THE PRUSSIAN
GUARD JÄGER BATAlLLON
IN THE BATTLE OF
GROβ-GÖRSCHEN (LÜTZEN),
2 MAY 1813
translated by Geert van Uythoven
Auszüge aus verschiedenen Tagebüchern:
From the journal of the Guard Jäger Battalion:
“It is the naked truth, when one says that
the troops have fought with exemplary bravery. After command and control had
become somewhat difficult because of the loss of a huge amount of officers, one
could see bands of men of all regiments advancing against the enemy on their
own initiative. It was common to see wounded joining the fighting again after
having been dressed. Captain von Boltenstern only left the battlefield after
his fourth wound, Lieutenant von Marenholtz after his second wound. We had the
opportunity to make some interesting observations about the effect of rifle
fire. During the initial advance of two Jäger companies (the 2nd and 3rd
company), it was undoubtedly their murderous fire at two hundred paces, which
caused the enemy to retreat; between seven and eight o’clock in the evening, an
enemy column attacked Groβ-Görschen and managed to reach the market place,
were about forty jäger had been posted. The head of the column was received by
a concentric fire. Few, maybe even not one bullet missed, and the column
instantly turned around and left the village.”
Source: Militair-Wochenblatt, 30. Jahrgang (Berlin 1846), No.
30, p.131.
For comparison: George Nafziger, “Lutzen & Bautzen, Napoleon’s spring
campaign of 1813” (Chicago 1992) p. 166: “(…) The Guard Fusilier Battalion,
commanded by Major von Block, had just advanced into the fields between
Gross-Görschen and Rahna, when Blücher personally ordered it to take the
village of Kaja. The Guard Fusiliers were supported by the Leib Grenadier
Battalion and, it would appear, the 2/1st West Prussian Infantry which had
reformed under the orders of Major von Stach. At the same time Klein-Görschen
was struck by a second column under Major von Alvensleben commanding the
1/,2/Garde zu Fuss Regiment and two companies of the Guard Jägers.
The
attacking Prussians succeeded in driving the French out of both Rahna and
Klein-Görschen, pushing the French back and established themselves behind both
villages. The French were forced to withdraw behind the village of Kaja. (…)”`
© Geert van Uythoven