THE BATTLE OF LIEGNITZ, August 15, 1760
     After months of maneuvering and forced marches in Silesia, the Austrian Field Marshal Daun with 90,000 men seemed finally to have the destruction of Frederick and his 30,000-man army firmly within his grasp. While Daun with the main army planned to attack the Prussian camp near Liegnitz, Loudon's corps of 24,000 men would strike at the Prussian rear, cutting off  the retreat and sealing the King's doom. Unbeknownst to the Austrians, however, Frederick had repositioned his army during the night and in the pre-dawn darkness Loudon's strong detachment unexpectedly encountered the Prussian army near the towns of Panten and Bienowitz.
     Frederick was still repostioning the army when an attack by the right wing of Loudon's cavalry threatened to turn his flank. Recovering quickly from this unexpected blow, the Austrian horse was thrown back by Prussian cuirassiers while the infantry attack of the Austrian left and center was halted by a combination of musketry and canister fire. 
     Frederick, personally commanding the 14,000 Prussians engaged in the action, then took the offensive. A counterattack down the brushy slope drove the Austrians out of Panten (the town at the bottom of the hill). The Prussian attack was itself halted by attacks by Austrian cavalry covering Loudon's withdrawal. 
     Casualties were heavy on both sides (Loudon lost 8500 to Frederick's 3300), but Frederick had "punched a hole" through the bag Daun had drawn up around him, just as the King had said he would.   

