Editing Battle of Ramillies (section)

===Breakthrough===
[[File:Ramillies 1706, breakthrough and pursuit.PNG|thumb|Allied squadrons transferred from north to south gave the Allies a 5–3 advantage on the plain where some 25,000 French and Allied cavalry were heavily engaged.<ref>Chandler: ''Marlborough as Military Commander'', 177</ref>]]

The time was about 16:30, and the two armies were in close contact across the whole {{convert|6|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} front, from the skirmishing in the marshes in the south, through the vast cavalry battle on the open plain; to the fierce struggle for Ramillies at the centre, and to the north, where, around the cottages of Offus and Autre-Eglise, Orkney and de la Guiche faced each other across the Petite Gheete ready to renew hostilities.

The arrival of the transferring squadrons now began to tip the balance in favour of the Allies. Tired, and suffering a growing list of casualties, the numerical inferiority of Guiscard's squadrons battling on the plain at last began to tell.<ref>Falkner: ''Ramillies 1706: Year of Miracles'', 87</ref> After earlier failing to hold or retake Franquenée and Taviers, Guiscard's right flank had become dangerously exposed and a fatal gap had opened on the right of their line. Taking advantage of this breach, Württemberg's Danish cavalry now swept forward, wheeling to penetrate the flank of the Maison du Roi whose attention was almost entirely fixed on holding back the Dutch. Sweeping forwards, virtually without resistance, the 21 Danish squadrons reformed behind the French around the area of the Tomb of Ottomond, facing north across the plateau of Mont St André towards the exposed flank of Villeroi's army.<ref>Chandler: ''Marlborough as Military Commander'', 177. Trevelyan calls this the decisive manoeuvre of the day.</ref>

The final Allied reinforcements for the cavalry contest to the south were at last in position; Marlborough's superiority on the left could no longer be denied, and his fast-moving plan took hold of the battlefield. Now, far too late, Villeroi tried to redeploy his 50 unused squadrons, but a desperate attempt to form line facing south, stretching from Offus to Mont St André, floundered amongst the baggage and tents of the French camp carelessly left there after the initial deployment.<ref>Trevelyan: ''England Under Queen Anne: Ramillies and the Union with Scotland'', 116. After the retreat had become general, further disaster and confusion resulted from the block of waggons breaking down in the mud. The artillery could not pass, resulting in the loss of most of Villeroi’s cannon.</ref> The Allied commander ordered his cavalry forward against the now heavily outnumbered French and Bavarian horsemen. De Guiscard's right flank, without proper infantry support, could no longer resist the onslaught and, turning their horses northwards, they broke and fled in complete disorder.<ref>Falkner: ''Ramillies 1706: Year of Miracles'', 92</ref> Even the squadrons currently being scrambled together by Villeroi behind Ramillies could not withstand the onslaught. "We had not got forty yards on our retreat," remembered Captain Peter Drake, an Irishman serving with the French{{snd}}"when the words ''sauve qui peut'' went through the great part, if not the whole army, and put all to confusion"<ref>Trevelyan: ''England Under Queen Anne: Ramillies and the Union with Scotland'', 115</ref>

In Ramillies the Allied infantry, now reinforced by the English troops brought down from the north, at last broke through. The Régiment de Picardie stood their ground but were caught between Colonel Borthwick's Scots-Dutch regiment and the English reinforcements. Borthwick was killed, as was [[Charles O'Brien, 5th Viscount Clare|Charles O’Brien]], the Irish Viscount Clare in French service, fighting at the head of his regiment.<ref>Falkner: ''Ramillies 1706: Year of Miracles'', 94</ref> The Marquis de Maffei attempted one last stand with his Bavarian and Cologne Guards, but it proved in vain. Noticing a rush of horsemen fast approaching from the south, he later recalled: "...{{nbs}}I went towards the nearest of these squadrons to instruct their officer, but instead of being listened to [I] was immediately surrounded and called upon to ask for quarter."<ref>Falkner: ''Ramillies 1706: Year of Miracles'', 95</ref>