Siege of Tournai
Siege of Tournai 1745
| date | April 25 to June 19, 1745 |
|---|---|
| place | Tournai |
| output | French victory |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
| Commander | |
|
Johan Adolf Van Dorth |
|
| Troop strength | |
| 90,000 men | 9,000 |
| losses | |
|
? |
approx. 2,500 |
The siege of the city and citadel of Tournai took place from April 25 to June 19, 1745 and was part of the War of the Austrian Succession . The French siege troops under the command of the Maréchal de Saxe (Moritz von Sachsen) were involved - his opponent was the Dutch fortress commander Johan Adolf Van Dorth with his defenders. As a result of the siege, the Dutch had to give up and leave the fortress to the French.
Starting position
As early as 1709, Tournai had been taken by the troops of the Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene of Savoy during the War of the Spanish Succession . In 1745 it was defended by a 9,000-strong Dutch garrison under the command of Governor Baron Johan Adolf Van Dorth. The fortified city had 21,400 inhabitants at that time. It was built in 1714 as part of the barrier against France .
After the invasion of Flanders in 1744, King Louis XV. commissioned Marshal Moritz von Sachsen to prepare for a campaign the following year. He chose the fortress of Tournai as the central point for supply, as this formed a strategic stepping stone from the Scheldt to the cities of Ghent , Bruges , Ath and Mons which were to be taken as war targets . On April 21, 1745, the 90,000-strong French army began their march on Tournai, on the 25th the vanguard appeared in front of the city, followed on April 26th by the bulk.
Siege of the city from April 25th to May 22nd, 1745
In the face of the French advance, Van Dorth ordered the suburbs to be set alight and a sortie towards Orcq, which was, however, nipped in the bud by the French artillery. On the evening of April 30th, the besiegers began digging the approach trenches against the gate “Sept-Fontaines” on the left bank of the Scheldt. At the same time the artillery opened fire on the advanced works of the city.
On May 8, 1745, the king and the Dauphin visited the army camp in front of Tournai. On the same day at around 3:00 p.m., a powder magazine exploded in the citadel, causing a large number of casualties and extensive damage to the citadel. In the evening, an accident caused an explosion in the positions of the siege army, which killed the Colonel of the Regiment de Normandie , the Marquis de Talleyrand-Périgord and the engineer Desmazis. The Maréchal de Saxe mourned the death of the two men.
During the time the Battle of Fontenoy was taking place, parts of the army were withdrawn there. The siege was handed over to the Marquis de Brézé, who was given 27 battalions of infantry and 17½ escadrons of cavalry . During this time the Dutch cavalry undertook a half-hearted sortie , which, however, was easily repulsed by the French.
The defeat at Fontenoy sooner or later meant the end of the now isolated fortress Tournai. The Swiss Hirtzel Regiment and the Scottish MacKay Regiment succeeded in occupying the main bastion at the “Sept-Fontaines” gate on May 18. Colonel Daniel Aeneas Mackay was killed here. The French batteries continued to bombard the walls and on May 22nd, 1745 the defenders hoisted the white flag and the city was taken. The surrender was signed on May 23rd .
Siege of the citadel from June 1st to 19th, 1745
After the fall of the city, the Dutch garrison withdrew to the already damaged citadel to await orders from The Hague on how to proceed. After an eight-day break in action, they received orders to continue the fight.
The siege was therefore resumed on June 1st. The fortress was hit by numerous projectiles from French cannons and mortars . Despite heroic resistance, the Dutch occupation surrendered to the besiegers on June 19th. Because of their brave behavior, the 6,500 strong troop under the command of Baron Van Brackel was allowed to retreat to Oudenaarde with full military honors . The heavily damaged citadel was then razed .
With a duration of 47 days, the siege of Tournai was the longest in the War of the Austrian Succession. On the orders of King Louis XV. attempts had been made to protect the cathedral and other important buildings in the city from artillery fire. Tournai remained in French possession until October 1748. After the Treaty of Aachen it was returned to the Austrians and the Dutch. In January 1759 the last French soldier left the city.
Today the Ruquoy Caserne is located on the site of the citadel. It is pentagonal with the main buildings and thus follows the layout of the former fortress. Opposite the barracks gate there are still small remains of walls and walls with the gate tower , which is the only part of the fortress that has been preserved.
literature
- Reed Browning: The War of the Austrian Succession. Alan Sutton Publishing, 1994.
- John Manchip White: Marshal of France. The Life and Times of Maurice de Saxe. Rand McNally & Co., 1962.
Web links
- Service Historique de l'Armée de Terre, Journal du siège de la citadelle de Tournay, from May 20 to June 20, 1745.
- Alain Tripnaux, Le siège de Tournai (25 avril-19 juin 1745)
Footnotes
- ↑ Orcq, about 3 kilometers west of Tournai
- ↑ It was Daniel-Marie Anne de Talleyrand-Périgord, called "Marquis de Talleyrand" (* August 1706; † May 9, 1745), Commandeur des Ordre royal et militaire de Saint-Louis (1740).