Battle of Frœschwiller-Wœrth

The battles of Frœschwiller-Wœrth (or battles known as of Reichshoffen ) was held the August 6th 1870 in Alsace, at the beginning of the Franco-German Guerre of 1870. It is famous for a series of loads of Cuirassier S French (heavy cavalry).

There were two loads: that under the orders of the Michel general to Morsbronn around 13:30 and that of Bonnemains with Elsasshausen (hamlet of Frœschwiller) around 15:30, both faces in IIIe armed Prussian which with its 130.000 men had a numerical advantage from 1 to 3 being added to a superiority of the material.

The sacrifice of these men was completely useless from a military point of view, but was copiously used by propaganda, in particular for the resumption of Alsace (Hansi for example). The survivors were abundantly decorated.
In 1870, a monument was set up above Morsbronn to the glory of these heroes. On this monument one can read “with the cuirassiers known as of Reichshoffen”.

Context

After the defeat of Wissembourg, the marshal Patrice of Mac-Mahon was put at the head of a gathering grouping of army 1st, 5th and 7th army corps. It decided to fight on the position of Frœschwiller, although its forces were dispersed. August 5th, it had only its 1st Army corps which will be joined by division Council-Dumesnil of 7th CA It had at the evening of the 5 its divisions in this provision:
  • the 1st division (of 1st CA) between Nehwiller and Frœschwiller,
  • the 3rd division (of 1st CA) between the wood of Frœschwiller and the martyrdom of Wœrth,
  • division Council-Dumesnil (of 7th CA) between the martyrdom of Wœrth and the wood of Niederwald,
  • the 4th division (of 1st CA) of the wood of Niederwald with Morsbronn included,
  • the 2nd division (of 1st CA) in reserve in the wood of Grosserwald (it had been tested with Wissembourg).
  • cavalry of 1st CA behind division and a cavalry of reserve (general of Bonnemains) in the wood of Grosserwald.

The battle

At the dawn of August 6th 1870, a unit of recognition of Ve Prussian body to the approach of Wœrth falls on the avant-garde Frenchwomen and starts the combat. The noises of the combat bring IIe Bavarian body to north and XIe Prussian body in the south to carry assistance to him. IIe Bavarian body is intercepted by the 1st division with height of Langensoultzbach and XIe Prussian body is engaged by the 4th division with leaving the wood of Kreuzeck.

Follow a series of specific combat whereas Kronprinz seeks to make take down its forces. With Wœrth, Ve body has a strong battery (108 parts) which crushes the 3rd division and makes it possible to the Prussians to cross the Sauer. An abrupt counter-offensive of the 2nd regiment of zouaves will make it possible to push back them. In north, the Bavarian ones infiltrate in the wood of Langensoultzbach and must be about it extirpated by the 1st regiment of zouaves. In the south, the Prussians are pushed back by the 3rd regiment of riflemen. Until midday, the combat remain undecided.

At this time, Kronprinz, arrived at Dieffenbach-les-Woerth, decides to start the combat and carries the whole of its force (90  000 men) against the forces of Mac Mahon (45  000 men). With 13:00 an encircling movement is initiated by the south and will be completed with 17:00 by the capture of Frœschwiller.

In the south, the French must take down Morsbronn to fold up itself in the wood of Niederwald. At this point in time the disastrous load of the cavalry of the Michel general took place known as “Load of Reichshoffen”. Reichshoffen is a village with the back of the battle field where this cavalry of reserve had been stationed. The wood of Niederwald is then already the place of engagements and the general of Lartigue is not long in ordering the fold of it.

In the center after having opposed brilliant counter-attacks the French forces which are not reinforced are forced to fold up itself on Elsasshausen. At this point in time the load of the division of Bonnemains is.
In the wood of Frœschwiller the 2 {{E}} Zouaves opposes a strong resistance to IIe Bavarian body and even manages to drive back it one moment on the Sauer but ended up being encircled there. Only a tenth of this unit will leave there. More in north, the 1st division, reduced of a whole brigade to reinforce the center, is not long in reprocessing.

With 16:00 the French are driven back in Frœschwiller which already the Germans approach. The reserve (the 2nd division) counter-attack then in direction of Elsasshausen. Contrary to the loads of cavalry, this counter-attack appears profitable, pushes back the German apart from the village and makes it possible to take again lost artillery. However whereas they arrive at the limit of their effort the Germans emerge of the wood of Niederwald and attack them side.

Meanwhile, the French Army withdrew plate protected by the 1st regiment from zouaves.

Loads of Morsbronn

Around Morsbronn the 4th division of the Lartigue general was in danger to be turned by units of Prussian infantry. The 8 {{E}}, 9 {{E}} regiments of cuirassiers and two squadrons of the 6th regiment of lancers of the brigade of the Michel general were indicated to release it, and moved to sharp pace towards Morsbronn.

The ground was strewn with vines and hop fields since which embusqués Prussian elements started the combat. After having hustled these elements, the cuirassiers penetrate in Morsbronn by north, essuyant a heavy fire coming from the houses where the Prussians had cut off themselves. Continuing their load, they arrived at the junction of the main street of the village. The ones move on the left towards the road of Wœrth - Haguenau, the majority of the others, misled by the width of the street, engaged there with the full gallop. Narrowing gradually to the church, this street becomes a trap where the riders pile up shovel-mixes and become the easy target of the Prussian gunners. In their turn, the two squadrons of the 6th lancers engulfed themselves by north in Morsbronn where they underwent the same fate as the cuirassiers. In few moments, these squadrons were destroyed.

The Michel general tried an action of help, harangant his troops: “Comrades, one needs us, we will charge the enemy; let us show which we are and what we know to make, lives France! ”.

The riders underwent the fire of gunners embusqués before arriving on Morsbronn, where three regiments of Prussian infantry prepared to go on Niederwald, several their battalions already left the village. Taken under a fire of infantry nourished, the cuirassiers underwent very heavy losses, but managed to take the village out of clipper.

Whereas it tried to charge Morsbronn, the squadron of head of the 9th cuirassiers threw itself in a ravine; the following squadrons, carried out by colonel Guiot of Rochère, circumvented the obstacle. The cuirassiers managed to penetrate Morsbronn and to release it in spite of a strong resistance. After being itself gathered in the south of the village, about fifty surviving riders encountered a unit of Prussian cavalry, but managed to flee and join the French troops with Saverne.

The 8 {{E}} cuirassiers, after being itself separate 9th front the center of Morsbronn, advanced towards the West under the fire of Prussian artillery to join the road which crossed Morsbronn. Collapsing a company of pioneers, the regiment tried to charge the village, to be there destroyed by the Prussian troops which had been strengthened there. Only 17 riders managed to determine and find the French outlines.

See too

External bonds

  • Museum of Woerth
  • the war of 1870 in images

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