First Ritschan, 1-8 May 1757
In the pouring rain that was such a feature of the early Spring of 1757, Frederick's Elbe army swung north from Tabor towards Prag. However, badly slowed by the rains it was not till late in the evening of the 30 April that his advance guard filed across hastily constructed bridges over the Sasau and his patrols enagaged in intermittent skirmishes with Von Bilberstein's pickets. For the second time in six months, these two armies were to clash in a battle of pure desparation, especially as both sides were now cut off from their natural retreat route to Wien and back into Saxony respectively.
Opening Deployments from a captured Prussian staff officer's map
Austrian OOB
Prussian OOB
Frederick's goal was to destroy Von Bilberstein by trapping his forces between the Elbe army, the fortified camp at Ritschan together with Heinrich's and Keith's corps and Moritz's cavalry as they crossed over the river. Unfortunately, the Austrians had had ample time to prepare and started to move from Prag once it was clear that Frederick was moving north. Nadasdy's column moved down the east bank of the Moldau seeking to deter a crossing by Heinrich and Keith while Lucchese's units took up positions on the east flank of Von Bilberstein's corps. However, the Austrian position was complicated by a desire to fight with the Prussian camp behind their lines (so as to stop its relief) and that 38,000 of their 64,000 man army had to deploy to the battlefield.
The result was that when May 1 dawned, the opening phases were partly a set piece encounter (between the Elbe army and von Bilberstein) and partly a series of meeting engagements along the Moldau. For the most part, Lucchese's corp was not involved as Frederick opted for a direct attack on the Austrian centre. As with the battle of Prag numbers favoured the Prussians (some 90,000 against 65,000), but the terrain favoured the Austrians and this time they had an advantage in artillery.
The other probem was the rain that been such a feature in April teemed down making movement and fire hard for both armies. However, as his battleplan had envisaged more movement, Frederick was more hindered by the rain and found himself reduced to direct attacks where he had planned flanking manouvers.
battlemap
The consequence was a day of hammer blows traded between the two forces. Nadasdy fended off the initial attack by Keith with some ease and Von Bilberstein was able to absorb Frederick's initial attack, in particular the fortified village at Fule and the Pozarsky heights gave him considerable defensive advantages.
Prussian infantry attack, Fule
By midday, Daun had reason to be relieved, neither Keith nor Frederick had made any progress and Heinrich was struggling to cross the Moldau near Wran. However, the situation changed with stunning speed. The Prussian cavalry under Moritz had not been engaged in the morning but made a tentative charge at Petroin on the junction between Von Bilberstein and Nadasdy's forces. With his flank in some confusion, Nadasdy was unable to beat off Keith's renewed attack at Daovis and suddenly the Prussians had forced the Moldau line even as Heinrich was putting Nadasdy's opposite flank at Wran under severe pressure. Although Von Bilberstein was able to hold Fule, the Austrian flank started to give way. However, a combination of rain and the difficulty in bringing their artillery over the Moldau prevented the Keith and Heinrich from taking full advantage.
By the time the battle died down around 9pm, Nadasdy had fallen back so Okrouhle formed the center of his line. Von Bilberstein had given up ground around Petrow to keep in touch and Lucchese took over some of Von Bilberstein's positions along the Pozarsky ridge. Daun had kept his lines intact, and even managed to create a small reserve.
The butcher's bill matched the nature of the day's fighting. The Prussian infantry had often had to attack up hill straight at the Austrian guns, the Austrians had responded by holding their lines at all costs. However, some of Nadasdy's units had been badly mauled in his fighting retreat. In total, one day of fighting had claimed the lives of 12,000 Prussians and 14,000 Austrians.
Equally this time there would be no disengagement and Daun and Frederick prepared for a second day of battle.
The nature of their deployment left neither side much scope to reorganise. Men and horses, fit and injured, spent a miserable night in the rain, knowing that many would die the next day.
In the early morning, the Prussians attacked along the line. Lacking the space for finesse, Frederick opted for brute force. He would try to stretch the Austrian line, Heinrich and Keith fell upon Nadasdy, Moritz's cavalry struck the juncture between Von Bilberstein and Nadasdy while the Elbe army went in against Fule and along the Pozarsky heights.
Daun recognised that if Nadasdy was forced back again his communication line to Prag was in danger so quickly hurled his reserves in to bolster the line. Time and again, the Prussians breached the line and time and again desparate cavalry charges halted them till the Austrian guns were manhandled into position and the breach was sealed.
Nadasdy's defense of Okrouhle on the second day
In the constricted terrain around Fule, neither the Prussian infantry nor Moritz's cavalry made any real progress, but the real surprise of the day was on the Pozarsky ridge. Here Frederick's infantry attacked with elan and Lucchese's weakened corps, occupying unfamiliar ground, and over-extended, cracked.
By the end of the day, Daun's army had been forced into a horseshoe around the Prussian fortified camp. Nowhere was it broken, but all his formations were shattered by the fighting. Fortunately so were the Prussians. Another 25,000 men had fallen (13,000 Austrians and 12,000 Prussians) for no gain on the battlefield.
For five days, the two armies faced each other. Gradually both started to clear the battlefield, the wounded were treated as well as possible, the dead thrown into hastily dug pits. Daun kept his forces more or less as they were, Frederick drew Keith over to his east flank, placed the Elbe army on the Pozarsky and deployed Heinrich facing Fule. Moritz's cavalry was to screen the Austrians and stop a transfer of too many troops to Lucchese.
When the Prussians attacked again, the Austrians were down to 39,000 effectives as against 67,000. However, the direction of the final assault had been all too easy to guess and the Prussians had ammunition shortages. Equally rather than passively defend, Daun had a more aggresive plan.
The main attacks fell on Lucchese and Von Bilberstein and repeated the pattern of the earlier days. Initial Prussian gains, fierce counterattacks and an Austrian line that fell back but did not buckle.
However, Nadasdy took advantage of Moritz's relative isolation and launched a major attack on the Prussian horse. Thrown into confusion they fell back and many were drowned in the swollen rivers. Realising that Nadasdy could now reinforce the rest of the Austrian army, Frederick broke off, with another 9,000 of his men dead and almost 14,000 Austrians.
However, his decision to strike at the east flank now had major consequences. He had no choice but to retreat into Central Bohemia. 41,000 Austrians had died (Luchesse and 5 of the Brigade Commanders had been wounded) as had 33,000 Prussians and further Prussian losses had been sustained in breaking off. For the second time, the Austrian army had fought and died to defend Prag, Maria Theresa was quick to reward those responsible.
However, quite simply, nothing had been decided.