The fight at Bunzlau (present day Bolesławiec in Poland) was centered around two wooden bridges connecting the banks of the Bober to a river island, surrounded at west by the main river branch and at east by a small channel or millrace (German Mühlengraben). This island and a small hill, dominating the town from the south and the west (left) bank of the river, were the most dominant geographical features of the battlefield (see a map in this post).
Below you can see the area to be depicted in the tablegame. The red square shows the area covered by my tablegame at the same scale (1:1,000) than the map, The black square covers a larger area, that is necessary to include in the table the features playing a significant role in the fight.
 |
| Actual old map with the gametable at a correct (red) and an decreased (blac) scale |
 |
| Actual map after enlarging the vertical dimension to reduce the non-significant northern zone |
The construction of the watermill for Bunzlau has continued in my spare time. You can see below more pictures of the making of
 |
| The full set before the addition of the wheel |
 |
| The finished watermill |
 |
| Idem |
 |
| The destroyed version |
 |
| The watermill from above |
 |
| Idem |
The making of the watermill is on way. See below some pictures of the process
 |
| The watermill stucture |
 |
| The millrace outline |
 |
| The watermill cut in 2mm-cardboard |
 |
| The mounting of the watermill |
 |
| The millrace outlined with plasticine |
 |
| The 'ruined' version of the watermill mounted |
 |
| Another view of the 'ruined' version mounted on the millrace |
 |
| The 'normal' version of the watermill placed over the 'ruined' version |
 |
| The millrace piece after application of sand |
 |
| The watermill and its decoration |
While making the research (grandiloquent term for a rapid reading of some old Google books) for Bunzlau, I noted in the narratives of the combat the important role played by a small wood bridge 'dominated by a watermill' and connecting the right bank to an island. Afterwards, when searching for an old map of the area, I arrived to this Polish Map Repository site from which I downloaded the below map of the Bunzlau/Bolesławiec area in 1943.
The combat of Bunzlau (present day Bolesławiec in Poland) was a skirmish rearguard action centered around a bridge (actually two successive bridges) over the Bober.
The small French rearguard guarding the bridge and its approachs, was easily overcome by a stronger Prussian advance-guard, that crossed the river in its pursuit. The conflict escalated after both C-i-C fed more and more units in the fight. At last, the French retreated and the Allied won another crossing (although damaged) site to pursuit their defeated enemies.
 |
| General Joseph Souham |
 |
| Geeneral Heinrich Wilhelm von Horn |
Macdonald has been defeated by Bluecher at the battle of the Katzbach (see here for a Napoleon's Batles scenario) and the Imperial forces are retreating westward, closely pursued by the Army of Silesia. The French rearguard (Souham’s III Corps) has occupied Bunzlau (present day Bolesławiec, Poland), a small town on the right bank of the Bober River possessing the only bridge suitable for wheeled traffic in several miles around.
At the dawn of August 30 the French main body has crossed the river, leaving behind a small rearguard from the 11th division, with orders to destroy the vital bridge at the Prussian approach. Meanwhile, the Prussian 7th brigade has arrived to the area with the purpose of taking intact the bridge, forcing to the 11th Division and the 23rd Light Cavalry brigade to turn around to face the attack. Both sides fed more units in action but, at the end, the French retreated leaving the bridge in Prussian hands.
This combat was found in Nafziger's 2nd book on the Campaign of Leipzig, and the narrative was after completed with the accounts of Fabry. The OOB's were taken, as always, from the Nafziger collection.
Watch this space!
Sources
- G.F. Nafziger. “Napoleon at Dresden: The Battles of August 1813”. The Emperor Press, Chicago, 1991
- Nafziger Orders of Battle Collection. Combined Arms Research Library.
- G. Fabry ”Etude sur les opérations du maréchal Macdonald, du 22 août au 4 septembre 1813, la Katzbach“ Paris, 1910
- G. Fabry. “Journal des opérations des IIIe et Ve corps en 1813”, Paris, 1902
This work is under a
Creative Commons license
Posts
All Comments
