Thursday 25 October 2007

The battle of Hagelberg (August 27, 1813)

This battle was fought between the French Girard’s Garrison - or Division- of Magdeburg and the Prussian Hirschfeld corps. Whereas the goal of Girard’s force (composed by some French 3rd battalions and Rheinbund troops) was to join Oudinot in the advance towards Berlin, the Hirschfeld's force (Prussian Reserve and Landwher and Russian Cossacks) was posted to the right wing of the Bernadotte’s Army of the North to cover that flank watching, precisely, the approach of the Magdeburg Garrison.
The Scenario is loosely based on this battle and is intended for Divisional Napoleon’s Battles (NBd). The order of battle and maps are adapted from the George Nafziger’s book ‘Napoleon at Dresden. The battles of August 1813’ (Emperor’s Press, Chicago, 1992).

The battle finished with the rout of the French, an unusual fact because that rout was at the hands of a force consisting in Prussian Landwehr, which only recently had changed their pikes by muskets, and Cossacks. The main reasons lie on Girard which was fulfilling his first independent command and also in the high motivation of the Prussians fighting in their country against an unmotivated French force formed by conscripts and war-tired veterans. The Prussian loss were 1800 men (a 20%) claiming around 5000 French losses including 7 guns and the entire divisional wagon train: the Magdeburg garrison was virtually wiped out.

Find the Scenario and map (and some more things) at my web-site
Next week the battle as fought!

2 comments:

  1. You do realize that the map you've used above is copyrighted don't you? It would be reasonable that you would ask permission before you publish such things.

    G.F.Nafziger

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dear Mr. Nafziger
    I have deleted the map. I apologize for any inconvenience caused to you
    Best regards
    Rafa

    ReplyDelete