Saturday 14 October 2006

Jena Campaign - 14th October

Midnight: Lannes 5th Corps and the Guard on the Landgrafenberg. Augereau's VIIth Corps coming up the Saale valley to Jena, Soult's IV Corps just clearing jena and Ney's VIth Corps just entering it.

Napoleon's plan was for Lannes to attack at 0600, and then expand the bridgehead on the plateau as the other forces arrived.

jena battle map

0600 - 1st Battle - By the Dornberg

Lannes 22,000 soldiers attacked Tauentzien's 8000 Prussians and Saxons in dense fog by Luetzeroda and Closewitz. By 0900 the Prussians are in retreat and the French take the high hill of the Dornburg.

0600 - Auerstedt

Davout's lead elements cross the Saale at Kosen and climb to the plateau, running straight into Prussian troops at Hassenhausen.

0900 - Auerstedt

The Prussian are deploying poorly and failing to exploit their numerical advantage. To make matters worse Braunschweig, their CinC, is killed.

0930 - 2nd Battle - Rodigen and Lehesten

Soult's IV Corps crests the ridge up the Rau valley N of Jena meet 5000 Prussians under Holtzendorf. After a fierce fight the French push through towards Vierzehnheiligen.

1030 - Auerstedt

Losses are heavy on both sides but the remains of Davout's III Corps is now on the plateau, and village to village fighting begins, going easier on the right thna the left.


1130 - 3rd Battle - Vierzehnheiligen

Hohenlohe has been waiting here with 20,000 Prussians since 9am when Soult and Ney start to attack. French cavalry persues the fleeing Prussians.

1300 - 4th Battle - By the Schnecke

An outpost of Saxons south of the Isserstedt-Jena road is attacked by Augereau's VII Corps and captured almost en-masse.

1400 - 5th Battle - By the Sperlingsberg

A counter-attack by 15,000 Prussians under Ruchel fails and they are stranded under intense French fire, their retreat leads to an uncontrolled flight.

1500 - Auerstedt

A general Prussian retreat is ordered


The following days see the Prussian army almost dissolve as it flees North. Davout is in Berlin by 25th October. By early November the Grand Armee occipied Prussian from the Danish to the Russian border.


***Imported from old blog***

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