Early Modern Wars by Dennis Showalter

Author:Dennis Showalter
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Amber Books Ltd
Published: 2013-05-14T16:00:00+00:00

The battle began around midday with a two-hour exchange of artillery fire, during which the more modern Swedish guns demonstrated their superior rate of fire. (This was especially true of the 42 ‘regimental guns’ – lightweight 3-pounders – which provided close-range fire support.) Tilly seems to have intended a double envelopment of the Protestant forces. After the bombardment, Pappenheim’s Black Cuirassiers charged the Swedish right seven times, but were consistently beaten back by steady musketry and carefully timed counter-charges by the Swedish cavalry. After three hours’ fighting, Pappenheim’s men finally broke.

While these actions were being fought, the Count of Fürstenberg’s cavalry and the Imperialist infantry advanced against the ill-trained Saxon units, which quickly broke, exposing the Swedish left flank. However, Tilly’s disordered infantry were pinned by a series of Swedish cavalry charges. These gained time for the infantry of the Swedish second line to form a new front facing the Imperialist advance.

Following the defeat of Pappenheim’s cuirassiers, Gustavus led his right flank cavalry in an attack that overran the Imperialist artillery. The captured guns were quickly deployed to fire on Tilly’s infantry, which were barely holding their ground against increasing Swedish pressure. This bombardment proved to be the final straw – Tilly was wounded and his army routed with the loss of 16,000 men, plus a further 3000 who were captured in the Swedish pursuit. The allied army’s casualties totalled 4000, the majority from the shattered Saxon contingent.

■ RAIN (RIVER LECH), 15 APRIL 1632

Tilly deployed his 25,000-strong Imperialist army in a strong defensive position along the River Lech, near the Bavarian town of Rain. Gustavus Adolphus used his powerful artillery to cover an assault crossing of the Lech by his infantry, while the Swedish cavalry crossed the river 10km away to the south to trap the Imperialist army. Tilly was mortally wounded and his army routed with the loss of 3000 men.

■ ALTE VESTE, 9 SEPTEMBER 1632

Wallenstein’s 40,000-strong Imperialist army occupied a fortified camp near Nürnberg. The Swedish army of 46,000 men was running out of supplies, forcing Gustavus to lead an assault on the camp, which was beaten off with heavy losses.

■ LÜTZEN, 16 NOVEMBER 1632

In the days immediately before the battle, Wallenstein was alarmed by reports of Gustavus Adolphus’ advance with the Swedish field army He decided to detach forces to deal with these threats to Imperialist positions across Germany. He also deployed the remainder of his army around Leipzig where it could both counter any Swedish attack and find better shelter from an increasingly cold winter. News of these moves prompted Gustavus to attack Wallenstein’s weakened main army with his 20,000 men, but the Swedish advance was delayed by a skirmish with a small force of Imperialist Croat light cavalry on the afternoon of 15 November at the Rippach stream, about 5km south of the small town of Lützen. This delay prevented Gustavus forcing a full-scale action on the 15th and gave just enough time for Wallenstein to recall Pappenheim’s corps, the largest of his detachments.

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