Thread by @PertinaxS

#frederickthegreat #friedrichdergroße #prussia #sevenyearswar #OTD #Leuthen 1757 13:00 Now a loud call breaks the silence. „Vorwärts Marsch!“ No pity. Raise the flags of the king and the the regiments. Then silence is absolute over. At first the drums and then the fifes.

The sound of the lockstep. In oblique order, the right wing at first. Major-General Wedel takes the lead. The every next Regiment left of the first, 50 paces behind the other.

Meanwhile, Zieten and his cavalry, who pretended to attack the austrian centre, launches a feint attack. After seconds, they swing to the right and out of the austrian sight. In the centre and on the austrian right wing, they think, the battle is over and the prussian king

retreats. Out of sight Zieten rides with his hussars like the devils southwards, behind the standing and waiting prussian dragoons, behind the advancing infantry. Beyond a small bushland six regiments and the glorious heavy cavalry awaits Zieten and his hussars. The waiting

cuirassiers are in command of names like Seydlitz, hero of Rossbach, Stechow, Jung-Krockow. The white cuirassiers let Zieten pass. He himself takes the lead and rides in the first line. Without any command, the cavalry lines up. Slow trot of the horses. Grenadiers in double pace.

Foward!
Wedel reaches the first line of the Würtemberg’s infantry. They are good soldiers, good equipped. But their sympathy is more for the Prussians than the Austrians. They fire at first. Some Prussians fall and rise no more.

But no move in their faces. They are not impressed. Fifty paces from the Würtemmbergers and now the Bavarian infantry. The Prussians fire the first time. Their training let them fire with their Potzdam Musketz 9 times the minute. Even the well trained french can only fire 7.

After the first salves the Germans see that they have no chance against these Prussians. The NCOs try stabilize the lines. But no chance. Retreat!