Slesvig, Dannevirke Position 3 February 1864
Presently it seems the Sword shall guard the southern border of Scandinavia,
in blood strife only an honourable peace for the North be achieved.(J.J.A. Worsaa, 1848/authors trans.)
Weather: snow, windy. Low visibility. Temperatures rising.
This day the Austrian Corps was to take the initiative to put pressure on the Danes in front of the Dannevirke rampart on the hills to the south of it. The hills commanded the area to the south but also to the east across the Haddeby Nor (Inlet).
Fieldmarshallieutenant von Gablenz Commander Austrian Corps hadn't gotten much information from
Field Marshal Wrangel Commander Allied forces of the action yesterday except that the Danish defences of Mysunde had been staunch Infantry supported by well led Artillery.
General Gondrecourt would take his 1. Brigade against Over Selk to assault the Danish at Kongehøj (Kings Hill) and further east General Tomas would be advancing towards Haddeby at the north of Haddeby Nor.
This way Gondrecourts advance mirrored
Wrangels 16 years previously and Tomas' ensured the Danes would have no safe back.
To his credit was the quality of troops, well trained with experiences of the recent war in Northern Italy against the French and those experiences acted upon to create a better Army. They knew how to behave on the battlefield; he'd show the arrogant Prussian!
On the other side of the Hill the Danish Armies of 1864 and 1940 had been busy preparing for the upcoming attack.
The 1864 troops had been ignited by the Mysunde victory and were all for moving out and charging the Germans (and Austrians).
General de Meza was still in quarantine due to illness at Gottorp Castle and operations were run by Jutland Division Commander General Essemann.
Shortly past 6 AM the first Cavalry Squadrons of 1. Cavalry Brigade was out the gate roaming up and down roads leading south to Over Selk and Jagel; east to Flækkeby as well as any by-road. Not loosing many shots but surely keeping the Austrians on their toes.
Gondrecourt had his men advance in the snowstorm that was blowing over the battlefield towards their objective of Kongshøj just west of Haddeby Nor south of Slesvig to the south of the Slie fiord.
The snow was a hindrance though not impossible to negotiate even if it limited the movement and effectiveness of his Artillery.
Worse was the terrain to be negotiated as the fields were bordered by thick brush close to being impossible to cross thus limiting access to narrow entries. This brush also lined almost every road and trail making it difficult to but march along any such. Individuals might negotiate it but not ordered units.The road had been a long one; since the first brief firefight at the crossing of the stream north of the Breckendorf villages there had been several skirmishes. Sometimes it was a few Cavalry Troopers that had been going across the fields past the hedges lining the road that loosened a few Carbine rounds other times it was some soldiers on two-wheel machines usually moving in pairs that would hit them with long range rifle fire. It was mainly annoying as the troops would try deploy to threats which was difficult due to terrain and had to be reformed following most of these attacks.
Gondrecourt had following the passing of the Breckendorf villages sent part of his Brigade west through the forested and swampy terrain towards Lottorf; the terrain was ideal for the Anti-Tank Engineers Motorized Gun Company to make attacks from distance with the 20mm Cannon and Heavy Machineguns each time bogging down the Austrian advance before Companies would be detailled to go through terrain to try envelop the attackers only to find an empty spot where the Danes had been.
Approaching Lottorf the Austrians was once again subjected to heavy fire on long distance but when a Company was detallied to go south of the town it found that the snow, sleet and rain was thawing the bogs which was too difficult to negotiate and the Company returned to the road.
This time the attackers didn't just hit and run and the Austrians began moving ahead. Besides the heavy fire there was also fire from riflet-muskets as the Austrians came closer to the town but suddenly the defenders withdrew.
Along the Anti-Tank Engineers the 10. Regiment of 6. Brigade, 2. Division had been at Lottorf but the wet weather had fouled a lot of that units black powder lessening its efficienty and the Regimental Commander according to orders decided to pull back to Jagel and then head west to form defences so the Artillery at the hill of Oxenlager wouldn't be circumvented.
The Anti-Tank Engineers moved northeast from Lottorf to try drag the Austrians that way to ease the pressure on the 1864 troops and have this part of 1. Brigade enter the kill-zone.
Even if the main force of Austrians pursued the 10. Regiment a Battalion was on the heels of the Motorized engineers – all according to plan.
Further west a Prussian Guards Company was marching up the road towards Jagel.
East of Haddeby Nor General Tomas 3. Brigade had moved northwest towards Fartorp and Loopsted close to the northern end of the Nor; the Danish - elements of 9. (1864) Regiment - had been on a forward reconnaisance move to engage the Austrians supported by part of the Anti-Tank Engineers on Motorcycles with 20mm Cannon and Heavy Machineguns. The Austrians had taken losses but kept pressing on.
As the Austrians closed in on Fartorp the 8. Artillery Battalion from across the Slie Fiord opened a barrage to keep them off the Haddeby Nor.
Further south as the Austrians moved down the hills towards Loopstedt the 3. Artillery Battalion opened up from across the Haddeby Nor along the Gun Company of 7. Regiment.
Tomas Infantry tried storming the bridge at the north of Haddeby Nor but the number of Machinguns moved the attackers down and following three attempts at forcing their way ahead Tomas called off the assault.
Still the Danish Artillery continued pounding the Austrian Brigade.
The Engineers had been working all night to strengthen the Haddeby Bridge for it to be able to carry the almost 8 ton Landsverk
Lynx Armoured Cars. The Jutish Dragoons had only 2 of these but each armed with a 20mm Cannon and 3 Machineguns carrying 195 rounds of 20mm and 2160 rounds of Machinegun rounds. Even so the test late in the night made the Dragoons abandon using the bridge and instead moved around the Nor to the eastern end of the bridge.
Major Brock Commander 3. Dragoons of 1. Cavalry Brigade (1864) and his regiment moved across the bridge during the night to accompany their 1940 brothers along the 1. Sqd/4. Dragoons (1864).
As the Austrian advance had been repelled the Jutish Dragoons entered their Lynx Armoured Cars started the engines which uneased some horses and then began moving forward concealed behind the Horsed Dragoons.
500 meters distand of the Austrian line in front of Fartorp the Horsed Dragoons broke off revealing the Armoured Cars that moved on with Cannon and Machineguns rattling.
The 3. Dragoons and 1./4. Dragoons when seeing the Austrian line wave and begin falling back towards the village moved up charging the Austrian Infantry.
As the Armoured Cars were still firing on the move and about to receive the Dragoons' charge the Austrian Infantry hardened battling the French in Italy broke and fled through Fartorp and down the road to Flækkeby.
Having chased the Austrians out of Fartorp most of the Dragoons Regiments were spent but the Armoured Cars kept up the pursuit.
4 km's down the road the Armoured Cars stopped and turned to move back to Fartorp; on the return they were greeted by advancing Infantry of 8. Brigade that had received the order to move forward to ensure the Austrians would be back to their jump-off position of the morning.
A Colonel of 8. Brigade informed the Dragoons that General du Plat wished to use them to roll up the Austians at Loopstedt. 3. Dragoons were reforming for another charge and would await the Armoured Cars arrival.
The Austrians at Looptorp had taken a beating delivered by 3. Motorized Battery across the Nor.
3. Dragoons Commander Major Brock infused with vigor and adrenaline had left Fartorp with his Regiment and were moving up on Looptorp making contact with the Infantry sealing off the Austrian position. As 3. Motorized Battery were still shelling the Austrians the Dragoons became too bold asking the Infantry to follow them in charging the village.
The Infantry Commander wanted to await the arrival of the Armoured Cars but the Dragoons head off in direction of the Austrian line; seeing no alternative the Infantry followed suit.
Arriving on the road outside of Looptorp the Armoured Cars had the view of Horsed Dragoons being shot down by the Austrian Infantry with the Danish Infantry cautiously but steadily advance behind the cover of the Dragoons.
The arrival of the Armoured Cars tipped the scales back in favour of the Danes; 3. Dragoons were about to rout when word spread of the Armoured Cars arrival. The Infantry seeing the effect of the modern vehicels were quick to join these in the attack.
This time the Austrians had been caught with their back to the Nor shelled by Artillery and hit hard. The Austrian Regimental Commander surrendered though stragglers kept moving back during the afternoon and night to Austrian lines – those were a gift to the Danes as the rumours they spread of Mechanized Armoured and Armed Beasts running them down soon demoralized Tomas 3. Brigade.
That the Austrian Regiment Holstein no. 80 had surrendered was perceived as a sign from above that their cause was wrong.
South of Jagel the Prussian Guards Company had been observed by the Cavalry of 1. Cavalry Brigade as it marched north. The Cavalry had maintained a distance to be out of Rifle range which had been realized to be quite massive though not of long range.
During the march on the road through the woods and marshy terrain the Prussians were also harassed by long-range rifle fire from concealed riflemen actually just a few 1940 Dispatch-riders that was prowling the woods to aid the Cavalry that wasn't suited for this kind of warfare.
The Prussians had been slowed down however.
Gondrecourts 1. Brigade passing through Over Selk approaching Kongehøj the Danish Artillery opened fire at long range.
The first few shots were off Gondrecourts troops and he kept pressing on as did the part of the Brigade moving towards Jagel.
The next Danish Artillery rounds crept closer to Gondrecourts 1. Brigade but still his men pressed on; just a few Artillery rounds.
The Brigade elements moving on Jagel by now defended by 10. Regiment, 6. Brigade and some odds and ends of various units 1864 and 1940 was still determined to capture the village.
Having kept up defences for almost half an hour the 10. Regiment Commander was informed by runner that 6. Brigade was moving up on the village from the west with 5. Regiment to reinforce the position as the Austrians seemed determined to capture the village and the modern Danes wanted them further north.
At this time the Danish Artillery on Oxenlager hill began ranging in on the Austrians at Jagel. Still just a few rounds – nothing to worry about. Nothing like the massed French Artillery in Italy.
Gondrecourts 1. Brigade now in the terrain before Kongehøj and forming Columns for storming it when the Brigade got hit by the Heavy Danish Artillery barrage and Machineguns fire. The Austrians were not just badly mauled by Artillery and Machineguns it was a massacre.
Watching it the Austrian commander at Jagel realized he let his advance be held up by a worthless objective. He had orders to seize the hills before Dannevirke to rob the Danes of their defensive position from where they were pounding the main part of 1. Brigade; thus he extricated from the fighting at Jagel and moved the main force right north towards the hills Grundløs and Sortehøj into the kill-zone which part of it had so far seen no artillery impacts.
As the Austrian troops reached the Klosterkro and Railway Station all hell broke loose; Infantry Guns on Oxenlager hill, Mortars, Machineguns and Artillery on Dannevirke Forværk, Grundløs and Sortehøj all poured highexplosive shells on the troops as well as raking them with Machineguns.
The Austrians here fared no better than the rest of 1. Brigade the remnants of which now withdrawing and Feldmarshallieutenant Gablenz pondering if he should commit his 2. and 4. Brigade to the fight.
The march and fight had been ongoing since around 10AM the past four hours with casualties slowly mounting and then during the past half hour soaring out of proportion. Even the two Brigade Batteries had been obliterated by Counter-Battery fire.
Gablenz still had had no news from Fieldmarshal Wrangel; if the Prussians would progress the Campaign this way so could he and called off the attack much to the surprise of his Brigade Commanders who had expected the commitment of 2. and 4. Brigade.
