Let us next examine the Prussian dispositions and the topography of the Ligny battlefield. The meeting at Brye started at 1pm on 16 June 1815 and finished about an hour later. Fortunately, the German generla staff created some excellent cartography for their history of the campaign. One of these maps shows the positions at 2:30pm, which is just after Wellington left to return to Quatre Bras and just before the battle started.

The position of each cavalry squadron, infantry battalion, and artillery battery is marked. Their positions are based on the afternoon battle reports made by the unit commanders and deposited in the Prussian War archives at the end of the campaign. There can be little doubt about the accuracy of the map (it is reproduced here). Topographical details were confirmed using various modern maps published by IGN. [4]

I am unaware of any major changes in the physical features of the battlefield. No volcanoes, meteors, earthquakes, or excavations since the battle have changed it in any way. Urban growth has not been significant. There has been some changes to the size and location of woods. However, it is more or less as it was at the time of the battle.

The Prussian positions ran roughly along a west to east axis. The strongpoints included the villages of St. Amand in the west, Ligny in the center and Tongrinne, Tongrenell, Boignee, and Balatre in the east. Brye, to the north, marked the apex of the triangle formed with St Amand and Ligny. The windmill of Bussy, near Brye, marked the highest point on the Prussian side of the battlefield. The marshy Ligny brook more or less marked the perimeter of the Prussian positions. The ground rose from north of Ligny and northeast of St. Amand to the heights crowed by the windmill. The slope from Ligny up to the windmill rose steeply, that from the direction of St. Amand more gently.

The troops in St. Amand were positioned at a right-angle to those in Ligny, those in more or less a right-angle to those on the far left. Three battalions of Jagow's Brigade, part of Zieten's I Army Corps, covered St. Amand. Half a battalion from Jagow's Brigade and four of Henckel's occupied Ligny. Two battalions of Steinmetz's Brigade occupied Brye, with one more to its rear. Kemphen's Brigade held the villages In the east. One battery covered St. Amand, on a ridge just in front of six battalions of Steinmetz's Brigade. These battalions formed the reserve for the battle for St. Amand and were deployed in dead ground. More batteries were unlimbered to their rear, on the heights behind them. These batteries were positioned to prevent any French move out of St. Amand, should that village fall to them.

The ground northeast of St. Amand was open and rose gently, facilitating the use of ball shot by the Prussian batteries--the French would be bowled over like skittles. Two btns of Henckel's brigade, six of Jagow's and Zeithen's Reserve Cavalry were deployed to the rear of Ligny. The slope rising from Ligny was so steep, no artillery was deployed on it. Seven bttns from Pirch II's brigade drew up close to the road from Ligny to Brye. Pirch I's II Army Corps rested in reserve well to the rear of the village. The remaineder of Thielman's III Army Corp deployed close to Sombreffe along the Namur road.

These troops in ST. Amand were 300 to 400 meters from French artillery; in cnaister range, in hard cover. Those part's of Steinmetz's brigade in reserve behind St. Amand were 1500 meters from the French artillery, that is, outside effective range. Two French batteries flanked the position, the closest being 800 meters from the nearest part of Steinmetz's men. As they were in dead ground and shielded by tall crops, it is not certain whether Steinmetz's men saw the French artillery. In any case, Steinmetz suffered the lowest casualties of all units in the Army Corps.

The reserves behind Ligny were 1100 meters from the nearest French guns, that is, at maximum effective distance. As the French were drawn up to bombard Ligny, these troops did not suffer continuous fire. Moreover, the French guns could not use roundshot with great effect against them as the village of Ligny partillay blocked the line of fire, and the steep slope minimised any roll through.Kemphen's men in Boigne and Balatre were also in cannister range, but likewise in hard cover. Being about 4km from the windmill of Bussy, it is unlikely that their positions could be observed from that point. The remaining Prussians were either out of range or out of sight (or both) of French artillery.

More Were the Prussian Positions at Ligny Exposed

Introduction
The Sombreffe Position
Wellington and the Windmill at Bussy
De Ros
Stanhope
Ellesmere
Conclusions
Large Ligny Map (extremely slow: 472K)
Jumbo Ligny Map (monstously slow: 1.42Mb!)