Page 42 - History of War - Issue 18-15

GREAT BATTLES

It was now that the New Model’s commander- Great Battles
in-chief, General Fairfax, justified his position.
Observing that Skippon’s infantry units were
faltering, he committed to the fray three
On the Royalist left, meanwhile, Langdale’s BATTLE OF NASEBY
regiments from his reserve, and at the same
timethesecondlineofParliamentarian
infantry seemed to stabilise its position. The
numericallyinferiorRoyalistshadfailedto
make the breakthrough and now fought within a
wedge jammed into their enemy’s front.

Northern Horse had earlier moved to engage
Cromwell’s cavalry on the Parliamentarian right. 14 JUNE 1645
Charginguphillwiththeirranksbrokenbythick
gorseandasprawlingsetofrabbitwarrens,the
Royalist cavalry were here at a disadvantage
andCromwellunleashedtheleftwingofhis
Ironsidesuponthem.
Thebattlewasfierceandthetwosides
fought in a constrained space, flanked by the
warrens and gorse, which hampered easy
movement.Cromwell’smenheregainedthe
upperhandandpushedbacktheNorthern The king fl ees the
Horse, who turned and retired, seeking the 07 fi eld
help of one of the Royalist reserve units, Prince Though Charles has a
Rupert’s infantry regiment, the Bluecoats. One sizeable reserve, only Prince
of the Royalists’ own accounts claimed that Rupert’s Bluecoats are
the Northern Horse was “routed without any committed and, though
handsome dispute.” sources claim the king tried
to lead his men into battle,
Thetideturns he is dissuaded and the
Theconfinedspaceinthisareaofthe Royalist commander and his
battlefield continued to play to Cromwell’s Lifeguards fl ee the fi eld.
advantage, preventing the right wing of his
cavalryfromchargingoffaftertheretiring
cavaliers.ThisallowedCromwelltoholdmuch
of his force in check and to then wheel them
round and launch an assault on the left flank
oftheRoyalistinfantry,whiletheremainder
pursued the remnants of Langdale’s fleeing
cavalry. As at Marston Moor, Cromwell brought
his cavalry to bear against Royalist infantry and
helped win the day.
Back in the centre, the infantry battle raged
on. The ferocity of the Royalist assault had
been checked and the tide began to turn
withAstley’smenfeelingthepressureofthe
enemy’s greater numbers. As the Royalist front
linebegantograduallydisintegrate,Astley’s
second line regrouped on Broad Moor to stand
against the New Model infantry.
Also regrouping, the New Model Army was
nowboostedbytheirreserveunits,aswellas
by the survivors from Ireton’s left-hand wing,
including Okey’s dragoons, who had charged
therightoftheRoyalistinfantry,flankingthem
entirely.Atthisstage,itseemedthedie-hard
Bluecoats had also entered the melee from the
Royalist reserve.
Below: A 17th-
century dragoons
helmet

The princes charge
02 Provoked perhaps by
Okey’s musketry, the Royalist
cavalry with Princes Rupert and
Maurice move forward and engage
the Parliamentarian cavalry under
Ireton’s command.

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