Upper Rhine France Southern Italy North Germany and Scandinavia Pyrenees Americas Naval battles The siege of Naarden took place from 6 to 13 September 1673 during the Franco-Dutch War of 1672 to 1678, when a Dutch army captured the Dutch fortress town of Naarden.

At the same time, it faced the threat of an Anglo-French naval blockade, though that attempt was abandoned following the Battle of Solebay.

[2] By August 1673 the French had diverted manpower and recources away from the Dutch Republic to be able to conquer the Alsace and the Electorate of Trier.

Luxembourg, the French general in command of the forces in the Netherlands, thus had to take on a defensive posture, something which irritated him greatly.

William of Orange ordered Godard van Reede-Ginkel to mount a fake assault with 1,500 cavalrymen on Grave as a diversion.

The rest of the army crossed the Water Line in the north and started to besiege Naarden on 6 September.

The diversion had succeeded in tricking Luxembourg, as he had moved large amounts of troops to Tiel in the direction of Grave.

Philippe de Pracé du Pas, the commander of Naarden, was struggling with a lack of gunpowder and bullets.

Some of those captured soldiers told the Dutch about the critical situation inside Naarden and also mentioned that Du Pas was expecting a relieve force under Luxembourg to arrive soon.

The Dutch artillery had by now shot a few solid breaches in the main wall and the French's weak cannon fire had been completely silenced.

[3] On 11 September at 11 o'clock in the evening, the trumpeters blew the signal and drum rolls rose from the Dutch and Spanish army camps.

That same night, Dutch artillery was placed on the captured raveline to bring the guns as close to the city walls as possible.

The allied capture of Bonn, an important magazine in the long logistical lines between France and the northern war zone again showed the evacuation to be necessary.