“You want ME to provide support?!” the French Army commander Kellermann pointed toward the area where gunshots were faintly audible from the west, and roared at the officer who came seeking help, “There are over 7,000 enemies there, which is the total number of Prussian forces in Legnica!”
“But, General…” the dirt-covered orderly officer glanced in that direction with surprise, then hurriedly argued, “General Wumz is under heavy artillery fire, and more than 20,000 Prussians have suddenly appeared on the south side of the fortress.”
“Sorry, I’ve also encountered a surprise attack. Please tell General Wumz that I really can’t do anything.”
The orderly officer pleaded urgently, “Please at least dispatch Cavalry to coordinate with us…”
Kellermann flatly responded, “If I don’t have Cavalry to protect my flank, my men will be chopped to pieces by Prussian Cavalry before we can retreat into Kreignitz.”
“Eckardt, send this captain back.”
“Karlus, order Ferlick Group to establish a second line of defense at the edge of that forest, and have Dort’s men withdraw in half an hour!”
“Yes, General!”
8 kilometers away on the gentle slope south of the Legnica fortress, nearly 60 cannons on the already prepared position were spewing flames at the rashly approaching Austrians.
General Wumz had not expected his surprise attack to be met with a counter-surprise attack by the Prussians.
Under the intense fire of numerous artillery, his vanguard was almost instantly dispersed.
Enjoy exclusive content from My Virtual Library Empire
As he hesitated whether to deploy his troops on the spot and engage in a frontal confrontation with the Prussians ahead, a large Prussian force appeared from the southwest, moving in neat line formations towards him.
The unprepared Austrians immediately fell into chaos, but fortunately for Wumz, in order to increase concealment, the Prussians had positioned their troops on the inner side of the depression, giving him a temporary advantage in terrain.
Wumz was a veteran of the Seven Years’ War and the battle for the Bavarian succession; seizing this only opportunity, he ordered his elite skirmishers to launch a counter-charge from a higher position against the Prussian Infantry lines.
At the same time, he sent Naundorf’s Cavalry to move towards the north, posing as if they were ready to assault the Prussian artillery positions at all costs.
General Delrisen, commander of the Prussian forces in Legnica, quickly received the scout’s report—10 Austrian cavalry squadrons, that is, 1,500 cavalrymen, were maneuvering towards the rear side of the Prussian artillery positions on the gentle slope. The terrain there was higher, almost leveled with the artillery line. If the cavalry charged from there, the Prussian cannons would be in danger.
He frowned and weighed his options—Prince Henry’s orders to him had been to hold Legnica, not to annihilate the Austrian Army.
He was well aware that he was facing only the Austrian vanguard, and that there might be over 100,000 of the Austrian main force behind it.
Without the cannons, his 30,000 men wouldn’t stand a chance to hold Legnica.
After a moment, General Delrisen ordered the orderly officer, “Order Jonas’s Cavalry to retreat and intercept the enemy cavalry with full force.”
“Yes, General.”
As orders from both sides were issued, on the rolling hills around Legnica, a thin green line sped through the bushes, continuously racing northwest, moving farther and farther from the Austrian main force, like a group of assassins throwing themselves at the enemy’s heart.
Another thin light blue line emerged from the southeast of the Austrians, bypassing the Austrian main force and desperately rushing back to the high ground near Legnica fortress.
If Wumz could have looked down from the sky at that moment, he would have definitely broken out into a cold sweat.
Had that Prussian Cavalry unit suddenly charged at his main force during its retreat, his main troop would have been cut in two almost instantaneously, with little hope of returning to Bohemia.
On the other side, the Austrian elite skirmishers, taking advantage of the cover provided by the wild grass, spread out and rushed toward the lower Prussian Infantry lines in the depression.
They were highly experienced; despite being in skirmish formation, they could use the drummer’s beat to signal from different positions to rise and volley fire, greatly increasing their killing efficiency.
Many among them were hunters from the Austrian mountains with excellent marksmanship. Taking advantage of the shooting range provided by the high ground, they “dug” out numerous gaps in the Prussian lines before the Prussians could return fire.
However, in the age of flintlock guns, charging an Infantry line with inferior numbers was undoubtedly unwise.
Soon, the Prussian Infantry lines advanced into range and, after several volleys, bullets fell like rain, covering the Austrians’ hiding spots.
In the wild grass on the gentle slope, cries of agony ensued, followed by bodies rolling down into the depression, leaving blurry trails of blood on the green grass.
The Austrian skirmishers, less than two battalions strong, fought while retreating, forcing the Prussian Infantry lines to repeatedly stop to realign and shoot. On this gentle slope less than a kilometer long, they managed to hold up nearly 10,000 Prussian soldiers for over an hour.
Together with the gap created by Naundorf’s Cavalry, Wumz finally managed to withdraw his main force out of the range of the Prussian artillery. He then began an orderly alternating cover retreat.
As twilight approached, Wumz finally met Kellermann’s French forces about ten kilometers from Kreignitz, the Austrian border.
Only after entering the French camp did Wumz breathe a sigh of relief and hastily instructed his staff to tally casualties.