Page 37 - All About History - Issue 19-14

Greatest Battles

James’s retreat covered
01
10by cavalry Jacobites
Williamites William’s forces initially give chase, but are held
backafterasuccessfulrear-guardactionbyJames’s
cavalry–lenttohimbyLouisXIV–coversthe
TROOPS 23,500
retreat. The Jacobites fall back to Dublin, and to
Limerick two days later after William’s forces reach
CAVALRY 6,000
thecity.JameshimselffleessouthtoDuncannon,
after which he leaves for France, never to return.
Despite suffering fairly modest casualties, the battle ARTILLERY 16
03
is over, and William has halted James’s attempt to
winbackthethroneatthefirsthurdle.
James
09falls back
06 to Donore
With Oldbridge captured
and William fast
approaching on the flank, JAMESII
James orders his forces
LEADER
to fall back to Donore.
08 The deposed monarch saw invading
Afteraround30minutes Ireland as a means of retaking the
of battle, James becomes throne he had fled.
Strength Extensive battle
weary; despite having
experienceandthesupportofthe
not committed much
Irish nation.
ofhismainforce,heis
02 Weakness Indecisive and prone to
07 aware that Meinhard’s being overly cautious.
forces are on their way
to flank him in the
south and decides
to retreat in good
order before his
escape route is
09
cut off.
10
FRENCHCAVALRY

KEY UNIT
Theseunits,providedbyJames’s
ally Louis XIV, successfully covered
his retreat at the Boyne.
Strength Extremely efficient and
effective against infantry.
Weakness Vulnerable in close-
quarters combat.

06 Crossing James William makes
the Boyne 07counter- 08the crossing SCYTHE
attacks
About 1.6km (1mi) down the river
William’s remaining men, led In an effort to block the at Drybridge, William himself KEY WEAPON
The Jacobite army
Williamite advance, the makes the crossing, struggling included a large
by his Dutch Blue Guards, Jacobites begin a series of ashore despite not being able to number of peasants
cross the Boyne. Despite counter-attacksonenemy use his right arm. The fighting who had been forced
into service, many
positions. After his poorly becomes particularly fierce here,
coming under heavy fire, trained infantry proves with William suffering a few near with only the most
basic weaponry.
they manage to make the ineffective, James instead misses when he is nearly shot in Strength Long
sends his cavalry in. While theleg,andoneofhisownmen reach and useful
crossing and subsequently they drive back some of nearly fires on him before realising against cavalry.
capture the nearby small William’s forces, highly his own mistake. Others are not so Weakness
Especially ineffective
efficient Blue Guards manage lucky, however, with Schomberg against muskets
village of Oldridge. to hold the line. losing his life. and artillery.
© NicolleRFuller

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