Ramillies 1706 - Setup

 

Ramillies 1706

War of the Spanish Succession 23 May 1706

Pro-Habsburg Forces under The Duke of Marlborough  approx. 69,000 with 120 guns

Pro-Bourbon Forces under le Duc de Villeroi & the Elector of Bavaria, approx. 68,000 with 70 guns

Reference 

• Kronoskaf WSS
• Obscure battles

This battle took place two years after Blenheim and the French were there to revenge their defeat.  

The French commander, Villerori had pick Ramillies as the place to meet and defeat the British and their allies.  The Petite Gheete stream would disrupt the British advance and hamper their cavalry.  This would buy time for the French cavalry massed on the right wing to engage and crush the cavalry of the British and their allies.

In the option of Villerori (and most pundits) the Frech cavalry were the finest in Europe and their defeat at Blenheim was mainly due to a disease (glanders)  having swept through the French horses just before the battle.   The French cavalry commander Guiscard had noted the success of the British/Dutch  tactic of charging at the gallop and had decided to meet any charge with a hard counter change.

The British commander Marlborough had picked Ramilliers as the place to meet and defeat the French.  The Petite Gheeie stream would have little effect on the advance of the allied infantry and the superior firepower of the British and Dutch infantry would break the French foot .

 The reputation of the  French cavalry was strong but the British and Dutch cavalry had already shown at Blenheim that they were as good as the French and their tactic of galloping at the enemy was superior to the French tactic of trotting and firing pistols.

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