Battle of Gravelotte

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Battle of Gravelotte
Painting by Carl Röchling: "Death of the Major von Hadeln" (Gravelotte, August 18, 1870)
Painting by Carl Röchling : "Death of the Major von Hadeln" (Gravelotte, August 18, 1870)
date August 18, 1870
place Gravelotte , Lorraine
output German victory
Parties to the conflict

North German ConfederationNorth German Confederation North German Confederation

FranceFrance France

Commander

North German ConfederationNorth German Confederation Helmuth von Moltke Eduard von Fransecky Ludwig von Weltzien
North German ConfederationNorth German Confederation
North German ConfederationNorth German Confederation

FranceFrance François-Achille Bazaine François Certain de Canrobert
FranceFrance

Troop strength
188,000 men (209,000 men in the evening)
732 guns 		131,000 men
520 guns
losses

19,962 dead and wounded

11,678 dead and wounded

Battles and Sieges of the
Franco-German War (1870–1871)

The Battle of Gravelotte (in France Bataille de Saint-Privat , in Saxony also called Battle of Sankt Privat ) was a battle in the Franco-Prussian War that took place near Gravelotte . It is also called the Third Battle of Metz .

François Achille Bazaine during the Mexico campaign in a painting by Jean-Adolphe Beaucé
Field Marshal Moltke, painting by Franz von Lenbach

initial situation

After the battle of Mars-la-Tour on August 17th, the order of the day of the French Army on the Rhine stated the following: "The lack of ammunition and food after the battle of the 16th forced us to go back to Metz ."

Following this guideline, the French commander-in-chief, Marshal Bazaine , took an excellent reception position in the west of the fortress front between Rozérieulles in the south and Saint-Privat-la-Montagne in the north and awaited the approach of the German troops on a constantly increasing terrain.

The strength of the French army in the positions between Roncourt and the Moselle amounted to 131,000 men with 520 guns.

The Prussian leadership under Chief of Staff Helmuth von Moltke planned to bypass the right wing of the French with two corps of the 2nd Army and thus to shake the massive and well-chosen position of the enemy as a whole. The two corps intended for this encirclement were even further behind at the beginning of the battle and had to advance westwards and fan-like northwards towards the French positions via Doncourt. The French right wing, whose northern extent could not yet be determined, was to be held by the Prussian Guard Corps in the St. Privat area and bypassed by the Saxon corps at the top. The IX. Army corps, which swung east via Flavigny to Vernéville , should establish itself in the center. The 1st Army had to take action, meanwhile, on the southern wing, the room Gravelotte, through the forest of Vaux and the Mancetal and to secure the right wing of the German Army to sustain the failure of the occupation of Metz.

On the morning of August 18, the German troops were in the following positions:

The bulk of the 2nd Army advanced northward on both sides of Doncourt behind the protection of the 5th and 6th Cavalry Divisions:

  • the IX. Army corps under General von Manstein advanced with the 18th and 25th divisions over St. Marcel and later formed the center of the battle front at Amanvillers.
  • the III. Army Corps (5th and 6th Divisions) under General von Alvensleben and the X. Army Corps (19th and 20th Divisions) under General von Voigts-Rhetz remained behind as a reserve in the Jouaville area and south of Vernéville as a second meeting stand in the center.
  • the left wing on the march, at the head troops of the XII. Army Corps , marched north via Jarny, while the Guard Corps advanced in parallel via Doncourt on Saint-Ail .

The strength of the German army in the area west of Metz was 188,000 men and 732 guns. On Moltke's instructions, the 2nd Army Corps was also brought in from the eastern bank of the Moselle, which increased the total strength to around 209,000 men on the evening of the battle.

Course of the battle

center

Map of the Battle of Gravelotte
General Gustav von Manstein
General Paul de Ladmirault

The battle began shortly before 12 o'clock in the center when the 18th Infantry Division under Lieutenant General von Wrangel came from Caulre to Vernéville and was able to quickly occupy it. Contrary to expectations, the French had quickly vacated it. The artillery took up position and dueled with the French artillery, which was in good position. Then fierce fighting broke out over the farmhouses of Champenois, L'Envie and la Folie. Only the first two could be taken by the Prussian troops around 5 p.m., la Folie remained in French hands. The artillery in general and the 85th  Infantry Regiment of the Prussian 36th Infantry Brigade suffered the most losses.

Further north, starting from Arnoux la Grange , the Grand Ducal Hessian (25th) Division (Prince Ludwig of Hesse ) forced its attack. While the 50th Infantry Brigade (Colonel von Lyncker) fought in the Bois de la Cusse forest , the 49th Infantry Brigade (Major General Ludwig von Wittich ) strode north of it, between Habonville and the forest to the east, towards the French troops. Between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m., after a hard fight, they crossed the railway line to Amanvillers . Since on the whole the left flank of these brigades was open at this time due to the lack of guard troops, these troops were stopped in the front towards Amanvillers after 4 p.m. When the guards caught up on Saint-Privat-la-Montagne on the north wing after 6 p.m. , Amanvillers were approached again. However, the French troops bloody repulsed this last attempt at action for the Prussians. The 3rd Guard Infantry Brigade under Colonel Knappe v. , Assigned to the 49th Infantry Brigade by the guard troops to the north . Knappstädt , who helped carry out the attack, did nothing to change the failure at this point.

South wing

General of the Infantry Heinrich Adolf von Zastrow
General Charles Auguste Frossard

At the same time as the first cannon shots in the center, the VIII. Prussian Corps (General von Goeben) set off north of the Rezonville - Gravelotte road to the east. Gravelotte was occupied by the 29th (Major General von Wedell) and 30th Brigade (Major General von Strubberg ). From 1:45 p.m., first 108, later 126, guns of the Prussians fired at the positions of the French II Corps (General Frossard) on the western slope of the Point de Jour. The French, who held the Bois de Gemivaux , permanently disrupted the German batteries with targeted Chassepot rifle fire.

The 15th division under Lieutenant General von Weltzien received orders to force the French out of the forest. The French had to go back, the Prussian attack was able to penetrate to the Moscow homestead, but was stopped there with enormous losses for the Prussians. Advancing further along the Chaussee, the Prussians took the St. Hubert homestead at around 3:30 p.m., but the attempt to take the Point de Jour ridge failed. Further attacks on both the Moscow homestead and the Point de Jour after 4 p.m. failed, and many officers and soldiers fell on both sides. On the Prussian side, individual batteries stood out, which did not leave their positions after partial failure of the service and horses, and sometimes even fired. The 31st (Graf von Gneisenau ) and 32nd Infantry Brigade (Colonel von Rex) of the Prussians as well as the 60th and 80th line regiments of the French suffered considerably here. French attacks to wrest St. Hubert from the Prussians failed in the early evening hours.

Shortly before 7 p.m., to relieve the VIII. Corps, which had been in the fire for hours, the II. Prussian Corps, which had now appeared on the battlefield, intervened with parts of the 3rd and 4th Divisions . The Prussian side was about to attempt a new approach with fresh troops against the Point de Jour when the French themselves initiated an attack after heavy defensive fire. The worn-out men of the VIII. Corps did not hold out, fell back and pulled the newly deployed troops of the General of the Fransecky Infantry partly with them into the chaos of a hasty retreat. Confusion, chaos and darkness ended a final battle of strength between both parties.

South of the Chaussee, the VII Prussian Corps penetrated the Bois de Vaux in advance. Then there was an artillery duel on this part of the battlefield as well . After more than 3 hours of artillery fighting, General von Zastrow launched an attack on the west side of the Point de Jour at 3:40 p.m. The attack, which was carried out largely over open terrain, collapsed in the heavy Chassepot rifle fire of the French.

Northern wing

Prince August von Württemberg, the commander of the Prussian Guard Corps
Marshal François de Canrobert
Attack of the Guard Corps on Saint Privat

From 12 noon the German troops started a long march to the north to encircle the French VI. Corps. The first to appear on the battlefield west of Saint-Ail was the Prussian Guard Corps after 2 p.m. Action was taken immediately against the as yet unoccupied place. The 4th French regiment of the line, approaching the place at a storm in order to occupy it in turn, was thrown back. Saint-Ail was taken by the Prussians, and they immediately turned north to take Sainte-Marie-aux-Chênes . The French 12th and 94th regiments of the line awaited the attacking Prussians there. Now the troops of the XII. (Saxon) corps north-west of the town, headed by the 47th Infantry Brigade. In a sweeping movement, the Saxons from the west and north, the Guards from the south and east, the place was taken in the first onslaught.

In the period that followed, the fighting on the north wing ceased until about 5:15 p.m. against Saint-Privat-la-Montagne .

The French units of the VI. Corps under Marshal François de Canrobert , namely the Tixier, Lafont de Villiers and Levassor-Sorval divisions, as well as the 9th line regiment of the Bisson division, awaited the Prussians in very favorable positions, an open area that rose steadily from west to east was almost uncovered by the Prussians to cross.

When the 4th Guards Infantry Brigade advanced south and the 1st Guard Infantry Brigade north of the Chaussee Sainte-Marie-aux-Chênes - Saint-Privat-la-Montagne, it was believed on the German side that the French positions were through the to have shaken prior artillery fire. Furthermore, the own XII. Corps reported that they would be able to support the attack on the left wing of the guards from 5 p.m.

The guards went first. The closer the Prussians came to Saint-Privat-la-Montagne, the greater the losses in officers and men. When at 6:30 p.m. every further advance came to a halt and the promised Saxon aid failed to materialize, the attack was halted. In this one hour alone the Prussian guard troops lost a little more than 5,000 men - dead and wounded - while they had hardly seen the well-entrenched enemy.

The Prussians now pulled artillery and fired heavily at the French positions in Saint-Privat-la-Montagne. When the 45th and 48th Infantry Brigades of the Saxons finally stood north of Saint-Privat-la-Montagne at around 7:30 p.m. to be able to intervene in the fighting, the Prussian guards also resumed their attack. During the attack of the Saxon 45th Brigade (Grenadier Regiments No. 100 and 101) on the village of Roncourt, Colonels Helldorf and Erckert fell in the hail of the French defensive fire in addition to the commander, Major General von Craushaar .

The French, who defended themselves extremely tenaciously in Saint Privat, who also had a clear advantage here thanks to the Chassepot rifle , were now pushed first from the northwest corner of the village and then into the center of the village. From the fierceness of the fighting at this hour it was narrated that the church of the place, in which about 500 wounded French were staying, went up in flames, only about 100 of them were able to save themselves. The 1st Battalion of the 2nd Guard Regiment of the Prussians was commanded by a sergeant at the end of the day . The Prussians, even giving little pardon, had taken the place completely at 19:45 in conjunction with the Saxons.

Marshal Bazaine, now seeing his entire position in danger by retreating his right flank, cleared the battlefield and let the army fall back on Metz.

Consequences of the battle

Soldier of the Hanoverian Fusilier Regiment No. 73, killed in the fighting for the Bois de Vaux
Exhibits from the battle in the Museum of Gravelotte

Both armies lost 1/8 of their inventory. The French army on the Rhine went back to Metz. The Germans had not fought a more costly battle since the Battle of Leipzig . This was partly due to the French use of the so-called Mitrailleuse volley gun under Captain Barbe. Unlike in most of the battles before, it demanded a considerable Prussian blood toll in Gravelotte.

French idioms

In French historiography, the battle of Gravelotte is called the “Battle of Saint-Privat”, but there are still the idioms Ça tombe comme à Gravelotte (“That comes down, like in Gravelotte”) or Ça pleut comme à Gravelotte (“It's raining like in Gravelotte. "). You will u. a. used when it is raining very heavily and persistently and are an allusion to the heavy and dense fire that both parties saw each other during the battle.

art

Numerous artists took up the topic. Emil Hünten painted “The Hessian Division in the Battle of St. Privat” in 1872, later the large panorama picture Sturm auf St. Privat and finally another one in 1878 for Otto von Bismarck . The French painter Alphonse de Neuville depicted the last stand in the Saint-Privat cemetery. The French troops, recognizable by their red trousers, are on their last legs against the Prussian army. The light that penetrates through the battle smoke in the upper part of the picture emphasizes the drama of the fight. Neuville emphasizes with his presentation that defeat can also be honorable. With the picture he defends republican patriotism and strengthens the French striving for revenge. The painting, which was first exhibited in the Paris Salon in 1881, earned the artist the title of officer of the Legion of Honor.

  • Alphonse de Neuville (Saint-Omer 1835 - Paris 1885), The Saint-Privat Cemetery , 1881, oil on canvas, Musée d´Orsay, Paris

  • Prussian cavalry fighting with French infantry, drawing by Juliusz Kossak

  • The Lauenburg Jäger Battalion No. 9 near Gravelotte , painting by Ernst Zimmer

  • German monument on the battlefield

  • The monument today

literature

Web links

Commons : Battle of Gravelotte  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ History of the War 1870–1871, Union Deutsche Verlagsanstalt, Stuttgart 1895, p. 141
  2. ↑ History of the War 1870–1871, Union Deutsche Verlagsanstalt, Stuttgart 1895, p. 141