Heilsberg

First Encounters
The Armies
Preliminaries
The Battle
Other Resources

Preliminaries

Despite sporadic outbreaks of fighting, all remained quite during the period after the bloody battle of Eylau, with only the siege of Danzig fixing Napoleon's attention in the Polish theatre. On 1^st April 1807 he moved his headquarters to the town of Frinkenstein. The weather now improved and by 11^th May reports began to come in from French outposts that the Russian's were on the move, perhaps with the intention of raising the siege of Danzig. However, on 27^th May Marshal Francois Lefebvre, in charge of the siege, had forced the Russian Marshal, Kalkreuth to surrender the city, thus securing the rear areas of the French army against any operations from the sea.

On 5^th June Benningsen took the offensive. The Prussians under General Lestocq advanced prematurely to attack the French I Corps of Bernadotte.  The plan was badly executed and the Prussians were driven back to Mehlsack, while a Russian division under General Kamenski (not to be confused with Marshal Kamenski, who had been killed.)  on Lestocq's left flank was stalled at Lomitten. The forces under Bennigsen did manage to drive back Ney's II Corps causing some losses, but the red headed French Marshal managed to consolidate and halt the Russian's at Queetz.

Napoleon now decided to advance on Koenigsberg, moving along the left bank of the River Alle, and in so doing effectively cutting off the Russian's from their main base and communications. Each French corps was ordered to replenish all ammunition as well as being required to requisition all fodder and food from their immediate area.

On 9^th June the flamboyant and gaudy French Marshal, Joachim Murat, with four cavalry divisions and closely followed by the corps of Marshals Lannes, Ney and Soult entered the town of Guttstedt that evening at 7.00 pm.

Bennigsen meanwhile was drawing together his army at the camp at Heilsberg, while General Pierre Bagration covered his fall back with a large rearguard.

The Russian position at Heilsberg was now very strong. The town itself straddles the River Alle, the marketplace and main buildings, including a castle built by the Tutonic Knights on the left bank of the river, with a poorer suburb on the right. To the north, south and east of the town the land rises to form a semi-circle of high ground which dominates this part of the country. The River Alle bisects this high ground about one mile below Heilsberg. To the right of the river the ridge sweeps back in a steep curve until it falls away to a boggy stream which connects with the Alle at Heilsberg. On this bank the heights become more prominent and together with the nature of the ground at their furthest extremities, made it extremely difficult for them to be turned by an attacking army. To the left of the Alle the ridge is less of an obstacle and culminates at a large lake near the village of Grossendorf, some 3,000 meters north of Heilsberg. Both sides of the ridge to the east, or Russian side were dotted with small woods, while to the west, or French side they were bare and presented an almost glacis appearance.

Bennigsen had made full use of every fold of the terrain. On the left of the Alle he had constructed large redoubts capable of holding between 10 to 20 cannon each. On this side, about 500 metres from the river on a tongue of high ground running west was redoubt No 1, a massive structure some ten feet high with walls twelve feet thick. Inside, the earth was sloped up to the parapet upon which the cannon were placed. Strong timbers supported both the inner and outer walls. About 900 metres further north, on the same line, came redoubt No 2 constructed in a similar fashion. Redoubt No 3 was situated 1500 metres to the right rear of redoubt No 2, and facing slightly to the north and had the added advantage of having breastworks thrown up on both sides to facilitate defense. Across the Koenigsberg road another, smaller redoubt protected the extreme right flank, about 500 yards from the Grossendorf lake. Two or three 'fléches' or arrow shaped earthworks interspersed the main redoubts controlling the ground that could not be covered by their fire.

To the right of the Alle similar redoubts, some twelve in number, together with smaller fieldworks covered this part of the line.

Sloping away from the Russian position to the west the ground became open rolling plain; some turned over to agriculture, much left as pasture. A small stream, the Spuilbach meanders across this space from the north to the Alle. The village and wood of Lawden were on the left of the Spuilbach, about 4,000 metres to the northwest of Heilsberg, and about 900 metres southwest again from Lawden was the village of Langwiese; from here at a similar distance and on the same line west stood the village of Bewernick. The main road from Guttstadt to Hielsberg passes close to Bewernick and intersects with the Mehlshack road about 3,000 meters from Heilsberg.

View from near the village of Lawden (Red marker on main map). 
The remains of Lawden wood can be seen on the left.

Along the fortified high ground on both sides of the Alle, Bennigsen formed his army in line of battle. Near the left bank stood the Russian 8th division in battalion column. On their right the 6th division continued the line in similar formation linking with the 4^th and 5^th divisions at the rear of redoubt No2. Prussian cavalry were also massed with Russian mounted units to the right of the 5^th division. Behind these formations, at about 200 metres distance, a large force of 12 battalions were grouped in three columns, consisting of troops taken from the main divisions, and placed here for counter attacks. Redoubt No 1 was garrisoned by four battalions while General Kamenski held ten more in and to the left and right of redoubts No 2 and No 3; each of these containing 16 and 14 cannon respectively. Cossack units were spread out around Grossendorf and well north of the lake.

The Red and Blue markers indicate the positions shown on the photographs.

The right bank of the Alle, being the least part of the Russian position to come under serious attack owing to its strength and situation, was gradually stripped of its defenders during the battle, the Russian 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 7^th and 14^th divisions crossing over to the left bank leaving only a few regiments of infantry and cavalry on the right bank. The five bridges in Heilsberg itself were supplemented by a further six pontoons connecting each bank and facilitating the passage of large bodies of troops.