Strategic situation:
The German catholic army (Imperial army and the League army) under the command of Ferdinand King of Hungary started a campaign to liberate the region of Souabe in south Germany. After the conquest of the city of Regensburg the 22 of July and the city of Donauworth the 16 august the Catholic forces (21000 – 22000 men) marched quickly to attack the city of Nördlingen. The 23 of august they start the siege of the city defended by 600 men.
Meantime the Cardinal-Infante arrived from Lombardia, in route to Flanders, with an army of 11 000 men and the 26 of august they have join a small Spanish force of 4 500 men (Old Feria’s corps[1]) commanded by the Count of Cervellón or Serbelloni near Munchen. With all his troops the Spanish commander march toward Nördlingen to join the imperial forces [2], this was done between the 2 and 4 of September. On the other side the protestant commander regroup theirs main troops in Ulm and the 30 of august they moved to Bopfingen, at 12 km of Nördlingen with 22 000 men. During a war council, protestant commanders (general Horn and Duke of Saxe-Weimar) recognised that the losses of Nördlingen will be too hard for their causes and took the decision to relieve the city and the 24 of august Horn manage to send 250 musketeers to reinforce the garrison. Seeing that a north approach was not possible, the decision was taken to threaten the catholic communication lines taking the hills at the south of the city.
Road to the battle
The 5/09/1634 in the morning, the protestant forces started their march to Ederheim and are join by their last reinforcement (3500 men of General Gratz) at 12:00. At 14:00 the protestant vanguard is detected by the catholic outposts (Spanish dragons of Pedro Santacelia[3] and imperials Croats). At 15:00 the protestant vanguard engages fighting with the dragoons and Croats near the Lachberg’s hill. Quickly a force of 3 000 catholic horses are sent to delay the protestant and a fierce skirmish take place between the two forces. At 18:00 the exhausted Protestants are master of the Lachberg’s hill, but it is not until 21:00 that general Horn troops could continue to the next objective the Haselberg hill defended by Francisco Escobar (sargento mayor of the Tercio of Fuenclara) with 600 musketeers (3 x mangas) and 200 dragoons from the Spanish army. Reinforce with others 400 musketeers, the Spanish manage to block the protestant forces buying time and after 4 hours of fighting they withdraw to safer position [4]. Meantime the Catholics rearrange their force and fortified the Albuch hill with 6 infantry regiments/tercios and 2700 horses
[1] note: Duke Feria’s army arrived in Germany in 1633 to support the Catholics force on the Rhine. The army was decimated by an epidemic of plague during the winter 1633-1634
[2] note: The 4/09/1634, 2 burgundian‘s Tercios on Spanish paid fighting with Maximilian I. of Bavaria join the Cardinal –Infante troops given a total of some 13 500 foots for the Spanish army.
[3] In most account Pedro Santacelia is wrongly called Santa Sicilia or Santa Cicilia
[4] note: Some authors consider that this delaying action was the key action of the battle.
ORBAT
The Catholic army was nominally commanded by Ferdinand of Hungary and the Cardinal Infante Fernando but the effective command was on the hand of Matthias Gallas seconded by the Marquis de Leganéz. The army was divided in three main corps with:
On the left, defending the key position of the Albuch hill we find the core of the Spanish army. The position was defended by three small bastions and 14 light artillery guns: bastion south, the imperial regiment of Walter Leslie amalgamated with the Bavarian regiment of Fugger. Bastion centre, two German regiments (Salm and Wurmer) of the spanish army. Bastion north, facing the Haselberg hill, the tercio of Toralto and a mangas from the Tercio San Severo. Behind the bastion centre we have the Spanish Tercio of Martin de Idíaquez, with on his left 7 squadrons of cavalry (Burgunds, Italian and Germans) and on his right 5 squadrons of Cavalry (Italian and Germans). To the right of Toralto troops we have the infantry squadron Orozco made of two Italian tercios (Guasto and Paniguerola), a regiment of imperial musketeers (Tiefembach) and finally the infantry brigade Webel made of two imperial regiments (Webel and Alt Schasen). This forces are commanded by the count of Cervellón and had 8 500 – 9 000 foots and 2 700 horses.
On the centre, we find the League army (commanded by Charles of Lorraine) with a infantry brigade of two Bavarian regiments Hartenberg and Ruepp on the front, supported by 11 Bavarian’s cavalry squadrons (Regiment of Selbach, cavalry of Lorraine ....). In total some 1 500 - 2 000 foots and 3 000 horses.
On the right we have the core of the imperial troops (General Gallas) with a first line of 3 infantry brigades [1] followed by a second line of the 1 infantry brigade (Hungarian’s King Guards) and 7 cavalry squadrons (Gonzaga’s brigade). Behind them we find a reserve of 7 cavalry squadrons under Gallas. On the extreme right we have some 1 000 - 2 000 croats which gives a total of some 4 000 foots and 5 500 horses. The imperial artillery is located in front of the infantry and on the Schömefeld hill.
Covering the Schömberg hill, we find a reserve corps of 1 500 horses and 7 500 foots, directly commanded by Leganéz with 3 Neapolitan Tercios (San Severo, Torrecuso and Cardenas), 2 Tercios from Burgundy (de la Tour and Alberg), the Italian Tercio of Lunato and the Spanish Tercio of Fuenclara supported, by 5 cavalry squadrons horses commanded by Ottavio Piccolomini and the 2 companies of the Spanish cavalry guards (230 horses).
To finish this orbat, the imperials had also some 3 000 – 4 000 troops (infantry [2] and some croats) to guard the trench in front of Nördlingen, in outpost to watch the north approach of the city and to guard the imperial baggage train. The Spanish also have some infantry (1 000 foots ?) and the companies of dragoons to guard their baggage train.
[1] note: the brigades were formed by the following regiments => Suys, Diodati, Moriamez, Tiefembach, Alt Aldringer, Neu Aldringer, Neu Breuner
[2] note: the infantry was commanded by Johann von Gotz with the following regiment Reinach, Alt-Pappenheim, Puck
The Protestant army was divided in two main corps, the Swedish corps of General Horn on the right wing ant the German corps under the Duke of Saxe-Weimar on the left.
The Swedish corps had the objective to take the Albuch hill and was deployed as followed, from right to left: in first line, 3 cavalry squadrons (Colonel Witzlchen), 2 infantry brigades (Scots and Pfhul), in second line 7 cavalry squadrons (Colonel Gottstein). In the third line we find 3 infantry brigades (Horn, Rantzau and Würtemberg [1]) supported by 8 cavalry squadrons (Margrave Von Brandenburg). The Swedish artillery was probably of the right of the Hasselberg hill firing at the Albuch’hill. In total we have some 9 000 foots and 4 000 horses me,n subdivided in 5 infantry Brigades and 18 squadrons.
The Duke of Saxe-Weimar’s corps was deployed to cover the Haselberg hill and the field on the left. From right to left we have 2 infantry brigades (Thurn and Rosen ?) on the hill followed on the left by the Weimar infantry brigade, the rest of the artillery, 8 cavalry squadrons (colonel Courville) and 4 dragoons squadrons (Colonel Taupadel).The second line have 7 cavalry squadrons under Colonel Beckerman and 6 cavalry squadron under General Gratz. In total some 4 000 foots and 5 500 horses and dragoons, subdivided in 3 infantry brigades and 25 squadrons.
At last we find 2500 – 3000 militias from Würtemberg (Würtemberg’s landvolk) at Neresheim (12 km of Ederheim) guarding the protestant baggage train.
[1] The Wurtemberg’s brigade was commanded by Colonel Lienbenstein
A): 5:00, the battle starts and contrary to the order the protestant cavalry from the right wing, advances alone to the south of the Albuch hill. Seeing that most of the filed was not suitable for horsemen, Witzlchen charges the south bastion but they are beaten by the Fugger brigade and the Burgundian cavalry.
B) On the centre, the Swedish infantry (Scots and Pfhul) was more successful against the German regiment of Salm and Wurmser. The Germans were obliged to give ground.
C) Meantime on Weimar flank the two corps maintains their position and start a mutual bombardment with heavy guns.
D) On the Albuch hill, Gambacorta squadrons counter attack the flank of the Swedish infantry and regain the lost field. Salm and Wurmser regiments were rallied and reoccupied their previous position.
E) Horn reorganised his troops and launch a second attack, with infantry and cavalry on the Albuch hill, again the German were beaten and run away losing their two colonels. By contrast the Neapolitan Tercio of Torralto stood firm and was able to maintain his position.
F) 6:00: To regain this position, Cervellón order an immediate counter- attack with the Tercio of Idiáquez. The famous Spanish infantry attack with resolution the disorganised Swedish infantry and repulse them back to their original position. During this time the two cavalry fight at close range on the slope of the hill.
G) Seeing that the main protestant attack is on the Albuch hill, Legañez send mangas of musketeers from the Italian and Burgudian tercios. In total some 2 500 musketeers will be sent in the next 4 hours to support the defenders of the Albuch hill.
H) 7:30: After a fourth unsuccessful assault on the centre of the Albuch hill, Horn asks for reinforcement to Weimar, the brigade Thurn and Rosen are sent leaving only the Weimar brigade to cover the Haselberg hill. On the opposite side Piccolomini cavalry are sent to support the exhausted catholic cavalry. The fighting starts again.
I) Misinterpreting his order, Thurn attack directly the north bastion. The assaults of the Thurn and Rosen brigades are broken each time by the resistance of the Italians, the musketeers of Tiefembach and the fire of the artillery positioned on the Schömefeld hill.
J) 8:00: Weimar take the decision to support Horn’s attacks, he send his first line of cavalry to skirmish directly with the imperial horses. With no clear goal, the protestant horses are meet by heavy musket fire and are counterattack by imperial and Bavarian horses.
L) 9:30, the Turn and Rosen brigades are in an uncomfortable position with an unprotected flank and rear, the Catholics decided to launch a counter-attack with the Italian brigade Orozco, imperial brigade Webel and some cavalry squadrons. After a short resistance, the supporting Swedish cavalry abandons the field and the two protestant brigades are destroyed. At 10:00 Weimar and Horn recognise that the battle is lost and make plan to withdraw behind the Rezembach River.
M) But at the same time, the Catholic commanders ordered a full-scale offensive. On the centre, Bavarian horsemen receive the support of 400 Spanish musketeers from the tercio of Fuenclara and in coordination with the Italian and Imperial infantry they attack the last infantry brigade defending the Haselberg hill. After a short fight the brigade is destroy and Weimar had to flee for his life.
N) To the north, the 14 imperial cavalry squadrons launch a massive attack on the protestant left. Weimar’s cavalry squadrons collapse and are oblige to flee as fast as they can pursuit by the imperials Croats. The left protestant wing ceases to exist as a fighting force.
O) On the right, Horn try to organise an order retreat pursuit by the defenders of the Albuch hill, but quickly the Swedish noticed the collapse of their left wing and the appearance of Bavarian horses going out of the Haselberg hill thus cutting off their line of retreat. The result is the decomposition of the whole protestant army, throwing away weapons, colours and standards.
Next day, the Croats and the Imperial cavalry attack the protestant train at Neresheim, killing or dispersing the Wustemberg’s landvolk and the survivors of the battle.
Balance:
The main Swedish / Protestant army was destroyed at Nördlingen, losing probably 18 000 men (killed, prisoners, deserters) in three days. Horn was taken as well as others top protestant officers. On the Catholic side, the Spanish lost 1500 men and the Imperial and Bavarian 2 000. While the Cardinal-Infante continues his route to Flanders and the imperial commanders follow the victory taking several key cities in south Germany. In few weeks the protestant had to evacuate all their positions in the south and diplomatic offensive of the imperials destroy the protestant league. At the end of the year most of the protestant estate made the peace with the empire, only the intervention of France in 1635 would save the protestant cause.
Short Bibliography
William Guthrie, Battles of the Thirty Years War: from White Mountain to Nordlingen, 1618-1635, ISBN 0-313-32028-4
Geoffrey Parker, los soldados europeos entre 1550 y 1650 , ediciones Akal 1990
Pavel Hrncirik ,Spanier auf dem Albuch, Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte der Schlacht bei Nördlingen im Jahre 1634, ISBN 978-3-8322-6120-7
Peter Engerisser, Von Kronach nach Nördlingen. Der Dreißigjährige Krieg in Franken, Schwaben und der Oberpfalz 1631-1635, ISBN 978-3-926621-56-6
Diego de Aedo y Gallart, Viaje , suceso y guerras del Infante Cardenal de. Fernando de Austria
Eduardo de Mesa, Nördlingen 1634. Victoria decisiva de los tercios. Serie Guerreros y Batallas nº 9, ediciones Almena