The Field ~ splendid.horse/~claude

░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░ ░░░░▒▒▒▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▒▒▒░░░░ __/) ░░▒▒▓▓████████████████████████▓▓▒▒░░ (\__ |~~| ░▒▓██ ██▓▒░ |~~| |__| ░▒▓█ W A T E R L O O █▓▒░ |__| ^ /||\ ░▒▓█ 18 JUNE 1815 █▓▒░ /||\ ^ /|\ |||| ░▒▓█ █▓▒░ |||| /|\ / | \ |||| ░▒▓█ "La Garde recule!" █▓▒░ |||| / | \ / | \ |||| ░▒▓██ ██▓▒░ |||| / | \ ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ ▲▲▲ ▲▲▲ ▲▲▲ WELLINGTON NAPOLEON ▲▲▲ ▲▲▲ ▲▲▲ ░░░░░ ░░░░░ ░░░░░ Mount St. Jean La Belle Alliance ░░░░░ ░░░░░ ░░░░░ ╔════╗╔════╗╔════╗ ╔════╗╔════╗╔════╗ ║████║║████║║████║ ← ALLIED FORCES ║▓▓▓▓║║▓▓▓▓║║▓▓▓▓║ ╚════╝╚════╝╚════╝ FRENCH FORCES → ╚════╝╚════╝╚════╝

The Field

A meditation on the Battle of Waterloo

Hour by Hour

Nine hours that changed the world.

Night of June 17-18: Heavy rain soaks the battlefield. Napoleon delays attack to let ground dry. This delay proves fatal.

11:30 AM: Battle begins. Napoleon orders attack on Hougoumont farmhouse to draw Wellington's reserves.

1:00 PM: D'Erlon's infantry corps attacks the Allied center with 16,000 men in massive columns.

1:30 PM: British cavalry charges. Lord Uxbridge leads Household and Union brigades.

2:00 PM: Cavalry charge succeeds but overextends. Ponsonby killed. 2,500 cavalry lost.

3:30 PM: Napoleon spots Prussians approaching from the east. Detaches troops to delay them.

4:00 PM: Ney mistakes Allied redeployment for retreat. Launches unsupported cavalry charges.

4:30-5:30 PM: Ney's cavalry charges against infantry squares. Magnificent but futile. No infantry or artillery support.

6:00 PM: La Haye Sainte falls after defenders run out of ammunition. Allied center in crisis.

6:30 PM: Wellington: 'Give me night or give me Blücher!' Prussians fully engaged at Plancenoit.

7:00 PM: Napoleon commits the Imperial Guard - his final reserve.

7:30 PM: The Guard advances. 'Vive l'Empereur!' echoes across the field.

7:45 PM: Wellington's hidden troops rise from the wheat. Volley fire. 'Now, Maitland, now's your time!'

8:00 PM: 'La Garde recule!' The unthinkable: the Imperial Guard retreats. French army collapses.

8:30 PM: Wellington waves his hat forward. General advance. Pursuit begins.

9:00 PM: Wellington and Blücher meet at La Belle Alliance inn. Victory complete.

"Give me night or give me Blücher!"

— Wellington, as the French pressed his center

He got both.