Battle of Wilhelmsthal

Battle of Wilhelmsthal

Part of: Seven Years War

Map of the battle of Wilhelmsthal

date	June 24, 1762
place	Between Grebenstein and Calden-Wilhelmsthal
output	Allied victory
consequences	The French have to withdraw from northern Germany

Parties to the conflict
Great Britain Kurhannover Prussia Hessen-Kassel	France
Commander
Duke Ferdinand	Soubise
losses
150 dead, 273 wounded	2000 dead and wounded 2500 prisoners 12 cannons and 8 flags

Battle dioramas are exhibited in Wilhelmsthal Castle

Overview of the action of Duke Ferdinand von Braunschweig in 1762

The battle of Wilhelmsthal took place on June 24, 1762 . It was part of the western theater of war in the Seven Years War . The battle is named after Wilhelmsthal Castle , which is located in this area near Kassel in what was then the Landgraviate of Hessen-Kassel .

Starting position

Early in the war the French had penetrated the greater area of ​​the empire as far as Hessen-Kassel . But all attempts to expand the position could be foiled by the Allies. In 1761 the French army was badly defeated in the battle of Vellinghausen . But there was not enough strength to drive them away. Therefore Ferdinand von Braunschweig wanted to drive the French out for good in 1762. So he gathered his scattered army in the camp near Brakel .

Course of the battle

On June 21st he set up a camp between Körbecke and the heights near Teichsel . The light troops crossed the Diemel and went to the Reinhardswald . Sababurg was conquered, and Prince Friedrich of Braunschweig marched to Trendelburg on June 22nd .

The French had already gathered their troops at Kassel on June 20, and on June 22 the French army set out in the direction of Diemel. On that day she set up a camp between Grebenstein and Meimbressen (Meyenbrecksen). The reserve, under General de Castries , stood at Carlsdorf and leaned with the right wing against the Reinhardswald and with the left against the heights near the Münchsteichen . To cover the left flank of the army, Count Stainville occupied the heights along the Westuffelner Bach . The main flaw in the formation of the French army was that the left wing could be bypassed and taken in the rear. Since this mistake had been noticed by Duke Ferdinand, he decided to attack the French on the 24th early in the morning. According to the plan drawn up by him, the main army passed in seven columns between Liebenau and Sielen across the Diemel at 4 a.m. General Granby's corps , who had been ordered to attack the enemy in the rear, passed the Diemel at 2 o'clock that same day at Warburg . Everything was quiet in the French camp and the French were only alerted when General Spörken opened fire from the height of Hombressen . The French general Castries tried in vain to take this corps over the left or right flank; both maneuvers could not be carried out because of the heavy gunfire. The French then tried to maintain their position; but when the heads of several columns appeared on the battlefield, they withdrew to Grebenstein. In the meantime Lord Granby's corps had also marched over Zierenberg and thereby fell into the left flank and back of the French left wing. While this corps was approaching via Ehrsten and Fürstenwald , the duke raised his army between Meimbressen and Kelze . Only now did the Prince of Soubise order that the army should withdraw in several columns. In order to cover the retreat, Count Stainville positioned himself in the forest between Meyenbrecksen and Wilhelmsthal , whereupon a fierce battle developed between his corps and Lord Granbys. Finally, after a long resistance, Count Stainville also withdrew. Through his long resistance he had given the French army time to continue their retreat on the heights of Tannenberg, Kratzenberg and Münchberg without great loss. The Corps General Stainvilles, however, was almost completely wiped out.

The Allies captured 2,500 men and captured twelve cannons and eight flags. Their loss that day amounted to 150 dead and 273 wounded. - The French numbered 2,000 dead and wounded.

consequences

After the losses in the Battle of Wilhelmsthal, the French had to retreat to Kassel. This was besieged by the Allies in November and finally captured. More serious, however, was the need to withdraw from the Electorate of Braunschweig-Lüneburg and to lose such an important pledge in the peace negotiations. Elector George III. was also King of Great Britain and Ireland .

literature

• Jürgen Nolte: The battle near Wilhemsthal , Wartberg Verlag, Gudensberg 2012, ISBN 3-8313-2438-7
• EO Schmidt: Germany's battlefields , p. 158, digitized
• L. von Sichart: History of the Royal Hanoverian Army , Volume 3, p. 417, digitized