Battle of Waterloo
- The Waterloo battlefield was very small n area even for the standards of those days. The opposing armies occupied two ridges separated by a gentle valley. In the centre of the battlefield running south/north was the Charleroi-Brussels road. East ofthe Brussels road was the Wavre road, a sunken road some 5 to 7 feet (1.5 to 2 meters) deep with thick hedges alongside making it a natural trench.
- Napoleon had approximately 74,000 troops and 256 guns
- Wellington had about 68,000 men and 156 guns
- Blücher arrived on the field with three corps, being some 70000 men
- At 1130, Napoleon's brother Prince Jerôme attacked Goumont. The purpose of the attack on Goumont was diversionary he obviously felt differently about it. He was determined to capture Goumont no matter at what cost. Some French under the command of Lieutenant Legros managed to break through the north gate but were wiped out. Wellington send in some reinforcements. At some time the whole of Jerôme's division and a brigade of Foy's division were committed to this hopeless battle that should only have been a diversion.
- Napoleon sent Lobau's VI Corps and Domon's and Subervie's cavalry to cover his right flank against the Prussians and a message to Grouchy ordering him to join him immediately
- At about 1300 the Grand Battery opened fire. After about 30 minutes of heavy artillery fire, the French main attack started. The Allied infantry, except for Bylandt's exposed brigade had suffered practically no casualties from the bombardment since hardly a soldier was visible and the softness of the ground prevented ricochet fire.
- The French wavered under the British volleys, short range artillery fire and devastating bayonet charges. In the furious fight that ensued, General Picton was killed. He was still wearing his civilian clothes since his luggage had not arrived in time
- The cavalry brigades of Somerset and Ponsonby charged down on the French. Somerset's Household Brigade routed Traver's cuirassiers, then plunged into the mass of the French infantry while Ponsonby's Union Brigade charged on Marcognet's columns. Completely surprised, the French panicked and ran after a fierce struggle, losing some 3,000 men, the eagles of the 45th and 105th Regiments and two companies of horse artillery.
- Napoleon counterattacked and sent in one of Milhaud's cuirassier brigades and Jacquinot's lancers. Ponsonby was killed and his brigade was cut to pieces by this , some 1,000 officers and troopers of the Union Brigade were killed and the brigade ceased to exist.
- At 1600 the artillery duel reached a climax, the more numerous French guns gained the upper hand and pounded the Allied centre
- Ney sent this cavalry against the least damaged part of the Allied line, the right center, but without infantry or artillery support
- At 1730 Napoleon ordered Ney again to take La-Haie-Sainte
- When Ney captured La-Haie-Sainte at 1800, he asked Napoleon for reinforcements to take out the weakend Ally center. Napoleon responded with: "troops, were do you want me to find them, do you want me to make some?"
- This was the moment of truth and had Napoleon sent in the Imperial Guard at this time the battle could have been won
- The Imperial Guard retreated at around 2010
- Anglo-Dutch casualties were approximately 15,000 killed and wounded and several thousand more missing
- About 7,000 Prussians killed or wounded
- French lost about 26,000 killed and wounded, 9,000 missing, and 9,000 prisoners.
- The first mistake made was the postponement of the attack until 1300
- Napoleon made a second mistake by giving overall command of the attack to Ney
- Ther fourth mistake was allowing Jerôme to escalate the diversionary attack