Battle of Villafranca (1744)

Battle of Villafranca

Part of the War of the Austrian Succession

Date	20 April 1744
Location	Villafranca Marittima, Piedmont (present-day France)
Result	Franco-Spanish victory

Belligerents

Commanders and leaders

Infante Philip

Prince of Conti

Vittorio Francesco Filippo of Savoy (POW)

Thomas Mathews

Strength

30,000

8,000

Casualties and losses

2,820 casualties

1,500 dead or wounded
1,830 captured

The Battle of Villafranca unfolded on 20 April 1744, during the War of the Austrian Succession. The armies of Spain and France, advancing into Kingdom of Sardinia, unsuccessfully attacked entrenched positions at the pass of Villafranca, defended by Anglo-Sardinian forces. Because of the high losses incurred, the defenders were forced to leave the harbour of Villafranca two days after the battle (22 April 1744).

1744 had opened bleakly for the Spaniards in Italy. To the south the Austrians were steadily driving back General Montemar's army. Naples was threatened. Britain, boasting naval superiority in the Mediterranean, intervened on the side of Austria, and the Royal Navy everywhere harassed Spain's allies and frustrated Spanish war shipping. Genoa was blocked off by a British squadron, and Switzerland kept her borders closed to the passage of troops. Marching overland through allied France, the Infante Philip had easily conquered Savoy, but, starved of supplies, had been unable to advance against the Sardinians in the Alps.

On 22 February, the Bourbon navies defeated the British off the coast of Toulon. The retreat of Admiral Matthews' fleet left the sea lanes temporarily under French and Spanish control. Supplies poured into Philip's camp. 20,000 Frenchmen under Louis François I, Prince of Conti were then dispatched to combine with Philip's 20,000 Spaniards, their goal being to force a passage into Lombardy and to unite with the Spanish army in the south.

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Wikipedia