1758 - Northwest Germany
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On January 15, 1758, a French force under Duc de Broglie seized Bremen. To counter, Ferdinand planned that a small British force land in East Friesland divert French attention while the Hanover army took Verden, which would force Richelieu to withdraw and allow Ferdinand to take Nieuberg and the Lower Weser. Ferdinand advanced on February 16th, and the French failures led to Richelieu being replaced by de Clermont and de Broglie replacing de Soubise on the Upper Rhine. Political problems with Austria forced a shift of 24,000 men from Clermont to Broglie. Further, twelve battalions and thirty squadrons were sent back to France to refit or possibly in response to the coastal raids.
Clermont's line was along the Ocker River from Wolfenbuttel then along the Aller River through Celle and Verden, then along the Weser to Bremen. Prince Henry's Prussian force advanced from Halberstadt toward Hildesheim, threatening Clermont's right flank. Ferdinand advanced from Luneburg and crossed the Aller near Verden, threatening the French left, while a detachment under Freytag moved on Gifhorn where he would cooperate with Prince Henry. Ferdinand crossed the Weser at Hoya and moved south. The whole French line was in danger from both sides, and Clermont fell back through Hameln to defend the Weser between Minden and Holzminden. Ferdinand's seizure of Hoya, Nienburg, and Minden forced Clermont to abandon the Weser line. Now, a naval force under Holmes entered the Weser, threatening the French line from Osnabruck to Minden. Clermont feared for his base at at Wesel and fell back behind the Rhine on the last day of March.
On June 1st, Ferdinand crossed the Rhine within Dutch territory, having violated their neutrality because the Dutch boatmen he hired refused to come to Germany. The French feared Holland entering the war and so diverted sixteen battalions and twenty squadrons from Dunkirk and twelve battalions which had been sent back to France. Allied scouts reached as far as Louvain and Charleroi in modern Belgium. Although Ferdinand's night march and dawn attack at Rheinberg failed, Clermont withdrew to Neuss and Dusseldorf.
To counter Ferdinand, Soubise moved on Hesse-Cassel, deep in Ferdinand's rear. Meanwhile, a British contingent was sent to reinforce Ferdinand's army. Despite holding a strong position, Clermont was defeated at Crefeld near Dusseldorf and withdrew to Colonge. But on July 23rd, Soubise won the Battle of Sandershausen in Hesse Cassel. Although Ferdinand had no choice but to withdraw, Soubise was in no condition to cut him off. On August 14th, Ferdinand joined the mostly cavalry relief force under Marlborough which had been sent to Germany. Together, they fell back to the Lippe River.