"Auerstadt - Prussian 12pdr batteries" Topic

The sources I have reviewed show 10 batteries of 12-pdrs with the Prussian forces at Auerstadt, 14 October 1806.
I have a recollection that these 12-pdr batteries were not committed to action, but were left in the rear.
Does anyone any information to confirm or correct this? If they were left in the rear, does anyone know their location?
Many thanks.

According to Bressonnet's Tactical Study of the 1806 campaign they were heavily engaged right from the get go. They were pushed well forward at times.

Without diving too deeply into it James Arnold's "October Triumph" also mentions various 12# batteries engaging with the French.

To continue my crusade, Auerstadt an unknown battle to me, in case Auerstedt, this might be a different stroy ;-)

Is it Auerstedt or Auerstädt?

Today, the village's name it is written Auerstedt.

In the 19th century, usually Auerstädt (with A Umlaut) was used.

The pronounciation is the same for both spellings.

yes like instead

as to the batteries, dificult to say, at least those with the Divisions 1 – 3 should have had the opportunity to engage, however Malinowsky – Bonin states that there were some difficulties crossing AuerstEdt, which was crowded.

In case the French get it right either Auerstaedt as in duc d'Auerstaedt or also on their maps in some works Auerstedt.

Thank you Oliver.
Auerstädt it is then.

Thanks for the comments on the 12pdrs. I must be mistaken in my recollection that they were left to the rear.

The 12pounder batteries Röhl and Stankar were in action together with their division (Schmettau):

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The 12pounder battery Heuser (division Wartensleben) as well. I couldn't find a reference to the other battery of this division, 12pounder battery Wilkins, though:

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The artillery of the division Oranien had problems to advance, the battalion guns did not make it, 12pounder battery Riemer lost six of its eight guns guns before coming into action, these guns had tumbled over in the ditch of the highway (chaussée):

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The 12pounder battery Lehmann of this division came into action:

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I found this (unreferenced) reference that the 12pounder battery Wilkins (also spelled: Wilckens) was in action at Auerstädt, and had lost all its guns by 20th October 1806:

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The other two Prussian divisions which were present at Auerstädt were kept, surely with their artillery, in reserve near Eckartsberga.

Lehmann commanded a battery at Ligny too if I am not mistaken.

Were the same pieces used in 1806 and 1812-15?

There are several Prussian artillery officers named Lehmann during this period. Six alone active in 1806. The 12pounder battery commander of 1806 will have become a major or higher by 1815, no longer commanding a battery. Or he was pensioned in the meantime.

After 1808, the Prussian guns and limbers were improved, old barrels recasted. All the calibers remained the same though, so that old ammunition could still be used.

thanks Oliver, well I should read Höpfner

I will check on Auerstaedt and contemporary maps, intersting so far not even an ä was used but so far always ae.

@Oliver
Thanks again. I was planning an Age of Eagles scenario for Auerstädt and this is really useful information.

Allan, I do recommend the Bressonnet if you can get it – it gives a blow by blow account with maps and diagrams of both Jena and Auerstadt. I was so impressed with the account, particularly how it brought out the faliings of a linear tactical system, that it inspired me to holiday in Saxony to walk the battlefields. A great holiday and the battlefields are pretty unspoilt and really make sense of why et battle played out as it did.
Happy to share all my battlefield walk prep – lots of maps – if you could let me have your email.

surely in case I check Bressonnet he spells it Auerstedt. However I am not aware that he brought out the failing of the tacitcal linear system, he came to the conclusion that a lot of French untis fought in line as well also he states that though the French and Prussian infantry tactics are different but familiar as well.
I will have a look what he says about the Prussian 12 pdr guns at Auerstaedt – though he relies quite heavily on Höpfner.

@BillyNM
I have Bressonnet in the original French, and will return to it in detail when I have some time.
I would be delighted to see your maps – email is ###

Many thanks.

All the information I have is that most Infantry Brigades had a 12lb Battery attached, with the following exceptions the light infantry brigade had a 6lb horse battery attached, and the Von Zastrow Brigade had a 7lb Howitzer Battery attached to it. Not sure how many actually saw action, during the battle as I would need to refer to through allot of info to get there. Also, the battalion guns were combined to form a Lite 6lb battery (probably a 4lb in use instead) within the brigade and not to say all brigades actually did this though.

I have gamed this battle a few times using General de Brigade but also with the restrictions based on how the Prussian army went to war at that time. Like no massed batteries, and a few other issues.

This the OOB I concluded with:

Prussian Army (Hauptarmee)
52 battalions, 80 squadrons and 224 guns (128 guns in 16 batteries + 96 battalion guns)

Commander-in-Chief: Prussen, Friedrich-Wilhelm III, Konig von
Field Commander: Braunschweig-Luneburg-Wolfensbuttel, GFM Karl-Wilhelm-Ferdinand, Herzog von
Chief-of-Staff: Scharnhorst, OB Gerhard-Johann-David von

Advance Guard
[4 battalions, 25 squadrons and 8 guns in 1 battery
Oswald, GM Friedrich-Gottlieb von]

Saxe-Weimar Fuss-Jager Battalion

2nd [Warsaw] Fusilier Brigade
Oswald, GM Friedrich-Gottlieb von

Fusilier Battalion Nr. 4
Greiffenberg, GM Karl-August von
Fusilier Battalion Nr. 8
Kloch, OB von
Fusilier Battalion Nr. 16
Oswald, GM Friedrich-Gottlieb von

Cavalry Brigade
Blucher, GM Gerhard-Leberecht von

Hussar Regiment Blucher Nr. 8: 10 squadrons
Hussar Regiment Prinz von Wurttemberg Nr. 4: 10 squadrons
Dragoon Regiment Irwing Nr. 3: 5 squadrons
6-pdr Horse Battery Schorlemmer Nr. 17: 8 guns

Main Body

Line Division
[10 battalions, 10 squadrons and 24 guns in 3 batteries
Oranien, GL Wilhelm-Friedrich [Furst von Oranien-Fulda] Prinz von
Scholer, HPT von (Chief-of-Staff)]

Infantry Brigade
Lutzow, OB Johann-Adolf von

Infantry Regiment Mollendorf Nr. 25: 2 battalions
Infantry Regiment Wartensleben Nr. 59: 2 battalions
Grenadier Battalion Knebel Nrs. 19/25
12-pdr Foot Battery Lehmann Nr. 23: 8 guns

Infantry Brigade
Prussen, OB Heinrich-Friedrich-Karl, Prinz von

Infantry Regiment Prinz Ferdinand Nr. 34: 2 battalions
Infantry Regiment Puttkammer Nr. 36: 2 battalions
Grenadier Battalion Rheinbaben Nrs. 23/26
12-pdr Foot Battery Riemer Nr. 2: 8 guns

Cavalry Brigade
Prussen, OBL Wilhelm, Prinz von

Cuirassier Regiment Leib-Kurassiers Nr. 3: 5 squadrons
Cuirassier Regiment Leib-Karabinier Nr. 11: 5 squadrons
6-pdr Horse Battery Willmann Nr. 18: 8 guns

Line Division
[10 battalions, 10 squadrons and 32 guns in 4 batteries
Wartensleben, GL Leopold-Alexander, Graf von
Kyckputsch, HPT von (Chief-of-Staff)]

Infantry Brigade
Renouard, GM Johann-Jeremias von

Infantry Regiment Prinz Louis-Ferdinand Nr. 20: 2 battalions
Infantry Regiment Herzog von Braunschweig Nr. 21: 2 battalions
Grenadier Battalion Alt-Braun Nrs. 3/21
12-pdr Foot Battery Heuser Nr. 22: 8 guns
12-pdr Foot Battery Lange Nr. 46: 8 guns

Infantry Brigade
Wedell, OB Karl-Alexander von

Infantry Regiment Renouard Nr. 3: 2 battalions
Infantry Regiment Kleist Nr. 5: 2 battalions
Grenadier Battalion Hanstein Nrs. 5/20
12-pdr Foot Battery Wilkins Nr. 1: 8 guns

Cavalry Brigade
Quitzow, GM Christian-Heinrich von

Cuirassier Regiment Quitzow Nr. 6: 5 squadrons
Cuirassier Regiment Reitzenstein Nr. 7: 5 squadrons
6-pdr Horse Battery Merkatz Nr.19: 8 guns

Line Division
[10 battalions, 20 squadrons and 24 guns in 3 batteries
Schmettau, GL Friedrich-Wilhelm-Karl, Graf von
Leibhaber, HPT von (Chief-of-Staff)]

Infantry Brigade
Alvensleben, GM Ludolf-August-Friedrich von

Infantry Regiment Malschitzky Nr. 28: 2 battalions
Infantry Regiment Schimonsky Nr. 40: 2 battalions
Grenadier Battalion Krafft Nrs. 48/59
12-pdr Foot Battery Stankar Nr. 12: 8 guns

Infantry Brigade
Schimonsky, GM Dietrich-Leberecht von

Infantry Regiment Alvensleben Nr. 33: 2 battalions
Infantry Regiment Prinz Heinrich Nr. 35: 2 battalions
Grenadier Battalion Schack Nrs. 37/57
12-pdr Foot Battery Rohl Nr. 24: 8 guns

Cavalry Brigade
Bunting, GM Karl-Wilhelm von

Cuirassier Regiment Heising Nr. 8: 5 squadrons
Cuirassier Regiment Bunting Nr. 12: 5 squadrons

Cavalry Brigade
Irwing, GM Friedrich-Wilhelm von

Dragoon Regiment Konigin Nr. 5: 10 squadrons
6-pdr Horse Battery Graumann Nr. 2: 8 guns

Reserve Corps
[18 battalions, 15 squadrons and 40 guns in 5 batteries
Kalkreuth, GdK Friedrich-Adolf, Graf von
Lossau, MAJ Johann-Friedrich-Konstantin von (Chief-of-Staff)]

Reserve Division
Kuhnheim, GL Johann-Ernst, Graf von
Perbandt, LT von (Chief-of-Staff)

Garde Brigade
Hirschfeld, GM Karl-Ferdinand von

Infantry Regiment Garde Nr. 15: 2 battalions
Garde Grenadier Battalion
Leibgarde Battalion
12-pdr battery Faber Nr. 4: 8 guns

Infantry Brigade
Pletz, OB August-Wilhelm von

Infantry Regiment Konig Nr. 18: 2 battalions
Grenadier Battalion Prinz August Nrs. 1/13
Grenadier Battalion Rabiel Nrs. 18/27
7-pdr Howitzer Battery Alkier Nr. 1: 8 guns

Cavalry Brigade
Beeren, OB Karl-Friedrich-Hermann von

Cuirassier Regiment Beeren Nr. 2: 5 squadrons
Cuirassier Regiment Gens d'Armes Nr. 10: 5 squadrons
Cuirassier Regiment Garde du Corps Nr. 13: 5 squadrons
6-pdr Horse Battery Scholten Nr. 1: 8 guns

Reserve Division
Arnim, GL Alexander-Wilhelm von
Tiedemann, HPT von (Chief-of-Staff)

Infantry Brigade
Zenge, GM August-Wilhelm-Hermann von

Infantry Regiment Arnim Nr. 13: 2 battalions
Infantry Regiment Pirch Nr. 22: 2 battalions
Grenadier Battalion Gaudi Nrs. 24/35
Grenadier Battalion Osten Nrs. 22/36
12-pdr battery Heiden Nr. 33: 8 guns

Infantry Brigade
Malschitzky, GM Johann von

Infantry Regiment Zenge Nr. 24: 2 battalions
Grenadier Battalion Hulsen Nrs. 12/34
Grenadier Battalion Schlieffen Nrs. 2/11
12-pdr battery Bychelberg Nr. 26: 8 guns

Schmettau, GL Friedrich-Wilhelm-Karl, Graf von
Leibhaber, HPT von (Chief-of-Staff)]

It was captain Carl Friedrich von Liebhaber, of the General-Quartiermeister-Stab, transfered to the gendarmerie in 1812, pensioned in 1820, died 1826.

A provisional distribution of officers of the General-Quartiermeister-Stab to the field commanders, issued just before the campaign of 1806, is reproduced here:

link

Technically, the "Cuirassier Regiment Leib-Kurassiers" was called Leib-Regiment, or Leib-Kürassier-Regiment (no Kürassiers), the "Cuirassier Regiment Leib-Karabinier" was called Leib-Karabiniers or Leib-Karabiniers-Regiment.

Thanks again, Oliver.
In common with most English-speaking folks I spend too much time Anglicizing French and German terms, when I would be better simply writing the originals.
I will repost an updated OOB at some point.