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Dutch-swedish obscurity contest part.2

Posted By: Stefan Spett <mailto:stefan.spett@telia.com?subject=Dutch-swedish obscurity contest part.2>
Date: 12/7/02 16:03

I´ve been very preoccupied and haven´t got around to answer this Gre-eat mail until now !
The swedish reports of this combats have been read by only one person alive but thats me.

>16 April 1807: [Mortiers’ 8th Army Corps follows the retreating Swedes. At
>Ukermunde, the Swedish rear guard made a stand] “The Swedes had deployed eight
>cannon of a horse artillery battery

Not Uckermünde but Ferdinandshoff. An action between 8 gun-sloops and a gun-howitser pair had taken place at

Uckermünde some days before.

Four 3lb guns of a riding battery were spread in three directions.

Commander was sub-lieutenant Armfelt.

[obviously, the Swedish horse artillery
>was part of their rear guard; see my previous message],

It wasn´t a rearguard, swedish forces were spread across the map and didn´t communicate if they could avoid it.

under cover of some
>houses. 2nd Captain F.W. van Brienen van Oosterom [commanding the Dutch Horse
>Artillery Company no.1, part of the 1st Division (Grandjean)] ordered 1st
>Lieutenant A. Bijleveld [the same who commanded a horse artillery company at
>Quatre-Bras (were he distinguished himself), and Waterloo] to advance with his
>division of both howitzers of the company and to dislodge the Swedish cannon.

The sources are unaware that the enemy guns were dutch but they were very aware of their fire. A shell blew up a limber and the gun attached a prolongue was stranded on the road. Many of the gun-crew were less than heroic landwehr and Armfelt didn´t speak german. ( But he was close kin of the wing-commander Armfelt.)

>The howitzers threw grenades over the houses mentioned, forcing the Swedish
>artillery to limber up and to abandon their position. The Dutch Hussars
>charged and captured one of the guns.”

It had started to rain hard and a second 3 pounder were lost in a cavalry-shock on a narrow road north of

Ferdinandshoff. Many soldiers are taken prisoner and some have to swim for it.

>16 April 1807: “At Sprengfelde, a village surrounded by woods and water, all
>bridges destroyed by them, the Swedes again made a stand. A fire fight ensued
>between the 15th French Infantry Regiment and Swedish jaeger, which were in
>position inside the woods and the houses. Again, the howitzers already
>mentioned deployed, and after having thrown some grenades, the Swedish
>retreated again, and the village was captured.

Swedish forces were aware of enemy artillery but were more concerned with flanking infantry.

After the bridges were
>repaired, the enemy was pursued with forced marches, until the village
>Altcosenow was reached. Here, the Swedish again decided to make a stand, about

>3,000 to 3,500 strong, formed in three squares.

Not half as many men and from many battalions were present.

>The cavalry, consisting of the Dutch Hussar Regiment and the French 3me
>Regiment Chasseurs à Cheval, which was pursuing the enemy, could not be
>followed quick enough by the horse artillery, because they were delayed by the
>repair of the bridges. They were only able to open fire at the enemy when the
>infantry had already entered the village.
>For some time two guns of the Dutch Horse Artillery Company No.1, commanded by
>1st Lieutenant F.F.J. d’Anguerand, which were part of the advance guard
>[sic!], suffered from the fire of a battery of six guns.

That´s four 6 pounders under captain Järnsköld.

But Captain van
>Brienen van Oosterom, receiving order to support his artillery division with
>the remainder of his guns, arrived just in time because both guns had
>completely exhausted their ammunition supply. After an hour the enemy was
>forced to abandon their position.
>

The dutch artillery-fire was efficient and the swedish battery defeated and forced to retire.

When limbering up some trouble forced one gun to stall. All gun-fire was concentrated on this

piece. Aide-de-camp Eldh got killed but the piece made it´s escape.

The swedish infantry retreated hastily.

Any more swedish-dutch combats mentioned in that interesting book of yours, Geert ?

Votre tres humble etc. Stefan Spett

Messages In This Thread

• Dutch-swedish obscurity contest part.2 (views: 76)
  Stefan Spett -- 12/7/02 16:03
  • Re: Dutch-swedish obscurity contest part.2 (views: 46)
    Geert van Uythoven -- 12/7/02 18:33