ellenberg later claimed "a panic seized him, which he could not get over, nor account for". [20]

Graham and O'Farrell had served in the Scots Brigade since the 1670s and accompanied William to England in 1688; Deinze was held by O'Farrell's 'Fusiliers,' a designation reserved for elite units, which had fought at Walcourt, Steinkirk and Landen. [21] While Deinze was simply a fortified village, William was furious neither of the garrisons had 'done their duty.' [14] In his Diary entry for 8 December 1695, Constantijn Huygens, William's Secretary for Dutch affairs, suggests Ellenberg was bribed by the French. [22]

Aftermath

Boufflers; captured at Namur, he was held until the Allied troops taken at Diksmuide were returned Portrait du duc de Boufflers (bgw18 1264).jpg
Boufflers; captured at Namur, he was held until the Allied troops taken at Diksmuide were returned

Desertion and ill-discipline among enlisted men were ongoing issues in this period, due to poor conditions and irregular payment of wages; a lapse of commitment among senior officers was a much more serious problem. Evidence presented at the court martial indicates both Ellenberg and O'Farrell simply took the wrong decisions, but the defection of a group of experienced senior officers possibly indicates a wider issue of war weariness, or low morale. [23]

Prisoners were normally exchanged as soon as possible, but the French refused William's demand in August for the return of the 6,000 - 7,000 troops captured at Diksmuide and Deinze, due to a dispute over the terms. [24] All sides were short of manpower by this stage of the war; deserting to receive a signing-on bonus was common, particularly as these were paid immediately while wages were often months in arrears. Since the recruiters were paid a bounty for each enlistee, the financial benefits to the French officers involved were considerable. [25]

One suggestion is this may have been a factor in the surrender; nearly 3,000 of the prisoners were forced into French regiments, and sent to fight in Italy or Catalonia. [26] In retaliation, despite the garrison of Namur being allowed to surrender on terms, its commander Boufflers was not released until the remaining Allied prisoners were returned in September. [17]

After their release, Duncanson was promoted for refusing to sign the surrender; the others were tried by a court martial, held between 10 and 25 October, headed by Sir Henry Belasyse. [27] O'Farrell, Graham, and the others were either dismissed or sanctioned, but quickly reinstated; O'Farrell ended as a Major-General. Ellenberg was sentenced to death by beheading, and executed in Ghent on 30 November. [28]

Related Research Articles

<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">Nine Years' War</span> War (1688–97) between France and a European coalition

The Nine Years' War was a European great power conflict from 1688 to 1697 between France and the Grand Alliance. Although largely concentrated in Europe, fighting spread to colonial possessions in the Americas, India, and West Africa. Related conflicts include the Williamite war in Ireland, and King William's War in North America.

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

The Battle of Landen, 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">Yser</span> River in northern France and western Belgium

The Yser is a river that rises in French Flanders, enters the Belgian province of West Flanders and flows through the Ganzepoot and into the North Sea at the town of Nieuwpoort.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of the Yser</span> 1914 battle of the First World War

The Battle of the Yser was a battle of the First World War that took place in October 1914 between the towns of Nieuwpoort and Diksmuide, along a 35 km (22 mi) stretch of the Yser River and the Yperlee Canal, in Belgium. The front line was held by a large Belgian force, which halted the German advance in a costly defensive battle.

<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">Royal Scots Fusiliers</span> Military unit of the British Army

The Royal Scots Fusiliers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that existed from 1678 until 1959 when it was amalgamated with the Highland Light Infantry to form the Royal Highland Fusiliers which was later itself merged with the Royal Scots, King's Own Scottish Borderers, the Black Watch, the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and the Highlanders to form a new large regiment, the Royal Regiment of Scotland.

Argyll's Regiment of Foot was a Scottish infantry regiment formed in April 1689 to suppress Jacobite opposition in the Highlands. In February 1692 it took part in the Glencoe Massacre, moved to Brentford near London in May then to Flanders in early 1693 where it fought in the Nine Years War. It became Lord Lorne's Regiment in April 1694 and was disbanded on February 1697.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Namur (1692)</span> 1692 battle of the Nine Years War

The Siege of Namur, 25 May–30 June 1692, was a major engagement of the Nine Years' War, and was part of the French grand plan to defeat the forces of the Grand Alliance and bring a swift conclusion to the war. Namur, sitting on the confluence of the Meuse and Sambre rivers, was a considerable fortress, and was a significant political and military asset. French forces, guided by Vauban, forced the town's surrender on 5 June, but the citadel, staunchly defended by Menno van Coehoorn, managed to hold on until 30 June before capitulating, bringing an end to the 36-day siege. Concerned that King William III planned to recapture the stronghold, King Louis XIV subsequently ordered his commander-in-chief, the duc de Luxembourg, to join battle with the Allies in the field, resulting in the bloody Battle of Steenkerque on 3 August.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Namur (1695)</span> 1695 battle of the Nine Years War

The 1695 Siege of Namur or Second Siege of Namur took place during the Nine Years' War between 2 July and 4 September 1695. Its capture by the French in the 1692 siege and recapture by the Grand Alliance in 1695 are often viewed as the defining events of the war; the second siege is considered to be William III's most significant military success during the war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">3rd The King's Own Hussars</span> Cavalry regiment of the British Army

The 3rd Hussars was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, first raised in 1685. It saw service for three centuries, including the First and the Second World Wars, before being amalgamated with the 7th Queen's Own Hussars, to form the Queen's Own Hussars in November 1958.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Duncanson (Scots Army officer)</span>

Robert Duncanson, 1658 to May 1705, was a Scottish professional soldier from Inveraray; a retainer of the Earl of Argyll, he began his career during the 1685 Argyll's Rising, and is now best remembered for his involvement in the February 1692 Glencoe massacre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">German invasion of Belgium (1914)</span> World War I military campaign

The German invasion of Belgium was a military campaign which began on 4 August 1914. On 24 July, the Belgian government had announced that if war came it would uphold its neutrality. The Belgian government mobilised its armed forces on 31 July and a state of heightened alert was proclaimed in Germany. On 2 August, the German government sent an ultimatum to Belgium, demanding passage through the country and German forces invaded Luxembourg. Two days later, the Belgian government refused the German demands and the British government guaranteed military support to Belgium. The German government declared war on Belgium on 4 August; German troops crossed the border and began the Battle of Liège.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Belasyse (died 1717)</span> English military officer and MP

Sir Henry Belasyse, also spelt Bellasis, was an English military officer from County Durham, who also sat as MP for a number of constituencies between 1695 and 1715.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Steenbergen (1583)</span> Battle in The Netherlands in 1583

The Battle of Steenbergen, also known as the Capture of Steenbergen of 1583, took place on 17 June 1583 at Steenbergen, Duchy of Brabant, Spanish Netherlands. This was an important victory for the Spanish Army of Flanders led by Don Alexander Farnese, Prince of Parma, Governor-General of the Spanish Netherlands, over the French, English, and Dutch forces led by the French Marshal Armand de Gontaut, Baron de Biron, and the English commander Sir John Norreys, during the Eighty Years' War, the Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604), and in the context of the French Wars of Religion. The victory of the Spaniards ended the Treaty of Plessis-les-Tours, and Francis, Duke of Anjou (French: François de France), left the Netherlands in late June.

Fort Knokke or Fort de Cnocke or Fort de la Knocque or Fort de Knocke was an important fortification that defended western Flanders from the 1580s until it was demolished in the 1780s. During its 200 year history, the place was held by the Spanish Empire, Kingdom of France, Habsburg Austria and the Dutch Republic. The existing defenses were improved in 1678 by the famous military engineer Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban. The fort was attacked by the Grand Alliance in 1695 during the Nine Years' War but the French garrison successfully held out. It was captured from the French by a ruse in 1712 during the War of the Spanish Succession. Control of the fort and other strong places in the Austrian Netherlands was a key feature of the so-called Barrier Treaty in 1713. The French captured the fort after a two-month siege in 1744 during the War of the Austrian Succession. Emperor Joseph II had the citadel demolished in 1781. The site is on the Yser River about 8 kilometres (5 mi) southwest of Diksmuide, Belgium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francis Fergus O'Farrell</span>

Major General Francis Fergus O’Farrellc. 1650 to 1712, was an Irish-born professional soldier who served in the Dutch States Army under William III until 1689, when he transferred into the English Army. During the Nine Years' War in 1695, he was cashiered for his premature surrender of the town of Deinze, then reinstated in 1696 and served in the War of the Spanish Succession.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph Wightman (general)</span> British army officer

Joseph Wightman was a British Army officer who is best noted for his role in the suppression of the 1715 and 1719 Jacobite rebellions. Wightman also participated in the Nine Years' War and the War of the Spanish Succession.

<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 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. 5 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 caputured Diksmuide earlier that year and due to the capture of Huy the allies didn't 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">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.

References

  1. Childs 1991, p. 17.
  2. White 2011, pp. 542–543.
  3. Childs 1991, pp. 31–33.
  4. Lynn 1999, p. 247.
  5. Hume 1848, p. 609.
  6. Childs 1991, p. 30.
  7. Childs 2012, p. 159.
  8. Shelby 2018, pp. 200–201.
  9. Cannon 1846, p. 17.
  10. Childs 1991, pp. 276–277.
  11. Childs 1991, p. 295.
  12. Manning 2006, pp. 422–423.
  13. 1 2 Walton 1894, p. 303.
  14. 1 2 Childs 1991, p. 287.
  15. Manning 2006, pp. 413–414.
  16. Childs 2012, p. 160.
  17. 1 2 Stapleton 2007.
  18. Bright 1836, p. 294.
  19. Childs 1991, p. 2.
  20. Holmes 2008, p. 75.
  21. Cannon 1849, p. 5.
  22. Dekker 2013, p. 104.
  23. Childs 1991, p. 288.
  24. Childs 1991, p. 40.
  25. Manning 2006, pp. 326–332.
  26. Bright 1836, p. 295.
  27. Winn 2014, p. 680.
  28. Walton 1894, p. 304.

Sources