Page 56 - All About History 48 - 2017 UK
P. 56
Greatest Battles
Cavalry charge
At the height of the Battle of Blenheim,
infantry under John Churchill, 1st Duke of
Marlborough, advanced against the weakened
centre of Marshal Tallard’s French line. The
Grand Alliance thwarted French and Bavarian
Driven into the Danube attempts to capture Vienna following
Some of the retreating French forces were driven Marlborough’s long march to the battlefield –
into the waters of the great River Danube as panic just days before the encounter took place.
ensued among the men and horses. The French
commander at the village of Blenheim, Marquis de
Clérambault, actually drowned in the river. While
allied losses totalled 12,000 killed and wounded,
French and Bavarian casualties were more than 50
per cent, with 18,000 killed and 13,000 wounded.
Bringing support forward Heart of the action
English officers and cavalry surged forward Desperate fighting raged in the village of
to support the infantry as the attackers Blenheim, where English troops mounted repeated
overwhelmed the thin centre of the French line assaults during the day. This was in preparation
late in the afternoon of 13 August 1704. Critical for Marlborough’s decisive attack on the French
reserves had been directed towards the village centre after crossing the marshy Nebel. The
of Blenheim and were unavailable to Marshal English effort at the village succeeded in drawing
Tallard when the decisive assault began. crucial French reserves away from the scene.
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