211 THE SEVEN YEARS WAR, 1756-63plateau were at their steepest, particularly to the west of Siiptitz, and
the access was impeded by the marshy and steeply banked channels of
the Rohr-Graben, which ran by way of the two Sheep Ponds (Schaff-
Teiche) and the village of Siiptitz to the Great Pond (Grosser Teich),
a large lake stretching to the south-west of Torgau.
A 'left-flanking' circuit around to the west of the position was all
the more attractive to Frederick since he could march through the
wooded Dommitzscher-Heide and with any luck arrive unseen at the
rear of the Austrian army, from where he could ascend the gentle
northern slopes of the plateau to the attack. The ridge was scarcely
eight hundred paces broad at the top, which opened the agreeable
prospect of the Austrians sinking into confusion when they tried to
rearrange their densely packed forces to meet the assault.
Frederick was going to pit about 48,500 troops against 52,000-
53,000 Austrians. He owned a train of no less than 181 howitzers and
12-pounder cannon, which gave him a superiority in heavy ordnance
over the Austrians, with their 58 howitzers and heavy cannon.
However, the king was outmatched in the total number of barrels of
all calibres, which amounted to 246 pieces for the Prussians and 275
for Daun.
Frederick was used to being outnumbered in his battles. What
made the plan for the combat at Torgau so remarkable was that the
king, already inferior in troops and guns, was inspired by the lie of the
ground to divide his army into two parts, of which Zieten was to lead
18,000 troops (11,000 infantry and 7,000 cavalry) against the
southward-facing front of the Austrian position, while Frederick
made his way to the Austrian rear to launch the principal attack with
the remaining 30,500 (24,000 infantry and 6,500 cavalry). (See Map
24, p. 373.) Frederick's instructions for Zieten were private and
verbal, and we know nothing for certain about the nature of Zieten's
task, the intended timing of his movements, or what arrangements, if
any, were made for communication between the two elements of the
army, once they had separated.
The main force was to make its way through the Dommitzscher-
Heide in three columns. Frederick in person accompanied the leading
column of just under 16,700 troops. Fifteen battalions of columns
comprised the striking head, and the 1,000 Zieten Hussars provided an
immediate escort of cavalry. The reliable old Lieutenant-General
Hiilsen was to bring up the second column of twelve battalions, or
about 6,300 men. Finally Lieutenant-General Prince Georg Ludwig of
Holstein-Gottorp led the third, cavalry-heavy column of thirty-eight
squadrons of horse (about 5,500 men) and four battalions (2,000).
From the wording of the relevant Disposition (PC 12458) it is evident
that Frederick wished to deliver an 'oblique attack', with the heaviest