Battle of Falkenberg
The Battle of Falkenberg was a battle during the Thirty Years’ War. The battle was fought between Sweden and Imperial forces on the 13th of November 1630 at Falkenberg in Pomerania
Background
After establishing himself on Wolin and Usedom, and capturing the important town of Stettin, Gustavus Adolphus began attempts to conquer the many fortresses around Pomerania. From Gartz, Imperial reinforcements were constantly sent against Kolberg, but these were often blocked by the Swedes. Therefor 3,500 Imperials marched out of Gartz on the 4th of November to reach Kolberg via Dramburg. On November 8, the Swedish in this are, Dodo zu Innhausen und Knyphausen, learned of the enemy’s advance, and on the same day received orders from Gustav Horn, Count of Pori to unite their two armies at Treptow on der Rega. Horn left Alexander Leslie as commander of Stettin and on the 12th of November Horn was to join Knyphausen at Gross Jestin, where they together had 5,500 men and 5 cannons.
At three o’clock in the morning the next day the Imperials were heard, but now they retreated before the larger Swedish Army. Horn immediately marched after and captured a small Imperial detachment around some towns. From the captured prisoners he was informed that the imperials was two hours ahead, upon hearing this news he rushed with 3,700 infantry and cavalry while the remaining men under Jindřich Matyáš Thurn had the catch up.[2] Horn eventually met up with the imperials near the small town of Falkenberg.[4]
The battle
Horns army was included Ernst Dönhoff's squadron as well as Georg von Uslar’s company of Cuirassiers. The infantry was commanded by Teuffel, Hepburn and von Thurn. On the march Horn was joined by 300 cavalry of Efferen-Hall’s newly rais,ed regiment. Knjiphausen waited for Horn in a strong position on the heights between Langenhagen and Zabern. Knjiphausen had Baudissins regiment of Arkebusiers which had just arrived from Prussia as well as 100 musketeers.[2]
When the battle was about to begin, a thick fog fell over the battlefield, making it impossible to see anything, but Horn nevertheless continued to try to defeat the imperials. He wanted to force the rearguard into the imperial infantry, to create disorder in the imperial line and give Thurn enough time to arrive. Horn therefor ordered Wolf Heinrich von Baudissin to attack with parts of the cavalry. The attack initially had success but soon he ran into the imperial infantry, but then he was thrown back. As a result of the fog, no proper attack against the imperials army could be made, and after a few more futile attacks with cavalry, the Imperials were able to withdraw.
Aftermath
After the battle, which was the first regular field battle of the Swedish Phase of the Thirty Years’ War, the imperials retreated back to Gartz while Horn met up with Gustavus Adolphus at Greifenberg which fell in December, along with Ribnitz, Marwitz, Malchin, Kolberg, and Demmin in the next year.
According to von Colloredo, the Imperial commander, the Swedes suffered up to 400 losses while his own army sustained only 40 losses. The Imperials had thus achieved a tactical success and the Swedes a strategic success.[4]
See also
Notes
References
- ↑ Haalen.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Kriegsbach.
- ↑ Kreiegsbach.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Sveriges krig 1611-1632 (volume 3): Tyska kriget intill mitten av januari 1631. Swedish General staff (1939), Stockholm. pp. 484–488
Work cited
• Starbäck, Carl Georg & Bbäckström, Per Olaf (1885). Berättelser ur Svenska Historien, Volym 4
• Mankell, Julius (1854). Arkiv till om svenska krigens ouch krigsinrättningarnes historia
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