Battle of Minden
| Battle of Minden | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Seven Years' War | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
|
 Hesse |
 France | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Prince Ferdinand |
Louis Georges Érasme de Contades, Marquis de Contades | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 41,000 and 170 guns | 51,000 and 160 guns | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 2,600 killed, wounded or missing | 7,000 killed, wounded or missing. | ||||||
In the Battle of Minden fought on August 1, 1759 during the Seven Years' War, a Prussian-Hanoverian-British army under Prince Ferdinand defeated a French army under the Marquis de Contades.
Battle
In an exception to the norm of the era, Contades placed his artillery in the center protected only by the cavalry, with his infantry on either flank.
The battle began on the French right flank, where Marshal de Broglie, who commanded the reserve, began an assault on the allied left. In the centre, due to a misunderstanding of orders, a brigade of British infantry, supported by the Hanoverian Guards, actually advanced to attack the French cavalry. Decimated by French shot and canister, they drove off repeated French cavalry charges with musket fire and inflicted serious casualties on the French horsemen.
Supported by the well-served British and Hanoverian artillery, the entire allied line eventually advanced against the French army and sent it fleeing from the field. The only French troops capable of mounting any significant resistance were those of de Broglie, who formed a fighting rear guard.
Aftermath
Prince Ferdinand's army suffered 2,800 fatalities; the French lost between 10,000 and 11,000 men.
This crowning victory for the allies was only marred by the conduct of Sir George Sackville, Ferdinand's cavalry commander. Sackville ignored repeated positive orders to bring up his troopers and charge the enemy until it was too late to make a difference. For his conduct at the battle he was considered disgraced, and in order to clear his name he requested a court martial. However, the evidence against him was substantial and the court martial declared him "...unfit to serve His Majesty in any capacity whatsoever." The transcript of this can be found in the British Public Record Office. Sackville would later reappear as Lord George Germain and bear a major portion of the blame for the American Revolution.
The father of the General Lafayette was killed in this battle. Marshal de Contades was subsequently relieved of his command and replaced by the Duc de Broglie.