"Chef d’escadron Chipault at Marienwerder & Heilsberg 1807" Topic

Hello everyone,

I have a new post on my website about Chef d'escadron Chipault's actions at the combat of Marienwerder and Heilsberg. Chipault's file has tons of information and some fascinating facts about things he lost, frustrations he felt due to lack of advancement, and details about his 52 wounds received at Heilsberg in 1807. There was a ton of translating on this one, but I felt it was worth it to show what happened to Chipault.

link

Michael

Interesting cavalry combat between two almost exactly equal sized forces. The infantry on both sides seem to have played no part, although for some reason the author includes the Prussian infantry into comment about the forces involved while discounting the much larger number of French infantry present because they did not get engaged.

Thanks, BillyNM, for reading.

However, I included the infantry on both sides because, according to the sources, these were the forces available and present at the combat. Also, as I noted in my post, the Prussian Fusiliers were the only reason the French pursuit was halted. The 2e Legere, although part of the advanced guard and present, only committed their voltigeur companies as skirmishers before the main combat started. The whole regiment could have been used if the French cavalry charge had not been so successful, but it stayed in reserve and was not mentioned in the reports. No officer or soldier casualties are listed for the 2e Legere.

The Hessian officer report provides a few more details, which I will try to include here later after translating it.

An officer of the Füsilier-Bataillon von Rembow wrote on 18th February 1807 to his wife:

On 11th we had to leave Marienwerder and its surroundings, because we were attacked from all sides (by Frenchmen from the front, by Polish from the back). From the battalion, lieutenant Plaga and 14 men are prisoners, and Schütze Winkler of the life company [1st company, whose head was the battalion commander] has been shot dead. We are positioned now between Danzig and Pillau in order to recover after our incredible fatigues … Of the regiment Rouquette on the same day together with Plaga also Oberst v. Dallwitz, Major count Lehndorff, Capitaine Larey, Lieutenants v. Keudel and Koszminski with 140 dragoons were taken prisoners.

"Schütze" is a kind of private first class, used for skirmishing and destined to become an NCO in the future.