The winter of 1756-57 found the roads of Europe crowded with couriers bearing news of Prussia and Austria's opening campaign. These couriers sent even more couriers out on the roads as treaties were signed and troops mobilized for the upcoming spring.
Late April found two alliances formed in Europe. On one side was Austria. France, Russia, the Holy Roman Empire and Sweden. On the other side was Prussia and Hanover with England supplying a contingent to the Hanoverian Army.
Both sides had mobilized and raised large amounts of troops during the winter. Each side seemed to be looking for one or possibly two heavy campaigns and ending the war quickly.
For the opening of the 1757 campaign season, armies were deployed across central Europe in the following manner:
Austria (65SP)
- General Browne with the main army (40SP) in the fortress of Koniggratz in
Northeast Bohemia.
General Lascy with a small army (20SP) in the fortress of Prague in Northwest Bohemia.
All other Austrian fortresses garrisoned. (1SP)
France (55SP)
- General D'Estrees with the main army (31 SP) in the area of the Western Empire
with a garrison in Roermond.
General Contades with a supporting army (22SP) in France with a garrison in Strasbourg.
Russia (28SP)
- General Apraxin (28SP) marching across the Baltic states, should enter East
Prussia by the end of August.
Holy Roman Empire (10SP)
- General Zweibrucken in Nuremburg (9SP) with the Reichs Armee under Austrian
orders.
Sweden (11 SP)
- General Hamilton (10SP) in Swedish Pommerania with a garrison in
Stralsund.
Prussia (75SP)
- King Frederick with main army in East Saxony (40SP).
General Brunswick with supporting army in Middle Silesia (20SP).
All Prussian tortresses garrisoned.
Hanover (30SP) --- Duke Cumberland with main army in Minden (24SP).
Karl in Munster fortress with garrison (35SP).
All other Hanover fortresses garrisoned.
Opening Strokes
Frederick opened the 1757 campaign in mid-April with a quick march from East Saxony through Lower Silesia to Northeast Bohemia. Some losses occurred to straggling because of the grueling pace Frederick was setting, but he hoped to catch Browne out in the open as Brunswick also moved to Northeast Bohemia and joined Frederick. Browne, looking out from the fortress of Koniggratz, saw he was outnumbered and declined to come out of the fortress.
In the West, Cumberland moved to Munster. De'Estrees sat in the Western Empire. and Contades marched to the Palatinate.
After watching Frederick's entire field army (60SP) March up to Koniggratz, Browne (40SP) decided to escape before being besieged. This was easily accomplished due to the lackluster of the Prussian pickets, and Browne marched to Northwest Bohemia and joined Lascy (20SP) in Prague. Browne also sent Couriers to Zweibrucken (9SP) for the Reichs Armee to join him in Prague, and it dutifully marched from Nuremburg to Eger. Frederick, more than a little miffed that Browne had escaped so easily, decided to attempt to storm Koniggratz's small garrison (1 SP)- Marching away with bands playing and flags flying, a storming detachment of Grenadiers and Hussars was hidden in one of the small villages around Koniggratz. At dark they emerged, found an unguarded postern gate and were inside before the Austrians knew what was happening. Give the garrison credit for a good recovery. They quickly attacked the intruders but not before they could open one of the fortress gates letting in the rest of the storming party. The garrison saw the end had come and surrendered but not before inflicting losses on the Prussians (1SP). Frederick returned the next morning and installed a large garrison under General Wendel (3SP).
In the West, Cumberland saw no movement from the French, so he marched himself South to Hesse to hopefully draw Contades towards him and keep the French armies separated. Cumberland considered moving further South to Frankfurt and started building a depot to supply hirn oil his march. He also hoped this would cause some French reaction. The only reaction he observed however was for the French army to cease any movement.
In the early May morning light of NE Bohemia, Fredericks coup de main had embarrassed the Austrians and they would be wanting revenge. As Frederick looked at his maps and spy reports he noticed that the Reichs Armee was still in Eger. Browne was anxiously awaiting these reinforcements to challenqe Frederick ill the field with a good numerical advantage (Aus 608P, EmP 9SP vs Pr 56SP). If Frederick could march quickly he could possibly engage the Re!chs Arrilee before. Browne could intervene. It would surely mean some losses to stragglers (- 1 SP) and temporarily put him out of supply but it was worth the risk. Frederick sent out the orders and soon the Prussian army was passing through NW Bohemia to Eger. So quickly did the Prussians march and so poorly prepared was the Reichs Armee that before they knew it the Prussians had them surrounded in their camps. Outnumbered 6 to 1 (Pr 543P vs Emp 9SP) General Zweibrucken made one desperate maneuver to escape and when that failed he surrendered his army as prisoners.
Frederick quickly sent his prisoners back to Prussia to get them out of the way for Browne was approaching. Browne had watched Frederick march into NW Bohemia and when he did not stop near Prague considered it was a demonstration to cover a withdrawal to East Saxony. With Frederick away, thought Browne, Koniggratz might soon be ours again and ordered camps struck for a march to NE Bohemia.
Questions were quickly replaced with concern as reports started coming in that the Prussians had not headed to East Saxony but were moving Southeast to Eger. Browne (60SP) quickly changed his plans and marched hard for Eger (- 1 SP), hoping to Link up with the Reichs Armee before Frederick could intercede. Browne arrived just in time to see the last column of prisoners heading tor Prussia.
The Battle of Eger
Browne was frustrated and decided to take it out on the Prussians in front of him. He knew he slightly outnumbered Frederick (Aus 59SP vs Pr 54SP) and if lie could defeat him tar from any friendly strong points the Prussian army Would suffer severely. Frederick knew he was caught and lie positioned his army defensively to hold off the Austrians and it needed retreat during the night. The Prussians had been found out on a very open plain the rnost significant feature was a very rough banked stream that flowed into a lake in the center of the battlefield. This was on Fredericks left with the stream going further to his left. Frederick used the lake to anchor his left infantry flank and his right was pushed over to a small mound were tie ended his infantry line. To the right and slightly refused was the heavy cavalry. To the left of the lake. facing the stream, was the light cavalry. There was no general reserve, just local ones provided by a thin second line.
Browne deployed much like Frederick. A mix of light and heavy cavalry on the right to face the Prussian light cavalry. A large block of infantry in two lines. that slightly overlapped the Prussian infantry line, and the rest of the heavy cavalry on the left slightly forward of their infantry.
Browne's plan was to pin the Prussians all along his front while stretching his infantry to the left and roll up the Prussians from left to right- Austrian cavalry was to support and cover their infantry's flanks. It was a sound simple plan that should work.
At the start the Austrian plan did work. The left started expanding as the entire line advanced. Unfortunately both Austrian cavalry wings forgot their supporting role and advanced past their infantry. On their left the Austrian cavalry was charged by the Prussians which caused a large swirling melee that lasted for over three hours. It ended with one Prussian unit intact all the others of both sides were eliminated arid driven oft the battlefield.
On the Austrian right things started off better with their light cavalry crossing the stream and driving back the enemy. However their heavy cavalry failed to come up and support them and they were destroyed in a counter attack. The Prussians decided not to come across the stream and ended the battle looking across the stream at the Austrian heavy cavalry.
In the center, Browne saw his flanks tailing and as quickly as possible threw his infantry into the Prussians. But Browne's flanking move had been halted by the cavalry melee on the left and General Lascy's slow deployment. This meant that the assault was far more piecemeal than intended and eventually defeated, with Frederick shifting troops as needed. After seven hours of combat Browne's troops had had enough and started streaming oft of the battlefield, paying no attention to the orders of their officers. Browne started putting together his rearguard to cover his retreat to Prague, but knew with his small numbers of fresh cavalry, many of his stragglers would be picked up by the Prussians.
King Frederick was to be found in a happy mood. He had captured the Reichs Armee and inflicted a serious defeat on the Austrians, while not suffering crippling losses himself. (Losses- Pr 5SP vs Aus 10SP elim and 5SP cap) Things were going well indeed as the King called for his favorite flute.
As Browne sat in Prague, quickly reorganizing and refreshing his army, he wrote to the Empress bitterly complaining of his subordinates and their actions, or lack of them. Soon reports of Prussian columns advancing towards Prague were coming in and Browne decided to leave for NE Bohemia, leaving behind Lascy with a large garrison. (5SP) Not long after Browne left, Frederick arrived and set up camp. While doing so reports arrived from W Pommerania that the Swedes were on the march and aiming for Stettin. "Someone will have to be sent" he thought to himself.
In the Western theater Contades left a garrison in Coblenz (1 SP) and shifted his march East to Frankfurt to observe Cumberland in Hesse. Cumberland summoned Karl to join him but to leave his troops in garrison.
More Great Saxon War 1756
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© Copyright 2000 Hal Thinglum
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