Siege of Lochem (1582)

Siege of Lochem
Part of the Eighty Years' War & the Anglo–Spanish War
Liberation of Lochem from the Spanish in 1582. Etching by Frans Hogenberg
Date 22 July to 15 September 1582 Location Lochem (present-day the Netherlands) Result Anglo-States Protestant victory
Belligerents
Dutch Republic England Huguenots	Spain
Commanders and leaders
Count of Hohenlohe John Norreys	Francisco Verdugo Juan Baptista de Taxis
Strength
5,000 soldiers 2,500 cavalry	4,000 soldiers 400 cavalry
Casualties and losses
Low	High

The Siege of Lochem also known as the Relief of Lochem was a siege that took place in the Dutch city of Lochem during the Eighty Years' War and the Anglo–Spanish War. The city was relieved by a States army composing of English and French Huguenot troops under Count Philip of Hohenlohe-Neuenstein and William Louis of Nassau-Dillenburg and John Norreys on September 24, 1582. This marked the end of the Spanish siege of the city by the Spanish general Francisco Verdugo.

In the summer of 1581 Francisco Verdugo had been sent by the Duke of Parma to replace the Count of Rennenberg after his defeat by Anglo Dutch forces under John Norreys at Kollum. Verdugo was able to defeat Norreys at Noordhorn his attempt to seize Niezijl was foiled by stout resistance, mutiny and bad weather in the autumn of 1581. The following year Verdugo instead turned his attention to Lochem, a city in Guelderland, where Johann Baptista von Taxis had built a sconce around the walls of the town. Taxis joined forces with the Baron van Anholt, Lieutenant-colonel of former Rennenberg's regiment of foot, and laid siege to the town, believing it would be easy to capture as it was short of food. Verdugo had not given orders to start the siege and deemed it too risky because Lochem was easy to relief. Nevertheless, after Anholt brought to Groningen news of the siege, he decided to take command of the operations in order to keep his good reputation as a commander. Moreover, with Lochem taken Verdugo would then have an easy chance to advance and take the cities of Zutphen and Deventer.

By July 22 Lochem was under siege by 4,000 Spanish troops and 400 cavalry. In Lochem itself after a month of siege they had managed to hold out but conditions inside the town were appalling. Starvation took hold and many citizens had resorted to eating their own horses. The weather had been poor and the countryside was flooded; hampering conditions for both besieged and besieger.

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