Battle of Neustadt (1760)

The battle

The attempt of General Laudon, to surprise the Prussian troops at Neustadt (now Prudnik, Poland), though attended with greater loss, did not satisfy the enemy's wishes.

On 15 March 1760, Lieutenant general Baron Goltze, having received intelligence of General Laudon's assembling his troops, and of the enemy's cavalry and infantry having moved behind the Opava towards Hotzenplotz and Johannisthal, recalled all his detachments, and began his march towards Neisse on the 15th instant, with his whole force. In the meantime General Laudon, who had few out from his quarters on the 14th, with Palsy's regiment of cuirassiers, Löwenstein's dragoons, 500 hussars of Nadaski, 500 of Kalnocki, 2000 Croats, and 14 companies of grenadiers, marched all night, with a view to surprise the Prussian troops at Neustadt. The latter were scarce out of the gates, when they were surrounded by those of the enemy. General Jacquemin was posted with the regiment of Löwenstein near Buchelsdorf on the road to Steinau, General Laudon followed, with the regiment of Palfy, and 2000 Croats, supported by fourteen companies of grenadiers, 1000 of their hussars were upon the right flank of the Prussians, the advanced guard of which consisted of 100 men, under Captain Blumenthal. Captain Zittzwitz commanded the rear guard, consisting of the same number; and the rest of the aforesaid regiment, with a squadron of dragoons of Bareith, under Captain Chambaud, followed with the baggage.

General Laudon summoned the Prussians twice, by the sound of the trumpet, to lay down their arms; which they not complying with, he ordered all his cavalry to advance. General Jacquemin fell upon the advanced guard, while General Laudon himself attacked the rear, and the hussars, in platoons, flanked the baggage. The Captains Blumenthal and Zittzwitz formed their small force in a kind of square, from whence they kept a continual fire. The Austrian cavalry nevertheless advanced six times on a gallop, to within ten paces of the Prussians; but perceiving many fall on their side, among whom were several officers, they retreated in great disorder. Afterwards the Croats having taken possession of a wood, between Siebenhausen and Steinau, through which the roads were very bad, and by the rains rendered almost impassable for carriages, they there attacked the Prussians on all sides. Unfortunately a wagon broke down in a defile, and as the Prussians did not think proper to stay to repair it, they were obligated to abandon all that was behind it. By which five covered wagons, laden with baggage, and eighteen carts with meal and oats, fell into the hands of the enemy, who harassed the Prussians as far as Steinau, and were constantly engaged with the rear guard.