Nap Campaign: Battle of Grazzbenn 2nd April 1808: Turns 29 - 32

 Turn 29

The turn began with success for the French south of Grazzbenn. They have temporarily at least stalled the Prussian cavalry threat to their retreating infantry. The 1st Carabiniers and 3rd Dragoons defeated Watzdorf's 3rd and 5th Hussars in melee. Unfortunately for the French, both of their regiments will pursue the defeated Prussian Hussars. Clearly the humiliating defeats so far has generated a desire for revenge!

All the Imperial Guard infantry and artillery are now withdrawing south.

Continued -

Immediately ahead of the infantry, the Guard cavalry move to eliminate the threat from Treskow's flanking cavalry brigade.

THE RIDE OF THE 6TH UHLANS. The already highly effective rampage by the 6th Uhlans lead personally by their brigade commander Lutzow II, now went into overdrive with catastrophic results for the French.

The Prussian lancers charged a French line battalion which promptly retreated in disorder interpenetrating another battalion to their rear. The Uhlans had barely begun! With only a fraction of their charge move used, they continued towards the disordered battalion and they too fell into a panicked retreat, this time passing through one of Pire's lancer regiments. Another target for the Uhlans and another charge test passed. The already battered 5th Lancers broke into retreat leaving the Uhlans directly on the flank of the 6th Lancers. In they went with the 6th Lancers breaking into a rout. They had not yet finished! The latter's rout took them through the 6th Chasseurs disordering them. The Uhlans just had enough charge move left to contact them and so one final charge saw the Chasseurs also retreat.

Worse was to follow for the French cavalry. The 6th Lancers found their flank directly exposed to the Prussian artillery positioned on the south side of the sunken road. The concentrated fire from those batteries all but but wiped out the 6th Lancers with the 5th suffering from a bounce-through. Morale collapsed in Pire's cavalry division with Vathiez' Lancer Brigade fleeing the field to be followed by the 6th Chasseurs. The retreating 1st Chasseurs was all that remained of the 2nd Cavalry Division. A formation tasked with protecting the French retreat of 2nd and 3rd Corps! 

The photo shows the aftermath with the 1st Chasseurs retreating to the right.

The consequences of this event is apparent here with a significant gap now opened up. This was compounded by the breakdown in morale of the last of Soye's Brigade of the 6th Division which saw them depart the field.

The Prussian artillery that had decimated the French lancers.

Dupeyroux's Brigade of the 10th Division moves into the woods south of the sunken road.

In response to the French moves south the Prussian 1st Brigade moves across their rear to intercept the French infantry.

The vast block of Prussian infantry are on the verge of moving onto firmer ground which will speed up their advance.

A tempting target for the Prussians as the demoralised French units pray for nightfall.

An overview at the end of turn 29. Only darkness can now save the French.

Turn 30

In what will almost certainly be the last action by the remarkable 6th Uhlans they ride down and destroy the 2/4th Light battalion of Jamin's brigade. Their horses are now blown and will now need to retire to recover.

The Guard heavy cavalry really are not having a good day. The Grenadiers a' Cheval are counter-charged by Treskow's 3rd Uhlans and 2nd Dragoons. The Grenadiers are pushed back with heavy loss. The 2nd Dragoons will pursue them although alone as the Uhlans have blown horses.

Guyot leads the Empress' Dragoons towards the other of Treskow's regiments, the 5th Dragoons, in their attempt to clear Prussian cavalry from the escape route of the French army.

The Guard retreat slows due to the failure of their cavalry to remove the Prussian threat.

A significant gap has now opened between the retreating French and the Prussian columns who have yet to clear the rough ground. One French battalion that had been part of the rearguard, the 1/4th Light of Jamin's Brigade, is now horrendously isolated! (middle left).

The survivors of the 2nd and 3rd Corps converge on the wood to the west of the sunken road. The 10th Division line the wood to ready to receive any Prussian attack on their escape route.

South of Grazzbenn the over-enthusiastic French cavalry are in danger of being overwhelmed by Prussian cavalry or at the mercy of deployed artillery on their flank. 

Turn 31

The Guard cavalry continued to make heavy weather of overturning the inferior (on paper anyway) Prussian cavalry. The Empress' Dragoons clashed with the 6th Dragoons of Treskow's Brigade. Both sides fought each other to a standstill and the melee will continue into the next turn. 

The pursuing Prussian 2nd Dragoons maintained contact with the Grenadiers a' Cheval who had been pushed back. The Prussians narrowly won the melee with the Grenadiers being pushed back again. The nearby infantry battalions need not have formed square as the Prussians now had blown horses and would be falling back to recover.

The Middle Guard made good progress along the sunken road with the Old Guard to the right delayed by the cavalry melees. The lead brigades of the 2nd and 3rd Corps begin to emerge from the wood to join the Imperial Guard in their retreat.

A rather despondent Napoleon keeps out of harm's way contemplating what lies ahead!

On the opposite flank cavalry action continued. All attempts at recalling the various brigade commanders failed and they remained on 'attack' orders. This proved costly as the flanking Prussian artillery began to make their presence felt.

Here the 2nd Carabiniers and 8th Cuirassiers launched a joint charge on the faltering 2nd Elbe Landwehr cavalry. The former received 2 casualties from the nearby Prussian artillery but nevertheless succeeded in charging home. In a one-sided melee the Landwehr were defeated and forced to retreat. The Carabiniers now had blown horses and the Cuirassiers maintained 'Superb Discipline'.

The 1st Carabiniers with Blancard failed to maintain contact in their pursuit and had become unformed. Their impetuous could prove costly as they were now isolated with formed Prussian cavalry regiments nearby. One of these, the 6th Hussars with Schwerin, launched a charge not quite getting the flanking bonus. The elite Carabiniers successfully fought off the Hussars but now suffered from blown horses.

An overview of the action south of Grazzbenn. Although the French cavalry had largely been victorious, with the exception of the dragoons, they had sustained heavy casualties with several regiments close to their 50% dispersal point.

On the left of the photo, the Fusiliers of the 21st Infantry lead by Colonel Reckow, fired volleys of musketry into any French cavalry within their range, occasionally inflicting heavy losses. This particular turn they mowed down several troopers of the 7th Dragoons leading to a complete collapse of morale and they fled the field. This battalion has been in action on its own pretty much from the start of the battle and still in remarkably good shape. Especially for a 2nd line unit.

An overview of the centre with the gap between both sides becoming ever larger.

The two battered regiments of Donop's Brigade constituted all that were available to hold back any Prussian cavalry that are intent on attacking the retreating infantry.

What will almost certainly be the final action of the massed Prussian columns amounted to the destruction of the isolated 1/4th Light battalion of Jamin's brigade. They were simply steamrollered!

The Prussian 1st Brigade continues to reposition itself with the lead skirmishers now engaging with the skirmishers from the French 10th Division.

A closer view of the first clash between the 10th Division's skirmishers and those of the Prussian 1st Brigade.

An overview at the end of turn 31. Just one more turn and darkness arrives.

Turn 32

More humiliation for the Guard cavalry! Having been fought to a standstill the Empress' Dragoons are now defeated by the 5th Dragoons and will be forced to retreat with heavy loss. All is not good news for the Prussians however, with Treskow being killed in the melee.

In the foreground the Prussian 2nd Dragoons now retires to their own lines with blown horses. This enables the Old Guard to resume their retreat with the Middle Guard continuing along the sunken road.

All cavalry commanders in Kellerman's Corps now respond to their new orders to join the general retreat. In the background, with darkness descending the Prussians halt their pursuit.

In the final action of the day, the 1st Carabiniers with blown horses were charged by the Prussian 5th Hussars lead by Watzdorf (upper middle of photo). The Carabiniers held their own pushing back the Hussars but suffering more casualties leaving them close to 50% in strength. 

In the foreground the retiring 8th Cuirassiers could not quite escape the last salvo from 2 Prussian batteries but mercifully just outside canister range. They received 2 casualties also reducing this regiment to near 50% strength.

Darkness saved the Carabiniers who would now be able to extricate themselves.

The combined Prussian batteries from the 1st Corps, that had caused so much damage to the French artillery in particular, fired a last salvo towards the retreating French at long range. 2 casualties were inflicted on the limbered Guard artillery signalling an end to the battle.

The French will now retreat under the cover of darkness and in the next post I will conclude the Battle of Grazzbenn with casualty rates, state of the armies etc.