Battle of Hühnerwasser

Custozza - Chicken Creek - Podol - Nachod - Trautenau - Langensalza - Skalitz - Miinchengratz - Gitschin - Koniginhof - Pig Skull - Hradec Kralove - Dermbach - Kissingen - Main campaign - Frohnhofen - Aschaffenburg - Lissa - Bezzecca - Blumenau - Dog Home - Tauberbischofsheim - Werbach - Helmet City - Gerchsheim - Uettingen / Roßbrunn

The Battle of Chicken Creek was the first battle of the German war between Prussia and Austria on 26 June 1866.

Initial situation

After the Elbe Army under General Herwarth of Please field in the strength of 46,000 men of Torgau coming had reached through the evacuated Saxony over Dresden (June 18 ) the Bohemian border, she moved on June 23, parallel to the First Army on Walter village and Schluckenau in long to find army columns, without resistance at the passes, in Bohemia.

The Austrian commander Benedek had originally planned only a delay of the two Prussian armies in Bohemia, while he wanted to move forward with the rest of his northern army of Olomouc Gitschin to hit there, the two Prussian armies Please box and Friedrich Karl before the second army of the Crown Prince could attack. Contrary to the original plan, however, was issued on June 26 against 15 clock command at the Clam- Gallas as commander of standing in the northwestern Bohemia Austrian and Saxon troops to hold the line on the Iser at any price. Calm- Gallas and Prince Albert of Saxony were the main force in Miinchengratz, about 10 km east of Chicken Creek.

To back the outposts of the Elbe Army, Leopold Gondrecourt went with about 1,500 men, hunters from Slovakia and a mixed battalion of Hungarian and Romanian infantry of the line, in front of Chicken Creek. The troops of the Elbe Army had had at that time since Dresden on June 20 no rest day and were exhausted accordingly. In the village there were two battalions of the 31st Brigade.

The battle

The Austrians were able to approach work through dense forest until shortly before the place and then met with about 18 clock on a Prussian Company, which rested on the edge under some trees. The Prussians opened fire immediately, thus alerted their comrades in the village, who intervened immediately in the fighting. The Prussians were only no formations, but went as skirmishers equal to the attack and tried to reach the edge of the forest. Gondrecourt put his troops then on the road to Münch Kralove in line on left, give three volleys and then proceed to attack with the bayonet. At this time they were about four Prussian companies ready against. Already after the first volley of Prussia the order went with the Austrians lost and the officers tried partially unsuccessful advance their soldiers for another attack. After the second volley of Prussia from a distance of 300 meters, the first Austrian fled from the battlefield. While Gondrecourt was competing in storming his reserve companies, he was forced to recognize the Prussian units were advancing more of Hühnerwasser forth at a run. Given these reinforcements and the already suffered heavy losses he stopped the planned attack and retreated toward Miinchengratz.

In the battle not only that very quickly fired the Prussians, but this fire also was very accurate showed. As the Austrians had to stop the fight, the Prussians were not even gone over to the so-called rapid-fire, in which each soldier independently led the fire fight. The rapid fire enabled a significantly higher fire sequence than in the coordinated volleys.

It was also clear that the Prussian infantry lost no time to form formations and lines, but went on in small and very small groups, and thus was able to strengthen their own lines very quickly. Therefore, the exact number of participating in the battle Prussia is not exactly busy.

Losses

The Prussians lost during this first brief skirmish total of 4 officers and 46 soldiers killed and wounded. Contrast, the Austrians lost 13 officers and 264 soldiers killed, wounded and prisoners. The loss of almost 20% of all troops deployed in such a short meeting was not held for previously possible loss. Approx. 50 Austrians were taken prisoner.

On 27 June, the Elbe Army was able to unite with the First Army, which had erfochten the passage of the Iser turn on the same evening at Turnau and Podol. It was followed on 28 June, the Battle of Miinchengratz.