Battle of Lübeck

 The Battle of Lübeck took place on November 6, 1806, in Lübeck, Germany, between the Kingdom of Prussia's army, led by Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher, who was retreating from defeat at the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt, and troops of the First French Empire, led by Marshals Murat, Bernadotte, and Soult, who were pursuing them. During the Fourth Coalition War, the French routed the Prussians and drove them from the neutral city. Lübeck is a historic Baltic Sea port located about 50 kilometers (31 miles) northeast of Hamburg.

Following Napoleon's crushing defeat at the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt in October, the Prussian army withdrew to the east bank of the Elbe River and marched northeast in an attempt to reach the Oder River. Napoleon launched his Grande Armée in hot pursuit, aiming to obliterate his opponents' forces. A huge number of the fleeing Prussians sought safety in the castle of Magdeburg, which was encircled. In the Battle of Prenzlau, another substantial segment was caught and killed. This triggered a succession of surrenders of Prussian troops and strongholds.

Blücher, unable to reach the Oder, turned and raced west, pursued by Murat, Bernadotte, and Soult. Blücher's army forced their way into the neutral city of Lübeck, where they assumed defensive positions after a series of well-fought rearguard actions. Bernadotte's troops breached the city's northern fortifications, overwhelming the troops facing Murat and Soult. Blücher barely fled the city, despite the fact that the majority of his soldiers were seized and Prussian casualties were massive. During and after the fighting, the French sacked Lübeck. The next day, the French surrounded the remaining Prussians near the Danish border, forcing Blücher to surrender.

Danish forces commanded by Johann Ewald were also mobilized and deployed near the Danish-Prussian border with the goal of preventing any French or Prussian forces from entering their territory (the original Prussian plan was to flee from the approaching French to Denmark) and protecting Danish neutrality by force if necessary; however, the Danish forces played no significant role in the armed struggle aside from a few minor skirmishes and negotiations with both sides.

During the engagement, the French captured a small Swedish army. Bernadotte's gracious and respectful treatment of its officers and troops contributed to that Scandinavian nation handing its crown to the French marshal nearly four years later.

Background

Jena-Auerstedt to Prenzlau

Napoleon crushed the Prussian army in the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt on October 14, 1806. The remains of an army coalesced into five groupings in the aftermath of the tragedy. One column of withdrew troops was led by General of Infantry Frederick Louis, Prince of Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen. General-Leutnant Blücher and General of Infantry Friedrich Adolf, Count von Kalckreuth, led a 12,000-man column after Hohenlohe. General Karl August, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, and General-Leutnant Christian Ludwig von Winning led a force of 12,000 troops. Jena-Auerstedt was overlooked by the last-mentioned corps. Meanwhile, in the Capitulation of Erfurt on October 16, the Prince of Orange surrendered at least 10,000 Prussians to Marshal Murat's Cavalry Corps.

The 16,000 fresh troops of the Reserve commanded by Eugene Frederick Henry, Duke of Württemberg, had remained at Halle since the 13th. On October 17, the 20,600 men of Marshal Bernadotte's I Corps mauled Württemberg's force in the Battle of Halle. The Rreserveretreated to Magdeburg, where it joined Hohenlohe on October 20  Marshal Soult, the IV CCorps, and Murat reached the outskirts of the city that day and demanded Hohenlohe's surrender, which he refused. On the 22nd, Soult and Marshal Michel Ney's VI Corps invested in the fortress on the west bank of the Elbe. After leaving 9,000 additional troops to man the fortress, Hohenlohe marched to the northeast via Burg bei Magdeburg. He was soon joined by KKalckreuth, who crossed the Elbe to the north at Tangermünde.

On October 24, Blücher moved northeast from Nordhausen, across the Harz Mountains, past Braunschweig, and crossed the Elbe at Sandau. From Bad Langensalza through Mühlhausen and then to Osterode, Saxe-Weimar marched. After deceiving Soult at Magdeburg, he successfully crossed the Elbe at Sandau. On the afternoon and evening of the 26th, Oberst Ludwig Yorck von Wartenburg led a skillful operation at Altenzaun. The Prussian rear guard held off Soult's advance guard until Saxe-Weimar's forces reached the east bank safely, at which point Yorck slipped away as well. Winning gained leadership of the column from Saxe-Weimar at this time.

On the evening of October 24, Hohenlohe arrived in Neustadt an der Dosse. Blücher gained command of Hohenlohe's rear guard after crossing the Elbe. Along with the Havel River, there was a network of canals that stretched roughly east and west between the Elbe and Oder. Hohenlohe intended to send an army led by General-Major Christian Ludwig Schimmelpfennig von der Oye to cover his right flank by demolishing all bridges along this length of the river.

Hohenlohe's main force was between Neuruppin and Lindow, a little further east, by nightfall on October 25. The cavalry of General Major von Schwerin and the infantry brigade of Oberst von Hagen marched toward Wittstock. General Major Rudolf Ernst Christoph von Bila led a cavalry-infantry unit to Kyritz, north of Neustadt. After a skirmish with Bernadotte's leading men, Blücher's rear guard was near Neustadt. In a foreboding turn of events, French cavalry occupied Oranienburg before Schimmelpfennig arrived.

Murat routed Schimmelpfennig's column at Zehdenick on October 26, sending the Prussians fleeing to Stettin after losing over 250 cavalries from their 1,300-man force. After overcoming a French blockade and pressing on to the east the next day, Hohenlohe overcame a French obstacle at Boitzenburg. Murat launched an attack on the Prussians in the Battle of Prenzlau on October 28. 

Emmanuel Grouchy's dragoon brigade hewed a path through Hohenlohe's wing. General of Division Marc Antoine de Beaumont and his 3rd Dragoon Division pounced on the now-isolated Prussian rear guard and forced it to surrender. Murat then succeeded in duping Hohenlohe into surrendering, despite the fact that the Prussians were neither encircled nor outnumbered. In addition to the 2,000 prior losses, the French captured approximately 10,000 soldiers, 64 guns, and 1,800 cavalry horses.

Prenzlau to Lübeck

The next day, in the Capitulation of Pasewalk, 4,000 Prussians surrendered to two French light cavalry brigades. After duping the citadel commander into surrendering with over 5,000 troops, General of Brigade Antoine Lasalle and his light cavalry accepted the capitulation of Stettin that night. Following these humiliating defeats, several lesser Prussian armies were swept up.

Major von Höpfner surrendered an artillery convoy of 600 men, 25 cannons, 48 wagons, and 800 horses at Boldekow, south of Anklam, on October 30. On November 1, Bila, his older brother General-Major Karl Anton Ernst von Bila, and their 2,173 troops surrendered to General of Division Nicolas Léonard Beker's dragoons at Anklam. On the same day, the fortress of Küstrin surrendered to one of Marshal Louis Davout's III Corps brigades.

Soult crossed the Elbe at Tangermünde and went northeast, leaving Ney to continue the Siege of Magdeburg. On October 30, he arrived in Wusterhausen, near Neustadt, with his cavalry probing toward Wittstock. Bernadotte captured a Prussian supply convoy and 20 field pieces on the 26th and arrived at Boitzenburg on the evening of the 29th. He marched toward Neustrelitz the next morning after discovering Blücher had deviated northwest. Colonel Étienne Maurice Gérard, commanding one of Bernadotte's cavalry regiments, captured 400 troops belonging to Blücher and claimed that the Prussians were heading for Waren.

The armies of Blücher and Winning met at Waren on October 31. Winning desired to flee to the northern port of Rostock and had already dispatched General Major Karl Georg Friedrich von Wobeser to coordinate the evacuation. Blücher, on the other hand, overruled him and pursued his own plan, which was to recross the Elbe at Boizenburg. He intended to join General Karl Ludwig von Lecoq in the old Electorate of Hanover or Lieutenant General Franz Kasimir von Kleist in Magdeburg from there. Blücher divided his tiny army into two corps. Winning commanded the 11,000-man I Corps, while Blücher headed the 10,000-man II Corps. Each corps was split into two heavy divisions and one light division.

There were 47,252 French troops looking for Blücher at the moment. Bernadotte's I Corps had 15,450 men, Soult's IV Corps had 24,375 men, General of Division Louis Michel Antoine Sahuc commanded 2,550 dragoons, Grouchy commanded 2,432 dragoons, Lasalle commanded 785 light cavalry, and General of Division Jean-Joseph Ange d'Hautpoul commanded 1,660 cuirassiers. Bernadotte led 12,000 of his most fit troops ahead, leaving the remainder behind. Murat and his cavalry were on their way west after triumphs at Prenzlau and Stettin.

On the morning of November 1, the Prussians evacuated Waren. General Major Friedrich Gottlieb von Oswald led a rear guard that followed Blücher to the northwest. Oberst August Wilhelm von Pletz's rear guard protected the winning march due west.

The Prussians clashed with Soult's and Bernadotte's light cavalry brigades, as well as General of Division Anne Jean Marie René Savary's 1st Hussar and 7th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiments, at Waren that morning before retreating to the west. Under Yorck's tactical command, the three warlike battalions, six Jäger companies, and 20 hussar squadrons performed admirably at the battle of Waren-Nossentin. Though Bernadotte committed General of Division Jean-Baptiste Drouet, Comte d'Erlon's division to the capture of Nossentin village, Yorck and Pletz drew off in good order to Alt Schwerin that night.

Sahuc's 4th Dragoon Division set out from Rathenow on November 2nd, while Murat departed Demmin (west of Anklam), sweeping west with Lasalle, Grouchy, and d'Hautpoul. Bernadotte was at Nossentin, while Soult was in Waren. Drouet's division came up with the 500 troops of the 2nd battalion of the Tschammer Infantry Regiment Nr. 27, losing one gun and 57 fatalities, including Major Puttkammer, who was captured. The port of Wolgast surrendered to the 22nd Dragoon Regiment of General of Brigade André Joseph Boussart's brigade on November 2 and 3. Grouchy's division consequently gained control of Hohenlohe's baggage train, which had 2,500 largely non-combatants.

On November 3, Oswald's rear guard made a stand at Crivitz, resulting in a Prussian triumph. The Fusilier battalions Greiffenberg Nr. 4, Knorr Nr. 12, and Oswald Nr. 16 were led by the Prussians, as were the Grenadier battalions Schmeling and Vieregg and one horse artillery battery. His cavalry forces were the Hertzberg Dragoon Regiment Nr. 9, which consisted of five squadrons, and the Rudorff Hussar Regiment Nr. 2, which consisted of five squadrons.

The French foot soldiers belonged to Bernadotte's 2nd Division, which was led by General of Division Olivier Macoux Rivaud de la Raffinière. The 8th Light, 45th, and 54th Line Infantry Regiments were led by Brigade Generals Michel Marie Pacthod and Nicolas Joseph Maison. These were backed up by the 2nd, 4th, and 5th Hussar Regiments, as well as one horse and a one-foot artillery battery, all led by General of Brigade Jacques Louis François Delisle de Tilly. There were 6,500 Frenchmen and 12 cannons in total.

After a fierce battle, Maison pushed Oswald's soldiers out of Crivitz. The Prussians initially retreated to the high ground behind the settlement, then resumed their retreat. With the light cavalry, General of Brigade Pierre Watier galloped forward from the settlement. Watier summoned the Prussians to surrender, but they responded with a dragoon charge.

The French cavaliers were swept away by Oswald's counterattack after opening fire with their carbines. Gérard was apprehended, and Bernadotte was forced to seek refuge inside an infantry square formation. Pathod's soldiers eventually stopped the dragoons. Later the same evening, the French captured Meuss, a village near Schwerin. The French cut off and wiped out the 1st battalion of the Arnim Infantry Regiment Nr. 13 at Pinnow during the battle.

Sahuc and Murat had nearly caught up to Soult and Bernadotte by November 4th. Blücher opted to retreat from Schwerin to Gadebusch, the location of a battle in 1712, after receiving a false rumor that Soult was between him and Boizeenburg. Oberst Christian Friedrich von der Osten joined Blücher from Lecoq's corps at Hameln on the 4th with a dragoon regiment, a fusilier battalion, and one company of Jägers. Wobeser returned with his army as well.

On the 5th, Savary's two regiments arrived in Wismar to meet up with another stray Prussian detachment led by General Major Friedrich Leopold Karl Bernhard von Usedom. The French claimed to have captured 700 cavalry, but the Prussians admitted to having surrendered 367 troops. The Prussians belonged to the Usedom Hussar Regiment Nr. 10 and were part of Blücher's wagon train under Major Panwitz.

Blücher's force had been reduced to roughly 16,000 to 17,000 troops by this point. Despite having 100 artillery pieces and a strong Gadebusch position, the Prussians refused to fight because they were hungry and tired from repeated marching. He chose to retreat to the Hanseatic city-state of Lübeck, where he hoped to join a force of Swedes he heard was nearby. On the morning of November 5, the Prussian army appeared in front of neutral Lübeck. They stormed through the southern gate and took over the city at about lunchtime. Addressing the city senate in the Rathaus, Blücher demanded large amounts of food, drink, fodder, and currency for his army, but promised not to fight in the city.

Meanwhile, on October 31, a brigade of 1,800 Swedes arrived in Lübeck, expecting to acquire transport vessels to convey them home. When they eventually boarded the ship on the 4th, they were caught in the Trave River by strong winds. In order to capture the Swedes, Bernadotte dispatched one battalion to the Trave's mouth and another detachment under Maison to Schlutup, which is located on the Trave downstream from the city.

Soult also attacked one of Blücher's rear-guards led by General-Major Karl Gerhard von Pelet at Roggendorf on the 5th, forcing it south of Lübeck. Soult continued his march and seized 300 Prussians at Ratzeburg. He and Murat were preparing to attack Lübeck from the south. Lieutenant General Johann Ewald led a Danish force marching toward Stockelsdorf. Ewald informed Blücher that he was willing to use force to protect his country's neutrality.

Battle of Lübeck

Most of Blücher's army spent the night in Lübeck. The Prussian general stationed a dragoon regiment and half of a horse artillery battery at Moisling to guard his southern flank. The Trave north of the city was held by General-Major Balthasar Wilhelm Christoph von Jung-Larisch of the II Corps' 2nd Division. Blücher's rearguard, led by Oswald, waited outside the northern gate, while a hussar regiment remained outside the southern gate.

Lübeck was previously heavily fortified, but its walls had been substantially destroyed by 1806. Nonetheless, the wet ditches in front of its old walls posed a significant challenge to the French army. There were three city gates east of the Trave. The Burgtor, the northern gate, overlooked a tiny strip of territory between the Trave and Wakenitz rivers. The southern gate was known as Mühlentor (Mills Gate), while the eastern gate was known as Hüxtertor. The Holstentor was the only gate on the Trave's west bank. The Wakenitz shielded much of the town's eastern flank.

Blücher fortified the Burgtor with eight cannons in a semicircular fortification in front of the gate and two more cannons near the gate. He put four extra cannons on the west bank's Bellevue bastion to catch any invaders in the crossfire. Other infantry, in addition to Oswald's rear guard, were also available to protect the position. Blücher assigned the Burgtor sector to General Major Frederick William, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel.

He used four or five battalions and a 6-pounder cannon to defend the Mühlentor. An infantry regiment, two horse artillery batteries, and four regimental pieces defended Hoxtertor. Other forces remained in reserve under General Major Hans Christoph von Natzmer, resulting in a total defense of Lübeck of 17 battalions and 52 cannons. When a delegation of city fathers questioned his promise not to fight in the city, the Prussian dismissed them, swearing to fight.

Natzmer's 1st Division consisted of two battalions from the Infantry Regiments Tschammer Nr. 27, Kauffberg Nr. 51, Natzmer Nr. 54, and Manstein Nr. 55, five squadrons from the Hertzberg Dragoon Regiment Nr. 9, a one-foot artillery battery, and half of a horse artillery battery. The Infantry Regiments Kalckreuth Nr. 4, Owstein Nr. 7, and Jung-Larisch Nr. 53 each had two battalions, as did the Brunswick Infantry Regiment Nr. 21, the Heyking Dragoon Regiment Nr. 10, five squadrons, and a horse artillery battery. Ten squadrons of the Blücher Hussar Regiment Nr. 8, the Schmeling and Vieregg Grenadier battalions, portions of various fusilier battalions, and half of a horse artillery battery were under Oswald's command.

Bernadotte's corps encountered an enemy wing at Selmsdorf, east of Lübeck, after starting its march at 2:00 a.m. The French surrounded the Prussian force, which was advancing from Wismar, and captured the capitulation of 1,000 men and 300 wagons. Meanwhile, in the vicinity of Schlutup, General of Brigade Marie François Rouyer intercepted several Swedish transports. 600 Swedes surrendered after a cannonade.

Bernadotte's I Corps included the 1st Division of Pierre Dupont de l'Etang, the 2nd Division of Rivaud, the 3rd Division of Drouet, Tilly's light cavalry, and the artillery reserve of General of Division Jean Baptiste Eblé. Dupont had three battalions of the 9th Light Infantry and two battalions of the 32nd and 96th Line Infantry Regiments, respectively. Rivaud's division and Tilly's brigade were the same as during the Crivitz action (see above). Drouet's division consisted of seven battalions: the 27th Light Infantry, and the 94th, and 95th Line Infantry Regiments. The artillery train included three-foot and four-horse artillery batteries.

Soult's IV Corps was made up of three infantry divisions. The 10th Light, 35th, 45th, and 55th Line Infantry Regiments were part of General of Division Louis Vincent Le Blond de Saint-Hilaire's eight-battalion 1st Division. The 24th Light, 4th, 28th, 46th, and 57th Line Infantry Regiments were part of General of Division Jean François Leval's 10-battalion 2nd Division. The 26th Light, 18th, and 75th Line Infantry Regiments, as well as the Tirailleurs Corses and Tirailleurs du Po, comprised General of Division Claude Juste Alexandre Legrand's nine-battalion 3rd Division. General of Brigade Pierre Margaron's light cavalry brigade, which included the 8th Hussar Regiment, the 11th, 16th, and 22nd Chasseurs à Cheval Regiments, and eight-foot and two-horse artillery batteries, provided support.

Murat, with Soult's cavalry and Lasalle's brigade, attacked the Pletz Hussar Regiment Nr. 3 on the southern approaches at 6:00 a.m., seizing 200 troopers and pursuing them within Lübeck. The pursuing French cavalry was stopped by the cannons protecting the Mühlentor. Soult's army and Sahuc's dragoons came and began shelling the Prussians at the southern gate.

Bernadotte's advance guard quickly forced Oswald's rear guard back towards the northern gate. The Galgenburg, a hill east of the Burgtor, was quickly seized by Drouet's tirailleurs, and artillery was massed atop the height. Bernadotte positioned Drouet on the left and Rivaud on the right, with Dupont on the right.

General of Brigade François Werlé led the 27th Light Infantry Regiment of Drouet on the St. Gertrude Church in the center. The French were initially stopped, but the commander of the Prussian artillery was injured, reducing its effectiveness. A second carried the churchyard, but Werlé's soldiers were surrounded by the Bellevue battery, which suffered heavy losses. The 94th Line Infantry Regiment of Drouet then charged forward on the left. Meanwhile, Brunswick decided to monitor the battle from the Bellevue bastion, so he crossed to the west side of the Travel.

The 94th Line overran a tiny redoubt while remaining undetected in the combat smoke. The regiment then rushed to the semicircular position, taking control of the entire battery. The Prussian defenders withdrew through the Burgtor around 1:00 PM, pursued by the triumphant French. Bernadotte sent Drouet to the right to seize the Trave bridge, while Rivaud was sent to the left to attack the Mühlentor's defenders in reverse. Other French troops sailed across the Trave, forcing the Bellevue artillery to surrender.

Blücher retired to his headquarters at the Golden Angel Inn near the Mühlentor, believing his northern defenses were secure. Rivaud's skirmishers surprised him there, and he barely escaped with his son and Karl Freiherr von Müffling, despite his chief of staff, Gerhard von Scharnhorst, and the rest of his staff being taken. Meanwhile, the French stormed through the market and the Königstrasse during fierce street fighting, in which Yorck was injured and many other Prussians were killed or wounded. Blücher led a squadron of cuirassiers in an unsuccessful attempt to rescue his staff. The group then made its way to the Trave Bridge for safety.

Soult dispatched Leval to seize the Hoxtertor and Legrand to attack the Mühlentor, leaving Saint-Hilaire in reserve. Rivaud's division attacked the Prussians defending the Mühlentor in the rear, but they fought back vigorously. The defenders were hit from all sides and suffered tremendous losses, including 300 in one regiment alone.

Murat's horsemen stormed through the gate and into the streets after 2,000 Prussians surrendered. The Owstein Regiment, the Hoxtertor's defenders, were the next casualties. The unit formed an infantry square after being surrounded by cavalry and infantry square formation but was soon forced to surrender after sustaining heavy losses. By 3:30 PM, the French had firmly taken control of Lübeck, despite occasional fighting.

Blücher attempted to organize another attack after hearing the racket as the French crushed opposition at the eastern and southern gateways. He dispatched the Kuhnheim Regiment Nr. 1 to attack the Holstentor, but Drouet's troops had already taken control of the bridge and western fortifications. The French routed the Prussians with heavy losses, forcing them to retreat to Bad Schwartau. By 3:30 PM, the French had firmly controlled Lübeck, though sporadic fighting continued.

Battle of Lübeck Outcome

Prussian losses in Lübeck were reported by French marshals to be 3,000 killed and wounded, plus 5,000 to 6,000 taken. Prussian casualties at Lübeck were estimated by historian Digby Smith to be 2,000 killed and wounded, plus 4,000 captured, out of 15,000 forces. The infantry regiments Owstein, Tschammer, and Natzmer were destroyed, as were 22 cannons. 

In the battle, the French used between 30,000 and 35,000 troops. Aside from the 2,000 slain and injured Prussians and the 4,000 taken, French historian Alain Pigeard reported that the Prussians and Swedes also lost 24 flags, two standards, and at least 50 artillery pieces. According to the same source, the total French casualties were 1,500 killed and wounded, including the IV Corps artillery chief, Colonel Pierre-Elisabeth Peytes de Montcabrié, who died on November 8 from wounds received two days earlier.

However, the French were not finished for the day. Soult's cavalry captured four infantry companies and two cannons under Captain Witzleben at Paddeluge. Grouchy's dragoons rode through town, capturing Major Friedrich Albrecht Gotthilf von Ende's army before calling it a day at Vorwerk.

Ende surrendered 360 troops and four cannons at Krempelsdorf, which included five squadrons of the Köhler Hussar Regiment Nr. 7, one squadron of the King of Bavaria Dragoon Regiment Nr. 1, and a half-horse battery. The Bailliodz Cuirassier Regiment Nr. 5 surrendered at Steckenitz. Smith attributes Ende's capture to Tilly's brigade, whereas Petre attributes it to Grouchy. Oberst Löben surrendered to Bernadotte with 1,500 men that evening at Schwartau. The Bila Fusilier Battalion Nr. 2, the Kuhnheim, Jung-Larisch, and Manstein Infantry Regiments, and the Osten Dragoon Regiment Nr. twelfth were among them.

After storming the city, the French troops brutally devastated Lübeck, committing "pillage, rape, and murder." Bernadotte and other top officers attempted to restrain their men, even with Bernadotte personally guarding numerous buildings with his saber, but the French soldiers kept looting. Contemporary writers such as Antoine-Henri Jomini and Guillaume Mathieu, comte Dumas, agreed that the military committed atrocities. These included the Bila Fusilier Battalion Nr. 2, the Kuhnheim, Jung-Larisch, and Manstein Infantry Regiments, plus the Osten Dragoon Regiment Nr. 12.

Blücher and the remnants of his army stood at Ratekau, north-northeast of Lübeck, at dawn. On November 1, the Prussian general managed only 4,050 infantry and 3,760 cavalry out of a force of 21,000 men. Three French marshals with up to 35,000 men stood in his way. To his left was the Travel, to his back, was the Baltic Sea, and to his right was the Danish border, which Ewald's men were defending.

Blücher asked for terms and was told he had to surrender his forces as prisoners of war because the fighting was manifestly futile. He sent a paper to Bernadotte announcing his surrender and complaining about running out of food and ammo. Murat refused to accept it, pointing out that the Prussians had to submit to all three marshals and that his reason for surrendering was unorthodox. After that, Blücher surrendered to Bernadotte, Soult, and Murat, though he was allowed to add a declaration at the end of the document.