Battle of Quatre Bras

Quatre Bras - Ligny - Waterloo - Wavre

The Battle of Quatre -Bras was held on June 16, 1815 as part of the Napoleonic Wars in Belgium. In the small town of Quatre -Bras south of Waterloo British, Dutch, Belgian and German troops under Sir Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington defended the local road crossing against the French troops of the Grande Armée under the command of Marshal Ney. At the same time the battle of Ligny between French troops of the Grande Armée was under Napoleon and the Prussian troops under the command of Field Marshal Blücher few kilometers away instead. Through the struggles around Quatre Bras Sir Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington was prevented from its guarantee of the allied Prussian army to rush in case of attack by Napoleon to help comply.

• 4.1 Battle start
• 4.2 Crisis of the Anglo - Allied
• 4.3 British counterattack

Napoleon's return from Elba

Napoleon had returned on 1 March 1815 by his comfortable exile on the island of Elba in the hope to recapture the throne to France. On 25 March, Prussia, Great Britain, Russia and Austria pledged to mobilize their armies and to put an end to Napoleon's hopes. Across Europe, troops were mobilized in an unprecedented scale, to stop Napoleon. Alone, 700,000 men of the allies were planned for use in the field armies, a further 250,000 soldiers were to be used in the rear room. In order to avoid a union of all the armies against him and to experience no similar scenario as in the campaign of 1814, Napoleon decided on a preventive military strike, which he expected to be able to beat his opponents at eye level in sequence.

Once referred to as the " Armée du Nord " 128,000 -strong Grande Armée crossed the Franco-Belgian border on the night of 14./15.Juni, it came on 15 June to the first skirmishes between Prussian and French troops at Charleroi, Gilly and Gosselies. Even before Quatre -Bras occurred in the evening hours collision of French cavalry and infantry Nassau.

On the night of the 2nd Dutch-Belgian- Nassau Infantry Division was ordered to take a position at Quatre Bras.

The morning before the battle

This Dutch-Belgian - Nassau Infantry Division occupied both the town Quatre -Bras and an upstream tenant farm. To the west of the vast forest was occupied, in an easterly direction behind a body of water, leaning on the edge of the forest, moved into a defensive position. About Quatre -Bras had on the road to Namur the gains of the Anglo- Allied army under Wellington march to their Prussian allies. On the morning of June 16, 1815 at a meeting Blucher Wellington guaranteed that he would support him as long as he would not be attacked themselves. Level to secure his left flank was Napoléon Marshal Ney award the contract to capture Quatre -Bras and this connecting line to cut.

The opposing forces

Indicated are the commander and assistant soldiers, these figures being rounded.

The French

• II Corps under General Reille ( 21,000 ) with the following divisions

• 5th Infantry Division Bachelu (4400)
• 6th Infantry Division Jérôme Bonaparte ( 7900 ) arrived to 15 clock
• 9th Infantry Division Foy ( 5300)
• 2nd Cavalry Division Piré ( 1850)

The 7th Infantry Division under General of Division Girard ( 3941 ) was used in the Battle of Ligny.

• III. Cavalry Corps Kellermann ( 3800 )

Initially only the 2nd Brigade of the 11th Cavalry Division was available, the other three brigades reached the battlefield in some cases only the end of the battle

• Light cavalry division of the Imperial Guard Lefebvre - Desnouettes

Between Quatre -Bras and Ligny

• I Corps Drouet d' Erlon's these troops took part neither in this nor in the battle of Ligny, because, due to overlapping commands the whole June 16 between the two battles back and hermarschierten.

The Allies

• I Corps under the Prince of Orange

• 3rd British Infantry Division Old

• 5th British Brigade arrived Halkett ( 2500) on the battlefield about 16 clock
• Arrived 2nd Brigade of the King's German Legion (KGL ) Ompteda (2100) on the battlefield after 19 clock
• 1st Hanoverian Brigade Kielmannsegg (3300) arrived on the battlefield about 16 clock

• 2nd Dutch-Belgian - Nassau Infantry Division Perponcher ( 7700 )

• Army Reserve

• Arrived 5th British Infantry Division Picton on the battlefield against 15 clock

• British 8th Brigade Kempt (2600)
• British 9th Brigade Pack (2600)

• Arrived 4 Hanoverian brigade Best (3300) on the battlefield against 15 clock
• Brunswick Corps under the Black Duke ( 6900 )
• Nassauische quota (2800 ) by Kruse

• British cavalry

The Battle

Battle start

The actual battle marked the beginning of the advance of the French in the early afternoon to 14 Clock, where they went back to the main road to Brussels. The widely dispersed and fanned Dutch-Belgian troops led the French to their right. Target was still taking Quatre -Bras and thus the intersection so as to interrupt the connection line to the Prussians. Although they succeeded by the 5th Infantry Division under French Bachelu running around the side part, which brought the French in sight of Quatre -Bras. But the simultaneous frontal attack of the 9th Infantry Division brought the situation which should be avoided, the French troops had now stationed on the left flank in the woods Dutch- Nassau troops under Bernhard of Saxe- Weimar in the flank. This threat should first be eliminated.

Both sides received reinforcements, the French by the 6th Infantry Division under Jérôme Bonaparte, the British cavalry and by the 5th British Division under Picton and the 4th Hanoverian brigade. A little later, almost all of the Brunswick corps reached the battlefield. Wellington had the Picton Division at Quatre Bras lean, the Brunswick moved partially into the woods on the left flank of the French or relative before Quatre Bras position. To stop the French infantry attack against Quatre -Bras, the Dutch-Belgian cavalry was used. Their attack was stopped by French cavalry, the onset of persecution of the French cavalry was shot by the British infantry.

Crisis of the Anglo - Allied

To end the bloody stalemate, Ney could gather his troops and French. Among massed artillery fire, accompanied by cavalry, attack Quatre Bras again While the British regiments stood stopped, broke a part of the Brunswick infantry. Also counterattacks Braunschweigischer cavalry brought no relief. In order to rally his troops and restore order, rode the Black Duke at this point threatened before Quatre -Bras. Before Quatre -Bras, he received a mortal wound, of which he died the same evening. The pursuit of the fleeing Brunswick troops took over the Cavalry Division Piré. Their attack broke again together in the fire of British infantry, while still the 42nd British Infantry Regiment ( Black Watch ) suffered heavy losses, while the 44th British regiment nearly lost his flag.

In this critical situation reached more Anglo- Allied reinforcements the battlefield. The first British Guards Division, along with the 5th British Brigade under Halkett, the Nassau contingent and the 1st Hanoverian Brigade and artillery. These troops reinforced shortly thereafter the positions at Quatre -Bras. As Ney could expect no reinforcements, as the I. French corps because of overlapping commands again changed direction after Ligny, he ordered a rider attack. The light French Guard cavalry should be protected, so only a cuirassier brigade was available. Their attack was now arranged by Ney. These cuirassiers reached just going in position 5 British brigade under Halkett. Their 33rd and 69th British Infantry Regiment suffered heavy casualties, partly caused by an unfortunate command of the Prince of Orange, which the 69th Regiment was surprised in line flag and the troops lost what was considered a particular shame in that time. The 33.Regiment refuge in the Bois de Bossu, where it was collected by Halkett personally again, where he swung the King's Colour of the regiment. Halkett other squares, held from the 30th and the 73rd Regiment, stood firm. The French cuirassiers were almost occupy the intersection, also was a breach beaten in the Allied defenses. But even this French attack broke down in the fire of British infantry and artillery. The cavalry charge followed after no infantry attack, which is why the gap in the Anglo- Allied front drew not the collapse of Wellington's army by himself. At the same time Ney was informed that his I Corps finally should march off towards Ligny to take part in the Battle of Ligny.

British counter-attack

Against 18:30 clock began the British general attack, which Wellington had ordered to save the last French attack. The British Guards infantry fought before in the woods on the left flank of the French, British Infantry moved along the road from Brussels to the south before. In addition, Wellington received additional support from the 2nd Brigade of the King's German Legion (KGL ). The sheer mass of the British troops pushed back the French troops. But gradually arriving French cavalry was able to prevent the worst.

The fighting ended after dark, with the British troops remained in the possession of the battlefield.

Importance and losses

While the French troops had to report outages to nearly 4,000 men, the figure was in the Anglo - Allied army 4800, with Wenzlik calculated failures of up to 6,000 men in his book. While Quatre -Bras is to be regarded as a tactical British victory, since the battlefield has been claimed. Strategically could prevent a march of troops to Ligny in support of the fighting there Prussian troops the French troops before Quatre Bras. Thus, both armies were attacked separately. However, the idiosyncratic command led by Marshal Ney also prevented a greater success in the battle of Ligny, as the First Corps of the French Army of the North spent 16 June on the march from one battlefield to another. This is a situation which had occurred at the Battle of Jena and Auerstedt, as the First French corps between Jena and Auerstedt was back and hermarschierte and therefore useless. Had Ney or the I. Corps - as Napoleon intended - can intervene at Ligny, the defeat of the Prussians at Ligny would have been more clearly what might have led to a different campaign during 1815.