Battle of Soor

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Battle of Soor
Part of the War of the Austrian Succession
Date 30 September 1745 Location Bohemia, modern day Czech Republic Result Prussian victory
Combatants
Prussia	Austria
Commanders
Frederick II, von Schwerin	Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine
Strength
22,500[1]	39,300
Casualties
3,700 dead and wounded 300 captured	4,500 dead and wounded 3,000 captured

War of the Austrian Succession
Mollwitz – Chotusitz – Dettingen – Toulon – Fontenoy – Hohenfriedberg – Soor – Kesselsdorf – Rocoux – 1st Finisterre – Lauffeld – 2nd Finisterre – Havana

The Battle of Soor was fought on September 30, 1745 between Prussian and Austro-Saxon forces. The Prussians were led by Frederick the Great, while the Austro-Saxons were led by Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine. At first, Frederick's forces were in trouble, but his men fought back, reversing the tide of the battle, and the Prussians emerged victorious.

Contents 1 Background 2 Battle 3 Notes 4 References

[edit] Background

Three months after the battle of Hohenfriedberg, Prince Charles exploited Frederick's carelessly laid "Camp of Staudenz" to launch a surprise attack on the diminished Prussian army. Having stripped off many detachments during his march through Bohemia, Frederick's numbers had been reduced to 22,500 effectives. Prince Charles then discovered that Frederick had failed to occupy the Graner-Koppe, the hill north of Burkersdorf that dominated the landscape to the east and south. Prince Charles loaded it up with musketeers, grenadiers, cavalry and 16 heavy guns, and extended the remainder of his army in line to the south.

[edit] Battle

The Prussians detected the Austrian presence, however, moved first to the attack and despite all the Austrian advantages of surprise and terrain. Marching in column formation, Frederick directed his army to the north where the battle opened with an Austrian cannonade upon the helpless columns of cavalry as they passed beneath the Graner-Koppe. Having weathered the fire, the cavalry deployed to the north of the hill.

General Buddenbrock's troopers opened the assault by driving the Austrian horse from the high ground. But the cavalry attack ran into enemy infantry and was turned back by musket fire. The Graner-Koppe was then under infantry attack as well. Elite Prussian grenadiers marched right up to the muzzles of the heavy guns and were decimated by a combination of cannon and musket fire. The second line surged forward, fighting through enemy grenadiers, and captured the summit, putting the dangerous battery out of action.

Meanwhile, the Austrian right wing was engaged in its own separate battle as the Prussians moved to clear Burkersdorf. After nearly bogging down under yet another battery near the town, Prince Ferdinand's troops finally cracked the Austrian center. The Austrians relinquished the field, and Frederick overcame the most dangerous predicament of his career. ("I was in the soup up to my ears.")

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

• Chandler, David: The Art of Warfare in the Age of Marlborough. Spellmount Limited, (1990). ISBN 0-946771-42-1