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Georg_Friedrich
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Part 1: Battle of Lobositz
Being a believer in the pre-emptive strike, on 29 August 1756 Frederick invaded Saxony with the bulk of the Prussian army, against the advice of hisĀ BritishĀ allies. Neither the Saxon nor the Austrian army was ready for war. The Saxon army took up a strong defensive position nearĀ Pirna, and Frederick had no option but to isolate and try to starve them into surrendering. Meanwhile, realizing that the siege would take some time, he was compelled to leave a covering force around Pirna and head south through the roughĀ Mittel-GebirgeĀ of northern Bohemia to establish a winter base in the rich Bohemian plain.
An Austrian army under Field Marshal von Browne had prepared a fortified base atĀ BudinĀ to block any Prussian moves out of the Mittel-Gebirge. Browne had been in secret communication with the Saxon prime minister,Ā Heinrich Count Bruhl, and had planned a rescue mission up the right bank of theĀ ElbeĀ toĀ Kƶnigstein, near Pirna, to help the Saxon army escape across the river and join its allies. On the 28th, Browne received an enthusiastic agreement from Bruhl on his proposal; the date of the rendezvous of the two forces was to be the night of 11/12 September.
Meanwhile, Frederick and his 28,000 men were making their way through the Mittel-Gebirge toward the Bohemian plain. Browne's intelligence told him that the Prussians would exit from the mountains at Lobositz, modern dayĀ LovosiceĀ in theĀ Czech RepublicĀ a few miles northwest of his fortified base at Budin. He recalled his small relief force up the Elbe and raced with 33,000 men up to Lobositz on the 28th to lay an ambush for Frederick as he debouched from the narrow passes of the mountains.
Being a believer in the pre-emptive strike, on 29 August 1756 Frederick invaded Saxony with the bulk of the Prussian army, against the advice of hisĀ BritishĀ allies. Neither the Saxon nor the Austrian army was ready for war. The Saxon army took up a strong defensive position nearĀ Pirna, and Frederick had no option but to isolate and try to starve them into surrendering. Meanwhile, realizing that the siege would take some time, he was compelled to leave a covering force around Pirna and head south through the roughĀ Mittel-GebirgeĀ of northern Bohemia to establish a winter base in the rich Bohemian plain.
An Austrian army under Field Marshal von Browne had prepared a fortified base atĀ BudinĀ to block any Prussian moves out of the Mittel-Gebirge. Browne had been in secret communication with the Saxon prime minister,Ā Heinrich Count Bruhl, and had planned a rescue mission up the right bank of theĀ ElbeĀ toĀ Kƶnigstein, near Pirna, to help the Saxon army escape across the river and join its allies. On the 28th, Browne received an enthusiastic agreement from Bruhl on his proposal; the date of the rendezvous of the two forces was to be the night of 11/12 September.
Meanwhile, Frederick and his 28,000 men were making their way through the Mittel-Gebirge toward the Bohemian plain. Browne's intelligence told him that the Prussians would exit from the mountains at Lobositz, modern dayĀ LovosiceĀ in theĀ Czech RepublicĀ a few miles northwest of his fortified base at Budin. He recalled his small relief force up the Elbe and raced with 33,000 men up to Lobositz on the 28th to lay an ambush for Frederick as he debouched from the narrow passes of the mountains.
Georg_Friedrich
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Part 2: Battle of Lobositz
The Austrian army took up defensive positions on an extinct volcano above Lobositz, theĀ Lobosch, deploying their Croats among the walled vineyards that covered the lower flanks of that hill. These, in turn, were supported by 7,800 regularĀ infantryĀ underĀ Franz Moritz von Lacy, hidden from view on the eastern side of the mountain. In front of the town Browne set up a relatively small force ofĀ cavalryĀ andĀ grenadierĀ battalions as bait. Behind these, and hidden by a sunken road, he positioned more Croats and grenadiers in ambush, and behind these he positioned a reserve brigade ofĀ cuirassiers. On the south Browne hid the bulk of his army on the other side of a marsh defined by theĀ Morellenbach. He had his battalions lie down in the tall grass and hid his heavy cavalry squadrons behind the woods of a game preserve next to the village ofĀ Sullowitz. In this village he also placed some battalions of infantry and artillery. Most of his army was hidden from Prussian view by morning mist and terrain.
The Austrian army took up defensive positions on an extinct volcano above Lobositz, theĀ Lobosch, deploying their Croats among the walled vineyards that covered the lower flanks of that hill. These, in turn, were supported by 7,800 regularĀ infantryĀ underĀ Franz Moritz von Lacy, hidden from view on the eastern side of the mountain. In front of the town Browne set up a relatively small force ofĀ cavalryĀ andĀ grenadierĀ battalions as bait. Behind these, and hidden by a sunken road, he positioned more Croats and grenadiers in ambush, and behind these he positioned a reserve brigade ofĀ cuirassiers. On the south Browne hid the bulk of his army on the other side of a marsh defined by theĀ Morellenbach. He had his battalions lie down in the tall grass and hid his heavy cavalry squadrons behind the woods of a game preserve next to the village ofĀ Sullowitz. In this village he also placed some battalions of infantry and artillery. Most of his army was hidden from Prussian view by morning mist and terrain.
Johannes Reifsteck
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Georg_Friedrich
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Part 3: Battle of Lobositz
On the morning of 1 October, in heavy fog, Frederick's Prussians approached Lobositz in column of route. They were completely unaware that they were walking into a trap. The Austrians Croatian irregulars on the Lobosch began to fire at them and Frederick dispatchedĀ Duke of Brunswick-BevernĀ with seven battalions of infantry to brush them off. The center of the Prussian position between the two mountains, the Lobosch to the north and theĀ OvcinĀ to the south, was dominated by a low spur called the Homolka. The few Croats defending this were chased away and the Prussians unlimbered a battery of heavy artillery on it. From the Homolka, in the slowly dissolving fog and squinting into the sunrise, it looked to Frederick and his staff as though the plain below them was occupied by only a few cavalry. Their consensus was that Browne was in retreat and had just left this small rear guard.
On the morning of 1 October, in heavy fog, Frederick's Prussians approached Lobositz in column of route. They were completely unaware that they were walking into a trap. The Austrians Croatian irregulars on the Lobosch began to fire at them and Frederick dispatchedĀ Duke of Brunswick-BevernĀ with seven battalions of infantry to brush them off. The center of the Prussian position between the two mountains, the Lobosch to the north and theĀ OvcinĀ to the south, was dominated by a low spur called the Homolka. The few Croats defending this were chased away and the Prussians unlimbered a battery of heavy artillery on it. From the Homolka, in the slowly dissolving fog and squinting into the sunrise, it looked to Frederick and his staff as though the plain below them was occupied by only a few cavalry. Their consensus was that Browne was in retreat and had just left this small rear guard.
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Georg_Friedrich
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Part 3: Battle of Lobositz
The Prussian battery on the Homolka began to fire on the scurrying cavalry below them, who had been repeatedly shuffled around by their commanders to make them moving targets. These were composed of a regiment of the Kaiser Franz Dragoons, some combined cavalry of elite companies, and two small regiments of hussars (HadikĀ and Baranyay).
In the meantime, Frederick's main force of infantry began to deploy into line between the Homolka mound and the Lobosch. They were, in turn, backed by several lines of the main Prussian cavalry force, over 10,000 in all, in the narrow valley behind them; the steep, vine-covered flanks not suitable for the normal 18th century deployment of cavalry on the army's wings.
The Prussian battery on the Homolka began to fire on the scurrying cavalry below them, who had been repeatedly shuffled around by their commanders to make them moving targets. These were composed of a regiment of the Kaiser Franz Dragoons, some combined cavalry of elite companies, and two small regiments of hussars (HadikĀ and Baranyay).
In the meantime, Frederick's main force of infantry began to deploy into line between the Homolka mound and the Lobosch. They were, in turn, backed by several lines of the main Prussian cavalry force, over 10,000 in all, in the narrow valley behind them; the steep, vine-covered flanks not suitable for the normal 18th century deployment of cavalry on the army's wings.
Georg_Friedrich
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Part 5: Battle of Lobositz
As the mist lifted, a heretofore hidden battery of Austrian heavy guns in front of Lobositz (12 pounders and howitzers) began to fire on the exposed Prussian infantry. Frederick's artillery commander,Ā Karl Friedrich von Moller, brought up the rest of his own heavy guns and howitzers on the Prussian left to answer this new threat. But for the next few hours, the Prussian infantry (who, apparently and unlike the Austrians, remained standing in close ranks) took heavy casualties.
Anxious to end this and brush away what he thought was an annoying rear guard, Frederick took his staff's advice and ordered a limited cavalry charge down the hill to chase the few Austrians away. Led by Lt. Gen. Kyau, some 1,200 Prussian cuirassiers charged the Austrian horse and drove them back toward the Elbe. Continuing on, however, the Prussian squadrons came upon the unexpected sunken road between Lobositz and the Morellenbach, in which were hidden several hundred Croats and Austrian grenadiers. The Prussian cuirassiers were also surprised by considerable fire from their right flank by massed batteries of artillery and infantry hidden in the village of Sullowitz. As the surviving Prussian cavalry made their way forward in disorder across the sunken road, assailed on the right and left by the ambush laid for them, they were finally counterattacked by a hidden brigade of 1,300 fresh Austrian cuirassiers (the Cordua and Stampach Regiments under Karel Adam Felix von Lobkowitz) and thrown back. The Prussian troopers retreated with heavy casualties back up the Homolka.
As the mist lifted, a heretofore hidden battery of Austrian heavy guns in front of Lobositz (12 pounders and howitzers) began to fire on the exposed Prussian infantry. Frederick's artillery commander,Ā Karl Friedrich von Moller, brought up the rest of his own heavy guns and howitzers on the Prussian left to answer this new threat. But for the next few hours, the Prussian infantry (who, apparently and unlike the Austrians, remained standing in close ranks) took heavy casualties.
Anxious to end this and brush away what he thought was an annoying rear guard, Frederick took his staff's advice and ordered a limited cavalry charge down the hill to chase the few Austrians away. Led by Lt. Gen. Kyau, some 1,200 Prussian cuirassiers charged the Austrian horse and drove them back toward the Elbe. Continuing on, however, the Prussian squadrons came upon the unexpected sunken road between Lobositz and the Morellenbach, in which were hidden several hundred Croats and Austrian grenadiers. The Prussian cuirassiers were also surprised by considerable fire from their right flank by massed batteries of artillery and infantry hidden in the village of Sullowitz. As the surviving Prussian cavalry made their way forward in disorder across the sunken road, assailed on the right and left by the ambush laid for them, they were finally counterattacked by a hidden brigade of 1,300 fresh Austrian cuirassiers (the Cordua and Stampach Regiments under Karel Adam Felix von Lobkowitz) and thrown back. The Prussian troopers retreated with heavy casualties back up the Homolka.
Johannes Reifsteck
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Georg_Friedrich
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Part 6: Battle of Lobositz
It was suddenly apparent from this surprising setback that Frederick was not facing any mere rear guard but the entire Austrian army, deployed in a strong, flanking position. Moreover, the action on the Prussian left up on the Lobosch mountain was also proving to be much more strongly held than anticipated. Bevern was having no luck in "brushing aside" the Croats from the vineyards, who had themselves, all morning, been heavily reinforced by Lacy's infantry. But even worse was to come.
Seeing his fellow cavalrymen humiliated and repulsed, GeneralĀ Gessler, Frederick's chief of cavalry, took it upon himself to order a general charge with all his remaining squadrons. Gessler had evidently been stung by a reprimand on his courage by the Prussian King a few days before and was anxious to amend the insult. He was also merely obeying Frederick's standing order to all of his cavalry to never let a check go unanswered, but to always attack on its own initiative. So filtering all of his 7,200 troopers through the Prussian infantry, Gessler led a massive charge down into the floodplain. As he watched this charge unfold, Frederick was said to have exclaimed, "My God, what is my cavalry doing! They're attacking a second time, and nobody gave the order!"
It was suddenly apparent from this surprising setback that Frederick was not facing any mere rear guard but the entire Austrian army, deployed in a strong, flanking position. Moreover, the action on the Prussian left up on the Lobosch mountain was also proving to be much more strongly held than anticipated. Bevern was having no luck in "brushing aside" the Croats from the vineyards, who had themselves, all morning, been heavily reinforced by Lacy's infantry. But even worse was to come.
Seeing his fellow cavalrymen humiliated and repulsed, GeneralĀ Gessler, Frederick's chief of cavalry, took it upon himself to order a general charge with all his remaining squadrons. Gessler had evidently been stung by a reprimand on his courage by the Prussian King a few days before and was anxious to amend the insult. He was also merely obeying Frederick's standing order to all of his cavalry to never let a check go unanswered, but to always attack on its own initiative. So filtering all of his 7,200 troopers through the Prussian infantry, Gessler led a massive charge down into the floodplain. As he watched this charge unfold, Frederick was said to have exclaimed, "My God, what is my cavalry doing! They're attacking a second time, and nobody gave the order!"
