Page 76 - All About History - Issue 180-19

he blue-coated Prussian soldiers marched
south over hard frozen ground blanketed
with a light dusting of snow towards the
nondescript village of Sagschutz at midday on
5 September 1757. A string of low hills masked
their march from the watchful eyes of their Austrian
foe arrayed for battle less than two miles to the west.
t army had a strong chance for success in the coming
Prussian King Frederick II ‘The Great’ believed his

battle that would decide whether Prussia retained
Silesia or lost it to the Austrians. He intended to send
his well-trained infantry against the Austrian flank
in what was known in military lexicon as an ‘oblique
t order of attack.’ Simply put, the Prussians would

advance diagonally against the southern end of the
Austrian line.
When Frederick had completed making his final
adjustments for attack at 1.15pm, he rode over to
two corporals who would carry the colours into
SileSia, 5 December 1757 battle for the first battalion of the 26th Infantry
Regiment. Frederick wanted to make sure they knew
exactly where to lead their battalion. The 45-year-old
Written by William E Welsh Prussian king told them to march straight towards

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