A Tale of Two Battles (1)

 

Whilst on a two week driving holiday in Europe, I managed to fit in a couple of (very) quick visits to battlefields that have always interested me. The first was the battle of Froeschwiller on August 6th 1870; we had driven all day to get there, but managed to spend a very interesting 90 minutes doing a quick tour of the central part of the battlefield around the focal points of Froeschwiller and Elsasshausen. It really is a fascinating battlefield and full of tactical interest for the Franco-Prussian enthusiast - so much so that I am hoping to go back for a week next year to do a more detailed walk over the ground with a view to doing a book on the battle.

The best vantage point was from the top of this imposing monument built in honour of the Prussian 11th Artillery Regiment in 1913. From here you get a great view over the central and southern sectors of the battlefield.

Here are three shots of the village of Froeschwiller itself. Apart from modern traffic the village looks very similar to the way it would have appeared in 1870.

The position offered fantastic observation and fields of fire to the defending French as can be seen here:

The tiny hamlet of Elsasshausen, also a focal point in the battle seemed hardly to have changed and I was surprised to see what a strongpoint it must have been. I hadn't appreciated how sharply the ground fell away from it and how difficult it must have been to attack. Walking the ground really gives you a feel for the nuances of the terrain that maps cannot hope to match.

We stayed in the small village of Morsbronn on the southern edge of the battlefield. Although only lightly held by French outposts, which quickly withdrew in the face of overwhelming numbers of Prussians, it was the scene of one of the most dramatic and tragic episodes of the day. As the French right wing was forced back, a brigade of French Cuirassiers was sent in to buy time. Charging over completely unsuitable agricultual ground, they were met by a murderous fire and swerved away, many of them riding into the streets of Morsbronn itself. Once there they found the road blocked by barricades and many of the riders were shot down by Prussian infantry in the houses and gardens. Our room overlooked the main street and may well have featured in these events as the house was in existence at the time. It was strange to think that Prussian infantry may have fired down into the struggling mass of French cavalry from that very window!

Our hotel:

Anyway, a bit of a change from the usual wargaming fare and I hope you found it of interest.