Battle of Liegnitz (1760)
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| Seven Years' War: European theatre |
|---|
| Minorca – Lobositz – Reichenberg – Prague – Kolin – Hastenbeck – Gross-Jägersdorf – Moys – Rossbach – Breslau – Leuthen – Krefeld – Domstadtl – Zorndorf – Hochkirch – Bergen – Kay – Minden – Kunersdorf – Hoyerswerda – Maxen – Meissen – Landshut – Warburg – Liegnitz – Torgau – Villinghausen – Kolberg – Burkersdorf – Lutterberg – Freiberg |
The Battle of Legnica was fought in the early hours of August 15, 1760. The Army of Frederick the Great of Prussia met the Austrian army under Ernst von Laudon and defeated it.
The armies collided around the large silesian city Legnica (german Liegnitz) in Poland (formerly Prussian Silesia). Loudon's Austrian cavalry attacked the Prussian position in the early morning but were beaten back by General Zieten's Hussars. An artillery duel emerged which was eventually won for the Prussians when a grenade hit an Austrian powder wagon. The Austrian infantry then proceeded to attack the Prussian line, but was met with concentrated artillery fire. A Prussian infantry counter-attack led by the Regiment Anhalt-Bernburg on the left forced the Austrians into retreat.
Shortly after dawn the major action is over but Prussian artillery fire continued to harass the Austrians. General Leopold von Daun arrived and learning of Laudon's defeat, decided not to attack despite his soldiers being fresh.
