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→The arrival of the Prussians IV Corps: Plancenoit
===The arrival of the Prussians IV Corps: Plancenoit===
===The arrival of the Prussians IV Corps: Plancenoit===
The first Prussian corp to arrive was the IV Corps and its objective was Plancenoit as a launch point into the rear of the French positions. It was Blücher's intention to secure his left upon Frichermont using the Bois de Paris road. <ref name=Hofschroer-116>Hofschröer [[#References|References]] p. 116</ref> Blücher and Wellington had been exchanging communications since 10:00 and had agreed to this advance on Frichermont if Wellington's centre was under attack.<ref name=Hofschroer-95>Hofschröer [[#References|References]] p. 95</ref><ref>Chasney, Waterloo Lectures p-165</ref> General Bülow noted that Plancenoit lay open and that the time was 16:30.<ref name=Hofschroer-116/> At about this time the 15th Brigade IV Corps linked up with the Nassauers of Wellington's left flank with the brigade artillery, horse artillery deployed to the left in support.<ref name=Hofschroer-117>Hofschröer [[#References|References]] p. 117</ref> Napoleon sent Lobau's Division to intercept Bülow's IV Corps. Therefore Napoleon sent his 10-battalion-strong Young Guard to beat the Prussians back. The 15th Brigade threw Lobau's troops out of Frichermont with a determined bayonet charge. The 15th proceeded up the Frichermont heights battering French Chasseurs with 12 pounder artillery fire and pushed on to Plancenoit. Napoleon had dispatched the entire 8 battalions of Young Guard and 2 battalions of the Old Guard to reinforce Lobau's Division. Hiller's 16th Brigade had 6 battalions available and pushed forward to attempt to take Plancenoit. The Young Guard counter-attacked and after very hard fighting, the Young Guard recaptured Plancenoit but were themselves counter-attacked and driven out.<ref name=Hofschroer-122>Hofschröer [[#References|References]] p. 122</ref> Napoleon sent two battalions of the Old Guard and after ferocious bayonet fighting - they did not deign to fire their muskets - they recaptured the village.<ref name=Hofschroer-122/> The dogged Prussians were still not beaten, and approximately 30,000 troops under Bülow and Pirch attacked Plancenoit again. It was defended by 20,000 Frenchmen in and around the village.
The first Prussian corp to arrive was the IV Corps and its objective was Plancenoit as a launch point into the rear of the French positions. It was Blücher's intention to secure his left upon Frichermont using the Bois de Paris road. <ref name=Hofschroer-116>Hofschröer [[#References|References]] p. 116</ref> Blücher and Wellington had been exchanging communications since 10:00 and had agreed to this advance on Frichermont if Wellington's centre was under attack.<ref name=Hofschroer-95>Hofschröer [[#References|References]] p. 95</ref><ref>Chasney, Waterloo Lectures p-165</ref> General Bülow noted that Plancenoit lay open and that the time was 16:30.<ref name=Hofschroer-116/> At about this time the 15th Brigade IV Corps linked up with the Nassauers of Wellington's left flank with the brigade artillery, horse artillery deployed to the left in support.<ref name=Hofschroer-117>Hofschröer [[#References|References]] p. 117</ref> Napoleon sent Lobau's Division to intercept Bülow's IV Corps. Therefore Napoleon sent his 10-battalion-strong Young Guard to beat the Prussians back. The 15th Brigade threw Lobau's troops out of Frichermont with a determined bayonet charge. The 15th proceeded up the Frichermont heights battering French Chasseurs with 12 pounder artillery fire and pushed on to Plancenoit. Napoleon had dispatched the entire 8 battalions of Young Guard and 2 battalions of the Old Guard to reinforce Lobau's Division. Hiller's 16th Brigade had 6 battalions available and pushed forward to attempt to take Plancenoit. The Young Guard counter-attacked and after very hard fighting, the Young Guard recaptured Plancenoit but were themselves counter-attacked and driven out.<ref name=Hofschroer-122>Hofschröer [[#References|References]] p. 122</ref> Napoleon sent two battalions of the Old Guard and after ferocious bayonet fighting - they did not deign to fire their muskets - they recaptured the village.<ref name=Hofschroer-122/> The dogged Prussians were still not beaten, and approximately 30,000 troops under Bülow and Pirch attacked Plancenoit again. It was defended by 20,000 Frenchmen in and around the village.
===Prussian advance===
Throughout the late afternoon, Zieten's I Corps had been arriving in greater strength in the area just north of Le Haye. This allowed Wellington to reinforce his centre in time to repulse Napoleon's attack. At the time the French Guard was being repulsed from the British centre, the Prussian I Corps was breaking through the French centre. <ref>Hofschröer [[#References|References]] p. ?</ref> By 19:30, the French position was bent into a rough horseshoe shape. The ends of the U were now based on Hougomont on the French left, Plancenoit on the French right, and the centre on La Haye.<ref name=Hofschroer-139>Hofschröer [[#References|References]] p. 139</ref> The French had retaken the positions of La Haye and Papelotte in a series of attacks by General Durette's Division.<ref name=Hofschroer-139/> Oberst von Hofmann's 24th regiment led an advance towards Le Haye and Papelotte; the French forces retreated behind Smohain without contesting the advance.<ref name=Hofschroer-139/> The 24th Regiment advanced against the new French position but was seen off after some early success. The Silesian Schützen and the F/1st Landwehr moved up in support as the 24th regiment returned to the attack.<ref name=Hofschroer-140>Hofschröer [[#References|References]] p. 140</ref> The French fell back before the renewed assault without much of an attempt at defense. At this point, the French began to seriously contest ground, attempting to regain Smohain and hold on to the ridgeline along Papelotte and the last few houses of Papelotte.<ref name=Hofschroer-140/> The 24th Regiment linked up with a Highlander battalion on its far right. Determined attacks by the 24th Regiment and the 13th Landwehr regiment with cavalry support threw the French out of these positions and further attacks by the 13th Landwehr and the 15th brigade expelled them from Fichermont.<ref>Hofschröer [[#References|References]] p. ?</ref> Durutte’s division was beginning to unravel under the assaults when General Zieten’s I Corps cavalry poured through the gap.<ref name=Hofschroer-144>Hofschröer [[#References|References]] p. 144 </ref> Durutte's division, finding itself about to be charged by massed cavalry of Ziethen's I Corps cavalry reserve, retreated quickly from the battlefield. I Corps then attained the Brussels road and the only line of retreat available to the French.
===The Capture of Plancenoit===
At about the same time, the Prussians were pushing through Plancenoit, in the third assault of the day upon the town.<ref name=Hofschroer-144/> The Prussian 5th, 14th, and 16th brigades, were involved in the attack.<ref name=Hofschroer-144/> Each Prussian brigade would be about 9 battalions strong, roughly the size of a French division. The church was fully involved in a fire, with house to house fighting leaving bodies from both sides lying about.<ref>Hofschröer [[#References|References]] p. ?</ref> The French Guard battalions, a Guard Chasseur and 1/2e Grenadiers were identified as holding the position. Virtually all of the Young Guard was now involved in the defence, along with remnants of Lobau's Division.<ref>Hofschröer [[#References|References]] p. ?</ref> The key to the position proved to be the woods to the south of Plancenoit. The 25th regiment's musketeer battalions threw the 1/2e Grenadiers (Old Guard) out of the Chantelet woods, flanking Plancenoit and forcing a retreat.<ref name=Hofschroer-144/> The Prussians IV Corps advanced beyond Plancenoit to find masses of French retreating in a jumbled mass from pursuing British units.<ref name=Hofschroer-145> [[#References|References]] p. 145</ref> The Prussians were unable to fire for fear of hitting allied units. It was now seen that the French right, left, and centre, were failing.<ref name=Hofschroer-145/>
===Disintegration===
The whole of the French front started to disintegrate under the general advance of Wellington's army and the Prussians following the capture of Plancenoit.<ref name=Hofschroer-146>Hofschröer [[#References|References]] p. 146</ref> The last coherent French force consisted of two battalions of the Old Guard stationed around the inn called ''La Belle Alliance''. This was a final reserve and a personal bodyguard for Napoleon. For a time, Napoleon hoped that if they held firm, the French army could rally behind them.<ref>http://home.iprimus.com.au/cpcook/letters/pages/waterfini.htm</ref> But as the retreat turned into a rout, they were forced to withdraw and form squares as protection against the leading elements of allied cavalry. They formed two squares, one on either side of ''La Belle Alliance''. Until he was persuaded that the battle was lost and he should leave, Napoleon commanded the square which was formed on rising ground to the (French) left of the inn.<ref>http://www.napoleonbonaparte.nl/newspaper/dedham/drouet.html</ref><ref>http://www.standin.se/fifteen15a.htm</ref> The Prussians engaged the square to the (French) right, and General Adam's Brigade charged the square on the right, forcing it to withdraw.<ref name=Hofschroer-149>Hofschröer [[#References|References]] p. 149</ref> As dusk fell, both squares retreated away from the battlefield towards France in relatively good order, but the French artillery and everything else fell into the hands of the Allies and Prussians. The retreating Guards were surrounded by thousands of fleeing Frenchmen who were no longer part of any coherent unit. Allied cavalry harried the fleeing French until about 23:00. The Prussians, led by [[August von Gneisenau|General von Gneisenau]], pursued them as far as Genappe before ordering a halt. By that point, some 78 guns had been captured along with about 2,000 prisoners, including more Generals.<ref name=Hofschroer-150>Hofschröer [[#References|References]] p. 150</ref> At Genappe, Napoleon's carriage was found abandoned still containing diamonds left in the rush. These became part of King Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia's crown jewels, one Major Keller of the F/15th receiving the [[Pour le Mérite]] with oak leaves for the feat.<ref name=Hofschroer-151>Hofschröer [[#References|References]] p. 151</ref>
==Sources==
==Sources==