Young Marc now came galloping back through the pines, hat askew and red-faced. "Sir, Sir, Funck's brigade is engaging now! the Sobieski regiment has intruded a battalion through the wood, menacing the Skyrian flank, but one of the Livgarden battalions has taken a terrible caning from their musketry, and is in flight."
Otto grunted, "And their cavalry?" - "Oh, one regiment was destroyed by the Livgarden fire, the other has moved away towards the centre". With a handwave, Otto sent the ADC galloping back to his observation post, then trotted over to the reserve regiment of Butyrsky Fusiliers, to pass the order to be ready for an eruption of cavalry.
Livgarden regiment being pressed by the Austrians
Sure enough, right on queue, the Skyrian dragoons emerged, just as the Fusiliers faced towards them. They essayed a rapid charge, but the unbroken line of bayonets repelled them, and they halted, flank open to the remaining Krup artillery. Otto cheered, "Pour it in, lads, give them another volley!" Satisfied that the menace to his flank was contained, he peered through the hills of smoke in front, trying to see how the Oldenburg regiment was faring face to face with the Austrian foot.
The O'Reilly Dragoons try conclusions with Sobieski Fusiliers
Hearing a tremendous hullabaloo to his right, he slewed around in the saddle, and peered through his telescope,. Migod! under pressure from the Garde zu Fuss to their front, the Skyrian grenadiers were crumbling from a charge of the Kalkreuth Dragoons into their flank - it looked like they had broken through into one battalion, then swept on into the flanks of two more, tearing apart the grenadier reserve line.
Von Wesel and the Kalkreuth Dragoons destroying Muscat's Grenadier brigade
As Otto watched, in fascination, he saw the Dragoons drive on, pushing the last of the grenadiers before them, and scything into the Skyrian line brigade, already disordered by its' prolonged firefight with his own men.
The Kalkreuth Dragoons final charge, into the rear of the enemy line
Resuming his pipe, Otto puffed reflectively as the Skyrian remnants fled, and his men pushed forward trying to catch them. Marc came trotting back through the trees again, shaking his head as he saw the ruin of the enemy. "Well sir, Funck's lads put up a good fight, but got pushed back pretty thoroughly. They would have been in more trouble, but the enemy Brigadier obviously thought it better to save his own men, with the disaster happening over here.
The sole Skyrian success, breaking Funck's brigade
