Battle of Kallo
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Kallo was a major battle of the Eighty Years' War. It was fought on 20 June of 1638 near the fort of Kallo, located on the left bank of the Scheldt river, between a Dutch army under the command of William of Nassau-Hilchenbach
, and a Spanish army led by the Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand
, governor of the Spanish Netherlands. As the Dutch approached with the aim of surrounding the city of Antwerp, the Cardinal-Infante managed to assemble an army and almost miraculously repelled the much larger Dutch force, which lost several hundred men dead (one of whom was William of Nassau's only son), another 2,500 taken prisoner, and significant amounts of artillery and baggage. The Battle of Kallo was the largest action of the Spanish-Dutch War, as well as the only pitched battle and the worst Dutch defeat of the late Eighty Years War.
during 1636–37, in July 1637 the statholder Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange, marched into northern Barbant in command of an army of 18,000 soldiers and invested the Spanish-ruled city of Breda
. Garrisoned by 3,000 Spaniards, Italians, Wallons and Burgundians, Breda was one of the main fortresses of the Spanish Netherlands and a symbol of the Spanish power in Europe. A Spanish force under the Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand attempted to relieve the garrison of the city, but failed to dislodge the besiegers. Ferdinand decided move with his army to the valley of the Meuse
, where he took Venlo
and Roermond
after two fierce bombardments, in order to distract Frederick Henry. However, he had to turn back shortly after, alarmed by the French advances in Artois
, Hainaut and Luxembourg
, and could not prevent the fall of Breda.
For the campaign of 1638, King Philip IV
instructed the Cardinal-Infante to undertake an offensive strategy against the Dutch in order to subject them to massive pressure and force them to agree a favourable truce and the restoration of their conquests in Brazil
, Breda, Maastricht
, Rheinberg
and Orsoy. The main objective of that year would be the capture of Rheinberg, which would give to Spain a crossing point in the Lower Rhine
and contribute to tightening the blockade over Masstritch. Ferdinand was also ordered, when the offensive operations had finished, to quarter his army near the Dutch frontier in order to protect Antwerp, which had become more vulnerable since the loss of Breda, and even to reinforce the garrisons of many secondary fortresses. In the end, however, the Spanish were pinned to the defensive by a coordinated Franco-Dutch attack in May 1638. Marshall Châtillon
laid siege to Saint-Omer
covered by Marshall La Force
in Picardy
while Frederick Henry marched on Antwerp commanding an army of 22,000 soldiers, determined to besiege the city.
. Initially the army was going to Bergen op Zoom
, where Frederick Henry had sent 50 river barges, but then moved to Lillo. On the night of 13/14 June they crossed the Scheldt, landing at Kildreck, and easily occupied the Fort of Liefkenshoek, near the village of Kallo. According to a Spanish official letter from June 30, 1638, the commander of the fort had previously been bribed with 24,000 silver coins to open the gates as they approached. According to other source, the man, a captain called Maes, was not involved in any treachery but asked permission from the Dutch to save the life. The remaining garrison, caught by surprise, was massacred. William proceeded the following morning to attack the Forts of Sainte Marie and Isabelle, the latter built on the levee of Voorderweert
. He also ordered the dykes of the Polder
of Melsele to be demolished with the aim of flooding the area, but the low tide prevented this.
Over the next four days, the Dutch sapper
s worked to improve the defenses of the main Fort of Liefkenshoek. Large amounts of earth and other necessary materials were brought aboard river barges from the Fort of Lillo, located on the Dutch-controlled opposite riverside, which allowed the sappers to build high and wide embankments. William garrisoned half of his troops in those entrenchments, sending the remaining to harass the Forts of Sainte Marie and Verrebroek., from where they were receiving artillery fire and skirmishes were made by the Spanish to regain the levees between Kallo and Sainte Marie. An assault against this fort was rejected by its German garrison on the 17th, although the following day it was abandoned by its defenders and occupied by William's troops. Weerdick was taken by assault and captured the same day. Some sources claim that William's only son was killed during these actions.
with 4,000 infantry and 3,000 cavalry soldiers to relieve the besieged town of Saint-Omer together with the Prince Thomas Francis of Carignano
. Ferdinand went himself to the city determined to recover himself the lost forts. He gave the command of the citadelle of Antwerp to Don Felipe da Silva
and that of the city to Anthonie Schetz
, baron of Grobbendonk
, and even ordered the Marquis of Lede to come from the Meuse, where he was camped, with his troops. Warned of this maneuvers, William garrisoned all his troops to wait for a counterattack.
Ferdinand divided his army into three parts. The General of the Artillery Andrea Cantelmo would lead the main force, consisting of 3,000 men divided on 5 companies of Spanish veterans of the Tercio of Velada, all the Tercio of Duchino Doria, and some companies of Walloon
soldiers. The Marquis of Lede would attack in charge of 5 companies of the Old Tercio of Fuenclara
, the Walloon Tercio of Ribacourt, the Lower German regiment of Brion, and other soldiers of Nations, a total of 2,000 men. The last force, whose strength was also of 2,000 men, was put in command of Count of Fuenclara and consisted of 15 companies of his own Tercio.
On 20 June the Spanish army crossed the Scheltd river and took positions near Beveren
. The battle, one of the bloodiest of the war, began that night with the Spanish army storming the Dutch positions and lasted for 12 hours. Cantelmo fell over the fortifications through the leeve of Warbrok; the Marquis of Lede did it from Beveren, and the Count of Fuenclara in the fort of Sainte-Marie. At first the Dutch soldiers managed to repel the Spanish, but they were finally overrun and fled in disorder. About 2,500 men were killed or drowned in attempting to escape, while another 2,500 were captured. The whole of the artillery, 3 standards, 50 flags and 81 river barges were taken by the Spaniards. The Forts of Liefkenshoek and Verrebroek were reoccupied during the action, which cost the Cardinal-Infante 284 men dead, among them many captains, and 822 wounded. According to the same Spanish official letter from 30 June, William of Nassau's only son was taken prisoner in the Fort of Liefkenshoek. and shot dead by his captors to prevent his rescue by a group of Dutch soldiers.
, routed in command of a Spanish-Imperial force the French army under the Marshalls Gaspard III de Coligny
and Jacques-Nompar de Caumont
, which retreated from Saint Omer with the loss of 4,000 men. Piccolomini's Imperials also overran some Dutch outposts in Cleves. In an attempt to restore the situation, Frederick Henry laid siege to Geldern
in command of 16,000 men, but was forced into a costly retreat by the Cardinal-Infante, who succeeded in breaking his lines of circumvallation. The defensive campaign of 1638, in all, was exceptionally successful for the Spanish.
William of Nassau-Hilchenbach
William of Nassau-Siegen was Count of Nassau in Hilchenbach.- Life :William was the fourth son of John VII, Count of Nassau and his wife Magdalena von Waldeck-Wildungen .William was educated in the Reformed faith, and studied in Heidelberg and Sedan...
, and a Spanish army led by the Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand
Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand
Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand was Governor of the Spanish Netherlands, Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, Infante of Spain, Archduke of Austria, Archbishop of Toledo , and military...
, governor of the Spanish Netherlands. As the Dutch approached with the aim of surrounding the city of Antwerp, the Cardinal-Infante managed to assemble an army and almost miraculously repelled the much larger Dutch force, which lost several hundred men dead (one of whom was William of Nassau's only son), another 2,500 taken prisoner, and significant amounts of artillery and baggage. The Battle of Kallo was the largest action of the Spanish-Dutch War, as well as the only pitched battle and the worst Dutch defeat of the late Eighty Years War.
Background
While no major offensive operation was carried out against the United Provinces by the Spanish Army of FlandersArmy of Flanders
The Army of Flanders was a Spanish Habsburg army based in the Netherlands during the 16th to 18th centuries. It was notable for being the longest standing army of the period, being in continuous service from 1567 until its disestablishment in 1706...
during 1636–37, in July 1637 the statholder Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange, marched into northern Barbant in command of an army of 18,000 soldiers and invested the Spanish-ruled city of Breda
Breda
Breda is a municipality and a city in the southern part of the Netherlands. The name Breda derived from brede Aa and refers to the confluence of the rivers Mark and Aa. As a fortified city, the city was of strategic military and political significance...
. Garrisoned by 3,000 Spaniards, Italians, Wallons and Burgundians, Breda was one of the main fortresses of the Spanish Netherlands and a symbol of the Spanish power in Europe. A Spanish force under the Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand attempted to relieve the garrison of the city, but failed to dislodge the besiegers. Ferdinand decided move with his army to the valley of the Meuse
Meuse
Meuse is a department in northeast France, named after the River Meuse.-History:Meuse is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
, where he took Venlo
Venlo
Venlo is a municipality and a city in the southeastern Netherlands, next to the German border. It is situated in the province of Limburg.In 2001, the municipalities of Belfeld and Tegelen were merged into the municipality of Venlo. Tegelen was originally part of the Duchy of Jülich centuries ago,...
and Roermond
Roermond
Roermond is a city, a municipality, and a diocese in the southeastern part of the Netherlands.The city of Roermond is a historically important town, on the lower Roer at the east bank of the Meuse river. It received city rights in 1231...
after two fierce bombardments, in order to distract Frederick Henry. However, he had to turn back shortly after, alarmed by the French advances in Artois
Artois
Artois is a former province of northern France. Its territory has an area of around 4000 km² and a population of about one million. Its principal cities are Arras , Saint-Omer, Lens and Béthune.-Location:...
, Hainaut and Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
, and could not prevent the fall of Breda.
For the campaign of 1638, King Philip IV
Philip IV of Spain
Philip IV was King of Spain between 1621 and 1665, sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands, and King of Portugal until 1640...
instructed the Cardinal-Infante to undertake an offensive strategy against the Dutch in order to subject them to massive pressure and force them to agree a favourable truce and the restoration of their conquests in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Breda, Maastricht
Maastricht
Maastricht is situated on both sides of the Meuse river in the south-eastern part of the Netherlands, on the Belgian border and near the German border...
, Rheinberg
Rheinberg
Rheinberg is a town in the district of Wesel, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated on the left bank of the Rhine, approx. north of Moers and south of Wesel....
and Orsoy. The main objective of that year would be the capture of Rheinberg, which would give to Spain a crossing point in the Lower Rhine
Lower Rhine
The Lower Rhine flows from Bonn, Germany, to the North Sea at Hoek van Holland, Netherlands.Almost immediately after entering the Netherlands, the Rhine splits into many branches. The main branch is called the Waal which flows from Nijmegen to meet the river Meuse; after which it is called Merwede...
and contribute to tightening the blockade over Masstritch. Ferdinand was also ordered, when the offensive operations had finished, to quarter his army near the Dutch frontier in order to protect Antwerp, which had become more vulnerable since the loss of Breda, and even to reinforce the garrisons of many secondary fortresses. In the end, however, the Spanish were pinned to the defensive by a coordinated Franco-Dutch attack in May 1638. Marshall Châtillon
Gaspard III de Coligny
Gaspard III de Coligny, Maréchal de Châtillon, of the House of Coligny , comte de Coligny and seigneur de Châtillon-sur-Loing, then duc de Coligny, marquis d'Andelot, Peer of France, Marshal of France , was a French Protestant general.He was the son of François de Coligny and his wife Marguerite...
laid siege to Saint-Omer
Saint-Omer
Saint-Omer , a commune and sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department west-northwest of Lille on the railway to Calais. The town is named after Saint Audomar, who brought Christianity to the area....
covered by Marshall La Force
Duc de La Force
The title of Duc de la Force, pair de France was created in 1637 for members of the Caumont family, who were lords of the village of La Force in the Dordogne....
in Picardy
Picardy
This article is about the historical French province. For other uses, see Picardy .Picardy is a historical province of France, in the north of France...
while Frederick Henry marched on Antwerp commanding an army of 22,000 soldiers, determined to besiege the city.
Dutch advance
A Dutch vanguard of 6,000 Dutchmen, Germans and Scots under Prince William of Nassau was dispatched ahead of the main army with orders to capture various forts and redoubts placed on the left bank of the Scheltd riverScheldt
The Scheldt is a 350 km long river in northern France, western Belgium and the southwestern part of the Netherlands...
. Initially the army was going to Bergen op Zoom
Bergen op Zoom
Bergen op Zoom is a municipality and a city located in the south of the Netherlands.-History:Bergen op Zoom was granted city status probably in 1266. In 1287 the city and its surroundings became a lordship as it was separated from the lordship of Breda. The lordship was elevated to a margraviate...
, where Frederick Henry had sent 50 river barges, but then moved to Lillo. On the night of 13/14 June they crossed the Scheldt, landing at Kildreck, and easily occupied the Fort of Liefkenshoek, near the village of Kallo. According to a Spanish official letter from June 30, 1638, the commander of the fort had previously been bribed with 24,000 silver coins to open the gates as they approached. According to other source, the man, a captain called Maes, was not involved in any treachery but asked permission from the Dutch to save the life. The remaining garrison, caught by surprise, was massacred. William proceeded the following morning to attack the Forts of Sainte Marie and Isabelle, the latter built on the levee of Voorderweert
Voorderweert
Voorderweert is a town in Belgium in the province of Provincie Antwerpen. Some towns that are near Voorderweert are Sas, Molenhoek, and Brans. An airport close to Voorderweert is Zoersel....
. He also ordered the dykes of the Polder
Polder
A polder is a low-lying tract of land enclosed by embankments known as dikes, that forms an artificial hydrological entity, meaning it has no connection with outside water other than through manually-operated devices...
of Melsele to be demolished with the aim of flooding the area, but the low tide prevented this.
Over the next four days, the Dutch sapper
Sapper
A sapper, pioneer or combat engineer is a combatant soldier who performs a wide variety of combat engineering duties, typically including, but not limited to, bridge-building, laying or clearing minefields, demolitions, field defences, general construction and building, as well as road and airfield...
s worked to improve the defenses of the main Fort of Liefkenshoek. Large amounts of earth and other necessary materials were brought aboard river barges from the Fort of Lillo, located on the Dutch-controlled opposite riverside, which allowed the sappers to build high and wide embankments. William garrisoned half of his troops in those entrenchments, sending the remaining to harass the Forts of Sainte Marie and Verrebroek., from where they were receiving artillery fire and skirmishes were made by the Spanish to regain the levees between Kallo and Sainte Marie. An assault against this fort was rejected by its German garrison on the 17th, although the following day it was abandoned by its defenders and occupied by William's troops. Weerdick was taken by assault and captured the same day. Some sources claim that William's only son was killed during these actions.
Spanish counter-attack
The Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand, alarmed, requested his Imperial general Ottavio Piccolomini to went immediately to Antwerp with his army. Piccolomini was then en route to ValenciennesValenciennes
Valenciennes is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It lies on the Scheldt river. Although the city and region had seen a steady decline between 1975 and 1990, it has since rebounded...
with 4,000 infantry and 3,000 cavalry soldiers to relieve the besieged town of Saint-Omer together with the Prince Thomas Francis of Carignano
Thomas Francis, Prince of Carignano
Thomas Francis of Savoy was an Italian military commander, the founder of the Savoy-Carignano branch of the House of Savoy which reigned as kings of Sardinia from 1831 to 1861, and as kings of Italy from 1861 until the...
. Ferdinand went himself to the city determined to recover himself the lost forts. He gave the command of the citadelle of Antwerp to Don Felipe da Silva
Felipe da Silva
D. Felipe da Silva was a Portuguese soldier in the service of Spain.Felipe was the son of D. Filipa da Silva , 4th Countess of Portalegre and of D. Juan de Silva , Spanish ambassador to the court of King Sebastian and Count of Salinas. His brother was D...
and that of the city to Anthonie Schetz
Anthonie Schetz
Anthonie Schetz, Baron of Grobbendonk was a military commander of the Spanish-Imperial armies during the Thirty Years' War. He was baron of Grobbendonk, lord of Tilburg and Goirle, Pulle and Pulderbos, and Wezemaal...
, baron of Grobbendonk
Grobbendonk
Grobbendonk is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp . The municipality comprises the towns of Bouwel and Grobbendonk proper. On January 1, 2006 Grobbendonk had a total population of 10,747. The total area is 28.36 km² which gives a population density of 379 inhabitants per...
, and even ordered the Marquis of Lede to come from the Meuse, where he was camped, with his troops. Warned of this maneuvers, William garrisoned all his troops to wait for a counterattack.
Ferdinand divided his army into three parts. The General of the Artillery Andrea Cantelmo would lead the main force, consisting of 3,000 men divided on 5 companies of Spanish veterans of the Tercio of Velada, all the Tercio of Duchino Doria, and some companies of Walloon
Walloon
Wallon may refer to:*Henri-Alexandre Wallon , a French historian and statesman*Henri Wallon , a psychologist and grandson of Henri-Alexandre Wallon...
soldiers. The Marquis of Lede would attack in charge of 5 companies of the Old Tercio of Fuenclara
Fuenclara
The Tercio of Fuenclara was a Spanish native Tercio who fought in the Battle of Nördlingen, in the Eighty Years' War....
, the Walloon Tercio of Ribacourt, the Lower German regiment of Brion, and other soldiers of Nations, a total of 2,000 men. The last force, whose strength was also of 2,000 men, was put in command of Count of Fuenclara and consisted of 15 companies of his own Tercio.
On 20 June the Spanish army crossed the Scheltd river and took positions near Beveren
Beveren
Beveren is a municipality located in the Belgian province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the towns of Beveren proper, Doel, Haasdonk, Kallo, Kieldrecht, Melsele, Verrebroek and Vrasene....
. The battle, one of the bloodiest of the war, began that night with the Spanish army storming the Dutch positions and lasted for 12 hours. Cantelmo fell over the fortifications through the leeve of Warbrok; the Marquis of Lede did it from Beveren, and the Count of Fuenclara in the fort of Sainte-Marie. At first the Dutch soldiers managed to repel the Spanish, but they were finally overrun and fled in disorder. About 2,500 men were killed or drowned in attempting to escape, while another 2,500 were captured. The whole of the artillery, 3 standards, 50 flags and 81 river barges were taken by the Spaniards. The Forts of Liefkenshoek and Verrebroek were reoccupied during the action, which cost the Cardinal-Infante 284 men dead, among them many captains, and 822 wounded. According to the same Spanish official letter from 30 June, William of Nassau's only son was taken prisoner in the Fort of Liefkenshoek. and shot dead by his captors to prevent his rescue by a group of Dutch soldiers.
Aftermath
The victory of Kallo was described by the Cardinal-Infante to King Philip as the "greatest victory which your Majesty's arms have achieved since the war in the Low Countries began", and by the Dutch as "a great disaster". The recapture of the key fortress of Kallo forced Frederick Henry to abort the whole offensive, which turned as one of the worst Dutch defeats of the war, thus undermining the reputation of the statholder. Shortly after two of Ferdinand's generals, Ottavio Piccolomini and Prince Thomas of CarignanoThomas Francis, Prince of Carignano
Thomas Francis of Savoy was an Italian military commander, the founder of the Savoy-Carignano branch of the House of Savoy which reigned as kings of Sardinia from 1831 to 1861, and as kings of Italy from 1861 until the...
, routed in command of a Spanish-Imperial force the French army under the Marshalls Gaspard III de Coligny
Gaspard III de Coligny
Gaspard III de Coligny, Maréchal de Châtillon, of the House of Coligny , comte de Coligny and seigneur de Châtillon-sur-Loing, then duc de Coligny, marquis d'Andelot, Peer of France, Marshal of France , was a French Protestant general.He was the son of François de Coligny and his wife Marguerite...
and Jacques-Nompar de Caumont
Jacques-Nompar de Caumont, duc de la Force
Jacques-Nompar de Caumont, duc de la Force was a marshal of France and peer of France.He was born in La Force, the son of Francois de Caumont and Philippes de Beaupoil....
, which retreated from Saint Omer with the loss of 4,000 men. Piccolomini's Imperials also overran some Dutch outposts in Cleves. In an attempt to restore the situation, Frederick Henry laid siege to Geldern
Geldern
Geldern ) is a city in the northwest of the federal state North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is part of the district of Cleves, which is part of the Düsseldorfadministrative region.-Location:...
in command of 16,000 men, but was forced into a costly retreat by the Cardinal-Infante, who succeeded in breaking his lines of circumvallation. The defensive campaign of 1638, in all, was exceptionally successful for the Spanish.