"Vorwarts, Vorwarts, Kinder!"

The Prussian Campaign
in Belgium of 1815
Part II

19th June 1815

by Patrick E. Wilson, UK

19th June 1815: The pursuit of Napoleon, defeat of Wavre, retreat of Grouchy

As fighting raged around Plancenoit Blucher met Wellington near La Belle Alliance, congratulating each other on their joint victory, Blucher agreed to conduct the pursuit of Napoleon's beaten Army as experience had taught him not to allow the French Army time to rally. Leaving the 5th Brigade to finish the business in Plancenoit, he ordered the nearest units to commence an immediate and vigourous pursuit. General Gniesenau himself took command, collecting the fusileur battalions of the 15th and 25th infantry regiments near Maison du Roi to the south of Plancenoit together with a few Uhlan squadrons, he turned Blucher's wish into immediate action. Advancing in the bright moonlight with trumpets and drums announcing their approach these troops seem to have frighted the French out of every bivouac.

Jumbo Battle of Wavre Map 19th June (very slow: 226K)

At Genappe a stand was attempted by a few enterprising French officers but Gniesenau soon brought up a horse battery and blew it apart, his Uhlans not only massacred the survivors but plundered the abandoned vehicles of the French Army which had partially blocked the entrance to Genappe. Gniesenau's troops, now reinforced by Zeiten's cavalry under General Roder, forced their way through the chaos and resumed the pursuit. Not stopping until they reached the "Zum Kaiser" Inn near Gosselies, having accounted for five to six thousand men of the French Army who were either killed or dispersed by their constant attacks. Gniesenau was later to describe this night as the most glorious of his life.

That night the Prussian Army was positioned as follows: with Gniesenau near Gosselies were Roder's cavalry, elements of Pirch I's reserve cavalry and the fusileur battalions of the 15th and 25th regiments. About 4,000 men in all. Bulow's reserve cavalry also joined them during the morning of the 19th. Around Genappe stood Bulow's 4th Corps and the 5th Brigade, Zieten's 1st Corps remained on Mont St.Jean that night. General Pirch I received orders that night to assemble at Maransart and march via Bousseval and Mellery for Namur to intercept Grouchy's presumed retreat to the Sambre. Gathering in General Brauze's half of his Corps, Pirch I marched that night for Mellery and reached it for 11.00am on the 19th June. He then called a halt to rest his much fatigued Corps. He had with him the 6th, 7th and 8th Brigades and 24 squadrons of his reserve cavalry but Tippelskirchen's 5th Brigade and 14 squadrons remained with the main army somewhere between Gosselies and Genappe. Pirch I's advance guard under von Sohr reported Mont St.Giubert still held by the French but had no information regarding Thielemann's whereabouts. Nor was Pirch I aware that the French had not retreated from Wavre until that morning or that Thielemann was not in hot pursuit of Grouchy. Indeed the morning of the 19th at Wavre had began very differently.

At day break General Thielemann ordered his his cavalry to attack the French toward Limale confident that he had only a rearguard to deal with. He was soon undeceived, for as Marwitz deployed his Uhlans and Kurmark Landwehr cavalry and opened fire with his horse artillery. The French opened fire with an overwhelming counter-bombardment that soon silenced five of Marwitz's guns, besides causing heavy casualities amongst the ranks of his horsemen. Furthermore, the French commenced an attack all along Thielemann's front, columns of infantry and cavalry driving Marwitz back upon Stulpnagel and then continuing to push them both from the woods of Rixansart towards the Village of Cambre to the west of La Barette. In the centre both Stulpnagel and Kampfen were assaulted by closely supported by artillery, whilst at Bierges yet another French column assaulted the Kurmark Landwehr stationed there, the fighting actually reaching the ferocity experienced at St.Amand and Plancenoit.

At right: Grouchy

Eventually Thielemann was forced to fall back to another position, with his right resting on Cambre, his centre now held by Colonel Luck with the 3rd Kurmark Landwehr and his left held by Kampfen's six battalions, several of which were fed into the fight for Bierges. Thielemann's front was now at right angles with the forces deployed along the Dyle, who had been under fire though not assault since the French attack had began. About 8.30am Thielemann heard that Pirch I's Corps was marching to intercept Grouchy's supposed retreat on the Sambre, this news together with the knowledge of Napoleon's defeat on the 18th, put heart into Thielemann's troops. Who, as if in celebration, attacked again and recaptured the Rixansart woods but Pajol, who commanded in that area, counter-attacked and drove the momentarily victorious Prussians back on Cambre. At the same time the French General Teste finally took Bierges from the Kurmark Landwehr defending it, though not without loss. Thus, Thielemann with his right turned and Bierges lost had no option but to retreat upon St.Achtenrode on the road to Louvain. Covered by what remained of Marwitz's cavalry and artillery he successfully extracted his troops from between Cambre and Wavre. The Landwehr battalions Colonel Luck had left to cover Colonel Zeplin's troops in Wavre, valiantly covered their withdrawal and even repulsed an attack by General Vandamme as he sort to followed up the French advantage.

Meanwhile, General Borcke with the rest of his 9th Brigade had advanced from St.Lambert to attack the French left but Pajol had seen the danger and deployed Strolz's Dragoons against him, all Borcke could do was to exchange fire with them. Which was probably correct in view of the French reserves at Limale and the fact that Thielemann had abandoned the battlefield, and appeared to retreating in the direction of Louvian. Marshal Groughy who could now claim victory and who would have undoubtedly marched on Brussels, now received notice of Napoleon's overwhelming defeat at Mont St.Jean about the same time as Thielemann was retreating upon the Louvain.

On reaching St.Achtenrode Thielemann took up a defensive position with his Corps, the French pursuit had stopped on the Brussels road. Interestingly Borcke remained all day at St.Lambert not noticing until 5.00pm that Grouchy had actually retired, reporting the fact to Thielemann he was ordered to cross the Dyle and march on Namur. Thielemann himself did not begin his pursuit until the 20th, when he occupied Wavre and sent his cavalry forward at thr trot to overtake and delay Grouchy until he could catch up with his infantry.

It seems that Thielemann, like Borcke at St.Lambert, was taken in by Grouchy's rearguards at Wavre and Limale, which held their positions until nightful. Furthermore Thielemann's retreat to St.Achtenrode undoubtedly aided Grouchy in breaking contact, as probably did the exhausted state of both Thielemann's and Pirch I's Corps. Indeed, Gerard's retreat from Limale passed within miles of Pirch I's camp during the 19th, surely he could have intercepted their march had he been aware of Grouchy's lateness in retreating or Thielemann's failure to pursue with the vigour that Gniesenau must have intended. Both Generals were not to catch up with Grouchy's forces until the 20th at Namur, when it was to take another stiff fight to capture the town and by then the bulk of the French right wing had successfully retreated into France.

Jumbo Pursuit of Grouchy 19th June (slow: 161K)

More Vorwarts Part II

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