The Battle of Münchengrätz.

28^th June 1866.

Being unable to hold the Iser River line after the defeat suffered at Podol (27^th – 28^th June), Crown Prince Albert, the overall commander of both his own Saxon army and Clam – Gallas’s Austrian I Corps, had already issued orders for a retreat back to Gitschen, conforming to new directives received from his superior, General Ludwig von Benedek. This fall back was implemented with great haste but in good order, causing Prince Frederick Charles, the commander of the 1^st Prussian Army, to miss his chance of overwhelming and destroying the Saxon and Austrian detached units. Much of the reason for not capitalising on the defeat inflicted on the enemy was due to Prince Frederick Charles himself who, instead of pressing on after the success at Podol, closing the gap between his own and the 2^nd Prussian Army under Crown Prince Frederick William, while putting 55,000 enemy troops out of action, made elaborate plans which allowed his quarry to slip out of the trap.

Crown Prince Albert had ordered the retreat to Gitschin to commence at 4.00 a.m. on the morning of 28^th June, stating his cavalry division off first along the Münchengrätz- Gitschin road. The Saxon infantry marched south to Jungbunzlau, a roundabout route, which eventually took them on to Gitschin. Albert probably wanted to keep the direct road fairly clear to allow the Austrians wagon train and artillery to make good their escape. He left three of Clam’s brigades (Leiningen, Piret and Abele) at Münchengrätz as a rearguard, while the other two brigades (Poschacher and Ringelsheim) followed the cavalry along the main road. Clam – Gallas himself chose to join his two brigades in the retreat, effectively leaving his rearguard to their own devices, which was probably all to the good, since Clam showed a distinct lack of any military ability throughout the campaign.

General Leopold Gondrecourt (Clam’s second – in – command) had marched on the village of Hühnerwasser, ten kilometres to the west of Münchengrätz, on the 26^th June. That gung – ho officer had had crossed the River Iser with two battalions in a rather futile attempt to hold back the advancing Prussian Army of the Elbe, and was roughly handled, falling back over the river leaving almost 300 casualties in his wake. Thereafter the Prussian 16^th Division, in advance of the Elbe Army, pushed on towards Münchengrätz, while Prince Frederick Charles, still under the impression that the Saxons and Austrians were sitting tight, swung the 1^st Army down the road from Podol.

To meet this double advance Leiningen’s brigade was posted with his 32^nd Field Jäger Battalion in Münchengrätz and his two line infantry regiments (33^rd (Giulay) and 38^th (Hugwitz) over the Iser River at Kláster. Piret’s Austrian brigade, 29^th Field Jäger Battalion, 18^th Infantry Regiment (Constantin), 45^th Infantry Regiment (Sigismund) was on the right, holding the ground around Musky Hill, overlooking the Podol road, with brigade Abele ^[1]This brigade was attached to the Austrian Ist Corps.  (22^nd Field Jäger Battalion, 35^th Infantry Regiment ( Khevenhüller), 72^nd Infantry Regiment ( Ramming) in reserve.

At around 8.30 a.m. the Army of the Elbe’s 16^th Division’s advance guard, after a blistering eight hour march down the road from Hühnerwässer to Kláster appeared on the field. It consisted of seven battalions of the 31^st Brigade under Major General von Schöler (8^th Jäger Battalion, 29^th and 69^th Regiments). These units soon began to draw the fire Austrian artillery posted on the high ground near the village and on the hill just behind Kláster’s which was used as the Jewish cemetery. As his own batteries arrived on the field Schöler engaged them in counter battery fire, and at the same time sent out two columns of infantry to outflank the Austrian position.

While Schöler took on Leiningen’s brigade on the left, over on the right the advance guard of the Prussian 1^st Army ( Horn’s 8^th Division) moved to assault the Austrian position around Musky Hill while the 7^th Division (Fransecky) began a turning movement to cut the Münchengrätz – Gitcshin road. However, before this envelopment was complete, the Austrians had begun to withdraw, albeit not before many of Piret’s 45^th Infantry Regiment, made up of Italians, had surrendered quite willingly to the enemy, while the remainder made good their escape.

As news came of the retreat of their units over on the right, Leiningen’s brigade also began to fall back, eventually joining the other brigades on the main highway, thanks in the main to a spirited defence put up by Abele’s brigade who held the ground around Musky Hill long enough to allow their comrades to get safely away, although the cost had been heavy; 2,000 killed and wounded and 1, 390 prisoners, the Prussians casualties, as usual, were far less at 341, of which 46 were killed.

Source material

This article was taken from the following:

Wawro. Geoffrey, The Austro – Prussian War, Austria’s War with Prussian and Italy in 1866. Cambridge University Press 1996.

Barry. Quintin, The Road to Königgrätz, Helmuth von Moltke and the Austro – Prussian War 1866. Paperback edition. Helion & Company, England 2014.

 

Opposing Forces at Münchengräz.

Austria.

Austrian I Corp.

• Brigade Commandant Colonel Count Leiningen.
  • 32^nd Field Jäger Battalion
  • 33^rd Infantry Regiment (Giulay)
  • 38^th Infantry Regiment (Haugwitz)
  • One Squadron Nikolaus Hussar Regiment (No 2)
  • One 4 – pounder Field Battery
• Brigade Commandant Major General Piret.
  • 29^th Field Jäger Battalion
  • 18^th Infantry Regiment (Constantin)
  • 45^th Infantry Regiment (Sigismund)
  • One Squadron Nikolaus Hussar regiment (No 2)
  • One 4 – pounder Field Battery
• Brigade Commandant Colonel von Abele
  • 22^nd Field Jäger Battalion
  • 35^th Infantry Regiment (Khevenhüller)
  • 72^nd Infantry Regiment (Ramming)
  • One Squadron Nikolaus Hussar Regiment (No 2)
  • One 4 – pounder Field Battery

Prussia.

Advance Guard, Army of the Elbe.

• 16^th Division Lieutenant General von Etzel.
  • 31^st Brigade Major General von Schöler
    • 29^th Infantry Regiment
    • 69^th Infantry Regiment
  • 8^th Jäger Battalion
    • 2 Field Artillery Batteries

Advance Guard 1^st Army.

• IV Corps (no General Commanding)
  • 8^th Division Lieutenant General von Horn.
• 15^th Brigade Major General von Bose
  • 31^st Infantry Regiment
  • 71^st Infantry Regiment
• 16th Brigade Major General von Schmidt
  • 72^nd Infantry Regiment
• 4^th Jäger Battalion
  • Thuringian Uhlan Cavalry Regiment No 6
  • 4 Field Artillery Batteries.

7^th Division Lieutenant General von Fransecky

• 13^th Brigade Major General von Schwartzhoff
  • 26^th Infantry Regiment
  • 66^th Infantry Regiment
• 14^th Brigade Major General von Gordon
  • 27^th Infantry Regiment
  • 67^th Infantry Regiment
• Magdeburg Hussar Regiment
  • 4 Field Artillery Batteries
  • 4^th Pioneer Battalion