Siege of Lichtenberg

Siege of Lichtenberg
Part of Franco-Prussian War

„Die Berennung von Lichtenberg“, oil on canvas by Karl Albert von Schott
DateAugust 9–10, 1870[3][4]
Location
Lichtenberg Castle, Alsace, France[5]
Result German Victory[6][7][8]
Belligerents
 French Empire

 North German Confederation

Commanders and leaders
Second Lieutenant Archer[9] Hugo von Obernitz[9]
Hermann von Hügel[10]
Strength
30 officers and 280 soldiers[11][12] 2 Jäger battalions
2 infantry companies
3 artillery batteries
1/2 cavalry squadron
pioneer detachment
Casualties and losses
10 men killed and 27 wounded, the rest were captured,[11][12]
4 cannons, 3 howitzers, 204 Chassepot rifles, many shells and muskets as well as many reserves seized[9]		 2 officers and 36 soldiers killed or wounded [13] (of whom 12 were killed and 24 wounded)[11]

The siege of Lichtenberg was a battle of the Franco-Prussian War that took place on August 9–10, 1870 at Lichtenberg Castle between French and German (Prussian and Württembergian) troops. After a brief but fierce shelling a German force under the command of Generalmajor Hermann Freiherr von Hügel, part of the Württemberg Division (Generalleutnant Hugo von Obernitz) and the Third Army (Crown Prince Frederick William) forced the surrender of the French garrison of Lichtenberg under the command of Second Lieutenant Archer (of the 96th Infantry Regiment). In addition to Lichtenberg, in a single period in August 1870, the German army also defeated the French fortresses of La Petite-Pierre, Marsal and Vitry-le-François.[14][15]

  1. ^ Michael Solka, German Armies 1870-71 (2): Prussia's Allies,page 40, verbatim: "When the Franco-Prussian War broke out, the division (Württemberg) was placed under control of Prussia"...
  2. ^ Henry Smith Williams, The historians' history of the world: a comprehensive narrative of the rise and development of nations from the earliest times as recorded by over two thousand of the great writers of all ages, p. 151
  3. ^ Wilhelm Rüstow, The war for the Rhine frontier, 1870: its political and military history, Volume 1, p. 296
  4. ^ "Histoire générale de la guerre de 1870-1871: (seconde campagne de France)"
  5. ^ Moonis Raza, Geographical Dictionary Of The World In The Early 20th Century With Pronouncing Gazetteer (in 2 Vos.), p. 1026
  6. ^ "Journals of Field-Marshall Count von Blumenthal for 1866 and 1870-71;"
  7. ^ Edmund Ollier, Cassell's history of the war between France and Germany, 1870-1871, p. 40
  8. ^ "FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR: ITS CAUSES, INCIDENTS, AND CONSEQUENCES", EDITED BY CAPTAIN H: M. HOZIER, F.C.S., F.G.S., AUTHOR OF "THE SEVEN WEEKS' WAR," "THE BRITISH EXPEDITION TO ABYSSINIA," ETC.
  9. ^ a b c "The siege operations in the campaign against France, 1870-71."
  10. ^ Paul Dorsch, Württembergs Söhne in Frankreich 1870/71, p. 54
  11. ^ a b c "The Franco-German War, 1870-1871..."
  12. ^ a b T. D. Wanliss, The war in Europe of 1870-1: with an enquiry into its probable consequences, p. 197
  13. ^ Julius von Pflu/gk-Harttung, Sir John Frederick Maurice, The Franco-German war, 1870-71, pp. 99-100.
  14. ^ Henry Allnutt, Historical diary of the war between France and Germany, 1870-1, p. 124
  15. ^ "The Franco-German War of 1870—71" (written by Helmuth von Moltke, translated by Archibald Forbes)