Battle of Dettingen

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Battle of Dettingen

Part of the War of the Austrian Succession

Image:Horse Guards Charge.jpg
Charge of the Horse Guards

Date	June 16, 1743
Location	Dettingen, Bavaria
Result	Decisive British, Hanoverian, Austrian victory

Combatants

Britain, Hanover, Austria

France

Commanders

George II

duc de Noailles

Strength

50,000

70,000

Casualties

750

8,000

War of the Austrian Succession
Mollwitz – Dettingen – Toulon – Fontenoy – Hohenfriedberg – Soor – Kesselsdorf – Havana

The Battle of Dettingen (German: Schlacht bei Dettingen) took place on June 16 (June 27 according to the Gregorian calendar, which the English had not officially adopted), 1743 at Dettingen in Bavaria during the War of the Austrian Succession. It was the last time that a British monarch, George II, personally led his troops into battle. The British forces, in alliance with those of Hanover and Hesse (the "Pragmatic Army" of 50,000 men), defeated an army of 70,000 French under the duc de Noailles.

During the battle, Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Andrew Agnew of Lochnaw warned his Regiment The Royal Scots Fusiliers not to fire until they could “see the white’s of their e’en.” A noted wit, Sir Andrew is also quoted as addressing his regiment thus: "Lads, you see they loons (young men) on yon' hill. Better kill them afore they kill you." And to George II after the battle, who had (humorously) chided him for letting a French cavalry charge break into his Regiment's square: "An' it please Your Majesty, but they didna' gang oot again."

In memory of this victory, Handel composed his Dettingen Te Deum.

Dettingen has since 1947 been the name of one of the training companies at the UK's Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. In recent years it has been the training unit for short courses (for example the Territorial Army Officers' Commissioning Courses) run at the Academy. Additionally, it is the name of 4 (Dettingen) Troop at Army Training Regiment Winchester.