After securing trade on the home front England now looked to dominate trade across the Atlantic in the Americas, and that meant war with Spain. War was declared in October of 1655. England moved quickly with its improved Navy to blockade and raid Spanish ports in Spain throughout the 1656 and 1657 and severely hurt the Spanish economy by preventing and taking treasure ship fleets bound to Spain from the Americas. Their was also an English force in the Caribbean that would take the island of Jamaica in a plan known as the Western Design. Then in March of 1657, England and France formed an alliance and agreed to join forced to attack the Spanish Netherlands and capture the forts and cities of Dunkirk, Mardyke, and Gravelines. Dunkirk and Mardyke would go the England, and Gravlines to France. (Plant)

In 1658 the allied army of France and England was besieging Dunkirk after already taking Mardyke and Gravlines the previous year. The Spanish had sent an army to relieve the defenders, and now a force of 16,000 Anglo-French soldiers faced an army of about 15,000 soldiers fighting for Spain. Of the 16,000 Anglo-French forces, about 6,000 were British infantry, starting to be more commonly known as redcoats. Marshal Turenne, a French man, was in charge of the entire force, while Sir Willian Lockart and Major General Morgan were the senior British officers. (Plant)

The redcoats, as shown above, formed at the allied (left) center in red. French cavalry took the far left and right flanks and supported the center with some infantry of their own, with the rest of the force in reserve. The armies were 500 yards from each other preparing to attack, when without orders from Turenne, the redcoat lines began to advance toward the key Spanish position on the field, a sandhill that stood 150 feet high on the Spanish right flank above. The British troops marched up the hill straight toward the Spanish, the French now surging forward to support. British marksman picked off targets as the redcoats continued to advance up the hill until they were in close quarter combat with the Spanish. They pushed the Spanish from their position and took the sandhill, then continued down the back side of the hill. They were met with a cavalry charge that they repulsed with ease, and inflicted heavy causalities to the Spanish. Then a second cavalry charge came again, but was beat back by the stubborn redcoats, this time with the aid of French cavalry striking the enemy flank. It was a clear victory with only 400 allied casualties, about half and half redcoat and Frenchmen. I believe this battle shows just how discipline and well trained the New Model army was by its outstanding performance compared to its allies and on how easily it beat back its enemies multiple times, inflicting maximum damage and loosing so few. (Plant)

Plant, David. “The Anglo-Spanish War: Overview.” The Anglo-Spanish War, 1655-60, 2012, bcw-project.org/military/anglo-spanish-war/.

Plant, David. “Flanders, 1657-58.” Flanders 1657-8, 2008, bcw-project.org/military/anglo-spanish-war/flanders.

Image thanks to “MAP/BATTLE PLAN DUNKIRK DUNES MAY 24th JUNE 3rd 1658 CANAL TO FURNESS NIEUPORT.” EBay, www.ebay.com/itm/MAP-BATTLE-PLAN-DUNKIRK-DUNES-MAY-24th-JUNE-3rd-1658-CANAL-TO-FURNESS-NIEUPORT-/163360334654.