Siege of Saint-Omer

Siege of Saint-Omer
Part of the Thirty Years' War and the
Franco-Spanish War (1635-1659)

The relief of Saint-Omer by Peter Snayers. Oil on canvas. Museo del Prado, Madrid.
Date24 May – 16 July 1638
Location
Saint-Omer and its outskirts, Spanish Netherlands (present-day France)
50°44′46″N 2°15′42″E / 50.7461°N 2.2617°E / 50.7461; 2.2617
Result Imperial-Spanish victory
Belligerents
Spain Spain
 Holy Roman Empire		  France
Commanders and leaders
Spain Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand
Spain Prince of Carignano
Holy Roman Empire Ottavio Piccolomini		 Kingdom of France Maréchal de Châtillon
Kingdom of France Duc de La Force
Strength
20,000[1]

29,000[2][3]

10,000 infantry
3,000 cavalry
16,000 infantry and cavalry
Casualties and losses
At least 34 killed or wounded[4][5] 4,000 killed or wounded[1]
1,220 captured[6]

The siege of Saint-Omer (24 May – 16 July 1638) was a siege in the Thirty Years' War in which a French army under Gaspard III de Coligny, Maréchal de Châtillon, laid siege to the Flemish city of Saint-Omer, defended by a small garrison in command of Lancelot II Schetz, count of Grobbendonck. Despite several initial successes in the capture of the minor forts around Saint-Omer, on the night of 8/9 June a Spanish relief army under Thomas Francis, Prince of Carignano, surprised Châtillon's troops and established a small fort in the middle of the French lines.[2] An entire army corps under Maréchal de La Force was ordered to move towards Saint-Omer to support Châtillon siege, but on 12 July a further Imperial-Spanish force commanded by Ottavio Piccolomini entered Saint-Omer, resolving the French marshals to withdraw.[2]

  1. ^ a b Guthrie p. 190
  2. ^ a b c Parrott p. 128
  3. ^ Wilson p. 661
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Cevallos161 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Cevallos178 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Theatrum Europaeum p. 953