BATTLE OF LEUTHEN
“IT’S A CASE OF DO OR DIE! YOU’VE GOT THE ENEMY IN FRONT, AND ALL OUR ARMY BEHIND. THERE IS NO SPACE TO RETREAT, AND THE ONLY WAY TO GO FORWARD IS TO BEAT THE ENEMY!”
The blue-coated Prussian soldiers marched south over hard frozen ground blanketed with a light dusting of snow towards the nondescript village of Sagschutz at midday, on 5 September, 1757. A string of low hills masked their march from the watchful eyes of their Austrian foe arrayed for battle less than two miles to the west.
Prussian King Frederick II ‘The Great’ believed his army had a strong chance for success in the coming battle that would decide whether Prussia retained Silesia or lost it to the Austrians. He intended to send his well-trained infantry against the Austrian flank in what was known in military lexicon as an ‘oblique order of attack.’ Simply put, the Prussians would advance diagonally against the southern end of the Austrian line.
When Frederick had completed making his final adjustments for attack at 1.15pm, he rode over to two corporals who would carry the colours into battle for the first battalion of the 26th Infantry Regiment. Frederick wanted to make sure they knew exactly
