During the past decades, the regents had preferred to trust on the neutrality and assistance of their allies instead of spending much money on the maintenance and improvement of the barrier-towns. As a result several defensive works were in arrears of repair. However, even weakened defensive works can form a serious obstacle when defended by qualified and well-led troops.

In Spring 1744 the allied forces assembled in Flanders. Despite the presence in Flanders of some 30,000 English troops under field-marshal Wade and about the same number of Dutch troops under general Nassau-Ouwerkerk, no effective effort was made to combine these forces, together with the small Austrian force, into effective garrisons for the barrier-towns. Actual field-strength seems to have been about 40,000 infantry and 14,000 cavalry, due to all contingents falling short of the strength agreed upon. Allied command was given to the old Austrian general the Duke of Aremberg.

So when the French army, accompanied by a strong siege and artillery train, entered the Austrian Netherlands, they met little effective resistance. The French army for the war in Flanders totalled 120,000 men. Louis XV divided his army in a siege-force of 47 battalions and 70 squadrons under Noailles and a field-force under De Saxe of 33 battalions and 43 squadrons. Noailles was to lay siege to the frontier towns of Western Flanders.

Menin was the first town to feel French power. It was defended by only a small Dutch garrison under lieutenant-general Echten Van Echteren, composed of: the foot regiments Praetorius (1 btn), Villegas (Scots; half btn), Brakel (half btn) and 1 sqd. from the Hessen-Philipsthal dragoons. Total strength varying in different sources between 1,200-1,500 men. However the French were forced to commence a formal siege. With a 30-40,000 strong army under personal command of Louis XV, trenches were opened on May 28th. The main attack was planned from the West, while a diversionary attack was planned from the South.

On June 1st the weak garrison felt so threatened that they withdrew their artillery from the hornworks. On June 3rd and 4th, breach-batteries were positioned in the covered way and when on that same day a mortar-battery opened fire on the town the garrison surrendered. The garrison-troops were allowed to leave with full military honours, in possession of their flags, 4 cannon and 4 howitzers. They were escorted to Brugge by 2 French battalions and 1 squadron of cavalry.

Yper was defended by a garrison under the command of the Prince of Hessen-Philipsthal. It was composed of: the foot regiments Constant Rebecque (Swiss, 3 btns), Cronstrom (1 btn), Braakel (half btn), Salis (Swiss, detachment), 1 sqd. Hessen-Philipsthal dragoons, 1 Dutch artillery company with 6 cannon and 4 mortars and a detachment of miners. Total strength again varies between 3-4,000.

On June 5th a garrison-detachment of 70 men was sent to Menin, but attacked by a French picquet of 300 hussars and 400 infantry. Despite reinforcements from Yper, about 100 men, the detachment was made prisoner. One day later the enclosure of the town was started: from the West by Clermont-Prince with a detached force of 1,000 foot, 900 cuirassiers and 600 dragoons; from the East by Desgranges with 2,000 foot, 1,000 cuirassiers and 300 dragoons and hussars. The latter once more surprised, with 200 cavalry, a Dutch forward post of about 70 men, which was captured. All in all these actions contributed some nasty blows to the morale of the Dutch garrison.

On June 9th the siege-force was complete and consisted of 54 btns., 47sqds. and 2 artillery batteries. From this force, 4 battalions and 12 squadrons were later detached to Lille and Courtrai, leaving behind an impressive force. Three days later 78 heavy pieces came in from the siege artillery park. Finally, on June 15th, trenches were opened and after some initial losses, the small but badly conducted garrison surrendered on June 25th, prior to a French frontal assault.

Meanwhile De Saxe had occupied Courtrai, to shield the siege operations from Allied interference. Courtrai had been evecuated by its Dutch garrison. After the fall of Yper, the garrison of the fortress Knokke was in despair. Commanded by the Count Hompesch (a captain of the dragoon regiment Mattha) it consisted only of a Dutch infantry detachment, not more than 75 men, and 4 artillerists from the Yper-garrison with 2 pieces. Although reinforcements from Veurne soon arrived, counting 40 foot and 2 mortars, they were too few in number to defend such place. French forces under Boufflers consisted of an infantry-brigade of 1,300 grenadiers and fusiliers and some artillery pieces.

On June 26th the fortress was surrounded and 2 days later 2 batteries were placed in some simple trenches. This was enough however to compel the weak garrison to give up without resistance. This occurred on June 29th.. The garrison was granted free leave to Breda under escort of a small French detachment from the now French Yper garrison.

After the surrender of Yper, Clermont-Prince was sent to Veurne, to lay siege to that place too. His force consisted of 17 battalions, 30 squadrons and 2 artillery batteries. Soon after he was reinforced by 8 battalions from the garrisons of Mons and Duinkerken as well as 600 marine-artillerists: With the latter's arrival he doesn't seem to have been so pleased. Meanwhile the Dutch lieutenant-general Schwartzenberg had arrived in Veurne and assumed command of its garrison, consisting of the Dutch foot regiments Schwartzenberg and Swaenenburg (although some sources say 3 btns.). Veurne was a place difficult to defend. The eight-cornered defensive works consisted solely of earthworks. It's most important defensive weapon, inundations [i.e. flooded moats], hadn't been made effective by Aremberg because this might lead to a worsening of the already wet climate in the region and within the town.

The French started closing in on June 27th. The main attack came from the North, while a diversion was planned from the South. The French opened trenches and some days later, on July 1st, without even having defended the covered way, the garrison surrendered. Some sources say the garrison became prisoner-of-war, while others state that it was granted free leave with 4 cannon and 2 mortars and was escorted to Sluis, watched by Louis XV

Meanwhile De Saxe had secured Maubeuge, which was the key to Hainault. It was the Austrians themselves who finally came to the relief of the Austrian Netherlands. Prince Charles of Lorraine had crossed the Rhine at the head of an Austrian army, said to be 70,000 strong, with the intention to occupy Alsace. Louis XV was forced to abandon the conquest of Flanders and despatch d'Harcourt with 26 battalions and 23 squadrons to countermarch him. Left behind was marshal De Saxe with about 45,000 men, against 60,000 Allied troops.

Despite several attempts by the Dutch commander Nassau-Ouwerkerk, the allied commander Aremberg was unwilling to attack the French or try to cut off the weakly garrisoned Lille. The other Allies too were rather reluctant to risk their forces. It took the allies a week to agree upon a general advance upon the weakened French army. On July 30th they crossed the Scheldt with 60 battalions and 105 squadrons, but on nearing Courtrai,De Saxe reinforced this town with 32 battalions and some cavalry. Thereupon the allies moved south-west along the Scheldt.

De Saxe brought the garrison of Lille up to 12 battalions and 3 squadrons and despatched 48 squadrons to screen his defensive position. The Allies had meanwhile drawn several garrison troops to their field-force, their composition being now as follows:

Force	Cavalry	Infantry	Totals
British	4,281	17,492	21,773
Hanoverians	5,530	10,633	16,163
Dutch	5,620	16,848	22,468
Austrians	3,601	8,950	12,551
Totals	19,032	53,923	72,955

These numbers, being the maximum strength for the moment, were spread over 71 battalions and 114 squadrons. This force could not pose an immediate threat to any fortified town because the Allied siege-train had stuck fast at Antwerp, due to disagreements among the Allies about the costs of transport (!). Several plans were proposed now: advancing upon Paris with 60 battalions and 100 squadrons, laying siege to Lille or to Maubeuge, but every plan was rejected.

Meanwhile Frederick the Great had invaded Bohemia and Prince Charles was forced to recross the Rhine on August 24th., leaving d'Harcourt free to rejoin De Saxe again. Irresolution in the allied camp had withheld them from attacking the weakened French. The truth is that it was mainly the Dutch, who posed the most problems. They were afraid to give France a good reason to invade the Dutch Republic. When it was too late the Allies finally decided on some earlier proposed strategical moves, but were soon out-maneuvered by De Saxe.

Fortunately for the Allies, De Saxe was afraid that his lines of communication would be threatened and that his army would run out of supplies while advancing too far into Flanders. In October, time had come once again to go into winter-quarters and the campaign year 1744 came to an end.

Dutch Commitment War of Austrian Succession

Introduction and Preliminaries
1744: First Hostilities in Flanders
1745: Conquest of Flanders
1746: Further Conquests of Austrian Netherlands
Battle of Rocour: 11 October 1746
1747: Dutch Republic Threatened
Battle of Laffelt: 2 July 1747
Siege of Bergen-op Zoom
1748: Maastrict and the End of the War