|
Page 3 of 3 This is the moment that is depicted on the painting, where we can see some artillerists dragging a gun into place. The terrain is soaked from the rain the previous night and morning, a munition limber has received a direct hit and a killed British artillery man lies with the right aft wheel. This to show that on this spot already many brave brits have died. Behind the artillerists captain Krahmer and a battery trumpeter, recognisable from his grey horse, busby and red tunic. Behind them British troops. At the right we see the Imperial Guard marching and in the foreground some silent witnesses of the massive french cavalrycharges, a dead horse and a fallen cuirassier.
The attack of the french Guard was indeed beaten off; the columns received heavy losses by the Southdutch [3] battery Krahmer, that pounded them with 'tin boxes', or grape-shot. They must have had great courage to take up such a position facing the renowned Guard. Artillery in this age was namely positioned in front of the infantry, because it had to have a clear field of fire. Besides that Krahmer had a good oversight over the situation when he arrived and first eliminated the French guns, before firing at the columns. For his actions during the Battle of Waterloo he received the Militaire Willemsorde 4th class.
The Northdutch footbattery of captain Lux did not fare so well and halfway the terrain got stuck in the mud. A greater role was also reserved for the 1st Brigade of colonel Detmers. Of his sic battalions Lord Hill sent three forward at a dangerous moment when a gap opened the lines; general Chass? ordered the remaining three to join them and so the whole brigade charged the French Guard with bayonets fixed in attackingcolumn. The Guards were so surprised, already having suffered the terrible fire from the battery Krahmer, that they halted and subsequently even recoiled! [4] This was the beginning of the Allied gaining the upperhand in the battle and the cry "Nous sommes thrahis" (We've been betrayed) spread among the French troops.
Erwin Muilwijk
<< Start < Prev 1 2 3 Next > End >>
|
