Battle of Trutnov
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Trautenau or Battle of Trutnov
was fought on June 27, 1866, during the Austro-Prussian War
. It was the only battle of the war that ended in an Austrian
victory over the Prussians
, but at a large cost.
had to split up in order to negotiate the difficult passes of the Giant Mountains. As they emerged on the Bohemian side, they met Austrian forces
. At Nachod
the Austrians were soundly beaten, but on the same day, as Generalfeldmarschall
Adolf von Bonin
’s I Corps emerged from the passes it was caught in the open on its way through Trautenau towards Pilníkov
, where it was hoped to link up with the First Army.
The advance guard of the Prussians was attacked by skirmishing Austrian Jäger
when resting in the town square. Mondel, who had been ordered to avoid a general engagement until the whole Corps had assembled, pulled back his troops to the heights. Mondel's rear guard managed to hold up the Prussians until noon. By 12:00 Bonin's 1st division had driven of Mondel and pushed up to the town of Neu-Rognitz, his 2nd division had taken the heights and was scouting in the direction of the town of Alt-Rognitz. This gave the Prussians the time to move troops and guns up the commanding heights.
As the Austrian brigades started arriving, Gablenz ordered a second brigade (Wimpffen) to pass Mondel and take the Johannesberg, while a third brigade (Grivicic) was to envelop the Prussian left and storm the Hopfenberg. To prepare the attack, Gablenz ordered a grand battery of 40 guns to open up fire on the Prussian held heights. Upon this heavy bombardment Bonin panicked and started to withdraw back towards the passes. Before this retreat could be enacted, the Austrians attacked in half-battalion masses. The Austrian attacks of Grivicic and Wimpffen were uncoordinated and stalled against the Prussian fire from the Dreyse needle gun. Four Prussian battalions from the rear guard thus managed to hold up the Austrian brigades. By 5PM Gablenz fourth briagde (Knebel) had arrived and was originally placed in reserve. When he saw Grivicic's and Wimpffen's brigades struggling, Knebel disregarded orders and attacked and took the heights in conjunction with Wimpffen, losing 900 men in the process, to drive of Bonin's rear guard.
Trutnov
Trutnov is a city in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has a population of 31,239 and lies in the Krkonoše in the valley of the Úpa River....
was fought on June 27, 1866, during the Austro-Prussian War
Austro-Prussian War
The Austro-Prussian War was a war fought in 1866 between the German Confederation under the leadership of the Austrian Empire and its German allies on one side and the Kingdom of Prussia with its German allies and Italy on the...
. It was the only battle of the war that ended in an Austrian
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
victory over the Prussians
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
, but at a large cost.
Background
The Prussian Second Army invading BohemiaBohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
had to split up in order to negotiate the difficult passes of the Giant Mountains. As they emerged on the Bohemian side, they met Austrian forces
Imperial and Royal Army during the Napoleonic Wars
The Imperial and Royal Army was that of the Austrian Empire, formed on 11 August 1804 preceding the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire ruled by the Habsburgs, under Emperor Francis II .-Background to the army:...
. At Nachod
Battle of Nachod
The Battle of Nachod on 27 June 1866 was the first major action of the Austro-Prussian War. The advance guard of General Karl Friedrich von Steinmetz's 5th Corps occupied some high ground near Nachod as part of a Prussian advance into Bohemia from Silesia...
the Austrians were soundly beaten, but on the same day, as Generalfeldmarschall
Generalfeldmarschall
Field Marshal or Generalfeldmarschall in German, was a rank in the armies of several German states and the Holy Roman Empire; in the Austrian Empire, the rank Feldmarschall was used...
Adolf von Bonin
Adolf von Bonin
Albert Ferdinand Adolf Karl Friedrich von Bonin was a Corps commander of the Prussian Army at the Battle of Trautenau in 1866, and a colleague of Karl Friedrich von Steinmetz.-References:...
’s I Corps emerged from the passes it was caught in the open on its way through Trautenau towards Pilníkov
Pilníkov
Pilníkov is a town in the Czech Republic....
, where it was hoped to link up with the First Army.
The Battle
Bonin's vanguard cleared the passes during the late morning and entered Trautenau at 10:00. The Austrian X Corps, lead by Ludwig von Gablenz, had broken camp at 8:00 and marched towards Trautenau to stop Bonin's advance. The Austrian troops arrived piecemeal with the Mondel brigade - which had started its march before the bulk of the Corps - being in position on the heights behind Trautenau at 7:45.The advance guard of the Prussians was attacked by skirmishing Austrian Jäger
Jäger (military)
Jäger is a term that was adopted in the Enlightenment era in German-speaking states and others influenced by German military practice to describe a kind of light infantry, and it has continued in that use since then....
when resting in the town square. Mondel, who had been ordered to avoid a general engagement until the whole Corps had assembled, pulled back his troops to the heights. Mondel's rear guard managed to hold up the Prussians until noon. By 12:00 Bonin's 1st division had driven of Mondel and pushed up to the town of Neu-Rognitz, his 2nd division had taken the heights and was scouting in the direction of the town of Alt-Rognitz. This gave the Prussians the time to move troops and guns up the commanding heights.
As the Austrian brigades started arriving, Gablenz ordered a second brigade (Wimpffen) to pass Mondel and take the Johannesberg, while a third brigade (Grivicic) was to envelop the Prussian left and storm the Hopfenberg. To prepare the attack, Gablenz ordered a grand battery of 40 guns to open up fire on the Prussian held heights. Upon this heavy bombardment Bonin panicked and started to withdraw back towards the passes. Before this retreat could be enacted, the Austrians attacked in half-battalion masses. The Austrian attacks of Grivicic and Wimpffen were uncoordinated and stalled against the Prussian fire from the Dreyse needle gun. Four Prussian battalions from the rear guard thus managed to hold up the Austrian brigades. By 5PM Gablenz fourth briagde (Knebel) had arrived and was originally placed in reserve. When he saw Grivicic's and Wimpffen's brigades struggling, Knebel disregarded orders and attacked and took the heights in conjunction with Wimpffen, losing 900 men in the process, to drive of Bonin's rear guard.