Page 84 - History of War - Issue 25-16

THE NEW MODEL

inside were taken, they were turned on the a last hurrah in the dying days of Cromwell’s in strong defensive positions among the dunes.
Royalists in the town itself. The inal part of the Protectorate, at the Battle of the Dunes. English Major-General Thomas Morgan and Sir
battle then played out in ierce street ighting. Taking place on 14 June 1658, the Battle of William Lockhart commanded the New Model
Running skirmishes sparked out all over the the Dunes earned a victory for the combined contingent – it was Lockhart’s Regiment of
city, and the Royalists eventually panicked Anglo-French army commanded by the Vicomte Foot that particularly distinguished itself. They
and led for their lives. Charles II was among de Turenne against the Spanish. Cromwell astonished both the French and Spanish with
those who led, and after several legendary had agreed to form an alliance with the the ferocity of their assaults against enemy
adventures in hiding, he eventually escaped to French in order to put pressure on the exiled positions. In particular, Lockhart’s regiment
the continent. Charles II and acquire the Channel port of launched a dramatic attack on a Spanish-held
The vast majority who followed him were not Dunkirk by diplomatic means. France was at sand hill that was 150 feet high. The speed of
so lucky – 3,000 Scots were killed at Worcester war with Spain and Dunkirk itself was part the English attack took the hardened Spanish
and another 10,000 were taken prisoner, most of the Spanish Netherlands, which meant veterans defending the hill by surprise, and
of who were transported to the colonies as it would need to be taken by force. Turenne after a tough i ght, the French came to support
indentured slaves. For the New Model Army, besieged Dunkirk with 15,000 troops, of which the English and the Spanish were driven away.
the Battle of Worcester was a triumph, as well 3-4,000 were red-coated soldiers of the New Soon afterwards, the battle was decisively won
as the last major battle of the Civil Wars. The Model Army. A Spanish force of 15,000 men for the Anglo-French army.
Parliamentarians had only lost 200 men on the was sent to relieve the town, about 2,000 of Dunkirk fell and was gifted to the English,
ield, which in a strange irony had seen among which were English Royalists led by the Duke but more importantly for the Protectorate, it
the irst skirmishes of the Civil Wars back in of York, the future James II. The battle was a also prevented the restoration of Charles II for
1642. Cromwell described Worcester as a miniature replay of the Civil Wars re-created on another two years. The Battle of the Dunes
“crowning mercy” and it was to be his inal battle a European stage. demonstrated to the European powers that
as an active commander. Nevertheless, the New The battle played out on coastal sand dunes the New Model was one of the best i ghting
Model would continue as the backbone of the that lay north east of Dunkirk. Turenne took the forces on the continent – one that would make
Commonwealth throughout the 1650s, achieving initiative and attacked the Spanish entrenched England a power to be feared and respected.

The triumphant Vicomte de Turenne
at the Battle of the Dunes

“They astonished

both the French
and Spanish with
© Alamy; Corbis; Getty the ferocity of their

assaults against

enemy positions”

84