Battle of Kempen

Battle of Kempen
Part of the Thirty Years' War

Battle of Kempen; engraving by Matthäus Merian
Date17 January 1642
Location
Result Franco-Hessian victory
Belligerents
 France
Hesse-Kassel
 Holy Roman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Kingdom of France de Guébriant
von Eberstein
Holy Roman Empire de Lamboy (POW)
Holy Roman Empire H. von Mercy (POW)
Strength
9,500
23 guns
9,000 [1]
6 guns
Casualties and losses
660 killed or wounded [2] c. 7,000 killed, wounded or captured [3][1][2]

The Battle of Kempen, also known as Battle of the Kempen Heights, or Battle of Hückelsmay, took place on 17 January 1642 during the Thirty Years' War, outside Kempen, now part of North Rhine-Westphalia. A combined Franco-Hessian army, led by de Guébriant and von Eberstein respectively, defeated an Imperial force under General de Lamboy.

The Imperial army of around 9,000 men disintegrated, with the majority either captured or killed. Defeat at Kempen ended Imperial plans for an invasion of Champagne, and temporarily secured French-Hessian control of the Lower Rhine.

  1. ^ a b Clodfelter 2017, p. 39.
  2. ^ a b Périni 1902, p. 307.
  3. ^ Guthrie 2003, p. 190–191.

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