The Dutch During
The Revolutionary Wars

The Prussian Campaign
In Holland 1787
Part IV

1st Division: Feint Attacks

by Geert van Uythoven, The Netherlands

Part III
Part II
Part I

According to the orders of the Duke of Brunswick, from the 1st Division, Maj-Gen von Kalkreuth had to make seven feint attacks and Lieut-Gen von Lottum one. The troops would march around midnight, and the feints would have to be made at 05.00 am, after the signal of three gunshots had been given. However, the Prussian soldiers wanted to do much more than make feint attacks only, wanting their share of the honour, and because until now they had met no serious opposition. Because of this they sustained much more casualties then would have been necessary.

To start with the troops commanded by Lieut-Gen von Lottum: he ordered Major von Niebelschütz to feint an attack on the fortress Muyden with three musketeer companies of the Rgt von Eichmann and two 6pdr guns. Von Niebelschütz was ordered to advance to Muyderberg and from there to bombard Muyden with his 6pdr guns. Another battery would be formed from heavy guns captured in Naarden, that would take up position on the dike between Naarden and Muyden, and bombard this fortress-city. More feints were not possible, because of the extensive inundations in this part of the country. Before the hostilities were commenced, Von Lottum asked Colonel Baron de Mattha who commanded at Muyden to surrender, but De Mattha refused.

In the morning Von Niebelschütz reached Muyderberg, and took up positions waiting for the heavy artillery battery to arrive. However, due to the lack of gunners and horses, these guns never came, and without their support, Von Niebelschütz could do not much against Muyden, with only the light 6pdr guns at his disposal firing at the fortress-city. To make at least some progress, Von Lottum ordered Lieutenant von Oppen with twenty cuirassiers (Rgt von Rohr) to reconnoitre in the direction of Muyden. Because of the inundations, a mounted advance was not possible, and Von Oppen reconnoitred dismounted, accompanied by five cuirassiers. Ascertaining that the patriots had occupied the walls of the city, Von Oppen pulled back, but was spotted, shot at and pursued, losing an NCO killed during his retreat. Some hours later, the Prussians retreated to Naarden.

Seven Feint Attacks

Von Kalkreuth had more approaches to attack, and it was decided that he would make seven feint attacks:

    1. Captain von Kleist would make a feint attack on the village Ouderkerk, moving through Klein Duivendrecht. Advancing on Ouderkerk, and reinforced by some troops and a 3pdr gun of Von Quitzow's force (see below), the Prussians were halted by heavy gunfire, and then had to retreat in the face of a patriot sally, barely able to save the gun. Von Kleist did not attack again.

    2. Captain von Quitzow would also move on Ouderkerk along the Ouderkerker Dam, with a detachment of Schützen, a grenadier company under Captain von Zschock, and a 6pdr and 3pdr gun [2] (Lieutenant Jakobi). He was ordered to bombard and then to attack Ouderkerk. The Leib-company of the Cuirassier Rgt von Kalkreuth formed his reserve. The guns bombarded the village and the enemy batteries, but were not able to suppress the gunfire of the patriots. Because of this, the Prussian infantry could not advance. Some grenadiers crossed the canal to their right with a boat, taking with them a 3pdr gun, and made contact with von Kleist's force. Noticing the sally of the patriots, Captain von Zschock charged along the dike to take the battery in concert with Von Kleist's force, but had to retreat because Von Kleist did not attack for a second time, losing four men killed and eight wounded.

    3. On the other side of the river Vecht, Major von Ledebour would attack Ouderkerk from that side with his musketeer company of the 2nd bat/Rgt von Marwitz and a 6pdr gun [3]. Advancing, the Prussians encountered a battery placed at this position. Musketry and the fire of the 6pdr gun suppressed the patriots, but the Prussians were not able to reach the battery because of a breach in the dike.

    4. While the above attacks were going on, Colonel von Kockeritz would attack Ouderkerk advancing along the left bank of the river Amstel with two companies of the 2nd bat/Rgt Budberg, thirty Fussjäger under Lieutenant von Pfeilitzer and two 3pdr guns. Two squadrons of the Cuirassier Rgt von Kalkreuth (commanded by Major von Krahn) formed his reserve. Advancing on Ouderkerk, the Prussians engaged the patriots, but because they lacked heavy guns, they could make no impression on them. Zealous, without having received orders to do so, Captain Skork tried to outflank the enemy battery with some men. Consequently grapeshot killed him, and two of his men were wounded. The fighting at Ouderkerk ceased at 08.00 am, when the Prussian ran out of ammunition for their guns. At 11.00 am, the first patriot fugitives from Amstelveen arrived, immediately after which a battery in this direction was thrown up by the patriots.killed him, and two of his men were wounded. The fighting at Ouderkerk ceased at 08.00 am, when the Prussian ran out of ammunition for their guns. At 11.00 am, the first patriot fugitives from Amstelveen arrived, immediately after which a battery in this direction was thrown up by the patriots.

    5. Major von Diebitsch received orders to attack the bridge at Duivendrechter Brug (at right) with two of his grenadier companies, a 6pdr gun and a 3pdr gun of the 'horse artillery'. Colonel von Borstell would support him with a company of his cuirassier regiment (Von Kalkreuth) and a company of the 2nd bat/Rgt von Marwitz. Von Kalkreuth made very clear to Von Diebitsch that the attack would only be a feint, and that care had to be taken not to incur unnecessary losses by enemy gunfire. In spite of the above orders, Von Diebitsch advanced with his grenadiers and the 6pdr gun well within range of the 12pdr guns of the patriot defences. The Prussians morale was high, they hoped to take the enemy position, and to attack the patriot defences at the Tolhekbrug from behind. Consequently, the Prussians received severe losses, to no avail at all.

    6. Captain von Winterfeld would have to attack the patriot post at the burned bridge near the tollgate (Tolhekbrug), with forty Schützen and two 12pdr guns, a 10pdr howitzer and a 3pdr gun of the 'horse artillery' (Lieutenant von Leschinski). Lt-Col Von Hiller would cover his attack with two companies of the 2nd bat/Rgt von Marwitz. One company of the Grenadier Battalion von Diebitsch and two cuirassier companies (Rgt von Kalkreuth) formed the reserve. Arriving at their positions shortly before 05.00 am, Lt-Col von Hiller ordered a carpenter, named Koch, and a NCO of the Schützen to reconnoitre the location of the burned bridge, to see if it would be possible to repair it, to cross and to attack the patriot defences. Arriving there, both men found that the fifty patriots occupying the redoubt, armed with a 12pdr and a 6pdr gun, were asleep. With this news they quickly returned to Von Hiller, who asked Major General von Kalkreuth for permission to try to take the redoubt with twenty men, before the sleeping patriots would awake by the 05.00 am signal. Von Kalkreuth consented, and ordered that a much stronger force taken from the Marwitz companies –to be commanded by Lieutenant von Rudowski- would have to try to take the redoubt. To support him, Von Kalkreuth despatched another fifty grenadiers (Rgt von Schlottheim) and some cuirassiers, and moved in person to Von Hiller. When this force had already been gone for some time and everything remained quit, Von Kalkreuth presumed that the surprise attack had succeeded. Therefore, he ordered Von Hiller to advance also with the 3pdr 'horse artillery' gun and both companies of the Rgt von Marwitz. Unfortunately, this time the advancing Prussians were discovered before they could reach the redoubt, and greeted with musketry and gunfire from the redoubt, supported by gunfire from other batteries, a total of ten guns. The Prussians, advancing along the narrow dike, were showered with grapeshot and suffered heavy losses. Von Kalkreuth ordered the advancing Prussians to retreat, but the Prussian soldiers refused to follow the orders of their officers and continued the uneven fight. Only after Von Kalkreuth went forward in person did the men retreat, abandoning the gun from which all the draught-horses were killed. One of these horses was white, and the patriots used its corpse to train their guns. The company of the Grenadier Battalion von Diebitsch, part of the reserve, was disappointed to be in the reserve, and now asked Von Kalkreuth to retrieve the gun and the wounded left behind. Von Kalkreuth did not want to disappoint them and agreed, the grenadiers returning with the gun, its carriage and many wounded. After this had happened, Von Kalkreuth ordered all the troops back, out of range of the patriot guns.

    7. Major von Schlottheim, occupying Weesp, had to attack the fortress-city Muyden along both banks of the river Vecht. At his disposal he had his own grenadier battalion (leaving behind a small force to guard Weesp) and two 10pdr howitzers (Captain von Eckenbrecher). On each riverbank, a cuirassier company (Rgt von Kalkreuth) supported him. His orders were to bombard Muyden with the howitzers, but only to attack with the grenadiers when and if a good opportunity should arise.

After the signal had been given, Captain von Eckenbrecher started bombarding Muyden. Al his shells fell into the city, but here too the shells refused to explode. After firing for two hours, Von Eckenbrecher had to end the bombardment; because of the enemy fire, both guns were disabled. At 11.00 am Von Schlottheim retreated, having sustained no losses.Muyden. Al his shells fell into the city, but here too the shells refused to explode. After firing for two hours, Von Eckenbrecher had to end the bombardment; because of the enemy fire, both guns were disabled. At 11.00 am Von Schlottheim retreated, having sustained no losses.

During the seven feint attacks, the Prussians sustained the loss of twenty killed, 97 wounded, thirteen wounded taken prisoner and two men missing. During the following days, many straggling patriots were taken prisoner, and all were detained in the church of Amstelveen. During the confusion of the fighting on 1 October, some civilians were taken prisoner and detained in the church. Now these were set free and allowed to return home. Hussars escorted 300 prisoners to Schoonhoven, to be brought to Wesel. The wounded patriots stayed at the church, and care was taken in tending them.

More Dutch During The Revolutionary Wars

The Dutch During the Revolutionary Wars

Back to Table of Contents -- First Empire #47
Back to First Empire List of Issues
Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List
© Copyright 1999 by First Empire.
This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com