View source for 1761 - Prussian second raid in Greater Poland

From Project Seven Years War

← 1761 - Prussian second raid in Greater Poland

You do not have permission to edit this page, for the following reasons:

• The action you have requested is limited to users in the group: Users.
• You must confirm your email address before editing pages. Please set and validate your email address through your user preferences.

---

You can view and copy the source of this page.

<small>Hierarchical Path: [[Main Page|Seven Years War (Main Page)]] &gt;&gt; [[Campaigns]] &gt;&gt; {{PAGENAME}}</small> ==Description== On September 10, the Russian army abandoned the blockade of Bunzelwitz (today Bolesławice), leaving the Austrians alone to do it. On September 11, [[Frederick II]] decided to send a small corps under Platen against the Russian supply lines in Greater Poland (Wielkopolska). This command was ordered to destroy Russian magazines in Greater Poland and to return to the main body. If this proved to be unfeasible, Platen had to head for Pomerania and to reinforce the corps of the Prince von Württemberg for the [[1761 - Siege of Colberg|defence of Colberg]]. Platen's corps numbered some 10,000 men and consisted of: *Infantry **Grenadiers (4 bns each about 450 men strong) ***[[12/39 Waldau Grenadiers|Grenadier Battalion 12/39 Görne]] ***[[17/22 Puttkamer Grenadiers|Grenadier Battalion 17/22/24/34 Rothenburg]] (1 bn) ***[[28/32 Kreytzen Grenadiers|Grenadier Battalion 28/32 Arnim]] ***[[G-V/G-X Rath Grenadiers|V. "Standing" Grenadier Battalion Hachenberg]] **Musketeers (6 bns each about 550 men strong) ***[[Quadt Infantry|IR9 Jung Schenckendorf]] (2 bns) ***[[Erbprinz von Hessen-Darmstadt Infantry|IR 12 Finck]] (2 bns) ***[[Schultze Infantry|IR29 Knobloch]] (2 bns) **Fusiliers (4 bns each about 550 men strong) ***[[Kurssell Fusiliers|IR37 Braun Fusiliers]] (2 bns) ***[[Markgraf von Brandenburg Fusiliers|IR42 Markgraf von Brandenburg Fusiliers]] (2 bns) *Cavalry **Dragoons (10 sqns each about 100 men strong) ***[[Holstein-Gottorp Dragoons|DR9 Pomeiske Dragoons]] ***[[Finckenstein Dragoons|DR10 Finckenstein Dragoons]] **Hussars (15 sqns each about 100 men strong) ***[[Ruesch Hussars|HR5 Ruesch Hussars]] (7 sqns) ***[[Malachowski Hussars|HR7 Małachowski Hussars]] (8 sqns) **[[Bosniaken|HR9 Bosniaken]] (1 sqn of 60-70 men) ''attached to HR5'' *Artillery **28 battalion guns each served by 6 men **22 field guns each served by 6 men *Logistic **wagons **mobile oven **8 pontoons At 5:00 PM on September 11, Platen's corps reached Hohenposeritz (today Pożarzysko). During the night of September 11, Platen passed the Oder near Breslau (today Wrocław). On September 12, Platen was at Trachenberg (today Żmigród). On September 13, Platen arrived at Krobia. ===Action on Kobylin=== On September 14, Platen encamped at Sabisch (''unidentified location''). He then sent a strong detachment under colonel Kleist to destroy the magazine Kobylin. This detachment consisted of: *[[Ruesch Hussars|HR5 Ruesch Hussars]] (200 men) *[[Malachowski Hussars|HR7 Małachowski Hussars]] (200 men) *[[Holstein-Gottorp Dragoons|DR9 Pomeiske Dragoons]] (100 men) *[[Finckenstein Dragoons|DR10 Finckenstein Dragoons]] (100 men) *[[12/39 Waldau Grenadiers|Grenadier Battalion 12/39 Görne]] *[[G-V/G-X Rath Grenadiers|V. "Standing" Grenadier Battalion Hachenberg]] The Prussians threw the Russian garrison out of Kobylin and destroyed magazines. In this town, Platen was informed by prisoners or by Polish inhabitants that a great Russian convoy was parked at the abbey of Gostyń. He immediately marched at the head of his cavalry and ordered general Knobloch to follow him with the infantry. ===Engagement of Gostyń=== On September 15 at 4:00 AM, Platen advanced to Gostyń where he found the Russian supply park barricaded and guarded by 5,000 foot. This forced Platen to wait for the arrival of his infantry. He then attacked the Russian force under brigadier Czerepov entrenched in a ''wagenburg'' in the [[1761-09-15 - Engagement of Gostyn|engagement of Gostyń]], capturing more than 1,500 Russian troops as well as the ''wagenburg''. More than 500 wagons were destroyed. At 9:00 PM the same day, Platen sent part of his corps under Thadden to escort the supply and munition wagons, the bakery, prisoners, pontoons and artillery to Czempiń. ===Further Prussian operations in Greater Poland=== On September 16, Platen arrived at Czempiń where he encamped with the rest of his corps. On September 17, Platen reached Stenschewo (today Stęszew), pushing forward a detachment on Posen (today Poznań). However, the Russian general Dalk had already evacuated the magazine and the town. The same day, the main Russian army, who was now retiring towards Pomerania, passed the Oder. During the night of September 17 to 18, 500 men from [[Ruesch Hussars|HR5 Ruesch Hussars]] under the command of colonel Nadarzyński destroyed the magazine at Posen. On September 18, brigadier Kleist was sent to Buch (today Buk) with prisoners, pontoons, artillery, [[Markgraf von Brandenburg Fusiliers]] (2 bns) and [[Kurssell Fusiliers|Braun Fusiliers]] (2 bns). Meanwhile Platen sent a courier to Frederick and reconnoitred Landsberg (today Gorzow Wielkopolski) to check if the bridge was guarded by Russian troops. Platen then resolved to take this direction because the road through Driesen (today Drezdenko) was in very bad condition and was blockaded by a Russian force. Platen then resumed his march towards Neustadt where he remained a few days. On September 19, Platen's corps was at Neustadt bei Pinne (today Lwówek) where he ordered a day rest. His troops had been marching daily since September 11. The same day, the main Russian army reached Reussen (probably Rusinowo) while Berg's corps was detached to follow Platen. Prussian reconnaissance parties brought back information about Berg's pursuit from Wronke (today Wronki) to Czerpowa (''unidentified location''). On September 20, Platen reached Birnbaum (today Międzychód), on September 21, he was at Schwerin an der Warthe (today Skwierzyn). Meanwhile, the Russian commander Berg had sent 200-300 cossacks from Driesen to Landsberg. On September 22, Platen arrived at Landsberg with his corps and found the bridge over the Warthe broken. A small skirmish took place with a Russian detachment under Suvorov. Some 30 men of the [[28/32 Kreytzen Grenadiers|Grenadier Battalion 28/32 Arnim]] under lieutenant Koschirzky fired at the cossacks. The Prussians had just 8 pontoons to make a bridge and had to complete them with wood beams. A Russian corps then pursued Platen who decided to head for Pomerania and the camp of Colberg. Platen's raid had destroyed 3 important Russian magazines with supplies. Because of this raid, the Russians were forced to retire to Greater Poland. Platen with his corps then took part to the [[1761 - Siege of Colberg|siege of Colberg]]. ==References== Archencholtz J.,''Geschichte des siebenjahrigen Krieges in Deutschland'', Berlin 1793. Jomini, Henri, ''Traité des grandes opérations militaires'', 2ème édition, 4ème partie, Magimel, Paris: 1811, p. 109 Tielke, J.G., ''Beträge zur Kriegskunst und Geschichte des Kriegs von 1756 bis 1763'', Freyburg 1778-17. '''Other sources''' Zbieralski R., ''Działania armii rosyjskiej i pruskiej na ziemi gostyńskiej w dobie wojny siedmioletniej w latach 1759-1763'', the copy of article in author hand Gieraths G., ''Die Kampfhandlungen der Brandenburgische-preussischen Armee'', Berlin 1964. Masslowskij, D. O., ''Der Siebenjahrige Krieg nach Russischer Darstellung'', t. III, Berlin 1894. Masslowskij, D.O., ''Zapiski po istorii woennawo isskustwa w Rossii'', t. I, Petersburg 1891 Klinkowski, ''Potyczka pod Gostyniem (15. IX 1761) w świetle ówczesnej prasy berlińskiej'', (w:) Kronika Gostyńska, Gostyń 1934. Frederick The Great, ''Oeuvres de Frederic le Grand'', t. V, Berlin 1847. Jany K., ''Geschichte der Königlisch Preussischen Armee bis zum Jahre 1807'', t. 2, Berlin 1929. Konopczyński W., ''Polska w dobie wojny siedmioletniej'', cz. 2, Kraków-Warszawa 1911. '''Acknowledgments''' Tomasz Karpiński (student at the Institute of History, University of Adam Mickiewicz in Poznań, Poland) for the initial version of this article [[Category:Campaign]]

Return to 1761 - Prussian second raid in Greater Poland.