Page 49 - History of War - Issue 29-16

SEDAN
ANTIQUATED FORTRESS
ARTILLERY HELL
07 The survivors of two French
divisions huddled in the Bois de la
Garenne in the vain hope of avoiding the
exploding shells of the Prussian guns.
Prussian gunners deliberately red
into the canopies so that shrapnel and
splinters showered the hunkering enemy.
SUPPLY LINE CUT
01 The day before the battle,
General Julius von Bose’s Prussian
XI Army Corps crossed the Meuse
below Sedan and gained control
of the only railroad through which
reinforcements and supplies could
ow to the French Army of Châlons.
044-051_Great_Battles_Sedan.indd 49
MACMAHON’S FOLLY
02 While sound military strategy
dictated that an army should defend a
major river line, French commander General
Patrice MacMahon ignored the maxim. He
allowed the Prussians to easily concentrate
on the right bank of the Meuse.
EASTERN PINCER
04 Two French corps east of
Sedan are outnumbered two to one
by four Prussian Corps: the Royal
Bavarian I Corps, the Royal Saxon XII
EAGER FOR BATTLE Corps, the Prussian IV Corps, and the
03 General Ludwig von der Prussian Guard Corps.
Tann’s I Royal Bavarian Corps
went into battle unsupported
shortly after dawn. The overeager
commander did not obey orders
to wait until the Army of the
Meuse had arrived and deployed.
ABANDONED TO
06 THEIR FATE PANICKED RETREAT
At Noon, General Jules 08 By mid-afternoon the
Forgeot, the French army’s French infantry was streaming
artillery chief, orders the few toward the walls of the fortress.
undamaged artillery batteries More than half had discarded their
on the battle eld to withdraw
to the fortress. French soldiers guns, an indication that they were
watch in stunned disbelief as too demoralised to be rallied.
the artillery pulls out.
© Rocio Espin
49
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