Historical Note
Fought on October 10, 1806, Saalfeld was a small but significant action between Prince Louis Ferdinand with 8,300 men and Maréchal Jean Lannes with 12,800 men. Although he had no direct orders to do so, Louis was trying to prevent the French from taking Hohenlohe's army in the flank.
Lannes pinned Louis and used his superior numbers to outflank him. Louis, though a competant commander had liitle practical experience and vastly underestimated the French. Louis, leading a desperate charge, was killed by a marechal-de-logis of the French 10th Hussars that day.
The opening actions of the campaign did nothing to reassure the King of Prussia or share his generals' confidence. "You said that the French cavalry was worthless," he told his advisors after Saalfeld. "Look what their light cavalry has done to us! Imagine what their cuirassiers will do!"
At Saalfeld the Prussian and Saxon force lost 1,700 - 1,800 men killed, wounded, or captured. As well, 15 Prussian guns and 18 Saxon guns with ammunition wagons and most of the baggage were taken. French losses were approximately 200 men killed or wounded.
Generalleutnant Louis-Ferdinand, Prinz von Prussen :
Today is Oct. 10, 1806. You are the advance guard of Hohenloe's army which is today moving to consolidate.
Fearing that the French might cross the river Saale at Saalfeld or Schwarza or Blankenburg and take the army
in the flank or rear you have moved your command to this area and deployed to fight them if they should arrive.
Although you could see large camp fires last night and a captured French soldier has told you that 30,000
French troops are advancing towards you, you don't expect to encounter anymore then an advance guard.
Initial Prussian/Saxon Orders :
Generalmajor von Pelet : Holding the bridge at Blankenburg with the von Pelet Fusiliers, Masars Jagers, Reimann's (Half) Foot Battery, and two squadrons from Hussar Regiment #6.
Generalmajor von Schimmelpfennig von der Oye : Posted near Posneck with six squadrons from Hussar Regiment #6 and Gause's Horse Battery #2.
Generalmajor von Bevilaqua : Holding a line from Crosten and Wolsdorf on the right to just west of Saalfeld on the left. Included in this line, on the left, is a Prussian force consisting of the Fusilier Battalions Rabenau and Ruhle, Valentin Jager company, and Reimann's (Half) Foot Battery.
Generalmajor von Trutzschler : Supporting the right of Bevilaqua's line.
For a detailed Prussian and Saxon Order of Battle click HERE.
V Corps Commander : Maréchal Jean Lannes :
Today is October 10, 1806. Although you have been ordered to attack Saalfeld, Maréchal Augereau has been ordered to
support you. Augereau is still not close to you and you estimate that the enemy force in front of
you is no more then 10,000 men. Rather then wait for Augereau you have decided to attack with
the forces you have at hand. Your entire force is presently marching from Grafenthal.
Initial French Orders :
Général de Brigade Michel Claparède : (First to arrive) Take Garnsdorf, Beulwitz, and Crosten.
Général de Brigade Anne Francois Trelliard : (Second to arrive) Deploy between Beulwitz and Garnsdorf. The Chasseurs a Cheval can be used to support Claparede.
Général de Brigade Dominique Vedel : (Third to arrive, following the Divisional artillery) The 64th Ligne will attack/support Crosten, the 88th Ligne will deploy south of Beulwitz.
Général de Brigade Honoré Rielle : (Fourth to arrive) Take Aue am Berg, the Sandberg heights, and Blankenburg.
For a detailed French Order of Battle click HERE.
Saalfeld Map :
After Action Report
By 9:00am Prince Louis had arrived and deployed his force (see the map). The French started to arrive by 10:00am from the direction of Grafenthal.
Although Lannes he had a plan in mind, he changed it as soon as he arrived. Claparede was to take two battalions and capture Beulwitz and Crosten. One battalion was sent to capture Garnsdorf. Vedel was sent to help take Garnsdorf and attack Saalfeld. Trelliard was ordered to support Vedel. Reille was to attack the Prussian right wing and support Claparede.
As soon as Prince Louis saw the French arriving in significant numbers he also changed his plan accordingly by ordering his entire battle line forward to try and pin the French in the confines of the forest.
The respective battle plans were now in motion and both sides got locked into a number of small actions all along the line. Both French batteries were destroyed by superior Prussian fire, one squadron of Prussian Hussars were routed and three French attacks were pushed back.
The battle raged on for over four hours before the Prussians started to fall back. By 3:00pm it was clear to Prince Louis that resistance was starting to crumble so he ordered a general withdrawal.
By bringing his battle line forward Prince Louis changed the battle completely. The French suffered from trying to deploy large numbers of troops in confined spaces. Whenever a unit was forced to fall back it took one or two other units with it. This created havoc in the French lines all day. Although the French numbers would eventually prevail, clearly the Prussian plan worked very well, so this was judged a Prussian victory.
