Editing Battle of Turnhout (1597) (section)

==Battle==
[[File:Wenceslas Hollar - The battle at Turnhoult.jpg|thumb|left|The Battle at Turnhout - the English under Vere are assaulting the Spanish on the left, while the Dutch are assaulting on the right. From a print by [[Wenceslaus Hollar]]]]
Varax heard exaggerated reports of the size of Maurice's approaching army; this information and the lack of defensive walls at Turnhout caused him to immediately order a withdrawal south to the fortified town of Herentals. By daybreak of 24 January the whole of the Spanish force was en route to Herentals.<ref name="Markham256"/> Maurice soon discovered that the Spanish [[rearguard]] had marched out of the village just before his arrival. The country was intersected in all directions by hedges and ditches and having reached the banks of the river Aa, Varax removed all but one plank from the wooden bridge that crossed it. Parties of Spanish [[musketeer]]s were stationed on the other side to contest any crossing attempt, but the English advance guard swiftly forced them off.<ref name="Knight"/>

English [[carabineers]] and musketeers were sent forward to follow and engage the Spanish rearguard and a skirmish ensued which continued for {{convert|8|km|mi}}.<ref name="Fissel"/> Dutch musketeers crossed the bridge, while others, with the cavalry, traversed the river at a nearby ford. The Spanish were now in full retreat, while Maurice ordered the whole of the Anglo-Dutch cavalry to pursue, leaving his infantry and artillery well behind, struggling with the muddy road.<ref name="Markham257">Markham pp. 257-58</ref>

Having come across a large wood further on from the river, Vere called up his detached musketeers and placed them along the edges to conceal them.<ref name="Markham257"/> These skirmishers kept up a constant harassing fire on the Spanish rearguard, while Vere along with sixteen horsemen followed them along the highway in full sight and at the same time sent back a report to Maurice to come up in support. Vere had his horse shot from under him which slightly wounded his leg, but continued to lead on foot, until he was remounted. This skirmish between the Anglo-Dutch scouting force and the Spanish rearguard lasted for over three hours until the main body of the former's cavalry arrived. The Spanish had by then emerged onto the Tielenheide, an open heath suitable for cavalry action.<ref name="Markham259">Markham pp. 259</ref>

[[File:Sir Francis Vere - Portret van Franciscus Veer, Generaal en Gouverneur van Oostende (Aert Meuris).jpg|thumb|155px|Sir Francis Vere]]

Varax formed his infantry in four solid squares of [[Pike (weapon)|pikemen]] in column in the open space of the heath as they marched south, with musketeers on the flanks as was standard practice for the Spanish. His cavalry and wagons had entered an enclosed lane beyond the heath. The first square consisted of Germans led by the Count of Sulz, followed by the Walloons and Burgundians. The Marquis of Treviso brought up the rear with the veteran Spanish and Italian troops. Vere continued to follow them, until all of Maurice's cavalry had joined with him having emerged from the wood. The Anglo-Dutch then formed on the heath in front of the Spanish.<ref name="Motley426">[https://archive.org/stream/historyofunitedn03motluoft#page/426 Motley pp. 426-27]</ref>

The Spanish steadily continued their march but as they became aware of the allied movements on their left, their cavalry changed position and transferred from the right to the left of the line and rode between the infantry and the belt of woods. After the first volley by Vere's musketeers the Spanish harquebusiers on foot broke and fled. Varax ordered his cavalry to cover the retreat but Count Hohenlohe and his Dutch cavalry charged the Spanish right flank, as Vere followed suit upon their rear.<ref name="Watson">{{cite book|last1=Watson|first1=Robert|title=The History of the Reign of Philip II. King of Spain, Volume 3|date=1792|page=253|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JVxBAAAAcAAJ}}</ref> Hohenlohe fell upon Sulz's regiment of Germans while Vere's English and Bacx's Dutch cavalry assailed the Spanish rearguard. The surprise was complete; the Spanish cavalry which included the famed squadrons of Guzman, Mondragon, and Mendoza were hit hard at the first onset and within moments retreated for the opening of the enclosed lane. Most of them escaped through this into the boggy ground beyond. Several companies of Parker's cavalry galloped down the Herentals road, in pursuit of the Spanish cavalry and baggage.<ref name="Markham260"/>

[[File:Ruiterportret van Maurits. Op de achtergrond de Slag bij Turnhout, 1597.jpg|thumb|left|155px|[[Equestrian portrait]] of Maurice, Prince of Orange at the Battle of Turnhout by Egbert van Panderen]]

With the Spanish cavalry having been driven off, the Dutch and English cavalry fell upon the disordered Spanish infantry. The Walloon regiments tried to form a line with the flank protected by a copse, but their morale was already low after witnessing the flight of their cavalry. When they saw in the distance the mass of Dutch infantry approaching to support their cavalry they broke and tried to swim across the Aa river to reach Herentals. The musketeers of Sultz's regiment fell back in confusion upon the pikemen behind them and the whole formation promptly surrendered en masse upon being charged by the Anglo-Dutch cavalry. The veteran tercio under Treviso managed to deploy in combat formation and resisted manfully for some time, but Vere and Bacx's charge upon them was decisive.<ref name="Fissel"/> The Dutch and English troopers rode up very close to the massed ranks of the Spanish infantry and discharged their [[pistol]]s and [[carbine]]s at [[point-blank range]], inflicting carnage. Varax, fighting in the front line with his men, was among the casualties.<ref name="Watson"/> The cuirassiers' fire opened gaps within the Spanish ranks into which the troopers rode in and started attacking the formation from within, rapidly causing a rout.<ref name="Markham260"/>

While the veteran Spanish troops were fighting, the surviving Germans in the front and the other infantry in the rear had been simultaneously shattered and the panicked survivors swamped the two other regiments, those of Hachicourt and La Barlotte which were placed between them, masking their fire and spreading panic among them.<ref name="Motley426"/> The English and Dutch soon broke these formations as well and put nearly all of the Spanish infantry to flight. The pursuing cavalry harried them and the Spanish infantry were "cut down with terrible slaughter".<ref name="Knight"/> Parker's cavalry had in the meantime gone through the enclosed lane and plundered the Spanish baggage train.<ref name="Fissel"/> The Spanish had been completely routed and the battle had lasted no more than half an hour.{{sfn|Van der Hoeven|1997|p=72}}

The remnants of the Spanish force managed to retreat to Herentals where Nicolo Basta took command and rallied the survivors.<ref name="Motley428">[https://archive.org/stream/historyofunitedn03motluoft#page/426 Motley pp. 428-30]</ref>
[[File:Turnhout 1597.png|thumb|center|740px|Print of the Battle of Turnhout by [[Bartholomeus Dolendo]]<br>Top: The advancing army under Maurice in pursuit of Spanish troops from Ravels via Turnhout to the Tielenheide.<br>
Bottom: The battle on the Tielenheide and the fleeing Spanish cavalry.]]