1 February 1757- 30 April 1757, The campaign in W Bohemia
The winter of 1756-57 had come late and lifted early, with both events favouring the Prussians. The early spring caught the Austrian armies still forming up and Picolomini, even though half his notional units were still organising at Wien, was ordered to Tabor to screen the gathering Austrian forces from a Prussian raid.
(Picolomini moving to Tabor)
In the meantime at Prag, Nadasdy was ordered back to the city in case of a surprise attack and Von Bilberstein was ordered to move to Ritschan, to screen the Prussian encampment. However, Daun remained worried at being pulled away from Prag in case of a major engagement, a confusion of orders that was to have serious consequences.
(Austrian OOB at Prag, early April)
(situation at Prag in early February)
(main moves of the campaign)
The opening skirmish of the campaign saw Austrian Hussars overrun a Prussian supply convoy at Pibrans to the west of Prag, meaningless in the grander flow of the war, but as with the small victories in 1756, a boost to the morale of Daun's beleagured armies at Prag.
However, owing to confusion of orders, in early March, Von Bilberstein fell back from Ritschan on contact with Frederick's Elbe Army [1]
(Prussian OOB after the fall of Pilsen)
With this, the 1757 campaign in Bohemia entered its first phase. While Daun clung stubbornly on at Prag, Frederick feinted at Wien, hoping to lure the main Austrian army out of position.
Pilsen fell to a Prussian cavalry column on 12 March 1757, the first large Austrian city to fall into Prussian hands.
Frederick in turn struck south at Picolomini's understrength corps who managed to break off with minimal losses but his rear guard was overrun on 4 April, with Nostitz being the first senior officer to fall in the war, even as the bulk of the corps fell back.
and the following day the town itself fell, and briefly the road to Wien lay wide open [2]
However, by mid-April Frederick swung back north, perhaps fearing that von Bilberstein was a threat to his communications or worried at the size of the Austrian reserves. If the first battle of Prag had been a bloodbath, the events at Ritschan were to define the desperate nature of this war for both sides.
(dispositions at the start of the Ritschan campaign)
[1] – this wasn't my best turn, there is another mistake we'll come to when the focus returns to the north. Having said that I've double checked and he had normal defend orders so I'm not sure why he broke contact.
[2] - although I have a lot of units at Wien they are horribly organised as I, at this stage, lack Austrian corps commanders till I can get the new brigades to where I need them