Preussen VI
PREUSSEN
Ein Teil von der klassischen Geschichte Wolfdietrich von Maechtigbruecks, Uebersetzung von G. W. Roetkelchen
Part VI - The Eastern Fairytale
The Prussians called the first Eastern campaign to take Novgorod-Lithuania-Volhynia in the years 1783-1788 a fairytale.
And rightfully so, the Russians lost a great part of their empire and suffered over 6000 total casualties, with the Prussians suffering fewer than 400 over all.
It was a most honouring even for the Kaiser Friedrich Willhelm III, and it left his critics in awe of him, those who believed that an Eastern War was madness.
Why had the campaign started so well?
The Prussians owed everything of their success to Austria.
Before the Russians had retreated from Lithuania, Franz I von Hapsburg declared war on Tzar Alexander IV along with his black ally.
The Kaiser was so overjoyed, so surprised, that he dedicated statues to the Michaelerplatz in Vienna and praised die Spanischen Hofreitschule as the finest institution in the world.
Prussia and Austria were firmest allies.
Facing this pressure, Poland remained true also.
Only the Dutch Provinces were allied to Russia now.
Russia had lost three armies to the Turks in Anatolia during 1784, there was no reinforcement from the homeland, as Muscovy was ordering reinforcements from Kilikia!
The Russian Eighth was the only full military body in Europe.
Nonetheless, Lithuania was ceded to the Kaiser's Sixth without a fight, and the Seventh were almost as fortunate.
But the garrison held strongly to Novgorod, and the 2nd Siege Artillery Regiment spent all ammunition trying to break the fortress, which was protected by sloping buttresses.
A hundred men were lost in the siege.
At this time, a new military force was invented.
Implications of a 1st Special Methods Division
The Special Method Division was the answer to one problem; the huge expenditure of manpower on line infantry and cavalry, and the massive casualties in assault.
The Division was to defeat this problem by creating smaller, yet stronger armies.
This required two strengths - training and technology.
The 1st Special Method Division was to include;
2nd Guards Infantry Battalion;
4th & 5th Uhlans Brigades;
9th Prussian Dragoons;
15 Howitzers;
15 Rocket Groups;
15 Canister Guns;
Reserves;
3rd Siege Artillery Regiment.
The Special Method was to defeat an enemy many times more numerous by drawing them to fight, blasting them with fearsome and deadly new artillery, and having them engage a prepared line of elite infantry whilst bombarded heavily with explosives and canister shot.
Quickly the enemy would be prepared for a cavalry charge, and the Uhlans would disallow any to escape.
But the Division was not equipped for fast attacks, rather for luring the enemy against a smaller force.
This Division was planned for 1792.
The New Front is Formed.
Novgorod quickly fell, and Livonia was taken by a tiny task force under the wily Herr von Modren, who ambushed the Prince Alexander V with his escort and shot him down.
Livonia was taken intact without casualties.
The Eighth Prussian under Prince Otto held Prussia, the Fifth under Prince Herrmann held Lithuania, the Seventh under Prince Maximillian held Novgorod, and the Sixth under the Kaiser invaded Volhynia in 1787 against the Russian Eighth.
The Battle for Volhynia
These are two works of artistry, the first is Prussian, the second Russian.
The first is entitled, "Without Hesitation, Without Obstacle", the second, "To Volhynia We Rushed!".
The Prussian artist describes a cavalry charge which actually failed to rout a Russian company, and the Russian artist pictures an Infantry company running to the rescue of the left flank whilst under bombardment from the Prussian Eight-Pounders.
Structure of the Prussian Sixth and Russian Eighth armies can be found in previous chapters.
The Kaiser noted that the enemy perched across the crest of a hill, not along it, and therefore saw much mischief to be caused by the divisional twenty Eight-Pounder guns, which he employed immediately on the right of the small valley through which the road to Volhynia lead.
When it was in position, the artillery immediately shelled the infantry, who consisted of 200 strong companies, unlike the Prussian 166.
The shells, as planned, ricocheted uphill into the Kuerassier and Dragoon Brigades, causing terrible casualties.
The Russians had no artillery, it had all been taken south.
Unlike the British, the Russian Lord Ivanovich never congested his movements, nor allowed any traffic to develop - but he did keep a three-line section in the centre of his army, which was soon targeted by the gunners.
The Lord himself was discussing new orders for the right wing when a shell landed directly on his position, killing everyone within ten yards.
A Lieutenant took command, and the right wing began moving to meet the Prussian advance, which had swung off to their right in order to maintain a high position.
The Prussian painter von Edelwald depicts the 13th & 14th Prussian Infanterie Bataillone perfectly, as they were, strafing along an embankment to create a new line, where after the 4th Brunswick would engage from the far right.
Artillery killed an estimated 550 Russians, 4 Prussians in this battle, but the 3rd & 6th Dragoons were most instrumental.
The 3rd Prussian Dragoons Brigade is pictured above.
The Russians turned their left wing to meet the attack, the right attempted poorly to come from over the far hillcrest.
But the Prussian battalions kept distant, allowing the Brunswickers to enter the firefight alone.
They had luck!
The Russian left wing had been ill-supplied - the enemy could not fire - they were cut down in tens whilst trying to return shots to the Brunswickers.
Several companies, like that painted above, were almost obliterated trying to make their way to the helpless leftwing, and this gave opportunity for a charge - before the right wing should arrive in support with the cavalry.
The 3rd charged, but was driven off with 38 casualties by the infantry company - but the Brunswickers attacked the confused Russians, who fled, and led the bloodthirsty men of Brandenburg into four Russian companies, who were supported by two brigades of Uhlans.
But it was now the endgame.
The 6th Dragoons charged howling into the backs of those assaulting the Brunswick men.
The 3rd, under friendly artillery, charged into the confused mass of approaching columns and routed them, leaving them to assist the 6th.
Seven Russian infantry companies were routed, and the Uhlans destroyed.
The Brunswickers, with 107 casualties, prepared themselves for a counter-attack by the rallied enemy.
The 3rd & 6th, believing that the enemy was broken, charged into the midst of 800 men and lost all but 19 men, having killed 500.
After this, a firefight with the Brunswickers combined with a heavy shelling in the rear completely broke the Russian Eighth, and 181 prisoners were taken.
1293 Russians died, and 231 Prussians were also lost.
But how much happier were the Sixth - in that they were still battle-worthy, in that the Prussian Infanterie had suffered nothing, in that the only serviceable Russian army was defeated with 75% casualties!
The Entire Nation Lives Her Dream.
Now the greatness of Prussia was being shown - whilst other powers wilted in their twilight - Prussia blew forth over the East. Unstoppable!
The Kaiser sent many gifts to Franz I, as many as he did send the ransom notes to Alexander IV, who paid a total of 12000 marks by 1788.
The year in discussion is 1788.
Prussia has no military force barring her from marching into the Russian steppe and claiming the old empire.
She has only to recruit local militias and move forward.
She has several new military projects in place for the future of combat, and her diplomatic stance with Europe is better than it has ever been.
By 1790, five new armies will have been trained since 1750, and she has the potential to raise fifteen.
A siege in Volhynia would end by 1789, a new front would be created, and once the new gains were consolidated - on would move the armies.
With a new special method.
The 50 year old Kaiser Friedrich Willhelm III had seen his dream realised, unlike his cautious and paranoid father.
His young son, Otto, was hoped to be the next ruler - but he had many brothers.
Prince Lothair for one, was scheming and disloyal - Prince Maximillian, his uncle, was in charge of Prussia's most powerful army - the Seventh.
But for now Prussia was completely united in her quest for breathing-space.
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