Battle of Minden, 1 August 1759 (Germany)
The battle of Minden took place during the Seven years War four miles north west of Minden in Westphalia Germany. Duke Ferdinand of Brunswick commanded the Allied Army made up of troops from Britain, Hanover, Hess and Prussia. Marshal the Marquis Louis de Contades commanded the French Army. The Allied objective was to reopen its communications with Hanover. An ambiguously worded command sent six British and three Hanoverian infantry battalions against the French cavalry while still in 'Line' formation a move that should have spelt disaster. Despite this
foolhardy move, the discipline and courage of the infantry repelled three French cavalry charges and smashed the French infantry in the centre of Contades formation. The six British infantry units involved celebrate this victory as a battle honour and on 'Minden day' each year, they were The Suffolk Regt, The Royal Hampshire Regt, The Lancashire Fusiliers, The Royal Welch Fusiliers, The King's own Yorkshire Light infantry, and the King's own Scottish Borderers. A charge by the British cavalry would have turned the French defeat into a rout but it's commander Lord George Sackville refused to obey three separate orders to attack. He was later court marshalled and dismissed from Army service but then went on to be Secretary of State for America and contributed to the British defeat in the colonies.
How to cite this article: Dugdale-Pointon, TDP. (23 October 2000), Battle of Minden, 1 August 1759, http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_minden.html
