Francesco Algarotti on the 1747 Siege of Bergen Op Zoom

8/8/2019 Francesco Algarotti on the 1747 Siege of Bergen Op Zoom

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Francesco Algarotti

Sopra la presa di Bergen-op-ZoomDiscorso X dei XX Discorsi Militari

in Opere del Conte Algarotti, Cavaliere dellOrdine del Merito e Ciamberlano di S. M. il Re di

Prussia, Tomo IIII, Livorno, MDCCLXIV, presso Marco Coltellini = Vol. V dell'Edizione 1779and the Wikipedia Article " Siege of Bergen op Zoom (1747)"

French soldier of the Normandie brigade 1740s


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were the besieging force and controlled much of the surrounding area, were also well-supplied and reinforced. However, the allieshad an army under Prince Waldeck nearby which posed a countinuing threat to French supply lines. [15] Siege

The various bastions, ravelins and lunettes of the fortification were all named and would mount over 230 cannon and mortars duringthe course of the siege. The principal effort of the French concentrated on the bastions Coehoorn and Pucelle . Facing the Frenchtrench lines, the sides of Coehoorn were flanked on its right by the ravelin Antwerpen and on its left the ravelin Diden . Between the

bastion and Antwerpen was the lunette Holland and between the bastion and Diden was the lunette Zealand . To the left of Diden wasthe lunette, Utrecht , and left of that the bastion Pucelle . The area between the bastions of Coehoorn and Pucelle was chosen partly

because the ground was drier and partly because this was the only part of the fortress not directly covered by additional lines as wasthe northwest and south east sides of Bergen op Zoom. This area would witness the most continuous and fierce combat of thesiege. [16] Laying the parallels On the night of the 14 July the French opened the trenches using 2,400 workers supported by 10 companies of grenadiers and 5 battalions of infantry. [17] Lowendal used 12,000 of his troops to man the trench lines and deployed the other 18,000as an army of observation. [18] The first parallel was laid overnight of the first day, 400 paces out from the fortifications. On 17 Julythe second parallel was dug and over the night of 22 July the third parallel was completed. Batteries were raised and the Frenchartillery began to bombard the defenders on the 20 July. Each of the trench parallels were laid and their saps pushed forward by theFrench, drawing ever closer to the fortress. The fourth parallel was finished between 26 and 28 July and a fifth laid up against theworks on 8 September. [19] Various stormattacks followed on the outer works of the fortress, but the defences held firm. The Frenchhad also dug mines under the redoubts , ravelins and lunettes to blow them up. They were in their turn countermined by Dutchsappers. On 25 July Loudon's Highlanders , also known as the 64th Foot, made a sally from Fort Rover which took and destroyed a

major French battery.[20]

Over the course of the siege, other British troops, engineers and artillery joined[21]

the allied garrison as wellas some Austrian miners. After a month of fighting the French made a lodgement in the covered way. [22] Unfortunately for theFrench, the Dutch still possessed several lunettes in the area, which were used to bombard the French held covered way. The lunette,

Zealand , was held by a battalion of Hessian allies. Using mines, stormattacks and continuous bombarding the French drove theDutch out of these lunettes. The 75 mines sprung, 43 by the Dutch and 32 by the French, between the bastions Coehoorn and

Pucelle [23] exemplify the intensity of these operations around the covered way . After two months of intense fighting French werefinally able to bombard the main wall. Saxe sent Lowendal 12,000 reinforcements to make up for serious losses, while the garrisonreceived reinforcement and reflief from troops within the lines of the fortified camp. [24] On 8 August the allied army, formerly under Waldeck but now commanded by Prince Schwartzenberg, in conjunction with the corps of Hildburghausen, made a badlycoordinated and poorly executed night attack on the French in an attempt to break the siege. Even so, the allies were repelled withdifficulty and Swartzenberg continued to harass and intercept French supply convoys taking a convoy on 14 August. [25] Storming the breaches Lowendal felt an urgency to take the town because autumn rains were coming. The rains would cause certainfailure of the siege. Lwendahl, advised that several breaches in the defensive fortification were practicable, [26][27] stormed the city ina coup de main attack on the early morning of 18 September 1747. The Dutch commanders did not perceive the breaches as

practicable and had taken no particular cautionary measures. The city garrison consisted of nine battalions: two Scots battalions,Colyear and Majoribanks; Waldeck and Saxe-Gotha, Lewe, Evertsen, Holstein-Gottorp, Deutz and van Rechteren. [28] French columnsaccompanied by laborers to clear any obstacles were prepared for each breach. In the center were 14 companies of grenadierssupported by 13 battalions of the main body of infantry. On the French left the bastion Coehoorn would be assaulted by 6 companiesof grenadiers and 6 battalions. On the right, 7 companies of grenadiers from the regiments of d'Eu, Coincy, Chabrillant, la Trasne and50 dismounted Royal dragoons would assault the bastion Pucelle supported by the first battalions of the regiments of Normandie,Montboissier and d'Eu followed by 3 brigades of sappers, 20 gunners, 300 workers. In addition the first battalions of the regimentsMontmorin, Royal de Vaisseaux and Beauvoisis would march in support of the attack. [29] The Enfants Perdus , or Forlorn Hope ,consisted of 200 volunteers, 2 companies of grenadiers supported by a battalion of infantry and were destined to attack Diden , thehalf-moon, or ravelin .[30] At 4 a.m. a brief signal bombardment of the ravelin was made and a contingent of French Grenadiers gainedthe fosse , penetrated the breaches and then opened a sallyport which allowed the rest of the troops inside where they formed up in thegorge of the ravelin and then gained the ramparts without opposition. The French then seized the gates and entered the city sword inhand. The garrison commander, Cronstrm, and his officers had reportedly still been asleep in their beds when most of the officerswere captured by the French. [31] The brigade of Loudon's Highlanders [32] put up a tenacious defense against the French through thestreets of the city, making a stand in the market place losing two-thirds their number but enabling Governor Cronstrm to escape.

The Dutch and their allies suffered some 3,000 casualties during the storm and the sack while French losses were only 479.[33]

After the fall of the town, the garrisons of the forts of Rovers , Pinsen and Moermant in the lines outside the city surrendered. [34] Followingthe coup de main , the French soldiers lost their discipline and sacked the town and, although the sack ended quickly, several thousandcivilians were reportedly killed or injured. Lowendal declared his regrets but European opinion was outraged. Saxe defendedLwendhal to Louis XV saying, "There is no middle course, either you must hang him or make him a Marshal of France." [35] Aftermath With the capture of Bergen op Zoom, the French now had control of the entire length of the river Scheldt. [36] The defeatcaused a rift between the Dutch and British governments. [37] The British now began to realise that they had overestimated the militarycapability of the Dutch Republic and, therefore, its ability to resist the French forces. [38] The Dutch on the other hand were furiousabout the fact that her allies were unwilling to relieve the city. The city was key to opening up the Dutch Republic and Hanover to a

potential French invasion. Lowendal was made a Marshal of France for his exploit and the French now controlled the length of theScheldt river. Along with the defeat at Lauffeld , the defeat at Bergen op Zoom forced the British to re-enter negotiations, and to takeseriously the on-going talks at the Congress of Breda , leading to a treaty in 1748. [39] References

1. ^ Skrine, p. 337

2.

^ Skrine, p. 3373. ^ Lodge p.271.4. ^ Browning. Austrian Succession , pp.317-319.5. ^ The Gentleman's Magazine , Vol. 17, London, 1747. pp. 328-329, 401-402, 409-412, 464-465. Cust: Annals , V.II, p. 121,

"The fate of Bergen-op-Zoom, on which the eyes of all Europe were fixed...".


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6. ^ Cust, Edward. Annals of the wars of the eighteenth century , Vol.II, London, 1858, p. 1207. ^ Cust: Annals , V.II, p. 121.8. ^ Lodge p. 260.9. ^ Browning: Austrian Succession , p. 31810. ^ Browning: Austrian Succession , p. 321.11. ^ d' Espagnac, Jean-Baptiste-Joseph Damarzit de Sahuguet. Histoire de Maurice, comte de Saxe, duc de Courlande et de

Semigalle , Vol. 2, Paris, MDCCLXXV. p.283.

12. ^ Cust, Edward. Annals of the wars of the eighteenth century , Vol.II, London, 1858, p. 12013. ^ Skrine: Fontenoy , p.335.14. ^ Lodge p.2607115. ^ Skrine: Fontenoy , p.33616. ^ Wittje, G.. Die wichtigsten Schlachten, Belagerungen und verschanzten Lager vom Jahre 1708 bis 1855. Leipzig und

Heidelberg, 1861. pp. 270 to 275.17. ^ d'Espagnac: Histoire , p.283.18. ^ Browning: Austrian Succession , p. 319.19. ^ Wittje, G.. Die wichtigsten Schlachten, Belagerungen und verschanzten Lager vom Jahre 1708 bis 1855. Leipzig und

Heidelberg, 1861, pp. 270 to 275.20. ^ Browne, James, A history of the Highlands and of the Highland clans , Volume 4, Galsgow, 1840, p.241.21. ^ Browne, J.A.. England's artillerymen: an historical narrative of the services of the Royal Artillery , London, 1865, p.17.

Along with British engineers and artllery, James Braddock and Simon Frasier served at the siege.22. ^ [1] Contemporary map of the course of the siege.

23.

^ [2] Contemporary diagram of the attacks on the covered way.24. ^ Cust: Annals , p.120.25. ^ Skrine: Fontenoy , p.336.26. ^ Cust, Edward. Annals of the wars of the eighteenth century , Vol.II, London, 1858, p. 12127. ^ The Gentleman's Magazine , Vol. 17, 1747, London, p.410.28. ^ SHAT,A4 86 envoi Wagner, piece 9c -Copie des archive de la Haye.29. ^ d' Espagnac: Histoire , p. 317.30. ^ The Gentleman's Magazine , Vol. 17, 1747, London, p.410, Lownedhal's account to Saxe.31. ^ Lodge p.29032. ^ Browne: Highlands and of the Highland clans , pp. 240241, " ...from 1450, are now reduced to 330 ...". Similarly,

Ferguson, James. ed. Papers Illustrating the History of the Scots Brigade , Edinburgh, 1899, p. 226 states of 1,500, 1,124were killed.

33. ^ Skrine, p.337. Also, Browning: Austrian Succession , p.320.34. ^ The Gentleman's Magazine , Vol. 17, 1747, London, p.410.35. ^ Browning: Austrian Succession , p. 32036. ^ Cust: Annals , p. 122.37. ^ Cust: Annals , p. 122.38. ^ Lodge p.2909239. ^ Browning: Austrian Succession , p.329. Also, Simms: Three Victories , p. 350.

Bibliography Browning, Reed. The War of the Austrian Succession. St. Martin's Griffin, 2008, ISBN 0312125615 . Cust, Edward. Annals of the wars of the eighteenth century , Vol.II, London, 1858. Lodge, Sir Richard. Studies in Eighteenth Century diplomacy 174048 . John Murray, 1930. Nimwegen, O. van De Republiek der Verenigde Nederlanden als grote mogendheid. (17401748) . Amsterdam, 2002,

ISBN 906707540X Rodger, N.A.M. The Insatiable Earl: A Life of John Montagu, Fourth Earl of Sandwich, 17181792 . Harper Collins, 1993,

ISBN 0393035875 . Simms, Brendan. Three Victories and a Defeat: The Rise and Fall of the First British Empire . Penguin Books, 2008, ISBN

0465013325 . Skrine, Francis Henry. Fontenoy and Great Britain's Share in the War of the Austrian Succession 174148. London,

Edinburgh, 1906. An authentick and accurate journal of the siege of Bergen-op-Zoom by an English Volunteer. London, 1747. The Gentleman's Magazine , Vol. 17, September, 1747. London, 1747. d' Espagnac, Jean-Baptiste-Joseph Damarzit de Sahuguet. Histoire de Maurice, comte de Saxe, duc de Courlande et de

Semigalle , Volume 2, Paris, MDCCLXXV. Wittje, G.. Die wichtigsten Schlachten, Belagerungen und verschanzten Lager vom Jahre 1708 bis 1855. Leipzig und

Heidelberg, 1861.Recommended reading

An authentic journal of the remarkable and bloody siege of Bergen-op-Zoom by the French, under M. de Lowendahl. Begun July 14, and ended September 16, N.S. 1747 By an English volunteer, late of the garrison of Bergen-op-Zoom,Dublin : printed by Joshua Kinneir, 1747


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Example of a section of a fortress in the 18th century showing covered way, bastions, ravelins.

Example of 2 bastions


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Example of a hornwork

Example of 2 kinds of lunettes

Francesco Algarotti on the 1747 Siege of Bergen Op Zoom

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