Led by John of Austria the Younger and Louis, Grand Condé, a Spanish force supported by English Royalists and French Fronde rebels attempted to raise the siege but suffered a severe defeat.

When the government of Louis XIV formed an alliance with Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell, the exiled Charles II of England allied himself with Philip IV of Spain.

[c] It was defended by a garrison of about 3,000 in May 1658,[14] while an English fleet of 18 ships,[15] under Edward Mountagu, blockaded the port and prevented any reinforcement or supply by sea.

The Spanish and their allies were caught by surprise as they were convinced that Turenne would attack Cambrai, while they thought Dunkirk was merely a diversion, and they responded belatedly and hastily.

[22] Cromwell's English, under the command of Major General Thomas Morgan and William Lockhart, were lined up against the Spanish troops while the centre was the French infantry consisting of the Guards, the Swiss and the regiments of Picardy and Turenne facing the Wallons and Germans.

Turenne began the battle with four or five artillery salvoes from his two unopposed batteries, and the Spanish right flank was bombarded with some harassing fire from several frigates and sloops[23] of the English fleet.

The French infantry consisting of the Guards, the Swiss and the regiments of Picardy and Turenne advanced on the Spanish centre, meeting little resistance.

Marshal Turenne took advantage of the receding tide to concentrate most of his cavalry on his left, and its advance enveloped the Spanish right wing.

[23] Condé on the Spanish left held off the initial attacks of the French right wing and even counterattacked them, getting unhorsed and nearly captured, but in the end he was also forced from the field.

The German and Walloons of the centre retired at the onset of the French infantry, throwing the Spanish cavalry in the reserve into disorder so that it was carried away in the flight.

Lillingston's lost a captain and thirty or forty killed in battle, while the other regiments suffered only slight losses (the number of English dead rose because like Fenwick they died of wounds over the next few weeks).

Following his victory, Turenne took Dunkirk and advanced, capturing a series of towns and fortresses including Furnes, Dixmunde, Gravelines, Ypres and Oudenarde.

By this treaty France gained Roussillon and Perpignan, Thionville, Montmédy and other parts of Luxembourg, Artois and towns in Flanders, including Arras, Béthune and Gravelines, and a new border with Spain was fixed at the Pyrenees.

Dunkirk surrendered to French forces ten days after the battle on 24 June, and Cardinal Mazarin honoured the terms of the treaty with Oliver Cromwell and handed the port over to the Commonwealth.

While the French received all of Artois, England had eliminated the greatest Spanish privateering base[33] with the result that merchant shipping losses were much reduced.