The Battle of Chotusitz

THIS engagement is notable in being sometimes described, for example in Wikipedia, as the war's "only major battle started by the Austrians."
Such a description is far from accurate, as a quick perusal of battles in Italy would show, but has much more truth to it if qualified by adding "...against the Prussians."
Indeed, the Austrian commander, Prince Charles of Lorraine, almost caught Frederick napping. It was only by force-marching his men that the Prussian king was able to get into battle array on the morning of May 17, 1742.
The two armies were of roughly equal strength, at about 28,000-strong. I write "roughly equal" because, as usual for this period, sources vary. The Austrians had a small edge in numbers of cavalry; the Prussians enjoyed slightly more infantry.
Frederick also had an advantage in field artillery, although, as at Mollwitz, this is much exaggerated in some accounts by including infantry battalion-guns.
I explained in my rules update earlier this month that the two armies had become closer in quality since Mollwitz, which had been fought more than a year previously.
Early on the morning of May 17, 1742, the Austrians advanced from the south in a slight crescent formation, which had the unintended consequence of leaving their left wing dangerously outflanked by the Prussian right-wing horse.

Overview of the battlefield, looking from the south-west

Thomas Carlyle, who walked and sketched the battlefield in the 1850s while preparing his biography of Frederick, described the ground as a flat plain, despite it being in the Elbe Valley.
To the west is a series of "lakelets, ponds and quagmires," which are impassable to all troops but are connected by a stream that can be crossed by horse and foot - but not guns - in half a move.
The other streams are much less of an obstacle and can be crossed without penalty, except to the east of the village of Chotusitz where the Brtlinka brook spreads out to create an area of "bogholes, islands (and) gullies." This is impassable to guns but can be crossed by horse, with great difficulty, at quarter speed, and regular infantry at half speed - light infantry are unaffected.
To the extreme east are the walls of Schuschitz deer park - unlikely to come into play, but crossable by infantry, taking a complete move to do so.
Unwisely, at least in Carlyle's view, Frederick's deputy, Leopold of Anhalt, chose to occupy the Brtlinka rough ground with cavalry.

The position east of Chotusitz. In the foreground, two squadrons of Modena Cuirassiers are supported by the Prinz von Savoyen and Sachsen-Gotha (left) Dragoons. In the distance, in the Brtlinka rough ground. are the Garde du Corps and the Prinz von Preussen (left) Cuirassiers, supported by the von Posadowski and Württemberg (left) Dragoons

The Austrian commander, Charles of Lorraine, entered Hapsburg service after his older brother, a future Holy Roman Emperor, wed the then-Emperor's daughter, Maria Theresa.

Charles can be seen with the Prié-Turinetti Foot in the centre of the second line of Austrian infantry. To their right are the Deutschmesiter Foot, and to their left the Baden-Baden Foot. The front line of Austrian infantry consists of  (left to right) the Hildburghausen Foot, the Deutschmeister-Los Rios Grenadiers, the Los Rios Foot and the Lothringen Foot.

The battle began with the Austrian left-wing horse attacked in flank by the Prussian right-wing horse, led by 70-year-old General Wilhelm von Buddenbrock. The Prussians were initially successful, until counter-attacked by Austrian reserves, whereupon a series of melees continued, without either side affecting the rest of the battle.

This side of the stream are Austria's Nagy-Károly and Nádasdy (left) Hussars. Beyond them are the blue-coated Batthyányi and Liechtenstein (left) Dragoons, and beyond them are the white-coated Cordova and Hohen-Ems (left) Cuirassiers

One reason why the Prussians were unable to exploit their initial success on this wing was the approach from behind of a regiment of hussars. These were newly-raised Prussians but, because of their unfamiliar uniform, prompted cries of: "Enemy to the rear!"

Prussian Buddenbrock Cuirassiers supported by Brandenburg-Schwedt (left) Curiassiers. Behind them are the Porzellan and von Bayreuth (left) Dragoons with, in the far distance, the King's Hussars

The rest of the battle, briefly summarised, saw the Austrian foot storm and set fire to Chotusitz, but a well-timed counterattack by Frederick obliged Charles to withdraw.

The Prussian infantry centre,  front line (left to right): Röder Foot, Leps-Lehwaldt Grenadiers (Frederick is with them) and two battalions of Glasenapp Foot. The second line consists of the Brandenburg-Schwedt, Grevenitz, Leps and Lehwaldt Foot

The Prussians suffered more fatalities, but the Austrians lost more men missing or deserted, and it was the Prussians who held the field of battle.

To be continued