Battle of Villinghausen

Battle of Villinghausen
Part of the Seven Years' War
Bataille de Willinghausen, print, Frankfurt 1789
Date 15–16 July 1761 Location Vellinghausen, near Hamm, present-day Germany Result Prussian-Hanoverian-British victory
Belligerents
Prussia Hanover  Great Britain	France
Commanders and leaders
Duke Ferdinand of Brunswick	Duc de Broglie Prince de Soubise
Strength
~65,000	~90,000
Casualties and losses
1,400	5,000 (Broglie 4,700, Soubise 300)

The Battle of Villinghausen (or Vellinghausen) was a battle in the Seven Years' War fought on the 15th and 16th of July, 1761, between a large French army and a combined Prussian-Hanoverian-British force led by Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick.

Two French armies, under two Marshals, Duc de Broglie and Prince de Soubise met up in July 1761, intending to force Prince Ferdinand out of Lippstadt, an important town. Allied reinforcements under General Spörcken arrived bringing Ferdinand's forces up to 65,000 while the combined French armies numbered around 90,000.

The allied Prussian-Hanoverian-British forces lined up along a series of hills, with their left anchored by the Lippe River (in the north), and the Ahse River in their centre. The French army advanced on 15 July, and Broglie's troops in the north made progress against German troops under Wutginau. However, British troops under Granby just south of Wutginau held their ground and the French assault stalled. Reinforcements for both sides arrived that night and Ferdinand strengthened his left at the expense of his right.

The next morning, Broglie continued his attack on the Allied left, expecting Soubise to attack the weakened Allied right. However, Soubise only ordered a few small actions against the right, due in part that both French commanders were the same rank and reluctant to take orders from the other. Allied reinforcements under Wolff soon arrived along the Lippe River and attacked the French flank, halting Broglie's attack and forcing his men to withdraw. By about noon, the French were in full retreat and the battle was over.

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