Page 48 - History of War - Issue 29-16

GREAT BATTLES

by two cavalry divisions, to cover that approach. ANTIQUATED FORTRESS
The remaining corps, General Emmanuel
Wimpffen’s V Corps, served as the reserve at
the base of the triangle to support either side.
General Ludwig von der Tann sent the
vanguard of his Royal Bavarian I Corps across THE FRONTIER FORTRESS OF SEDAN WAS STATE-OF-THE-ART IN THE
the river above the town on 31 August, and
General Julius von Bose did the same below 17TH CENTURY, BUT BY THE TIME OF THE BATTLE IT WAS SORELY
with the lead elements of his XI Army Corps. OUTDATED. SITUATED ON A BEND IN THE MEUSE RIVER, IT OFFERED
A thick fog clung to the village lanes and
surrounding elds as von der Tann put his NO REAL PROTECTION FROM PRUSSIAN LONG-RANGE GUNS
Bavarians in motion at 4am on 1 September.
As the ghting heated up inside the village, elite
French marines of General Jean de Vassoigne’s
Third Division of the French XII Corps red at
enemy troops from concealed positions in
houses. The stiff resistance encountered did
not surprise von der Tann whose vanguard
had clashed brie y with Lebrun’s XII Corps on
31 August. “They will ght desperately for the
emperor is there,” he said.
The French also had a battery of
mitrailleuses in the village, which slowed the
Bavarians. With von der Tann’s brigades bogged
down, it fell upon the Army of the Meuse to
resume the pace of attack. The Royal Saxon
XII Corps arrived at 5.30am and went into
action on the right ank of the hard-pressed WESTERN PINCER
Bavarians. The real damage came not from the 05 Ordered by von Moltke to cut off
Saxon infantry, but from 16 batteries that went French retreat to the northwest, Crown
into action to support them. At around 9am, Prince Frederick establishes a formidable
Prince August von Württemberg’s Guard Corps battle line west of the fortress, which
extended the Prussian line north as it went into consists of the V Army Corps on the left
action against Ducrot’s I Corps. and XI Army Corps on the right.
Hard- ghting Ducrot ordered his men to
counterattack, and French Zouaves in advanced
positions on the east bank of the Givonne River
armed with the powerful bolt-action Chassepot
ri es temporarily drove back the Saxons of
General Erwin von Holderberg’s 24th Division.
But the Prussians massed their guns in a way
that raked Lebrun’s XII Corps and shattered
Ducrot’s assaults. The ri ed guns made by
Krupp had a range of between 2-3,000 yards.
The French, with their superior infantry
weapons, held the advantage on defence, and
therefore it was incumbent upon the Prussians
to pulverise enemy positions with their eld
guns before sending their infantry forward.
guns before sending their infantry forward.
Throughout the day, the Prussian gunners
Throughout the day, the Prussian gunners

The mitrailleuse
volley guns were
never built in
suf cient numbers to
signi cantly tip the
balance in battles
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