Second Battle of Orléans

Overview

The Second Battle of Orléans of Battle of Vaumainbert was fought during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. It took place on December 3 and 4, 1870 and was part of the Loire Campaign. The Germans recaptured Orléans, which had been retaken by the French on November 11, 1870 after the Battle of Coulmiers, and divided the French Army of the Loire in two. Future king of Serbia, Peter, took part in the battle on the French side. The French lost 20,000 men in two days of combat, including 18,000 captured or missing, as well as 74 guns and four gunboats. German manpower losses amounted to 2,000, of which 400 killed and 1,600 wounded. The Germans lost 368 horses, including 175 killed, 183 wounded and 10 missing.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Second Battle of Orléans, fought on December 3–4, 1870, was a decisive engagement in the Loire Campaign of the Franco-Prussian War. German forces recaptured Orléans, which the French had held since their victory at the Battle of Coulmiers on November 11, 1870. Beyond retaking the city, the battle fractured the French Army of the Loire into two separate elements, critically undermining France's strategy of using Loire-based forces to relieve the siege of Paris. French losses were severe: 20,000 men over two days, including 18,000 captured or missing, along with 74 guns and four gunboats. Against this, German manpower losses stood at roughly 2,000. The engagement effectively ended the Army of the Loire as a coherent fighting force capable of offensive action, accelerating the collapse of French resistance in the broader war.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (4)