Battle of Lens

Battle of Lens

Part of: Franco-Spanish War (1635–1659)

Bataille de Lens, August 20, 1648 ; Painting by Jean-Pierre Franque (1841)

date	August 20, 1648
place	Lens; 35 km southwest. from Lille
output	French victory

Parties to the conflict
France	Spain
Commander
Prince de Condé	Leopold of Austria
Troop strength
14,000 men 18 guns	18,000 men 38 guns
losses
approx. 2,000 dead	approx. 5,000 dead approx. 6,000 prisoners

The Battle of Lens of August 20, 1648 was a military conflict between the armies of the kingdoms of Spain and France during the Franco-Spanish War (1635-1659) . It ended with a victory for the French troops.

The Spanish troops under the leadership of Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria (1614–1662), who was appointed governor of the Spanish Netherlands in 1647 , were in a permanent position at Lens. The Prince de Condé (1621–1686) tried to lure them out of this position by skillful maneuvering. When he did not succeed, he initiated the retreat on the morning of August 20, 1648. On the Spanish side, General Beck noticed and attacked the retreating French with his Lorraine and Croatian cavalry . Their rearguard was commanded by the Marquis de Noirmoutier, who offered heavy resistance to the Spanish attack until he was supported by the bulk of the French army. Now Archduke Wilhelm also had to leave his protective position to come to the aid of Beck's troops. Both sides formed in two meetings. After six hours of fighting, the French troops were victorious.

5,000 soldiers died on the Spanish side. Another 6,000 went into French captivity. In addition, the entire entourage , the artillery and 120 flags fell into the hands of the French. The army rallied at Douai in the days that followed while the French took Furnes .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Lens , in: Bernhard von Poten : Concise dictionary of the entire military sciences , Vol. IV, Bielefeld / Leipzig 1878, p. 192
2. ^ ^{A b} Hans Eggert Willibald von der Lühe (Ed.): Militair-Conversationslexikon , Vol. IV, Leipzig 1834, pp. 619–622

literature

• Hans Eggert Willibald von der Lühe (Ed.): Militair-Conversationslexikon , Vol. IV, Verlag von Otto Wigand, Leipzig 1834.
• Lens , in: Bernhard von Poten : Concise dictionary of the entire military sciences , Vol. IV, Verlag von Velhagen and Klasing, Bielefeld / Leipzig 1878, p. 192