Post by captainchook on Jul 27, 2015 6:57:41 GMT
These photographs are mainly of the Prussian retreat to Wavre and advance to Waterloo.
The village of Mellery, where Blücher recovered on the night of 16 June. There are several houses and one farm that date from the period. Our tour group all decided this was the house Blücher was in, so it is now historical fact!
Grouchy got to Walhain on 18 June and began to hear the sound of artillery off to the west. Should he march to the sound of the guns? In fact, the distance from Walhain to Waterloo was much further than that of Wavre to Waterloo. All the roads were minor tracks and there were several small rivers to cross. It is unlikely he would ever have made it to Waterloo in time even is he had decided to march there immediately (of note - the tour company - The Cultural Experience - produced a lovely little book with amazing maps). Clearly, any hope of Grouchy intervening at Waterloo was lost in the early stages of his pursuit on 17 June.
Looking across a shallow valley from the heights of St Lambert. The area was less wooded back then (trees being used for firewood/buildings etc) and so the hills were probably bare. Some of the inclines are quite steep and it is easy to see why the Prussians had difficulty moving there artillery in this area after a night of heavy rain.
The roads here were not paved at the time. These roads follow the same path as in 1815 and are the same width. There is only room for perhaps four men abreast and artillery would be a tight squeeze. Even in ideal conditions it would have been hard to move an army through here with any speed, let alone after a day of rain turning these tracks to thick mud.
Sunken lane in the area of La Haie and Frischermont. Those Prussian forces that approached the left flank of the allied army would have to negotiate narrow paths like this.
Strangely, this part of the tour was, for me, the most eye opening. It gave me a real sense of the difficulties the Prussians had to overcome just to get to Waterloo. I was amused to see on a thread on The Other Place where someone stating that the Prussians were unnecessary slow in getting to the battle. Obviously they had never been to Waterloo or walked these roads. I think it is amazing that the Prussians ever got there in the first place.
If I ever get to this part of the world again I would like to walk some of the route from Wavre to Waterloo. Any takers.......?
The village of Mellery, where Blücher recovered on the night of 16 June. There are several houses and one farm that date from the period. Our tour group all decided this was the house Blücher was in, so it is now historical fact!
Grouchy got to Walhain on 18 June and began to hear the sound of artillery off to the west. Should he march to the sound of the guns? In fact, the distance from Walhain to Waterloo was much further than that of Wavre to Waterloo. All the roads were minor tracks and there were several small rivers to cross. It is unlikely he would ever have made it to Waterloo in time even is he had decided to march there immediately (of note - the tour company - The Cultural Experience - produced a lovely little book with amazing maps). Clearly, any hope of Grouchy intervening at Waterloo was lost in the early stages of his pursuit on 17 June.
Looking across a shallow valley from the heights of St Lambert. The area was less wooded back then (trees being used for firewood/buildings etc) and so the hills were probably bare. Some of the inclines are quite steep and it is easy to see why the Prussians had difficulty moving there artillery in this area after a night of heavy rain.
The roads here were not paved at the time. These roads follow the same path as in 1815 and are the same width. There is only room for perhaps four men abreast and artillery would be a tight squeeze. Even in ideal conditions it would have been hard to move an army through here with any speed, let alone after a day of rain turning these tracks to thick mud.
Sunken lane in the area of La Haie and Frischermont. Those Prussian forces that approached the left flank of the allied army would have to negotiate narrow paths like this.
Strangely, this part of the tour was, for me, the most eye opening. It gave me a real sense of the difficulties the Prussians had to overcome just to get to Waterloo. I was amused to see on a thread on The Other Place where someone stating that the Prussians were unnecessary slow in getting to the battle. Obviously they had never been to Waterloo or walked these roads. I think it is amazing that the Prussians ever got there in the first place.
If I ever get to this part of the world again I would like to walk some of the route from Wavre to Waterloo. Any takers.......?