Defense of Danzig 1813

3rd September to End November

by A. Ricciardiello, Poland

With the taking of Lang Fuhr by the allies, they continued the pressure on all fronts. To the north-west of Danzig redoubts and entrenchments were made and with these the arrival of large calibre guns. Rapp realised that the first parallels would not be long in coming.

Believing that the besiegers would be reinforced with the joining of the Austrians in the wider general fray. Rapp tightened his defences by pulling them in towards the city and constructing a series of redoubts and positioning fixed outer batteries on the heights dominating the city and Zigankenberg. The latter also covered the valleys of Lang Fuhr and Schidlitz. These works went as far out as the most western bend of the Vistula with a couple of batteries beyond.

On the extreme left of the line, before Aft Schottland, 3 redoubts were constructed. Friuli Nos. 1 and 2 and Friuli advanced (No. 3). Naturally the allies did their best to disrupt the work, especially from the sea, for example on 6th September the allies fired around 9000 rounds.

The troops were assigned various sectors to defend and work on but in some areas the continuous bombardment was so heavy that some of the troops were to fall back into the city this happened at Holzraum where the 5th Neapolitan were stationed.

Much of the bombardment was not only with projectiles but also with conspirators and spys who left a great many leaflets in the city full of propaganda against the French army. Rapp countered these measures with the following order:

Commanding General in Chief X Corps of the Grande Armee Governor of Danzig renews the prohibition already made of communicating with the enemy under any pretext. From tomorrow's date any one who is arrested in the flooded area or entering the line of the advance posts from the direction of the enemy will be considered a spy, judged and condemned to death within 24 hours.

Any inhabitants of Danzig who correspond with the enemy will be equally judged and condemned to the same penalty.

A permanent military commission composed as follows will be charged with judging the offender etc.

Comte Rapp.
Danzig 21st October 1813

Throughout this period the bombardment was intense, interrupted only by frequent pin prick attacks at any time all along the front. This rain of projectiles scored a major hit at the beginning of November. Despite the relative success of fire parties extinguishing fires, the 1st November saw a number of fires starting at various points, consuming amongst other things a wood store but also tragically a food store. Over 4000 biscuit rations were lost with 15,000 quintals of wheat, 10,000 of other grains, 108 quintals of flour, 228 of salt, and 53 of rice.

As the garrison was trying to put out the fire, the posts of Schidlitz, Stotenberg and Ohra came under attack. Friuli No. 3 was taken, but was immediately retaken by 90 picked men under Captain Chambure. 20 Russians escaped their bayonets and these were taken as prisoners.

The following day, another violent action took place at Schidlitz and Stolzenberg. The allies took these places but thrown out leaving some 60 prisoners behind and many dead. It seems there were a number of engagements in this area throughout the day.

During the night of 17th November, a sortie under the command of Captain Chambure went along the tree-lined avenue to Lang Fuhr. Without being seen they reached the enemy trench and the Kabrunn redoubt. They surprised the Russians killing 80 and wounding many they spiked the guns and Chambure left a note of defiance in a mortar to Prince Wurtemberg.

However, the bombardment continued incessantly, every where fires were being started and being put out, and these proved to be great dangers. During the night of 21st November for example, a house at Holzraum had a shell smash through the roof killing 1 soldier and wounding 14 whist they were asleep.

On the 22nd the batteries at the Friuli redoubts were so battered by the intense allied cannonades that Rapp ordered them, and a Neapolitan battalion that was charged with firing some nearby houses and the woodwork of the redoubts, back into the city giving them covering fire front the parapets.

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