Editing Battle of the Dunes (1658) (section)

==Battle==
The Spanish army approached and camped upon a line of dunes north-east of Dunkirk. Turenne seized the initiative and marched out to meet the Spanish and attack them the following day. The French army of some 6,000 foot and 8,000 horse{{sfn|Hamilton|1874|p=24}} and 10 cannon were deployed with their left on the sea and their right on the canal.  Turenne, before low tide, deployed his French-English force in two lines with cavalry on each flank. With the left flank cavalry on the beach, 40 squadrons strong, Turenne planned to take advantage of the turning tide going out to expose the Spanish right to his cavalry. Turenne placed 5 cannon on the right wing between the downs and the meadow and 5 cannon on the left along the strand.{{sfn|Ramsay|1735|p=184}} Cromwell's English, under the command of Major General [[Sir Thomas Morgan, 1st Baronet|Thomas Morgan]] and William Lockhart, were lined up against the Spanish troops while the centre was the French infantry consisting of the Guards, the Swiss and the regiments of Picardy and Turenne facing the Wallons and Germans. The right flank French cavalry under the Duke de Crequi opposed Condé.
[[File:Battle of the Dunes 1658.jpg|300px|thumb|left|Battle of the Dunes 1658 - 1698 engraving by [[Sebastian Pontault de Beaulieu|Sebastian Beaulieu]], showing the Spanish deployment at top and French below.]]

The Spanish army with 6,000 foot and 9,000 horse{{sfn|Hamilton|1874|p=24}} formed up with its right on the sea across the sand-hills to the canal of Furnes on their left. The regular Spanish infantry [[tercios]] were on the right under the command of Don Juan, the English Royalist regiments under the Duke of York were on their left to the right centre, the [[Walloons|Walloon]] and German tercios were in the centre and on the left were the French rebel Frondeurs and some other troops. The Spanish cavalry was drawn up in line behind the infantry. In their rush to relieve Dunkirk the Spanish had left their artillery behind.

Turenne began the battle with four or five artillery salvoes from his two unopposed batteries, and the Spanish right flank was bombarded with some harassing fire from several frigates and sloops{{sfn|Hozier|1885|p=132}} of the English fleet. The Anglo-French army began to advance, and the Cromwellian English pressed quickly ahead against the Spanish [[tercio]] of Don Caspar Boniface deployed on a sand dune that was somewhat in advance of the rest of their army. The English charged and crossed pikes with the Spanish tercio, driving it down the hill, and, by following up, the English formation became exposed. James, Duke of York, led two cavalry charges against the Cromwellian troops' flank, driving into the musketeers. Some Spanish cavalry from their reserve was sent forward and threatened the English but were defeated in turn by the French cavalry under [[Jacques de Mauvisière de Castelnau|Marquis de Castelneau]]. The French infantry consisting of the Guards, the Swiss and the regiments of Picardy and Turenne advanced on the Spanish centre, meeting little resistance. Marshal Turenne took advantage of the receding tide to concentrate most of his cavalry on his left, and its advance enveloped the Spanish right wing.{{sfn|Hozier|1885|p=132}}
[[Image:Panoramic view on the Battle of Dunes in 1658.PNG|thumb|View of the Battle of Dunes from behind the Spanish lines<br>Oil painting by [[Siméon Fort]]]]

Condé on the Spanish left held off the initial attacks of the French right wing and even counterattacked them, getting unhorsed and nearly captured, but in the end he was also forced from the field. The German and Walloons of the centre retired at the onset of the French infantry, throwing the Spanish cavalry in the reserve into disorder so that it was carried away in the flight.{{sfn|Hamilton|1874|pp=25–26}}

The battle lasted for about two hours, and by noon Turenne had a complete victory{{sfn|Tucker|2010|p=214}} that ended with the rout of the Spanish forces. The Spanish lost about 1,200 killed, 3,000 wounded{{sfn|Clodfelter|2017|p=42}}{{sfn|Hamilton|1874|p=27}} and some 5,000 captured while the French lost only about 400, about half of them English. Amongst the Cromwellian troops Lockhart's regiment of foot bore the brunt of the fighting. Its lieutenant-colonel, [[Roger Fenwick (Roundhead)|Roger Fenwick]], and two of its captains were killed, and nearly all the rest of its officers were wounded, and lost about forty or fifty other ranks killed in battle. Lillingston's lost a captain and thirty or forty killed in battle, while the other regiments suffered only slight losses (the number of English dead rose because like Fenwick they died of wounds over the next few weeks).<ref>{{harvnb|Firth|1898|pp=85–86}} cites: Clarke Papers, iii. 154; Thurloe, vii. 156, 160 ; Cal. S. P., Dam. 1658-9, p. 97-</ref>{{sfn|Firth|1909|p=199}}{{sfn|Baker|Phillips|1733|p=562}} The French pursuit lasted until nightfall. One force of English Royalist guards<ref group=lower-alpha>This unit would be the core of the Royal Regiment of Guards, later the [[Grenadier Guards]] {{harv|Tucker|2010|p=214}}.</ref> held out, surrendering only when they were assured they would be allowed to rejoin Charles II at Ypres. The Duke of York's troop of guards, which charged several times with the Duke himself at its head, suffered severely, but also remained fit for further service. The King's forces after the battle numbered less than a thousand men, probably not more than seven or eight hundred.{{sfn|Firth|1898|p=86}} The French corps of Frondeurs on the left under the command of Condé retreated in good order.