Battle of Dennewitz
6-7 September 1813
"After the defeat Ney submitted his resignation
asking to be a single grenadier rather than marshal."
- George Nafziger
Introduction.
PS.
1. Introduction.
2. Troops:
- - - - - Allies Order of Battle
>
- - - - - French Order of Battle
>
- - - - - Map of battle. >
3. The Battle
- - - - - "The Prussians were savagely handed ..." >
- - - - - New arrivals. >
- - - - - French and Italian offensive. >
- - - - - "Ney is supposed to have sent him
- - - - - to Napoleon after 'ripping off his epaulets." >
- - - - - Heavy fighting in the center. Clausewitz in trouble. >
- - - - - Prussian offensive on both flanks. >
- - - - - The Swedes. >
- - - - - Marshal Oudinot enters the fight. >
- - - - - Ney attempted the last desperate attack in the center. >
- - - - - The Prussian victory. >
4. Aftermath.
5. Sources and Links.
to order a general offensive to take Berlin
the Prussian capital, with the overall goal
of knocking the Prussians out of the war."
- wikipedia.org 2006
"August 1813 had been a whirlwind of action. So much so that the guns
of August had not stopped firing until after the battle of Dennewitz."
- G. Nafziger
"In late August 1813, Napoleon decided to order a general offensive to take Berlin
the Prussian capital, with the overall goal of knocking the Prussians out of the war."
( - wikipedia.org 2006)
On 2 September 1813 Napoleon ordered Marshal Ney to take command of the Army of
Berlin and put it into "rapid" movement. Ney had to take Berlin. The marshal
gathered the followning units: IV, VII, XII Army Corps, and the III Cavalry Corps
near Wittenberg. This force was joined by a Polish Division under Dabrowski.
Additionally Ney received approx. 6,000 replacements for the losses suffered in recent
engagements.
Instead of rapidly moving against the Prussians and Russians the
marshal choose to spend entire day on reviewing his troops.
Ney had decided to move his entire army down a single road.
While this allowed him to maintain communications with his
entire army, the single road stacked his army for miles.
On 6 September Ney's three corps were separated by
a distance of 2 hours. Consequently his army arrived and was deployed in a piecemeal fashion.
Bertrand's IV Army Corps led the advance and met the Prussian Tauentzien's light troops before
the village of Dennewitz.
Bertrand pushed back part of Tauentzien's IV Corps who linked up with Bulow's III Prussian Corps and few Russian units. Tauentzien was not only military man, he was entrusted with sevaral diplomatic missions. He entered the army in 1775. In 1806 Bogislav Friedrich Emanuel Graf Tauentzien was defeated by Marshal Bernadotte at Schleitz. A Jena Tauentzien led the vanguard of Hohenlohe's Corps.
In 1813 he led the siege of Stettin (Szczecin).
Although the Allied troops at Dennewitz were under the overall command of Bernadotte,
they were actually led by Bülow. Lieutenant-General Freiherr Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow,
fought against Marshal Oudinot in defence of Berlin. (Note: Freiherr is a title, translated as Baron not a first or middle name.)
In the summer Bülow distinguished himself greatly in the Battle
of Grossbeeren, a victory which was attributed almost entirely to his leadership.
Bulow participated in majority of the great battles in 1813 and 1814. In 1815 his corps headed the decisive flank attack upon Napoleon's army at the battle of Waterloo. (ext.link)
Dennewitz is situated between Berlin and Torgau. By the way,
Torgau is well-known as the place where during the WW2,
U.S. Army (ext.link)
forces coming from the west met with the Soviet troops coming from the east.
On the ruins of the bridge over the Elbe at Torgau, Lieutenant Bill Robertson and Sergeant Nikolai Andreyev shook their hands. It symbolized the Allies' hard-fought victory over the fearsome Nazi Germany.
Troops.
Allies and French Order of Battle
French ranks:
MdE - Maréchal d'Empire
GdD - Général de division
GdB - Général de Brigade
Col. - Colonel
Mjr. - Major
CdB. - Chef de Bataillon
CdE. - Chef de Escadron
Allies ranks:
FM - Feldmarschall (Field Marshal)
GdK - Generall der Kavallerie (General of Cavalry)
GdI - Generall der Infanterie (General of Infantry)
FzM - Feldzeugmeister - rank in the Austrian army only
FL- Feldmarschall-Leutenant - rank in the Austrian army only
GL - Generalleutnant (General Lieutenant)
GM - Generallmajor (General Major)
ALLIES ARMY
Commander: GL Friedrich Wilhelm von Bulow
Bulow's army consisted of Prussian, Russian and Swedish troops. The most numerous were the Prussians. Their rank and file were young men fired up by patriotism. The few Russian units were made of battle-hardened men, although exhausted from the 1812 campaign.
- - - - - - - - - - - Swedish Morner Hussars [6 sq.]
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Swedish Horse Battery [6 guns]
FRENCH ARMY
Commander: Marshal Ney
nicknamed "The Bravest of the Brave"
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Commander: GdD Bertrand Chief-of-staff: GdB Delort
- - - - - - Cavalry Brigade - GdB Jett |
Commander: GdD Reynier Chief-of-staff: GdB Gressot
- - - - - - Cavalry Brigade - GdB Lindenau . |
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Commander: MdE Oudinot Chief-of-staff: GdD Lejeune
- - - - - - Cavalry Division/Brigade ? - GdD Beaumont |
Commander: GdD Arrighi Chief-of-staff: GdB Salel
5th Light Cavalry Division - GdD Lorge
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The Battle.
The terrain around Dennewitz was relatively flat, with some rolling fields and meadows, few woods and small hills. The villages were well built and most of the roads were good.
A small stream divided the battlefield into northern and southern parts.
Marshal Ney formed the battle line before 10 AM.
"The Prussians were savagely handed The battle began on the French right flank (Prussians' left). The Italian battery fired the first shots. The Prussians guns responded immediately. During the exchange of artillery fire three Prussian horse guns were seriously damaged, and several gunners were killed and wounded.
Tauentzien's left wing withdrew behind a small wood.
On Tauentzien's right wing the Italians attacked 3rd Reserve Infantry, then brought
several guns and drove the Prussians back.
The Prussians sent forward part of their cavalry (9 squadrons) under von Dizielski. They struck French 10th Chasseurs in the flank and crushed it. They also captured an Italian battery before being forced to flee by volleys of the French 13th Light. The French 13th Chasseurs then charged and routed 1st and 7th Kurmark Landwehr Cavalry.
Marshal Ney sent Marshal Oudinot's XII Army Corps (French, Bavarian, Westphalian and Hessian troops) an order to join him. Oudinot moved without eagerness, with Pacthod's and Guilleminot's divisions in the lead. GdD Reynier's VII Army Corps (French and Saxon troops) also received an order and was on the road. Oudinot and Raynier had several excellent French foot and horse batteries. Defrance's heavy cavalry joined Reynier's troops. Defrance had only seven squadrons of French dragoons.
French and Italian offensive.
Bulow counterattacked with Thumen's brigade forcing Morand's men to fall back in great disorder. Morand responded with his own counterattack supported by his artillery. The Prussians took heavy casualties and fell back. Three battalions of 3rd East Prussia Infantry and two of 5th Reserve Infantry pulled back to the right of Nieder-Gorsdorf where they were covered by 12 Russian and 12 Prussian heavy guns.
"Ney is supposed to have sent him
Despite volleys at close range and casualties the Poles and Frenchmen pressed forward, passed between the battalions and engaged Tauentzien's cavalry. During the melee the 1st Life Hussars (the famous Death's Head Hussars) arrived. Heavily outnumbered the uhlans attempted to disengage, passed in front of Krafft's brigade, received musket volleys and canister, and after losing 102 men reached the French and Italian positions. On the way back they managed to overrun Prussian munition column near Wolmsdorf. The Landwehr infantry fired on the uhlans but instead they inflicted casualties on their own gunners.
Heavy fighting in the center. Defrance's dragoons arrived and took positions behind a low hill in the center of Ney's battle line. They were concealed from the view of the Prussian gunners. The artillery fire was heavy and the village of Nieder-Gohrsdorf was burning. Thumen counterattacked with 5 battalions and a small force of cavalry. The Italians and Wirtembergians were driven back. Two Wirtembergian battalions formed in squares were broken by canister fire and suffered horrible casualties. One square lost 531, only 70 escaped ! Morand's division was left with open flank and began to pull back.
Clausewitz fell back and joined Thumen's men. Thumen's and Heseen-Homburg's
brigade being under strong pressure became mixed. However Defrance's division was too weak
to make the breakthrough on its own, it numbered only eight squadrons.
Prussian offensive on both flanks.
On the other flank Borstell's 5th Brigade attacked Gohlsdorf and Saxon positions. Borstell had artillery and skirmishers in the front, followed by battalions formed in columns. His cavalry moved on the right flank of the brigade. Borstell's first assault was repulsed by the Saxons. But then the fusiliers of 3rd East Prussian captured the gardens on and entered Gohlsdorf. Saxon grenadiers counterattacked, the Prussians regouped and came back. While the Saxons were masters of the main street, the Prussians occupied the cemetery. Meanwhile Saxon artillery drove back von Oppen's Reserve Cavalry. To put more pressure on Ney's flank Bulow sent order to Hessen-Homburg's 3rd Brigade to support Borstell.
See his article: "The Organization of the Swedish Cavalry: 1773 - 1814" > (ext.link)
English General Sir Charles Stewart described the Swedish troops: "The appearance of the [Swedish] troops, collectively, was good; individually, they had not the air, the gait, or dress of disciplined soldiers: neither the old troops or new levies were steady under arms: their clothes were ill made: and their appearance, after seeing the Russians and the Prussians, was unprepossessing.
Marshal Oudinot enters the fight. The reinforced Prussians assaulted Gohlsdorf and took 350 prisoners. Oudinot's artillery opened fire on Gohlsdorf and drove the enemy back. Borstel's brought 8 battalions formed in two lines with cavalry covering both flanks. This force attacked the village, suffered massive casualties from the Saxon artillery and fell back pursued by Saxon 6 battalions.
Marshal Oudinot sent several battalions of Guilleminot's division into Gohlsdorf.
This force immediately became target for the Prussian, Russian and Swedish cannons and howitzers.
The entire Saxon line wavered until Defrance's dragoons charged and stabilized the situation. Seeing this the much relieved Marshal Ney ordered Marshal Oudiont's XIII Army Corps to disengage and assume a position in the rear and center.
Ney attacked the Prussian center again, this time with a stronger force of infantry. With an intimidating tumult, the drums beat pas de charge and the shout Vive l'Empereur ! rose from hundreds of French throats. The columns of infantry strode forward at a brisk pace. In the meantime the Prussian gunners opened a rapid fire, to inflict as much damage on the enemy as possible but also to heighten the psuchological effect of this approaching masses. The French quickened their pace through the fields so as to be exposed to the cannon fire as briefly as possible. Several battalions of Durrutte's and Morand's divisions, and part of Oudinot's XII Corps struck the center and forced the Prussians to abandon Wolmsdorf and Nieder-Gohlsdorf.
At 4:30 PM Ney attempted the last desperate attack in the center. Fontanelli's Italians and Morand's Frenchmen formed in battalion columns advanced behind a thick chain of skirmishers until they were 80 paces from the Prussian infantry formed in line. The musketry was tremendous. The Prussian Death's Head Hussars (2 squadrons) and some Landwehr cavalry charged and routed French chasseurs. After this cavalry action the Fontanelli's and Morand's infantry fell back.
Thumen's brigade continued forward and attempted to take Rohrbeck as well. Russian heavy guns set the village ablaze and the Prussian Landwehr infantry and schutzen (riflemen) entered Rohrbeck. The Landwehr cavalry rode through the village and struck French cavalry. The French broke and fled abandoning the battlefield. The Russian 44th Jagers and two hussar regiments arrived on the battlefield and immediately moved to the vicinity of Wolmsdorf. The Russian Izoum Hussars and the Prussian Pomeranian Hussars routed French cavalry and captured 3 guns. On the extreme flank von Oppen's Reserve Cavalry captured large quantity of baggage. The confusion on the roads was tremendous, and wagons, guns, and abandoned rquipment formed obstacles for the retiring infantry.
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Aftermath.
Marshal Ney wrote: "The XII Corps which yesterday was marching on Domitsch, ran into a few Cossacks; the troops gave into such a panic-stricken terror that it was very difficult to rally them." He also informed Berthier about 6.000 deserters who threw away their muskets in order to run faster. Oudinot's XII Army Corps was disbanded and its French troops distributed to the other corps.
George Nafziger writes: "It is difficult to say why Dennewitz turned out as it did. The principal problem on the French side of the battle was lack of a clear, overall plan of battle. Ney is often accused of getting too closely involved in the battle and losing the overall vision of what was happening. On the other hand, Oudinot is also accused of sour grapes at having his command given to another after his defeat at Gross-Beeren." Ney and Oudinot had a falling out after the battle, both requesting the Emperor relieve them. Napoleon gave Oudinot the command over the Young Guard.
The victory at Dennewitz inspired the greatest enthusiasm in Prussia. Bavaria withdrew from the war as a result of the failure of the Berlin campaign. Other German states were now wavering in their support of Napoleon.
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Sources and Links.
Recommended Reading.
Nafziger - "Napoleon's Dresden Campaign"
Blond - "La Grande Armee"
Bogdanovich - "Istoriia Voiny 1813 Goda"
Lukasiewicz - "Armia ksiecia Józefa 1813"
Sporschil - "Die Grosse Chronik"
Esposito, Nafziger - "Military History and Atlas of the Napoleonic Wars"
Plotho - "Der Krieg in Deutschland und Frankreich in den Jahren 1813 und 1814"
The Department of History at the US Military Academy - series of campaign atlases
General Freiherr Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow
Marshal Michel Ney "The Bravest of the Brave"
Marshal Nicolas Oudinot
Schlacht bei Dennewitz
Travel to Dennewitz
Travel Germany
Napoleon, His Army and Enemies
The Prussians sent out skirmishers of the 5th Kurmark 
The III/3rd Reserve Infantry suffered further casualties when one squadron of 2nd 
The Italians in the wood found thesmelves heavily engaged with the Prussian skirmishers.
Wirtembergian battalion attacked and was driven back by the Prussians.
So far only Tauentzien's force was engaged. About noon the leading echelon (Thumen's 4th Brigade and Death's Head Hussars) of Bulow's Corps arrived. Thumen deployed his artillery near Nieder-Gorsdorf and opened fire. Then came Krafft's 6th Brigade and Hessen-Homburg's 3rd Brigade. The Reserve Cavalry under von Oppen arrived too.
GdD Morand sent 8th Light and 13th Line against the enemy in Nieder-Gorsdorf.
Meanwhile several Italian and Wirtembergian battalions advanced against the Prussians in the wood and drove them back. They also attacked the II/5th Reserve Infantry from the flank and routed it. The French closed to within 30 paces from another battalion of that regiment and exchanged volleys.
The 2nd Polish Uhlans and a handful of French chasseurs threw themselves against the Prussian infantry, cavalry and artillery. They rode furiously through the skirmish line, then attacked five or six battalions formed in compact formations.
Marshal Ney immediately ordered the Westphalian cavalry to support the Poles, but its commander did not move. "Ney is supposed to have sent him to Napoleon after 'ripping off his epaulets." (- George Nafziger)
Part of Durutte's division attacked Prussian center pushing Clausewitz
with three battalions back. A company of Prussian schutzen (riflemen) opened fire
on the French columns. While the French infantry entered the village, Defrance's dragoons assaulted the withdrawing Prussians.
The shattered Wirtembergians withdrew to Rohlbeck, followed by Tauentzien's and Kleist's troops.
About 3:30 PM Tauentzien's artillery had expended its ammunition. Russian VII Heavy Battery
arrived and deployed 900 paces from Rohrbeck. Two Prussian battalions with skirmishers in their lead advanced against the enemy. Tauentzien's Cossacks and Landwehr cavalry appeared near Rohlbeck.
The Swedes and a single Russian battery soon arrived and placed themselves
on Borstell's left. Nafziger gives only two Swedish units at Dennewitz, a hussar regiment and horse battery. Christer Edling however mentions several Swedish cavalry units:
The artilley bombardement was felt keenly by the infantry and cavalry on both sides.
The Saxons began withdrawal. Ney rode to that sector of the battlefield
and tried to rally the men. The Saxons then colided with Oudinot's battalions
and carried them as well. The French center became engulfed in chaos
and two Prussian battalions easily captured Dennewitz.
Prussian cavalry followed the enemy and took many prisoners.
Ney's army reached Torgau on 7th September
"after making a 40 km march without halting."
Ney's losses were 8,000-10,000 men and 53 guns.
Some sources claim that during the retreat the French lost further 5,000-10,000 men.
Raglowich's Bavarians were sent to Dresden.
Bulow (III and IV prussian Corps) lost 7,000-9,000 men. The victory raised the morale of
Allies troops in Germany and the myth of French invincibility was shaken one more time.
Bernadotte's pursuit was leisurely and reached Zerbst on 15th September.
Then he began coordinating his movements with Blucher's army.
"Bernadotte was criticised by his German allies for this apparent apathy in committing his army and especially his Swedes.
This dented Bernadotte's military reputation and resulted in bad German publicity for the Northern Army in the Wars
of Liberation." (- Björn Bergérus)