Battle of Ekeren

Part of the War of the Spanish Succession

Map of the Battle of Ekeren 1703, 1712.

Date	30 June 1703
Location	Ekeren, Antwerp, present-day Belgium 51°16′14.00″N 4°24′27.00″E / 51.2705556°N 4.4075000°E / 51.2705556; 4.4075000
Result	Two Crowns victory

Belligerents

Dutch Republic

France

Bourbon Spain

Commanders and leaders

Strength

10,000

40,000

Casualties and losses

3,400

1,750

The Battle of Ekeren, June 30, 1703 was a battle of the War of the Spanish Succession. The French surrounded a Dutch force, which barely avoided destruction. This battle ended hope of a decisive allied victory in the Spanish Netherlands in 1703.

After taking Bonn on May 15, Marlborough now wanted to conquer Ostend, Antwerp, or force the French to an open battle. He ordered the Dutch general, Coehoorn, to march to Ostend and lay siege to it. Dutch general Van Sparre would march south west of Antwerp, Dutch general Obdam would march south from Bergen op Zoom, and Marlborough himself would march on Lier.

The United Provinces, however, were not keen to open the ports of Antwerp and Ostend to English commerce and thus to their competition with the Dutch. Therefore, Coehoorn did not besiege Ostend, but plundered the countryside between Ostend and Antwerp.

Obdam marched on June 28 from Bergen op Zoom to Antwerp, arriving the next day at Ekeren, seven kilometres from Antwerp.

Villeroi was not misled by Marlborough's diversionary manoeuver, and sent all his troops from Diest to Antwerp to protect it. After hearing of this Marlborough tried to warn Obdam, ordering a withdrawal to Lillo, but he was too late.

Early in the morning of June 30, French dragoons marched from Merksem and Ekeren in the direction of Kapellen to cut off the escape route near Hoevenen for the Dutch to return to Breda and Bergen-op-Zoom. The Marquis of Bedmar and his Spanish troops were positioned near Wilmarsdonk. This ensured that the Dutch forces were surrounded on all sides by a superior force.

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Wikipedia