Battle of Lobositz

The Battle of Lobositz was a battle fought on October 1, 1756 during the Seven Years' War. A Prussian army of about 29,000 men fought an Austrian army of 34,500 men. The Prussians and the Austrians lost 2,900 men each. The Prussian army was led by Frederick the Great, the Austrian army by Field marshall von Browne.

Prelude

The battle was the opening battle of the Seven Years' War. Always having been a believer in the pre-emptive strike, Frederick invaded Saxony on August 29 against the advice of his British allies. With him was the bulk of the Prussian army. Neither the Saxon nor the Austrian army was ready for war. The Saxon army took up a strong defensive position near Pirna, and Frederick had no option but to isolate and starve them. An Austrian army under field marshall von Browne raced to the aid of Saxony. The two armies met near the village of Lovosice (German Lobositz), along the Elbe river, in present day Czech Republic. Van Browne, the Austrian general, had ordered a small force on the opposite bank of the Elbe to move to the beleaguered Saxon army at Pirna, but recalled it when he heard the news of Fredeicks advance.

Battle

The Austrian army took up a defensive stance on a hill, the Lobosch-mountain (Lovoš), along the Elberiver, partly behind and partly in front of a small brook, the Morellenbach (Modla). Though not deep, and croassable by infantry and cavalry, this brook and its marshy slopes would disorder all formations that would attempt to cross it. Opposite it was another mountain, the Homolka mountain, of vulcanic origin.
In heavy fog Fredericks Prussians approached. Fire was opened first by detachments of Croats, and believing he is up against a small rearguard of the Austrian army, Fredrick orders a few infantry batallions to advance. The infantry cleared the lower slopes of the Homolka mountain, while the Prussian artillery ass brought forward into position. From a terrace they have a good field of fire over the valley and the Austrian cavalry. Infantry in the Prussian center becomes the target of the Austrian main battery as the mist slowly lifts. It slowly dawned on Frederick that this is not the Austrian rearguard, but a full field army facing him.To shield his infantry from the decimating fire of the Austrian aruillery, he ordered his cavalry to charge.
Twice Prussian cavalry assaulted the Austrian position in vain. Already believing the battle to be lost, Frederick wanted to leave the battle field saying "These are no longer the same Austrians".
Prussian General Bevern, in command of the Prussian left wing, however succeeded in storming the Austrian right flank on a hill with the Prussian infantry. They charged with thei bayonets, many soldiers having run out of ammunition. He chased them through the by then burning town of Lobositz. The Austrians army retreated, leaving the Prussians in command of the battle field.

Aftermath

The Austrian army got away intact, and Browne even managed to slip a force around the Prussians towards the besieged Saxons.
But it was too little too late. The Saxon army at Pirna surrendered before the relieve force arrived, and surrendered on October 14. Saxony surrendered on October 15, a day after the surrender of its army. Both armies retreated into its winter quarters.

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