Battle of Altenburg | |||||||
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Part of the German campaign of the Sixth Coalition | |||||||
![]() Battle of Altenburg engraved by Ant. Tessaro | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
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Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Thielmann Mensdorff Platov | Charles Lefebvre-Desnouettes | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
8,000[1] | |||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
300[1] dead or wounded |
600[1] dead or wounded 1,000[2]-1,400[1] taken prisoner | ||||||
Location within Europe |
200km
125miles
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Leipzig
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The raid at Altenburg on 28 September 1813 took place during the War of the Sixth Coalition's German Campaign of 1813.[3] The raid was carried out by the Streifkorp under the command of Saxon General Johann von Thielmann commanding seven regimentsofCossacks, a squadron each of Saxon Hussars and Dragoons, and a detachmentofSaxon Freikorps numbering about 1,500 cavalry. The objective of the raid was to attempt harassment of the French lines of communication 25 miles (45 km) south of Leipzig shortly before the Battle of Leipzig. The Austrian contingent was commanded by Emmanuel Mensdorff and the Russian contingent of Cossacks by Matvei Platov.[2][4]
The battle was the culmination of a raid in which Thielmann cavalry successfully attacked Napoleon's lines of communications along the roads between Erfurt and Leipzig in the Saale valley.[2][5]
Thielmann completely surprised and routed a larger force of French cavalry, including Cavalry of the Imperial Guard and a small force of 2nd Baden Infantry Regiment (Infanterie-Regiment No.2 ‘Markgraf Wilhelm’) nominally under the command of Lefebvre-Desnouettes numbering some 8,000. The French, completely surprised, broke and fled from Altenburg losing a third of their number (2,100), in the process running over the Baden infantry which was taken prisoner despite attempting to resist.[6] Thielmann's force lost about 200 in casualties.
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