Historical Note
The battle of Halle was fought on October 17, 1806 between the Duke of Wurttemberg's Reserve Corps and mainly Dupont's Division under Bernadotte. With only part of his Division, Dupont fought his way over three bridges and took Halle in about an hour.
Once reinforcements arrived Dupont attacked out of the city and flanked the Prussian cavalry. The Prussians broke and the rest of the army withdrew in different directions.
General Reserve Corps Commander : GL Eugen-Friedrich-Heinrich, Herzog von Wurttemberg-Stuttgart :
It is October 17, 1806 and three days ago you were ordered to hold at Halle and join the
main army as it marched passed you. Now aware of the disasters of Jena and Auerstadt
yesterday you ordered your detachments to rejoin you. They have all returned except for
Treskow's force at Eisleben. Your scouts have informed you that a French Corps under
Marshal Bernadotte is at Querfurt.
You expect the French will only probe your position today but just in case a full assault is made you have deployed your main force for battle on the plain south east of Halle and sent your baggage train to Dessau. General Hinrichs is commanding the forward positions placing the Dragoons at Passendorf, the Hussars to the south opposite Bolberg, the Fusiliers at the first bridge outside the city, Borell on the island side with the Reserve Horse Battery, and Knorr within the city.
At 8:00am you receive a report that your Dragoons at Passendorf were attacked by French
light cavalry and driven back into the city. It's now 10:00am.
For a detailed Prussian Order of Battle click HERE.
Commander I Corps : Maréchal Jean Baptiste Bernadotte :
It is October 17, 1806 and you have been ordered to attack Halle and destroy the Duke of
Wurtemberg's Reserve force of fresh troops if they are still there. You departed Querfurt
at 2:00am and left Drouet's Division there to protect your flank and rear as a Prussian
column had been discovered moving on your left towards Halle.
At 7:00am as your force approached Passendorf, Tilly reports Prussian Dragoons are holding it. You ordered him to clear Passendorf which he did successfully. It is now 10:00am and you have ordered Dupont to take the 32nd Ligne, the first battalion of the 9th Legere, and one battery and attack Halle while you hold the rest of the troops at Passendorf.
Order of March - Tilly and Dupont present, Raffiniere presently in sight,
Drouet and Reserve holding at Querfurt five hours away.
For a detailed French Order of Battle click HERE.
Halle Map :
After Action Report
Since the terrain around Halle is restrictive the Duke placed his main line south east of the city. The Second Division on the left, the First in the center, and the cavalry on the right. The Avant-Garde under GM von Hinrichs was charged with defending the city proper.
Bernadotte left Drouet's Division in Querfurt to protect his flank and rear. After clearing some Prussian Dragoons out of Passendorf, he held his main force there in anticipation that other Prussian forces might appear. Dupont was ordered to take Halle with three battalions and a battery of artillery.
Dupont set off promptly at 10:00am and noticed some Prussian Hussars trying desperately to ride across his front and enter Halle before him. He ordered his men to pick up their pace and quick march down the road as fast as they could. He knew that his men were not really in a fighting formation and the expected encounter with the Hussars and the infantry defending the first bridge could be disastrous, but he was prepared to take that risk rather then lose the momentum of the attack. Dupont was right the cavalry could not get across the bridge before his men caught them. The Hussars panicked and their flight was so intense that they took both the Fusiliers and Borell Regiment with them.
The second bridge was not defended, so Dupont did not slow his men down until they approached the last bridge. Here he formed his men into a tight attack column and pressed forward. The assault could not be stopped and the Knorr Regiment was quickly pushed out of the city.
The Duke of Wurttemberg was in a state of shock. His Avant-Garde had been broken in less then an hour. Convinced that his troops would never be able to retake Halle he ordered a general withdrawal.
It was an amusing battle to watch, and amazing to see Dupont duplicate the success of his historical counterpart. The Prussians were perhaps predestined to lose or unlucky in their dice rolling, but the decision to try and run the Hussars into the city certainly caused them a lot of grief that might otherwise have given them a better chance. This was clearly a French victory.
