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Friday, July 26, 2019

25 September – North Germany – Day 4

Blucher orders his army to concentrate at Salzwedel
3rd corps are forced to retreat to Kladen having lost battle of Kleinau
1st and 2nd corps are ordered to hold, reorganise and resupply
Reserve corps if ordered to advance to the right of 2nd corps

Napoleon must reorganise his supply system due to the advance of his army
Gifhorn depot is ordered to move to Weyhausen
Ruhen depot is ordered to move to Kleinau

His army is in need of reorganisation, resupply and replace battle casualties
But he is unwilling to allow Blucher to recover from his string of defeats

1st corps is ordered to reorganise and resupply
3rd corps is ordered to attack Schenga
13th corps is ordered to occupy Kleinau
Reserve corps is ordered to deploy between Kuhfelde and Kleinau

Both 1st Prussian corps and 3rd French corps require battle casualty replacement
The Prussians have more infantry casjualties, but less cavalry, casualties
The French have more infantry, but their cavalry is very weak
If Napoleon does not attack now 1st Prussian corps will soon recover

The battle of Schenga started well for the French
Their artillery inflicted first casualties on the enemy infantry
The dragoons kept well back due to starting with 20% casualties
All four infantry brigades advanced to attack, and that is when it started to go wrong
The leading infantry brigade suffered artillery casualties, but kept morale
Moving into canister range a second brigade received casualties and routed
The infantry to their right tested for rout, failed and were shaken
The gunners to their left tested for rout, failed and were also shaken
A Prussian infantry brigade charged the shaken brigade in flank, and they routed
Unable to press home the attack the remainder of the French corps retreated

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