Battle for Gleiwitz

 Battle for Gleiwitz Bridge

(the opening action in the fifth Skyrian War of Aggression)

FM von Deugen's initial plan, a slashing attack into Silesia to link up with an allied Russian force, was detailed and well planned, but unfortunately ran amiss near Gleiwitz Bridge, destroying a picket line of Freikorps, but too slowly - Oberst Walden managed to get messengers off hotfoot to the nearest formations, and received a brigade of musketeers - IR 13 Itzenplitz got immediately inserted in the Bauersfeld, enclosed in low stone walls, while IR 3 Anhalt-Dessau deployed into the small village of Zabka, then awaited reinforcements, while von Deugen manouevred the leading elements of his column (a brigade of Hungarians and 2 regiments of Grenzer, trying to both levy an attack on the enclosure and cover the town of Gleiwitz.

As the first of the Austrian reinforcements arrived up the main road, the Hungarians came up and started exchanging desultory volleys with the esconced Prussians, to little initial effect.

However, the Prussians started arriving, hustling up the river from Breslau, led by Alt Bevern (IR7) and von Braunitz Fusilier (IR 34), accompanying half the heavy artillery.

Oberst Walden, seeing the Hungarians threatening to enfold the Bauersfeld, pulled the Anhalt-Dessauers from Zabka and marched them posthaste to cover the ford beside that enclosure

More Austrian infantry poured down the road, with some Cuirassiers following a second brigade of foot - meanwhile, the Hungarians started pressing the outflanked Itzenplitz  Regiment - their attached artillery pinged away to some effect, but the first volley from the Hungarian foot (Bathory Regiment) was quite wild and ineffective, while the battalion of itzenplitz facing them laid down a devastating response, blowing away a quarter of the 2nd battalion of Bathory, causing the battalion to rout away.

The other Hungarian Regiment closed on the front of the enclosure, starting to chip away at the Prussian foot, while the remaining battalion of Bathory mustered its courage, and charged ahead - unfortunately for them, the 2nd battalion of Itzenplitz showed the benefits of long days drilling, and repulsed the charge with great vigour, causing the 2nd battalion of Bathory to follow its fellow into a headlong retreat, leaving almost half their number on the ground

Anhalt Dessau IR3 meanwhile moved to cover the river ford beside the Bauerfeld.

The Russians meanwhile proceeded towards Zabka, to support the Austrian Dragoon brigade.

And more Prussian reinforcements arrived - a mixed brigade of unenthusiastic Saxons and Prussian Fusiliers, with a brigade of Cuirassiers on the other side of the river, eyeing up the Austrian Dragoons and licking their lips in anticipation

The Dragoons gritted their teeth and tried their chances against the Prussian foot, approaching and launching a charge, but failed to break in with either regiment, recoiling into massacre range, then the left hand dragoon regiment got shredded by steady fire, and the foot emerged to flank the other regiment.

On the other flank, von Deugen had his column of foot rushing to outflank the Prussians, but underestimated the speed of Prussian response, and wound up facing a fairly solid looking line, without space to exploit his numerical superiority. While he was confident he would punch through this line given time, things elsewhere were looking critical, so time was in short supply

With the sudden dissolution of the covering dragoon brigade, the Russian brigade hastily tried to organise his battalions, despite an (alleged) message from FM von Deugen ('Dein Schwanz steckt in einem Schädel, zieh dich zurück' or 'for gods sake pull back'). Alas, this proved to be an error, as the combination of Prussian cuirassiers in front and musketeers on their flank

l'ecroulement des Russes, as Friedrich later misquoted

Seeing the Russian foot dissolving under pressure from front and flank, von Deugen hastily withdrew his remaining forces - the Austrian foot heading south at high speed, while the Grenadiers and Cuirassiers fell back north, rejoining the heavy artillery and allied infantry forces.

GM Keith, arriving to the field late, surveyed the retreating Austrians and declared that his battle plan* worked to perfection in turning back the invaders.

* apparently, sitting to a late breakfast and extended drinking session at Das Weisse Pferd Gasthaus was the whole of his plan