Waterloo April 2024 – Day Three.

Being with Zack for the last two days has taught me so much about this battle. Today was all about the Prussians.

Zack had explained that Napoleon’s plan had always been to keep the Prussians and the British Allied Army apart. To defeat one at a time, then turn on the other. His decision to cross the border into Southern Netherlands was to get this done quickly before the Russian and Austrian armies could mobilise.

We started the day on the way to Ligny, which is where the Prussians were starting to concentrate, Blucher was on his way from Namur and the French felt that the Prussians were positioning themselves for a battle. Napoleon now made the decision to lead the attack against the Prussians on the 16^th June 1815, and let Ney attack the British Allied Forces at Quatre Bras. He felt that Ney, should be able to take Quatre Bras quickly and then turn right to attack the Prussian flank allowing the French to defeat them.

Napoleon took over the Naveau Windmill at Fleurus and adapted its platforms to provide his viewing platform for the battlefield. Just after midday, Wellington met Blucher at the Bussy Mill in Brye. He witnessed the French movements and thus understood this was the main French push. He also said he would come to the Prussian aid if they British were not attacked (Which they were at Quatre Bras on the same day). He left with a little criticism of the Prussian’s positioning, which was in full view of the French and on the facing slopes. (Wellington had always liked the reverse slope, as was shown at Waterloo in two days’ time). He rode back to Quatre Bras to the sound of cannon fire in the distance.

The battlelines were drawn around Sombreffe and Ligny. Napoleon had Vandamme’s corps to his left and Grouchy’s corps to his right. Blucher had Ziethen facing Vandamme, Thielmann facing Grouchy and Pirch in the rear.

The fighting was bitter and hand to hand at certain points. Villages were fought over hand to hand. The weather was hot and sunny. Labau’s VI Corps were still moving from Charleroi, so at 3pm, the battle began without all of Napoleon’s troops on the battlefield.

Ligny and surrounding villages would show and ebb and flow with positions gained and then lost. The French lost General Girard just after 4pm while fighting in the village of La Haye. As time passed the French were slowing pushing the Prussians backwards.

Then there was the issue of d’Erlon’s corps, which had received a message from Napoleon, requesting him to March to the battle at Ligny. He was about to support Nye at Quatre Bras, when he turned his men to the right and proceeded towards Ligny.

After 5pm, some of the French noticed troops approaching from their left. The initial thought was this was Wellington’s Army coming to the aid of the Prussians. Panic started to filter through the French lines, yet it soon became apparent the approaching troops were d’Erlon’s. Amazingly as they came into view, they seemed to turn around and started marching back in the direction they came from. This was due to Nye commanding him to get back to Quatre Bras. D’Erlon did leave Durutte’s division and his cavalry on the flank. It was also a mistake by Napoleon not to have one of his ADCs ride out to d’Erlon and confirm he was to attack the Prussian flank with all his Corps.

The French were back on the attack and just after 7pm Imperial Guard were sent in. The Prussian center had been broken. Blucher led a cavalry charge by General Roder’s 32 squadrons. His horse was shot from under him, and it ended up trapping him underneath. None of the advancing French cavalry noticed it was Blucher, who was finally freed from the horse by one of his ADCs and led to safety.

The Prussians were now on the retreat. General Ziethen slowly fell back behind Brye and managed to take most of his artillery with him. General Thielmann retreated, leaving a strong rearguard at Sombreffe.

The Prussians had lost around 16,000, killed or wounded. As well as twenty-one cannon. They also lost another 8,000 troops due to desertion overnight. The French lost around 12,000, killed and wounded.

Napoleon had won the battle, but it was not a rout. He then sent 30,000 troops with Grouchy to hunt down the Prussians who he felt were on their way back to Namur.

Zack then moved onto Wavre.

The Prussians did not retreat to Namur, but north to Warve. At the same time Wellington had moved his men north to Waterloo after his tactical victory at Quatre Bras. Napoleon was now in pursuit of Wellington’s Army, and he had sent Grouchy to find and finish off the Prussians. This was now the 18^th June 1815.

Blucher decided to march three of his four corps from Wavre to Waterloo, leaving Thielmann;s corps to follow the rear unless attacked by Grouchy, and thus they were to hold the French back. We stopped at a bridge on the Rue de la Wastinne. When Grouchy caught up with the Prussians at Wavre he had to cross the Dyle River. Blucher’s three of his four corps had already started the march to Waterloo, Thielmann had decided to defend the crossing points over this river. The main crossing in the town was well defended so the French moved south to find another crossing which they did at Rue de la Wastinne, yet they could not break the Prussian defenses. They marched further southwards along the river to the crossing near Limal, which they eventually broke through. This was a tactical victory for the French, but it had taken all day. The blocking by Thielmann’s 17,000 soldiers had held up 30,000 French who were not able to get to Waterloo also it had allowed 50,000 Prussians to get to Waterloo unhindered.

Zack then drove the exact route taken by Blucher men from Wavre to Plancenoit, which was on Napoleon’s flank at Waterloo. The landscape was quite different to Waterloo. No rolling low hills. The valleys were much deeper and hills, much higher. The route followed the ridge top. A distance of about eight miles.

Napoleon had known from his scouts that the Prussians were on the march to Waterloo. He needed to defeat Wellington’s forces before the Prussians arrived. The Prussians had started their March at 4am. The IV Corps of Bullow was to lead, yet he was furthest away, also a fire had broken out which caused delays. It was around 1pm that Napoleon first sees Prussian movement near Chapelle St Robert. French cavalry were sent to delay the Prussian advance.

The Prussian push for Plancenoit starts at around 4:30pm. Napoleon deploys Lobau’s VI Corps to defend the village. At 6pm the Imperial Guard who had sat in the mud awaiting their orders to advance were called up. Prussian cannon was now firing on either side of the Genappe Road and Prussian infantry were in the streets of Pancenoit. He gave orders to Duhesme to take the Young Guard into the fight. He led eight battalions, some 4,750 men into the village which they cleared. At 7pm, 14^th Brigade took over the Prussian attack and with the assistance of Ryssel’s Brigade were able to drive the Young Guard out of the village. Yet, two battalions of the Old Guard were now dispatched, only to find Duhesme, fatally wounded and fleeing French soldiers. The two battalions, halted the Prussian advance and with bloody hand to hand, bayonet to bayonet fighting they were able to push the Prussians back out of the village.

With Old Guard on the run from the British on the ridge at Mont St Jean, and with the Prussian 5^th Brigade of Pirch Corps thrown into the village, this final push at around 8pm, was enough to capture the village for the last time.

The victorious Prussians marched from the village to La Belle Alliance, to the sound of ‘Now thank we all our God.’

Ziethen Corps had taken a more northly route to Waterloo, he was met by Muffling who was Wellington’s Prussian liaison officer. Lt Colonel von Reiche met with Muffling, and they discussed how the Prussians were to join the battle as Wellington needed help on his eastern flank. At the same time orders came in from Blucher, that they were to head south to assist at Plancenoit. This deeply concerned Muffling and he tried in vain to get them to change their minds. Finally, Ziethen appeared, listened to what was required and decided to proceed to Wellington assistance. At around 7:30pm, they came into action advancing on Somhain and attacking southwards, retrieving Papelotte and their arrival coincided with the Middle Guard advance on Wellington’s right center. The French thought it was Grouchy, but when they found it was Ziethen’s Prussians the lost their nerve and the rout began.

I have learned so much from Zack who has been an excellent Battlefield Guide. His knowledge and explanation are second to none. He has put up with my rapid-fire questioning, my dad’s humour and has been an absolute joy to spend three days with.

I have taken time getting my blog on Waterloo to be as detailed as possible, I would like to thank my Dad for assisting me with grammar, phrasing and checking my facts. I have used many sources to be able to list the details of commanders and units. There are some fantastic books on the subject, and I would certainly encourage anyone to visit this one-off Battlefield. You never know you may find me out their trudging the fields.