The allied line defended a newly fortified position around Egmude and included 3 solid redoubts bolstered by artillery. The serious misfortunes suffered at Berlich had cost them dearly, but with their combined strength still numbering something over 39,000 men (this included 32,900 foot in 84 battalions & 5,680 horse in 22 regiments supported by 63 field guns) confidently arrayed and with the wide River Inzell securing their right, the allied position had few frailties suitable for exploitation.
The Imperialist offensive plan drawn up by Feldmarschall Zeyer (or rather the ADC acting as the Feldmarschall) envisaged an assault against the lightly held "Mund" hill (forward of the main position & defended only by Lorraine light infantry) before turning against the village of Zellendorp to overwhelm the Ravensburg troops garrisoned there. It was envisaged that the success of this operation would have the double advantage of outflanking the immediate fortification nearby (redoubt 'C') and allow the Imperialist army to "roll-up" the enemy line from the south thereby cutting it's line of retreat towards Prahnitz.
About an hour after dawn on the 22nd, the Imperialist columns began their advance. An unseasonable mist lay across the route of march, but the day already promised to mature into yet another of baking heat, sweltering fatigue and exhaustion. In total 20 battalions of General Rupic's & Rentzenburg's brigades, plus 5 accompanying grenadier battalions advanced on an extended front over the dead ground to the east of the "Mund" (between Schleudorf & a nearby farm) and down the Schleudorf road.
In the van, Rupic's brigade made initial progress, though it was 3 hours before they was able to bring any sort of musketry fire against the enemy, and a further hour and a half before the enemy light troops were driven from their positions atop the "Mund" hill (the defenders leaving behind a considerable number of casualties before calling a hurried retreat). Meanwhile, General Rentzenburg on Rupic's left found the going tough from the outset; the narrow streets of Schleudorf constituting a decided hindrance to his progress. It was not before noon that the bulk of his brigade finally cleared the western outskirts of Schleudorf and were able to begin its intended attack upon Zellendorp.
To the north of the main attack General Wieben held the tenure of Breitenburg and the surrounding flat meadow-lands. His brigade had advanced only as far as the limits of enemy cannon range and then promptly sat back and did nothing for 6 interminable hours. (Only late in the day did Weiben show any suspicion of movement, but his lapse was quickly corrected once the main enemy cavalry threat on the right flank materialised from behind Dornburg - see later).
On the summit of the "Mund" General Rupic's battalions came under withering enemy artillery fire and began to take considerable losses. Forced to respond or give up the position, at a little after 11:25 a.m. Rupic's infantry, screened by 24 three-pound guns sited upon the crest of the hill, set off with shouldered muskets towards the heart of the allied position around redoubt C.
Facing this approaching onslaught the waiting Lorraine battalions could do nothing but sweat copiously under the hazy morning sun and anticipate the approaching Imperialist columns. At 8:30 a.m. they had been told to sit down upon their packs but as Rupic's advancing troops reached the foot of the "Mund" they were once again stood to attention in readiness.
Sergeant Pierre Laclos posted in the 2nd rank of the "Royal Lorraine Fusiliers" gives a good account of General Rupic's assault from the Lorraine standpoint. He also details how a Lorraine infantry battalion functioned under such pressure.
"A steady crop of cannon balls had already begun tearing men out of the line, in some cases two or three at a time. A few paces to my right, two fellows were felled by the same shot, their blood spattering a young lieutenant of no more than eighteen or nineteen years stationed behind me who I thought close to tears with fear."
Several minutes passed, during which the Sergeant's regiment prepared to meet the threat bearing down upon them..
"...I took a last pull from my water flask and wiped away the sweat. The two enemy columns in front of us could not have been more than a couple of a hundred paces distant, their progress becoming decidedly uncomfortable to observe without some little apprehension. The air about stank of smoke from the cannon fire, it must have choked our gunners in the redoubt to our left who were setting to with a will, pouring shot & shell into the enemy for all they were worth. Even so, the unmistakable steady drum beat of the enemy's 'advance to attack' would not be drowned by the uproar, their grenadier bearskin caps bobbing with each pace as they approached ever closer.
Suddenly, as if from a trance the battalion was snapped to attention by a thunderous call from Major Rezoux, the officer commanding. As one, the three lines clapped their muskets into position, each against the shoulder of it's owner. With an arrogant turn of the head a quarter to the left, all eyes focused upon this one officer standing erect, craning forward to mark the enemy's range. There was a brief pause, perhaps as much as two minutes (for under such conditions it is difficult to mark the passage of time) then, over the clamour of the artillery barrage the command rang out and the entire battalion dutifully performed the change of stance as if it were on parade. The front rank dropped onto one knee, while we of the 2nd took the customary half step to the right. The third lowered their musket barrels over our shoulders, slowly lifting their weapons into sighting positions between the men to their front. I could hear the abrupt 'click', 'click' of musket hammers being drawn back, and pulling back my own set myself to target the line of Imperialist white coated infantry directly to my front."
The discharge which followed was brutal. The Royal Lorraine Fusiliers regiment fired their first volley into the heart of the Imperialist 19th regiment, a tough Galician unit in the vanguard of Rupic's assault, causing them to halt as if they had walked directly into a stone wall.
Not surprisingly, the immediate return fire was ragged, though many of Sergeant Laclos' comrades were to fall victim to the bite of an Imperialist bullet before the day was out.
"Private Mirot, directly upon my right, took a bullet in the belly, doubling him up and emptying his bowels most unpleasantly onto the ground. A couple of men in the front rank nearby sank down with head wounds, and I saw the unfortunate Captain Gourgard hit in the shoulder with such force that he spun around like a top before he too fell."
The exchanges continued unabated all along the right of the allied line, yet the Imperialists found the objective of their efforts - redoubt 'C' and it's guns - always just out of reach. Near Egmude, a couple of the Imperialist battalions began to exchange fire with enemy units holding the village and in return received fire from the defenders with interest. This musketry in and around Egmude was so concentrated that after a while sparks caught the tinder dry thatched roofs of the buildings sending tongues of flame leaping skywards all along the main street forcing both sides into an undignified precipitate retreat away from the danger.
At about 12:30 p.m. elements of General Rantzenburg's column which had freed themselves from Schleudorf, were at last able to institute the scheduled attack on Zellendorp with vigour, and brought down a barrage of musketry against the Ravensburg units protecting it's streets. The contest could not have been more intense. A frantic struggle ensued as each succeeding Imperialist battalion was flung headlong into the fight, the desperate troops of both sides fighting to settle the matter with slash of sword and thrust of bayonet. An elementary carnage of hand to hand butchery undertaken by nearly 2,000 men.
Assaults
Both assaults, Rupic against redoubt 'C' and Rentzenburg against Zellendorp, swung first one way then the other, inflicting heavy losses upon the more exposed Imperialist columns. The allied forces meantime, as defenders able to take shelter behind the substantial walls of the redoubt and inside the buildings of the village, took less hurt (although their losses were not inconsiderable) and even after an hour and a half of sustained pressure were still capable of considerable resistance. In the event, the loss upon the attackers proved too great for them to sustain and they were forced to call retreat before irreparable damage overtook the battalions, some of which had already endured the severest mauling.
This localised victory for the allied army proved illusory however, for within minutes the assault upon their lines had recommenced. Reinforcements in the form of two more Imperialist infantry brigades (Hertzog's & Hoffer's) with a mass of supporting cavalry drove forward in line of battle and column of attack against the same defending allied units causing some to buckle under the renewed defensive effort. It was not long therefore, that one or two of the weaker battalions began to crack and give way.
From over on the Lorraine left, where the main cavalry reserve stood motionless during the carnage, Colonel Le Marquis Saint Aumat de Cens took the opportunity to ride onto the "Brockelburg" to survey the action. "Clouds of dense smoke blocked almost the entire view, tho' I perceived houses burning fiercely within the confines of Egmude and numbers of our troops fleeing for their lives from the terrible inferno." (these troops were from the Lorraine St.Armand & 44th regiments).
The battle had by then reached its most critical stage. The fighting at Zellendorp & redoubt 'C' had continued undiminished for the greater part of 2 hours with no sign of any significant breakthrough. As a consequence, the battered Lorraine line near the redoubt had been reinforced by battalions held in reserve. Around 3:45 p.m. houses in Zellendorp village caught fire, a fierce conflagration which sped along the main street leaving the place no longer tenable to either side. The Ravensburg troops who could do so fled in panic, their wounded comrades being left abandoned to the flames together with the guns & most of the ammunition.
All the Imperialist attacks in the south had been entirely uncoordinated and not surprisingly by 4: 00 p.m. these were floundering. Yet the allied defenders were also slowly crumbling under the intense pressure, beaten back by the vicious close quarter fighting. In addition a thick, black acrid smoke enveloped this whole sector (chiefly from the blazing villages of Egmude & Zellendorp) turning the landscape into a scene of total chaos & confusion.
Meanwhile, on the most northerly wing things had remained relatively quiet all day. Here cavalry from both armies still held the positions they had taken up early in the morning and very little had occurred since. In the centre, there had been a few exchanges, though nothing of tactical or strategic importance - only erratic artillery fire from the Lorraine redoubts and a half-hearted advance by two Imperialist regiments to loose off a couple of volleys, nothing more.
However, late in the afternoon Major-General Peyseger, in command of the Lorraine Reserve Cavalry Division, received definitive orders to attack the enemy cavalry on the northern wing, and to drive it from the field. The clash was to prove ultimately decisive.
Le Marquis Saint Aumat de Cens describes the collision between the cavalry forces on this wing with some relish. "With a series of bugle calls to signal our division to advance, I drew my sword and motioned forward the regiment to begin the attack. The ground fairly shook under the thunder of hoof beats and I recall distinctly the elation which overwhelmed a number of my officers, for they called out to each other, and to the men, with inaudible shouts and cheers carried along by the excitement of the charge. For my own part, I was most concerned to observe the enemy still standing in line, without any perceptible motion to ride against us.”
“However as the moment came a few tried to kick their mounts forward tho' they had not the impetus to withstand our shock and at the first collision many of the enemy were struck dead from the saddle. In a matter of minutes they had turned about, many of their officers being the first to quit the fight. I shouted to Captain Frioux to put spur to horse and not to allow any to reform. In reply he nodded and bellowed his acquiescence, then, wiping blood from a streaming wound at his temple he set about the enemy with renewed vigour.”
Of the six Imperialist cavalry regiments employed during the melee, two very quickly turned tail and fled the field. The remainder fought on gallantly but, greatly outnumbered, after an hour they were exhausted & practically surrounded. Viewing the situation from the "Schnalle" ridge, the Imperialist cavalry commander, Heydendorff, eventually lost his nerve. With a third of his force lost to uncontrollable panic, and a further third too spent to return to the fight his only option was to order the remaining squadrons to retreat before they were utterly cut to pieces.
Across the field the battle was slipping from Feldmarschall Zeyer’s grasp. He could conclude no victory unless by some desperate and courageous undertaking and by 5:00 p.m. Heydendorff's command had all but disappeared from the field leaving the "Schnalle" ridge in Lorraine hands. The entire Imperialist line was in serious peril of being "rolled up" by General Peyseger's victorious cavalry.
Fearing that the enemy cavalry would bear down upon Breitenburg, Zeyer, in the hope of buying a little time, sent orders to General Wieben to demonstrate towards redoubts 'A' & 'B' and to protect the right as vigorously as possible. He himself rode to the "Mund" behind which stood General Bräker's cavalry, an impressive force around 2,500 officers & men and the only serviceable Imperialist reserve still available.
Zeyer gave Bräker the order to attack, employing the weight of his three "heavy" regiments (Kurassiers) in the van to best advantage, holding the lighter squadrons in reserve to exploit any breach. The Imperialist artillery, which had been pounding the enemy all day, would furnish covering fire (though this was sustained only erratically) behind which Bräker and his command would be able to destroy the enemy & drive them from the field. In the event it was to be Zeyer's last throw and probably the most terrible mistake of the day.
From Bräker's position north of the "Mund" hill, between Egmude and the lower slopes, more than 1,200 heavy horsemen careered forward in two continuous lines, an imposing and dreadful sight. Bräker personally lead the charge himself, losing control of his troops almost from the outset. Meanwhile upon the crest of the "Mund" both Feldmarschall Zeyer and General Rupic stood astounded & bewildered as they watched what happened next.
For Bräker's orders were to ride down the enemy infantry regiments, to burst through their defence and put them to flight. But, as the moment of decision drew ever nearer, his subordinate officers instead urged ahead their men toward the stout fortifications of redoubt 'C' and the menace of it's open cannon mouths. At less than 100 yards, a low thunderous roar erupted from all the serviceable Lorraine cannon concealed within the redoubt's fortifications, spewing forth canister & ball by the barrel load, killing and maiming both man and animal alike. A grotesque expanse of bloody remains fell headlong before redoubt 'C' kicking and writhing in untold agonies, trampled into the ground by their comrades following behind.
Three times Bräker's cavalry returned to the attack, and on each occasion they were met with cannon fire and sustained musketry from the supporting infantry battalions nearby. After three charges the Imperialist impetus was spent. Much of the cavalry had to rely solely upon an exchange of pistol & carbine fire, their horses being too exhausted to negotiate the miserable collection of dead and dying littering their approach. General Bräker too was hit, a musket ball smashing the sole of his boot and severing a couple of toes from his left foot before putting paid to his horse. By the time he had recovered his composure (and gained a new mount) the battle was all but over.
On the "Mund" Feldmarschall Zeyer struggled to accept the defeat of Bräker. His orders had been unambiguous but somehow the General had misunderstood (either mistakenly or willfully) his intentions, and the unbelievable had occurred. About 5:30 p.m. an urgently scribbled message arrived from Brietenburg, from General Wieben, who still held the defensive line on the Imperialist right. He feared that enemy troops were advancing against his position, possibly with as many as 18 battalions of infantry and an unspecified number of enemy squadrons in support. The General considered his situation untenable, and unless he heard from Zeyer within a quarter of an hour to the contrary, he had decided to retire from the field towards Lechendorf.
Shortly after 6:00 p.m. Feldmarschall Zeyer finally bowed to the inevitable and ordered a general retreat. Relying upon General Rupic and his exhausted but dependable brigade to cover the withdrawal, the Imperialist army filed back the way it had come. Scattered musketry exchanges continued between Rupic's men and the following enemy battalions for a couple of hours, the Imperialists liberating their hold upon Breitenburg, Schleudorf and the "farm orchard" only after 8:00 p.m. The Lorraine & Ravensburg troops were too exhausted to threaten further and were only too pleased to see the enemy leave.
The Imperialist's withdrawal continued without serious opposition until nightfall...
Using ADCs in Campaigns With Fife & Drum
- Introduction
A Summary of the Campaign
Events to Date: "The War of the Kronstadt Succession"
Summer Campaign in Ravensburg (June to August 1733)
Battle of Egmude (22nd July 1733)
Back to Table of Contents -- Lone Warrior #136
Back to Lone Warrior List of Issues
Back to MagWeb Magazine List
© Copyright 2001 by Solo Wargamers Association.
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