Battle of Swalmen 1793
Dutch During the
Revolutionary Wars Part 12
Positions and Dispositions
by Geert van Uythoven, Netherlands
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The Austrian attack across the river Ruhr near Aldenhoven had succeeded. They had inflicted heavy loss to the French, and their troops were making good progress. The Battle of Swalmen, 3 March 1793 FM Sachsen-Coburg-Saalfeld estimated French losses over the last three days to 6,600 killed and wounded, and 4,000 made prisoner. On 2 March the city Aachen was captured. Time had come for the Duke of Brunswick-Oels to fulfil his secondary role by retaking the fortress-city Roermond, and to dispel the French from the east bank of the river Meuse completely. What was about to take place is known as the battle of Swalmen, in which 6,500 French faced about 13,000 Allies. One of the most obscure battles that took place during the Revolutionary wars, the battle of Aldenhoven / Aix-la-Chapelle drawing all attention. In many sources, as for example Chuquet and Jomini, this battle isn’t even mentioned. French Positions The Avant-garde of the Armée du Nord , commanded by maréchal de camp de la Marlière, occupied Roermond and relatively strong positions on the east bank of the Meuse, behind the Swalm brook (see the accompanying map). The Swalm brook was an insignificant, fordable stream, however at most places a serious obstacle because of the high river banks, and with marshy terrain at a number of places. Roermond was situated on the east bank of the Meuse. North of the city streamed the Swalm brook, from east to west. Just south of Roermond, the Roer streamed in the Meuse, roughly from the southeast to the northwest. Close to the place were the Swalm brook streamed into the Meuse lay the village Swalmen, which was situated on both sides of the Swalm. The French had fortified the part of the village Swalmen south of the Swalm brook, and had erected entrenchments to the southeast, between Swalmen and Hillenrädt Castle. A few kilometres north of Swalmen, the French had outposts in the village
Bessel, according to some sources about a thousand men strong. [3]
Further fortified positions were the town Brüggen; the hamlet Brempt with the
neighbouring windmill; and the villages Niederkrüchten and Oberkrüchten.
These positions were occupied by about two hundred men each. In the gap between the
streams Swalm and Roer, the villages Arsbek, Wassenberg, and
further west the village Vlodrop were fortified, the terrain in this
gap and in front of the positions was partially inundated. Roermond
itself was occupied by about 1,200 - 1,500 French, which also formed the central
reserve for the positions at the Swalm brook. The Prussians estimated that
12 - 15,000 French troops were present. Real strength was about 6,500 men, the composition listed in
Table A.
Prussian Dispositions for the Attack
The Duke of Brunswick-Oels decided to attack in five columns. The
composition of these columns is listed in Table B. Of the remaining Prussian
forces, a squadron of the Regiment No. 3 Leibregiment (cuirassiers) patrolled
the east bank of the river Meuse.
Hundred men of the Grenadier-Bataillon (von Blomberg) / Regiment
No. 5 von Kalkstein would stay in Geldern. The 3rd and 4th company of this battalion and three guns,
commanded by Major Blomberg, would guard the east bank of the river
Meuse: the 3rd company deployed between the village Bessel and Venlo;
the 4th company north of Venlo. The guns would have to be deployed on
the east bank of the river Meuse near Arcen, about 12 km north of Venlo, in
order to dismount the French battery near the village Broekhuizen, on the
opposite river bank. Both remaining companies, including the battalion
guns, would go to Venlo. There they would reinforce the garrison of this
fortress-city.
The garrison consisted further of two hundred Dutch infantry
commanded by Lieutenant-General Frederik Unico Baron van Mönster,
Dutch governor of the fortress-city, the 2nd Musketier-Bat. / Regiment No. 44
von Kunitzky, and fifty cavalry. The Prussian commander in Venlo, Major
General von Pirch, received orders to bombard the fortress St. Michel on the
opposite river bank to feint preparations for a crossing of the Meuse. The
remaining jäger companies and depot battalions were guarding the river
banks, or were on garrison duty in Geldern and Westphalia.
The 1st Column, commanded by Lieutenant-General Alexander Friedrich
von Knobelsdorf, would concentrate at Belfeld, south of Venlo, on the
road leading south to Roermond.
Following this road, the 1st Column would first reach the village Bessel.
When this village was occupied by the French, these would first have to be
cleared away. Then the 1st Column would continue south along the road
and attack the village Swalmen. With this village taken, the 1st Column
would take up defensive positions in Swalmen and wait for further orders.
If it would appear that the French had demolished the bridge across the
Swalm brook, this bridge would have to be repaired. General von Knobelsdorf
was told not to advance too quick, so that his attack on Swalmen
could be supported by the 2nd Column.
The 2nd Column, commanded by the Major Generals von der Goltz and
Von Kunitzky, would concentrate at the village Bracht, and attack the
village Brüggen. They would be aided by the 3rd Column, which would
attack the village from behind after having taken both Krüchten villages
(Ober-, and Nierderkrüchten). When the French were thrown out of
Brüggen, the 2nd Column would have to advance and occupy the south bank
of the Swalme, repairing the bridge when it appears to be demolished. If
the bridge is still there or repaired, part of the 2nd Column would have to
cross, and to attack the village Swalmen from behind if not already taken
by the 1st Column. The 2nd Column would also have to halt when the
objectives were taken, to wait further orders.
The 3rd Column, commanded by Lieutenant-General Heinrich Sebastian
von Reppert and Major General von Köthen, would concentrate near the
village Dulcken, and attack both Krüchten villages from the east. This
column would be accompanied by the Duke of Brunswick himself, and
receiving further orders when necessary.
The 4th Column, commanded by Lieutenant-General Ernst Christian von
Kossboth, would concentrate near the village Dahlen, and attack Arsbeck
from the east. When Arsbeck had been taken, if possible and when necessary
they would have to support the 5th Column in their attack on Wassenberg.
Beside this, the column also had to wait for further orders. In addition,
patrols had to be send out to maintain communications with the 3rd Column
on its right, and the 5th (Austrian) Column on its left.
The 5th (Austrian) Column, commanded by the Austrian Major
General von Wenkheim, would concentrate at the village Erkelenz,
and attack Wassenberg from the east.
When Wassenberg was taken, the 5th Column would was to take up defensive
positions, to send an officer to the Duke of Brunswick-Oels to report, and
to wait further orders.
Further, the following was stipulated. From each column, an officer
had to be detached to the Duke of Brunswick-Oels, to bring his orders to
the various columns when necessary. The columns would have to send out
patrols to their flanks, and to maintain communications with each other this
way. The battalion commanders were ordered to order their men not to open
fire until order to do so was received from the Generals commanding the
columns. The 1st Column would be accompanied by a ‘bridge-wagon’,
with bridging materials. Various locations were stipulated for the units
to leave behind their baggage, to be guarded by 50 men of the Depot-Bataillon
/ Regiment No. 44 von Kunitzky, an NCO and five soldiers
from each battalion, and an NCO and two troopers from each cavalry squadron.
Something important has to be noted. The Prussians attacked during
this battle in five columns, which were separated from each other by a great
distance: the distance between the 1st and 2nd Column was about 10 kilometres;
between the 2nd and 3rd Column 6 kilometres; between the 3rd and 4th
Column 7 kilometres; and between the 4th and 5th Column 5 kilometres. So
about 11,000 men were attacking across a front of nearly thirty kilometres!
We will see that in the forthcoming battles, as did the Austrians at
Aldenhoven, the Allies nearly always used the same tactic, with columns
operating separately, with wide distances between each other, and not
able to support each other. It would not take long for the French to realise
this, and they began concentrating their forces against one or more
columns. One of the main causes of the defeats the Allies would suffer.
Battle of Swalmen, 1793 Dutch in Revolutionary Wars Part 12
The Dutch During the Revolutionary Wars
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