270:. Prince Henry's center, composed of infantry, had marched behind the Janus hill, and was supported by Seydlitz's seven regiments of horse. At about 3:00 pm, on the signal from Seydlitz himself, Moller's artillery opened fire on the Allied troops and tore huge gaps in their lines. The artillery first destroyed any semblance of order among the Allied cavalry, and then raked the infantry. The artillery fire was so thorough the concussion of the bombardment could be felt several miles away. Soubise and his staff thought the Prussians were retreating, and using the guns as cover, and simply hurried to get out of range, but this further disorganized the Allied lines, and caused unit cohesion to break down. Consequently, at 3:30 pm, when Seydlitz's squadrons descended on the Allied army, they wrought havoc among the infantry and cavalry who had remained in columns; those who escaped the artillery and the horsemen ran headlong into Prince Henry's infantry. Again, artillery fire came into focus: Moller's battery on the Janus had been reinforced with three siege guns from Leipzig, and these huge guns battered the Austrians again. Rossbach proved that the column as a means of tactical deployment on battlefield was inferior to the Prussian battle line; the massed columns simply could not hold in the face of Moller's fire; the greater the formation of men, the greater the loss of life and limb.
296:'s advanced guard against it. Expecting cavalry, the Russians formed in a square, the best way to receive a mounted attack but the worst way to receive an artillery barrage. Moller opened fire with 60 total of his 18- and 24-pounders, placed in two locations around Zorndorf; the initial range was too far, so they closed about 600 paces, and then ripped the Russian squares apart. Russian sources reported that one particular cannon shot killed or wounded 48 grenadiers. Despite this accuracy, Moller's contribution at Zorndorf could not be measured in a single stroke, but in his ability to move his
71:
224:; the artillery played a significant role. The guns started firing at about 6:00 am, but it was occasional fire: after 7:00 am, the artillery put forth a sustained and effective effort. Although the Austrians held the higher ground as far as the infantry and cavalry were concerned, and the artillery thundered from the heights above the Prussian line so long and so loudly that even seasoned veterans became unnerved: some of the
28:
236:
pounded against the
Austrian force so effectively the artillery used its ammunition at a rapid rate. The battle was not an unqualified success, although the Austrians abandoned the field which, in the 18th century, was tantamount to admitting defeat. Moller was promoted to
309:
Frederick held Moller in high regard. Moller once told the King, "Your
Majesty, all will be well, my genius will tell me", and the outcome had justified his confidence; Frederick frequently asked him in times of trouble, "what his genius tell him". Moller died in
300:
around the battlefield. At 1:00 pm, they were in one place, firing canister into tightly-packed
Russian formations; at 4:00 pm, they were another place, pounding the Russian line; at 7:00, they were elsewhere, preventing a Russian counter-attack.
511:
194:. In 1737, he was dispatched to the Austrian army, to fight in the war against the Ottoman Empire. On 19 November 1741 he returned to the Prussian army, and was promoted to staff captain; in January 1742, he was promoted to
516:
521:
360:
edited by the
Historischen Kommission bei der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften , Volume 22 (1885), pp. 127–128, digital full text available at Wikisource (version of 8 March 2017, 15:13 UTC)
292:
and
Zorndorf. There, at Zorndorf, Moller's artillery was a key to the battle plan. Frederick's plan of attack was first to hammer the Russian right with heavy artillery fire and then to launch
442:
edited by the
Historischen Kommission bei der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften , Volume 22 (1885), p. 123, digital full text available at Wikisource (version of 9 March 2017, 14:46 UTC)
232:'s army fled to the rear of the field and even Browne himself, a life-long veteran, admitted to never hearing anything like it. From 1:00 pm onward, the Prussian
322:
229:
132:
486:
249:
114:
329:
266:
At the Battle of
Rossbach, the center of action occurred around Moller's battery of 16 heavy guns and two howitzers on the
467:
435:
463:
353:
293:
285:
506:
501:
58:
221:
155:
151:
118:
279:
261:
238:
217:
211:
167:
163:
159:
76:
33:
482:
242:
187:
128:
459:, Verlag der Deckerschen Geheimen Ober-Hofbuchdruckerei, Berlin, 1851 (Reprint Leipzig 1987).
289:
191:
27:
297:
474:
edited by the
Historischen Kommission bei der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften
495:
246:
183:
179:
88:
199:
454:
418:
154:
high confidence in the artillery's ability to effect the outcome. During the
233:
178:
Moller, born in 1690, joined the
Prussian military on 26 January 1720 as a
32:
Lieutenant
Colonel von Moller was instrumental in the Prussian victory at
311:
54:
325:, Moller is one of only three who did not achieve the rank of general.
252:: "Moller has done miracles and secunded me in an astonishing manner."
225:
195:
147:
144:
315:
150:
of artillery. His uncanny genius at setting up artillery parks gave
512:
Prussian military personnel of the War of the Austrian Succession
241:
the day after the battle, 2 October 1756, and received the Order
143:(sometimes spelled Möller) (1690 – 9 November 1762) was a
182:
in the artillery corps, of which his father was the regimental
479:
Frederick the Great and the Seven Years' War, 1756–1763,
371:
Frederick the Great and the Seven Years' War, 1756–1763,
220:, fought on 1 October 1756, was the first major battle of the
456:
Denkmal König Friedrichs des Großen: Enthüllt am 31. Mai 1851
420:
Denkmal König Friedrichs des Großen: Enthüllt am 31. Mai 1851
158:, Moller gained great fame specifically for his actions at
133:
Name inscribed on Frederick the Great's Equestrian Statue
517:
Prussian military personnel of the Seven Years' War
124:
110:
102:
94:
82:
64:
48:
40:
18:
321:Of the military men whose names are listed on the
522:Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (military class)
348:
346:
344:
332:(1734–1802), was a lieutenant general.
8:
26:
15:
466:, Volume 22 (1885), pp. 127–128 and
323:Equestrian statue of Frederick the Great
230:Maximilian Ulysses Reichsgraf von Browne
340:
186:. On 1 April 1729, he was promoted to
470:. Volume 22 (1885), p. 123. In
330:Christian Friedrich August von Moller
7:
468:Moller, Christian Friedrich August v
436:Moller, Christian Friedrich August v
425:, Berlin 1851 (Reprint Leipzig 1987)
14:
250:Kurt Christoph Graf von Schwerin
69:
472:Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie,
440:Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie,
358:Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie,
115:War of the Austrian Succession
1:
106:Lieutenant Colonel, Artillery
284:Moller also was present at
538:
464:Moller, Karl Friedrich von
400:Redman, pp. 130–136.
354:Moller, Karl Friedrich von
277:
259:
209:
190:and on 31 August 1733, to
409:Redman, pp 210–217.
141:Karl Friedrich von Moller
25:
20:Karl Friedrich von Moller
198:and on 20 April 1755 to
294:Heinrich von Manteuffel
462:Poten, Bernhard von.
373:McFarland, 2015, p.15.
318:, on 9 November 1762.
278:Further information:
260:Further information:
245:. Frederick wrote to
210:Further information:
95:Years of service
477:Redman, Herbert J.
434:Bernhard von Poten,
352:Bernhard von Poten,
59:Electorate of Saxony
369:Herbert J. Redman,
152:Frederick the Great
280:Battle of Zorndorf
274:Battle of Zorndorf
262:Battle of Rossbach
256:Battle of Rossbach
239:lieutenant colonel
218:Battle of Lobositz
212:Battle of Lobositz
206:Battle of Lobositz
77:Kingdom of Prussia
481:McFarland, 2015,
188:second lieutenant
138:
137:
529:
443:
432:
426:
416:
410:
407:
401:
398:
392:
389:
383:
380:
374:
367:
361:
350:
222:Seven Years' War
192:first lieutenant
174:Military service
156:Seven Years' War
119:Seven Years' War
84:
75:
73:
72:
30:
16:
537:
536:
532:
531:
530:
528:
527:
526:
492:
491:
451:
446:
433:
429:
417:
413:
408:
404:
399:
395:
390:
386:
381:
377:
368:
364:
351:
342:
338:
307:
298:horse artillery
282:
276:
264:
258:
214:
208:
176:
131:
117:
98:1720–1762
70:
68:
53:
52:9 November 1762
36:
21:
12:
11:
5:
535:
533:
525:
524:
519:
514:
509:
504:
494:
493:
490:
489:
475:
460:
450:
447:
445:
444:
427:
411:
402:
393:
391:Redman, p. 22.
384:
375:
362:
339:
337:
334:
306:
303:
275:
272:
257:
254:
243:Pour le Mérite
207:
204:
175:
172:
136:
135:
129:Pour le Mérite
126:
122:
121:
112:
108:
107:
104:
100:
99:
96:
92:
91:
86:
80:
79:
66:
62:
61:
50:
46:
45:
42:
38:
37:
31:
23:
22:
19:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
534:
523:
520:
518:
515:
513:
510:
508:
505:
503:
500:
499:
497:
488:
487:9780786476695
484:
480:
476:
473:
469:
465:
461:
458:
457:
453:
452:
448:
441:
437:
431:
428:
424:
422:
421:
415:
412:
406:
403:
397:
394:
388:
385:
382:Redman, p 17.
379:
376:
372:
366:
363:
359:
355:
349:
347:
345:
341:
335:
333:
331:
326:
324:
319:
317:
313:
304:
302:
299:
295:
291:
287:
281:
273:
271:
269:
263:
255:
253:
251:
248:
247:Field Marshal
244:
240:
235:
231:
227:
223:
219:
213:
205:
203:
201:
197:
193:
189:
185:
184:quartermaster
181:
173:
171:
169:
165:
161:
157:
153:
149:
146:
142:
134:
130:
127:
123:
120:
116:
113:
109:
105:
101:
97:
93:
90:
89:Prussian Army
87:
81:
78:
67:
63:
60:
56:
51:
47:
43:
39:
35:
29:
24:
17:
478:
471:
455:
439:
430:
423:
419:
414:
405:
396:
387:
378:
370:
365:
357:
328:His nephew,
327:
320:
308:
283:
267:
265:
215:
177:
140:
139:
111:Battles/wars
507:1762 deaths
502:1690 births
496:Categories
336:References
268:Janushügel
65:Allegiance
305:Last days
234:howitzers
180:cannoneer
312:Freiberg
168:Zorndorf
164:Rossbach
160:Lobositz
145:Prussian
83:Service/
55:Freiberg
34:Rossbach
449:Sources
290:Olomouc
196:captain
148:colonel
485:
316:Saxony
286:Prague
226:Croats
125:Awards
85:branch
74:
200:major
483:ISBN
216:The
166:and
103:Rank
49:Died
44:1690
41:Born
228:in
162:,
498::
438:.
356:,
343:^
314:,
288:,
202:.
170:.
57:,
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
