1760-09-17 - Combat of Hochgiersdorf
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Prussian victory
Contents
Prelude to the Battle
On September 17 at 4:30 AM, Frederick, seeing that his attempt to reach Landeshut was made impossible by the new positions taken by the Austrians, marched from Alt Reichenau (today Stare Bogaczowice) towards Schweidnitz (today Swidnica). The march was made in silence in 4 columns (see order of battle for details).
The Prussians columns marched by Hochenfriedeberg (today Dobromierz), Simsdorf (today Szymanów), Ullersdorf (today Modlęcin), Zirlau (today Ciernie) to Kunzendorf (today Mokrzeszów). Another column consisting of the baggage and train moved by Neu Ullersdorf (today Wólka) and Nonnenbuch to Schonbrunn (today Słotwina). King Frederick planned to deploy his army against the Austrian right wing.
In the morning, Zieten Hussars engaged Beck's cavalry posts at Hohenfriedeberg. Zieten took 1 major, 2 officers and 21 dragoons prisoners. The Austrian cavalry detachment escaped and informed the general-in-chief, fieldmarshal Daun of the Prussian advance. Daun immediately ordered to prepare the army and Beck opened heavy artillery from the hills north to Moehnersdorf (today Jaskulin). However, his artillery had no effect because Prussians columns were covered by a fog.
When the fog lifted, the Prussians were near Zirlau. Prussians cavalry trotted to the Hohengelande hill east of Kunzendorf to the north of the road leading to Schweidnitz. Seeing this, Prince Löwenstein, who was commanding this wing, sent against this hill his 25-29 converged squadrons of horse grenadiers and carabiniers along with infantry regiments Tillier and Bayreuth. Zieten Hussars galloped and were the first to reach the hill. They were closely followed by Bayreuth Dragoons and Normann Dragoons. Grenzer troops were deployed in the village of Kunzendorf to cover the arrival of d'Ayasasa at the head of an Austrian cavalry corps. Prussian dragoons drove the Grenzers out of the village while the Prussian hussars charged the Austrian heavy cavalry. Meanwhile, other Prussian cavalry units had engaged the Austrian infantry led by general Bibow who was trying to seize control of the Hohengelande hill. When he saw Prussian infantry taking position, d'Ayasasa ordered his cavalry to retire to Milikowice. Additional Austrian cavalry units moved to Bogendorf (today Witoszów).
Fieldmarschal Daun, seeing the Prussian successfully advancing on Kunzendorf, pushed Loudon's army to Freiburg (today Świebodzice) while the rest of the main Austrian army was ordered to change front to oppose the Prussians. Daun also ordered his heavy artillery to deploy on the hills between Freiburg, Frochlichsdorf, Simsdorf and Zirlau. By then, the Austrian left wing was at Freiburg and its right at Bogendorf.
King Frederick soon realised that his line of advance was now blocked by strong forces and that there was no way to assault them without heavy losses. Accordingly, he resolved to take possession of the hill at Hochgiersdorf (today Modliszów). He left regiment Prinz von Preußen at Zirlau with one battery of heavy guns and ordered his Arrière-garde to cover his movement.
The Austrian corps of General Ried (3,290 men) had been deployed at Ober Arnsdorf, in front of Schweidnitz.
Map
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Description of Events
On September 17, Ried, stationed at Ober Arnsdorf, received orders to move to Zedlitz (today Pasieczna) between Stanowitz (today Stanowice) and Jauernick (today Jaworów). While Ried was manoeuvring to his new positions, the Prussian avant-garde appeared. Ried advanced Szechényi Hussars and Stabsdragoner to occupy a hill to the south south of Bogendorf to buy enough time for his infantry to march.
The only open road to that hill was between Hochgiersdorf and Burkersdorf (today Burkatów), so Frederick decided to advance his army into this direction. During the march of his columns, they clashed one more with d'Ayasasa's cavalry. The Austrian cavalry seized this opportunity and charged into a gap between the Prussian brigades only defended by Anhalt-Bernburg Infantry. The Austrians broke and routed a battalion and came to contact with field artillery, killing crews and horses.
However, d'Ayasasa's initial success soon turned into a catastrophe when other Prussian battalions assaulted the Austrian cavalry at the point of the bayonet while another Prussian battery opened at close range. Seydlitz Cuirassiers and Prinz Heinrich Cuirassiers drove back the Austrian cavalry and forced it to retreat. Anhalt-Bernburg Infantry lost 42 men and one battalion gun. Prussian total losses were less than 100 men while the Austrians left 100 men on the field and had 4 officers and 112 privates taken prisoners. Nevertheless, the Prussians were unable to capture the Austrian battery which had been pounding on their positions.
During this time, the Prussian avant-garde reached Bogendorf. II./Prinz Heinrich Fusiliers took position in the forest, 1,000 meters from Hochgiersdorf; Jung Braunschweig Fusiliers stood to its right in the forest; and I./Prinz Heinrich Fusiliers deployed at the edge of the forest. Other Prussian infantry battalions were sent against a village to the south of the Hochgiersdorf hill where some Grenzer troops and hussars had taken position.
The hill of Hochgiersdorf was occupied by Jung-Colloredo Infantry and 3 to 6 grenadier battalions under the command of General Ferrari who also had 15 guns and 2 howitzers. The Prussian attacked the hill thrice. The first assault was conducted from the front and right wing by I./Prinz Heinrich Fusiliers who, without support of regimental guns, were forced to fall back. Then I./Jung Braunschweig Fusiliers launched a second attack from the right wing and managed to push a wedge into the Grenzer troops defending the village, before being forced to retire. Finally, II./Kleist Infantry along with II./Prinz Heinrich Fusiliers and II./Jung Braunschweig Fusiliers, supported by 4 horse artillery pieces, made a final successful assault. Ferrari retreated, leaving all of his guns and about 300 soldiers in the hands of the Prussians.
Outcome
In this combat, the Prussians lost 11 officers and 482 privates killed and wounded (Tempelhoff gives 18 officers and 964 men killed, wounded and missing). Austrians losses are unknown but Tagenbuch Thielow gives 215 men killed and 3 officers and 200 men captured.
After the combat, the Prussians remained on the battlefield:
- first line: brigades Ramin and Gabelentz, Alt Braunschweig Infantry and II./Vacant Wedell.
- second line: brigades Queiss and Bernburg
- left wing: dragoons
- right wing in the hills near Hohengiersdorf facing the road: Normann Dragoons and Zieten Hussars
Daun took positions between Seitendorf and Kunzendorf; Loudon was in Wallenburg Reusendorf (today Rusinowa); Lacy marched to Langenwaltersdorf (today Unisław Śląski); and Brentano to Tannhausen (today Jedlinka).
Despite his tactical victory, Frederick had been unable to open communication with Schweidnitz.
Order of Battle
Austrian Order of Battle
Commander-in-chief: Fieldmarshal Count Leopold Daun
Corps under Major-general Ried at Ober Arnsdorf, in front of Schweidnitz (3,290 men)
- Grenzer troops (2,400 men)
- Stabsdragoner (5 sqns)
- H32 Szechényi Hussars (5 sqns)
- Palatinal Hussars (6 sqns)
- Banalisten Grenz-Hussars (2 sqns)
Corps under Count Franz Moritz Lacy (11,850 foot, 6,300 horse)
- IR52 Bethlen (2 bns and 2 gren. coys)
- IR20 Alt-Colloredo (Anton) (2 bns and 2 gren. coys)
- IR45 Heinrich Daun (2 bns and 2 gren. coys)
- IR31 Haller (2 bns and 2 gren. coys)
- IR22 Lacy (2 bns and 2 gren. coys)
- IR25 Thürheim (2 bns and 2 gren. coys)
- IR10 Jung-Wolfenbüttel (2 bns and 2 gren. coys)
- IR38 de Ligne (1 bn and 2 gren. coys)
- Grenzer troops (2,150 men)
- CR23 Birkenfeld
- DR6 Liechtenstein
- HR24 Paul Anton Esterházy
- HR2 Kaiser Franz I
- Saxon Karabiniergarde (5 sqns)
- Saxon Duke of Kurland Chevauxlegers (5 sqns)
- Saxon Prinz Albrecht Chevauxlegers (5 sqns)
- Saxon Graf Brühl Chevauxlegers (5 sqns)
- Saxon Graf Rudnicki Uhlanen (4 sqns)
- Saxon Schiebel Uhlanen (4 sqns)
- Artillery
- 30 x 3-pdr regimental guns
- 16 x 3-pdr guns
- 14 x 6-pdr guns
- 10 x 12-pdr guns
- 6 x 7-pdr howitzers
Main Army under Fieldmarshal Count Leopold Daun (some 26,750 men)
- IR21 Arenberg (2 bns and 2 gren. coys)
- IR27 Baden-Durlach (2 bns and 2 gren. coys)
- IR12 Botta (2 bns and 2 gren. coys)
- IR59 Leopold Daun (2 bns and 2 gren. coys)
- IR2 Erzherzog Ferdinand (2 bns and 2 gren. coys)
- IR33 Nikolaus Esterházy (2 bns and 2 gren. coys)
- IR42 Gaisruck (2 bns and 2 gren. coys)
- IR47 Harrach (2 bns and 2 gren. Coys)
- IR50 Harsch (2 bns and 2 gren. coys)
- IR8 Hildburghausen (2 bns and 2 gren. coys)
- IR1 Kaiser (2 bns and 2 gren. coys)
- IR17 Kolowrat (2 bns and 2 gren. coys)
- IR3 Carl Lothringen (Duke) (2 bns and 2 gren. Coys)
- IR56 Mercy-Argenteau (2 bns and 2 gren. coys)
- IR7 Neipperg (2 bns and 2 gren. coys)
- IR26 Puebla (2 bns and 2 gren. coys)
- IR54 Sincère (2 bns and 2 gren. coys)
- IR28 Wied (2 bns and 2 gren. coys)
- CR25 Anhalt-Zerbst (5 sqns and 1 carabinier coy)
- CR(ii) Buccow (5 sqns and 1 carabinier coy)
- CR27 Benedikt Daun (5 sqns and 1 carabinier coy)
- CR4 Erzherzog Ferdinand (5 sqns and 1 carabinier coy)
- CR3 Erzherzog Leopold (5 sqns and 1 carabinier coy)
- CR14 O'Donell (5 sqns and 1 carabinier coy)
- CR5 Emanuel Infant von Portugal (5 sqns and 1 carabinier coy)
- DR7 Batthyányi (5 sqns and 1 gren. coy)
- DR19 Hessen-Darmstadt (5 sqns and 1 gren. coy)
- DR9 Prinz Savoyen (5 sqns and 1 gren. coy)
- Artillery:
- 34 x 3-pdr guns
- 36 x 6-pdr guns
- 22 x 12-pdr guns
- 8 x 24=pdr guns
- 16 x 7-pdr howitzeras
- 72 x 3ppdr regimental guns
Reserve Corps (come 7,150 men) under General of cavalry Fürst Löwenstein
- IR41 Bayreuth (2 bns and 2 gren. coys)
- IR40 Jung-Colloredo (Karl) (2 bns and 2 gren. coys)
- IR51 Gyulay (2 bns and 2 gren. coys)
- IR36 Tillier (2 bns and 2 gren. coys)
- CR12 Serbelloni (5 sqns and 1 carabinier coy)
- CR10 Stampach (5 sqns and 1 carabinier coy)
- DR31 Saint-Ignon (6 sqns and 1 gren. coy)
- Artillery: 12 regimental guns
Corps (6,770 men) under Feldmarschalllieutnant Baron von Beck
- IR32 Forgách (2 bns and 1 gren. Coy)
- Silesian or Beck's Volunteers (1 bn)
- Grenzer Troops (2,600 men)
- DR13 Jung-Modena
- HR34 Dessewffy Hussars
- HR(i) Splényi Hussars
- Artilery
- 10 x 3-pdr guns
- 2 x 12-pdr guns
- 2 x 7-pdr howitzers
- 6 x regimental guns
Corps (24,450 foot, 8,200 horse) under Feldzugmeister Baron von Loudon
- IR57 Andlau (1 bn and 2 gren. coys)
- IR55 d'Arberg (1 bn and 2 gren. coys)
- IR29 Loudon (1 bn and 2 gren. coys)
- IR53 Simbschen (1 bn and 2 gren. Coys)
- IR49 Angern (2 bns and 2 gren. coys)
- IR23 Baden-Baden (2 bns and 2 gren. coys)
- IR34 Batthyányi (2 bns and 2 gren. coys)
- IR4 Deutschmeister (2 bns and 2 gren. coys)
- IR37 Joseph Esterházy (2 bns and 2 gren. coys)
- IR18 Marschall (2 bns and 2 gren. coys)
- IR13 Moltke (2 bns and 2 gren. coys)
- IR19 Leopold Pálffy (2 bns and 2 gren. Coys)
- IR43 Platz (2 bns and 2 gren. coys)
- IR39 Preysach (2 bns and 2 gren. coys)
- IR24 Starhemberg (2 bns and 2 gren. coys)
- IR35 Waldeck (2 bns and 2 gren. coys)
- IR11 Wallis (2 bns and 2 gren. coys)
- IR Toscana (2 bns and 6 gren. coys)
- Grün Loudon Grenadiers(12 coys in 2 bns)
- Converged Grenadiers (7 bns, excluding grenadiers from Green-Loudon and Toscana regiments)
- Karlstädter-Lykaner Grenzer (2 bns)
- Karlstädter-Ottochaner Grenzer (2 bns)
- CR22 Sachsen-Teschen (5 sqns and 1 carabinier coy)
- CR33 Anspach (5 sqns and 1 carabinier coy)
- CR20 Schmerzing (5 sqns and 1 carabinier coy)
- CR21 Trautmansdorf (5 sqns and 1 carabinier coy)
- DR(iii) Althann (5 sqns and 1 gren. coy)
- DR37 Kolowrat-Krakowski (4 sqns and 1 gren. coy)
- Converged Horse Grenadiers (3 coys from DR28 Sachsen-Gotha, DR38 Württemberg and DR1 Erzherzog Joseph
- Artillery: 50 field guns
Detached from Loudon's corps:
- Wolfersdorff corps
- unidentified infantry units (8 bns) these bns must be subtracted from Loudon's infantry
- CR(iii) Alt-Modena (5 sqns)
- CR8 Pálffy (5 sqns)
- Artillery (these pieces must be subtracted from Loudon's artillery)
- 2 x 3-pdr guns
- 2 x 6-pdr guns
- 2 x 12-pdr guns
- 16 x regimental guns
- Nauendorfs’ corps
- Löwenstein Dragoons ??? (5 sqns) more probably DR1 Erzherzog Joseph
- DR28 Sachsen-Gotha (5 sqns)
- DR38 Württemberg (5 sqns)
- HR35 Bethlen (6 sqns)
- HR11 Nádasdy (6 sqns)
- HR16 Pálffy (4 sqns)
Corps (2,400 foot, 300 horse) under Major-general Jahnus
- IR14 Salm (3 bns)
- IR16 Königsegg (2 bns)
- IR43 Platz (1 garrison bn)
- Converged Grenadiers (4 coys)
- Slavonisch-Gradiskaner Grenzer (2 bns)
- Clx18 Löwenstein Chevauxlegers (1 sqn)
- HR16 Pálffy (2 sqns)
Corps (850 foot and 750 horse under Major-general von Bethlen
- Karlstädter-Szluiner Grenzer (2 bns and 1 gren. coy)
- Clx18 Löwenstein Chevauxlegers (3 sqns)
- HR17 Kálnoky (6 sqns)
In Glatz (5,390 men) under Feldmarschalllieutnant Count Draskowitz
- in Glatz
- IR49 Angern (1 garrison bn)
- IR21 Arenberg (1 garrison bn)
- IR8 Hildburghausen (1 garrison bn)
- IR1 Kaiser (1 garrison bn)
- IR17 Kolowrat (1 garrison bn)
- IR18 Marschall (1 garrison bn)
- IR7 Neipperg (1 garrison bn)
- IR11 Wallis (1 garrison bn)
- in the surroundings of Glatz
- Karlstädter-Oguliner Grenzer (2 bns)
- Slavonisch-Peterwardeiner Grenzer (2 bns)
- Slavonisch-Gradiskaner Grenzer (1 bn)
- covering the baggage
- Stabs-Infanterie (1 bn)
- unidentified cavalry unit (290 men)
Prussian Order of Battle
Commander-in-chief: Frederick II
Avant-garde under Lieutenant-general von Forcade
- Lieutenant-general von Platen
- HR2 Zieten (10 sqns)
- DR5 Bayreuth (10 sqns)
- Horse Artillery (10 guns)
- DR11 Jung Platen and DR12 Württemberg (8 sqns)
- Major-general von Wangenheim
- II./IR39 Jung Braunschweig Fusiliers (1 bn)
- Artillery (6 guns)
- I./IR39 Jung Braunschweig Fusiliers (1 bn)
- IR49 Diericke Fusiliers (2 bns)
- Artillery (5 guns)
- II./GRV Jung Sydow (1 bn)
- Major-general von Grumbkow
- I./GRV Jung Sydow (1 bn)
- I./GRII Alt Sydow (1 bn)
- IR21 Hülsen (2 bns)
- Artillery (5 guns)
- Major-general von Ramin
- II./IR24 Goltz (1 bn)
- Artillery (10 guns)
- I./IR24 Goltz (1 bn)
- IR17 Manteuffel (2 bns)
- II./IR25 Ramin (1 bn)
- Major-general von Gablentz
- Artillery (10 guns)
- I./IR25 Ramin (1 bn)
- IR8 Queiss (2 bns)
- IR30 Jung Stutterheim (2 bns)
The four columns
Main Column | Second Column | Third Column | Fourth Column |
---|---|---|---|
under General of Infantry Margraf Karl
|
under Lieutenant-general Graf zu Wied
|
under Lieutenant-general Prinz von Holstein
|
under Major-general von Tettenborn
|
Arrière-garde under General of Cavalry Zieten
under Major-general von Meinicke
|
under Major-general von Alt Stutterheim
|
under Major-general von Syburg
|
DR1 Normann (5 sqns)
HR3 Möhring (10 sqns)
References
Großer Generalstab, Kriegsgeschichtliche Abteilung II (Publisher). Die Kriege Friedrichs des Großen. Dritter Teil: Der Siebenjährige Krieg 1756–1763. ("Neues Generalstabswerk"),Vol. 13 Torgau, Berlin 1914.
Grosser Generalstab, Geschichte des siebenjährigen Krieges: In einer Reihe von Vorlesungen, mit Benutzung authentischer Quellen, bearbeitet von den Offizieren des Großen Generalstabs. ("Altes Generalstabswerk") Vol. 4 Der Feldzug von 1760, Berlin 1834.
Jany, Curt: Geschichte der Königlich Preußischen Armee bis zum Jahre 1807
Tempelhof, Georg Friedrich von, Geschichte des siebenjährigen Krieges in Deutschland zwischen dem Könige von Preussen und der Kaiserin Königin mit ihren Alliirten als eine Fortsetzung der Geschichte Lloyd, J. F. Unger, Berlin, 1783-1801, Part 4 (1760).
Acknowledgments
Tomasz Karpiński from Gniezno/Poznań for the initial version of this article