The Swedish-German army of general Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar, which was financed by France, had established itself in the southwest of the empire on the Upper Rhine after the Battle of Rheinfelden won in the spring.

The first attempt by an Imperial Bavarian army came three months after the siege began under the leadership of the generals Federigo Savelli and Johann von Götzen.

The Imperial Bavarian Army had set out from Offenburg, had a strength of around 18,500 men and accompanied a supply train with many provision wagons for the Breisach Fortress.

The approach of this army did not go unnoticed by Bernhard of Saxony Weimar and he moved with part of his siege troops - a total of 13,000 so-called Weimarians - from their quarters near Langendezlingen to meet the advancing enemy.

But their opponent had also learned of the Weimarians' departure, stopped the advance and initially entrenched themselves in a solid position near Friesenheim in order to repel the expected attack.

However, the Weimarians did not allow themselves to be tempted to risk the risky attack and withdrew to Mahlberg, expecting that the supply convoy was destined for the Breisach Fortress and therefore had to leave soon in any case.

At first the artillery opened the battle, but soon imperial cuirassiers and other cavalry on the left wing under Götzen stormed against Taupadel's troops and drove the Weimaraner so far back that the reserves had to intervene .