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OOB for the Battle of Rocroi, 19th May 1643
Fusilier Eric Veitl from France presents the OOB for this important battle of the Thirty Years War, which can be refought using 25/28 mm ECW figurines: Perrys, Renegade, Front Rank, Foundry (if you can still find them!) - all these suppliers have some lovely figurines.
For
the third time, Fernando de Melo, governor of Holland for the Spanish
Kingdom, is trying to over-run the north of France with his 24,000 soldiers.
Rocroi is the only fortified town. If the Spanish take it, the road to
Paris is open.
The French army of Picardie (23,000 soldiers) moves to cover Rocroi.
By the time of this move, Louis XIII, the French king, has passed away.
The Duc d‘Enghien gives instructions not to tell anything to the
soldiers.
Rocroi is in a very bad condition. On the 17th of May Gassion reports
that the town will be able to hold for two days, no more.
General de Melo wants to wait for reinforcements - Jean de Beck is on the way with 6,000 more troops.
The French decide to fight.
The losses are:
- 7,000 Spanish casualties vs 3,000 French casualties.
- all the Spanish artillery taken by French .
- 170 flags and 60 standards taken by French .
It is the first victory for the new king, Louis XIV. He is five years old.
ORDER OF BATTLE
FRENCH
ARMY OF PICARDIE
Left Wing : under the command of La Ferté-Senneterre (Camp Marshall) and Marshall de l‘Hopital.
First Line :
- Fusiliers : 2 squadrons
- Guiche : 2 squadrons
- La Ferté : 2 squadrons
- Beauvau : 1 squadron
- La Claviére : 1 squadron
Second Line :
- Harcourt : 1 squadron
- Heudicourt : 1 squadron
- Marolles : 1 squadron
- Nétaf : 2 squadrons
Main Corp : under the command of Sieur d'Espéran.
First Line :
- Piémont : 1 battalion
- Rambure : 1 battalion
- Biscaras-Bourdonné : 1 battalion
- Molandin : 2 Swiss battalions
- Persan : 1 battalion
- La Marine : 1 battalion
- Picardie : 1 battalion
Artillery :
12 guns under the command of Henri de Chivré, Marquis de la Barre..
Second Line :
- Guiche-Bussy : 1 battalion
- Brezé-Langeron : 1 battalion
- Roll (Swiss ) : 1 battalion
- Ecossais (Scot) : 1 battalion
- Wattreville (Swiss) : 1 battalion
- Vidane : 1 battalion
- La Prée-Vervins : 1 battalion
Reserve : under the command of Sieur Sidot (infantry and cavalry).
- Charost : 1 squadron
- Royaux : 1 battalion
- Gendarmes : 3 companies
- Watterville (Swiss) : 1 battalion
- Gendarmes : 3 companies
- Harcourt-Aubeterre-Gesvres : 1 battalion
- Sirot : 1 squadron .
Gendarmes have six companies placed three each side of Watterville regiment.
Right Wing : the cavalry was under the command of Louis II of Bourbon, Duc of Enghien (future Prince of Condé) and Jean de Gassion General "mestre de camp" of light cavalry.
First line :
- Sully : 1 squadron
- Coislin : 1 squadron
- Lenoncourt : 1 squadron
- Mestre de Camp General : 2 squadrons
- Royal : 2 squadrons
- Gardes : 1 squadron
- Raab-Croats-Chacks : 2 squadrons
Second line :
- Vamberg : 1 squadron
- Leshelle : 1 squadron
- Sillart : 1 squadron
- Menneville : 1 squadron
- Roquelaure : 1 squadron
TOTAL : 16.000 infantry and 7.000 cavalry
SPANISH ARMY
Left
Wing : cavalry of Flandres under the command of Duc of Albuquerque.
First Line :
- Albuquerque : 3 squadrons .
- Avela : 3 squadrons
- Velandio : 3 squadrons
Second Line :
- Villalva : 2 squadrons
- Burgy : 2 squadrons
- Castelvi : 2squadrons
Main Corp : under the command of Count de la Fuente.
First Line :
- 2 tercios : Grammont and Saint Amour (Franche-Compté)
- 5 tiercos viejos (Spanish)
- 3 tercios : Shozzi , Delli Ponti and Visconti (Italian)
Second Line :
- Prince de Linge (Walloon) : 1 battalion
- Ribaucourt (Walloon) : 1 battalion
- Granges (Walloon) : 1 battalion
- Meghen (Walloon) : 1 battalion
- Bassigny (Walloon) : 1 battalion
- Ritberg (German) : 1 battalion
- Montecuccoli (Italian) : 1 battalion
- Frangipani (Italian) : 1 battalion
- Ambisi (German) : 1 battalion
Reserve :
- Cavalry : 2 squadrons
Artillery :
- 18 guns
Right Wing : cavalry under the command of Don Francisco de Melo, Duc de Bragance and Ernest d‘Issemburg.
First line :
- Alsace : 6 squadrons
- Croatians : 2 squadrons
Second line :
- Alsace : 6 squadrons
TOTAL : 18.000 infantry and 8.000 cavalry.
This OOB is produced with the great kindness of Nicolas Stratigos, managing-editor of the French magazine Vae Victis, and writer of an excellent article on Rocroi in issue n°11.
