Editing Battle of Denain (section)

==Battle sequence==
[[File:Godfrey Kneller Eugen von Savoyen 1712.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Eugene of Savoy]] in 1712.]]
After a detailed examination of the enemy dispositions, Villars decided in the greatest secrecy to attack [[Denain]]. Elements of the French cavalry were sent to seize the various bridges crossing the river Selle,<ref>not the Selle already in the English Wikipedia but this one: [[:fr:Selle (affluent de l'Escaut)]]</ref> which ran through le Cateau to join the [[Scheldt]] opposite Denain. During the evening, a French detachment also took up positions around a mill at Haspres, blocking the river that crossed there. That night, the French infantry began to march towards Prince Eugene's forces at [[Landrecies]]. In response to the threat, Prince Eugene reinforced Landrecies, weakening the Allied right wing, under the Earl of Albemarle, which held Denain.

At dawn, however, Villars swung the line of advance of his army and aimed it behind the cover of the Selle in three columns at Denain. At five o'clock in the morning, Villars and his principal lieutenants drew up their plan of attack at [[Avesnes-le-Sec]]. They chose the windmill there<ref>still standing today, with in one of its arches, a stone dated 1690.</ref> as a vantage point for observation of the surrounding lowland. 24,000 French infantry would attack the 8,500 strong Dutch garrison of Denain.{{sfn|Clodfelter|2017|p=72}} At seven o’clock, the French infantrymen reached [[Neuville-sur-Escaut]] and were immediately ordered to seize the bridges across the Scheldt. At eight o’clock, the Allies were surprised to discover the large French presence in the area. The Earl of Albemarle, at the head of the Dutch garrison in and around Denain, warned Prince Eugene, but the Prince of Savoy was then not greatly concerned. By one o'clock in the afternoon, the attack had already been started. The French sappers led the infantry against heavy fire and took Denain at the point of the [[bayonet]]. Many defenders were killed, and the remaining Dutch infantry attempted to escape across the mill bridge. However, it collapsed during the retreat, and hundreds of Allied troops drowned.

Realising the gravity of the situation, Prince Eugene attempted to force his way across the Scheldt at [[Prouvy]] to help Albemarle. Under the command of the [[Christian Louis de Montmorency-Luxembourg|Prince de Tingry]], French regiments held the bridge at Prouvy against repeated Austrian attacks. Finally, as the day drew to a close, the French destroyed the bridge to prevent it falling into the hands of the enemy. That left the Prince of Savoy's army blocked on the left flank by the Scheldt, and the Allies could not counterattack to retake Denain. There, Albemarle and his staff were taken prisoner, together with some 4,100 troops. The Allies suffered 6,500 to 8,000 losses, mostly borne by the Dutch, while French casualties were 500 to 2,100.<ref>Chandler: ''Marlborough as Military Commander,'' 305</ref>{{sfn|Lynn|1999|p=354}}{{sfn|Eggenberger|2012|p=120}}