Defense of Danzig 1813

Actions of September 2nd and 3rd

by A. Ricciardiello, Poland

At Neufahrwasser a flotilla of gunboats redoubled their efforts. Of the 8000 rounds they let off there and at Weichselmunde, they only managed to blow up a small magazine with no other damage done to the defenders.

On the other hand at Lang Fuhr, a different result was in the offing. At the first Russian advances the outposts around it and along to Schellmuhle fell back onto their assigned places for such an event. Eventually the Bavarians, Westphalians and Neapolitans had to fall back onto the village of Lang Fuhr proper, onto their prepared defences, the Russians managed to surround the two blockhouses and tried to set fire to them several times. They also managed to keep them isolated.

A number of patrols were sent out during the night to try, and ascertain the status of the detachments but could not verify anything for sure. It was generally assumed that they may well not have capitulated after such a short time. In fact in the morning another patrol indicated that there may yet be hope of rescue.

General Devilliers who was on outpost duty that night let part of his reserve go to liberate the blockade. At the sight of the oncoming relief the defenders broke out and joined their comrades.

All eye witness account goes into more (different) detail; when the Russians first obliged the defenders to retire into Lang Fuhr the town was set alight at which point they, retired to the blockhouses.

Meanwhile, the Neapolitan division assembled on the highway. Grandejean sent the 7th to reinforce Neufahrwasser, the 6th to retake the nearby burning Schellmuhle, and the 5th with a Polish battery to attack Lang Fuhr, which after a dogged struggle was partly retaken.

The 6th meanwhile forced the Russians to retire to Silberhammer, but flushed with his success Colonel De Gennaro threw his 500 men at the Russians. The Russian forces were waiting for such a moment and were about to charge when General Pepe watching the situation develop sent a small column at the enemy flank giving the 6th time to retire in order, behind Schellmuhle.

As night fell the Poles at Lang Fuhr, nor the 6th could make any further progress. ne 6th were then given orders to link up the advance posts between their station and Zigankenberg. A good number of these troops and others returned to Danzig all along the sector for the night, leaving Lang Fuhr to its fate with those trapped in the houses likewise: the overall position of the enemy in this sector being too strong on this occasion.

It seems that the order to fall back was not received or applicable to the blockhouse defenders, (who had been previously reinforced by some of the 5th Neapolitan) nor the men who had been at the head of the village, many of whom congregated at the blockhouses thus escaping the flames destroying the village. This then is how Lang Fuhr fell and how the men to be surrounded.

The soldiers in the house on the right in the confusion left one of its barricades open and thus it quickly fell to the allies, the other successfully resisting. The defender's situation became very serious when eventually 2 guns were brought up, causing considerable damage. The eyewitness states that the defenders had already lost half their number, were almost out of ammunition and without water but refused to accept offers to surrender. Around midnight their assailants slackened their attempts and it was at this point that they broke out and joined their comrades outside of Lang Fuhr.

Captain Fahrebeck of the 13th Bavarians commanded the house and had about 80 Bavarians, Westphalians and Neapolitans with him and endured the assaults for 12 hours. When they returned to Danzig they were treated as heroes.

Rapp writes in his memoirs of that day, that the Russians lost relatively enormous numbers, over 700 in total. In a supplement to the order of the day, signed by Pepe, it says that approximately 500 Russians died in and around Lang Fuhr, the great majority around the blockhouses.

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