Fighting at Epuisay

Fighting at Epuisay
Part of Franco-Prussian War
Date17 December 1870[1]
Location
Épuisay, Loir-et-Cher, France[2]
Result Bavarian Victory[3][4]
Belligerents
 French Republic  Bavaria
Commanders and leaders
Antoine Chanzy[5] Ludwig von der Tann-Rathsamhausen[4]
Casualties and losses
230 captured[6] Unknown

The Fighting at Épuisay[7] was a military conflict of the Franco-Prussian War,[4] it took place on 17 December 1870,[1] in Épuisay where there was a junction of roads from Vendôme and Morée to Saint-Calais.[5] This was a battle between the rear forces of the Armée de la Loire of the French Republic under the command of Antoine Chanzy with the German army in retreat after X Legion being defeated in the Battle of Vendôme on 16 December 1870.[4] Under the command of General Ludwig von der Tann-Rathsamhausen, the German army captured Epuisay and captured 230 prisoners.[6]

After the engagement at Epuisay, Chanzy continued his retreat, and on 21 December his troops entered Le Mans.[4] By this time, the Loire Legion, after a series of defeats, had fallen into disrepair.[8] At the beginning of month January 1871, Chief of the Prussian army, Helmuth von Moltke the Elder ordered the Army of Monday which was commanded by Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia to attack Chanzy in the Battle of Le Mans which was a catastrophic defeat for the French army.[9]

  1. ^ a b Tableau historique de la guerre franco-allemande (15 juillet 1870-10 mai 1871)., Page 97
  2. ^ "Campagne de la Loire en 1870-1871: Josnes, Vendome, Le Mans; avec 13 cartes"
  3. ^ Gaston Mitchell, Journal des deux mondes pendant le siége de Paris, Page 256
  4. ^ a b c d e Edmund Ollier, Cassell's history of the war between France and Germany, 1870-1871, Page 32
  5. ^ a b Daily News (London), Daily News, London, The war correspondence of the Daily news, 1870', Page 62
  6. ^ a b The Nation, Volume 11, Page 415
  7. ^ Prussia (Kingdom). Armee. Grosser Generalstab. Kriegsgeschichtliche Abteilung II., Der deutsch-französische Krieg, 1870-71: redigirt von der Kriegsgeschichtlichen Abtheilung des Grossen Generalstabes, Page 996
  8. ^ David J. A. Stone, First Reich: inside the German army during the war with France 1870-71, Page 199
  9. ^ Geoffrey Wawro, The Franco-Prussian War: The German Conquest of France in 1870-1871, Page 292