Coulmiers, Battle of

First French victory of the Franco-Prussian War 9 November 1870 at Coulmiers, about 19 km/12 mi to the northwest of Orléans, then held by a force of about 20,000 Bavarian troops under Baron von der Tann-Rathsamhausen. The strength of the French attack took the Prussians by surprise and they abandoned Orléans.

Von der Tann marched his force out of the city to Coulmiers to block two advancing French columns (about 70,000 troops) under General Claude d'Aurelle de Paladines. He had no idea of the strength of the French and the force of their attack surprised him. The Bavarians resisted for most of the day, in freezing rain, but the superior French numbers persuaded von der Tann to withdraw under cover of the darkness and foul weather. The French held their positions during the night and did not realise that they had won the until next morning when they marched into Orléans and took up possession.