Battle of Prenzlau

Overview

In the Battle of Prenzlau or Capitulation of Prenzlau on 28 October 1806 two divisions of French cavalry and some infantry led by Marshal Joachim Murat intercepted a retreating Prussian corps led by Frederick Louis, Prince of Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen. In this action from the War of the Fourth Coalition, Hohenlohe surrendered his entire force to Murat after some fighting and a parley. Prenzlau is located about 90 kilometers north of Berlin in Brandenburg.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The capitulation at Prenzlau on 28 October 1806 effectively eliminated a Prussian corps of 10,000–12,000 men during the broader collapse of Prussian resistance following the twin defeats at Jena-Auerstedt. Murat's cavalry interception of Hohenlohe's retreating force north of Berlin, resulting in the surrender of the entire corps after limited fighting, illustrated how thoroughly French mobile forces were able to pursue and neutralize organized Prussian formations. The loss of some 3,500 casualties and the capitulation of the remainder accelerated the disintegration of the Prussian army as a coherent fighting force in the 1806 campaign, leaving little organized resistance between the French and the Baltic coastline.

Tactics

Forces & casualties

Commanders (2)