Battle of Lutter

Battle of Lutter
Part of the Thirty Years' War
The Battle of Lutter am Barenberge, unknown author
Date 27 August 1626 Location Lutter am Barenberge, Lower Saxony, Germany Result Imperial victory
Belligerents
Denmark–Norway	Holy Roman Empire Catholic League
Commanders and leaders
Christian IV Philip of Hesse-Kassel  † Fuchs von Bimbach  †	Count of Tilly Graf Anholt
Strength
16,000 infantry, 5,000 cavalry, 20 guns [1]	17,000 infantry, 7,000 cavalry, 22 guns [2]
Casualties and losses
3,000 dead or wounded, 2,500 prisoners [3] 4,000 dead or wounded, 3,000 prisoners [2]	700 dead or wounded [3] 2,000 dead or wounded [2]

The Battle of Lutter (German: Lutter am Barenberge) took place on 27 August 1626 during the Thirty Years' War, south of Salzgitter, in Lower Saxony. A combined Danish-German force led by Christian IV of Denmark was defeated by Johan Tzerclaes, Count of Tilly, commanding an army of the Catholic League loyal to Emperor Ferdinand II.

Christian's campaign plan for 1626 consisted of three parts; while he led the main army against Tilly, Ernst von Mansfeld would attack Wallenstein, supported by Christian of Brunswick. In the event, Mansfeld was defeated at the Battle of Dessau Bridge in April, while Christian of Brunswick's attack failed completely and he died of disease in June.

Outmanoeuvred and hampered by torrential rain, Christian turned back to his base at Wolfenbüttel but decided to stand and fight at Lutter on 27 August. An unauthorised attack by his right wing led to a general advance which was repulsed with heavy loss and by late afternoon, Christian's troops were in full retreat. A series of charges by the Danish cavalry enabled him to escape but at the cost of at least 30% of his army, all the artillery and most of the baggage train. Many of his German allies abandoned him and although the war continued until the Treaty of Lübeck in June 1629, defeat at Lutter effectively ended Christian's hopes of expanding his German possessions.