alternatehistory.com

11 February

The pull-out from the Dannevirke proceeds apace in the morning, with troops withdrawing from the areas furthest from the German contact in the early hours - in an attempt to prevent the German troops discovering the movement.
By lunchtime, the Germans have discovered the deception - though the works are already largely abandoned and most of the Danish army is on the way north - and a full attack is prepared, with the Prussians making ready to execute passage of lines to overcome the Danish defenders.
The artillery preparation is stepped up, focusing on doing damage to embrasures and to the forts, and the attacking troops are split into three waves (one division worth total, as compared to about 2,500 troops in this section of the Dannevirke - the need to cover the whole line to prevent cavalry slipping through has led to the rearguard being thinly spread, but this area has had the most attention).
At about 2pm, the order to advance is given. The Prussian artillery will continue firing until the assault troops are in the danger zone.


The attacking Prussian division has been selected as the one with "integrated regiments" - that is, each regiment consists of both regular and landwehr formations - and the regular commanders have been privately informed to keep their landwehr fellows on something of a leash. Accordingly, the first wave advances as planned to 400 yards - long range for the Dreyse, middling for those of their enemy - and begins to provide suppression fire.
The second wave advances through the gaps left in the formation, closing to within 100 yards, and then the order is given to load and fire - at this close range their faster fire more than compensates for the shorter range of the Dreyse, and though the artillery halts fire to avoid hitting the German troops the net result is that heavy and accurate fire (not quite "Schnellfeur" but close) keeps the Danish defenders suppressed. The downside of this approach is that it can only be kept up for an estimated ten minutes before the attackers begin to run dry of ammunition - this is why the third wave is already advancing.

The third wave does not stop. Like the second wave, they advance with rifles unloaded, and pass through the lines of the second wave through the gaps left before launching a bayonet charge - one which, coupled with the suppressive fire from the second wave, breaks the Danish defenders and forces their retreat.
(Unlike the first two waves, this one includes attachments from several other small German states - the reason behind this is political, as it means that the German Confederation as a whole is taking the Dannevirke.)
During this engagement, a Danish cavalry squadron attempts a countercharge - only to discover that at short range the Dreyse is rather more capable than a muzzle loader. Expecting to take around two volleys as they charge home, they take six and break before reaching the Prussian line.

By 3pm, the position is in German hands, though the delay imposed by the rearguard has allowed de Meza to march some miles north and out of range of full pursuit.
The combined German cavalry is sent over the Dannevirke to snap up stragglers and keep tabs on the Danes, and engineers begin preparing to transport the artillery and logistics train over the Danish fortification.


13 February

Cavalry engagement at Idstedt. This is notable for two reasons - firstly that it involves entirely cavalry forces, with no infantry from either side (the Danes too far north, the Germans working to make the Dannevirke fully secured) and secondly that it includes a lance charge which rescues the Prussian contingent from being encircled.
This is one of the battles which will later be used as evidence that the lance is not obsolete.


16 February
The Alabama Militia hold their annual review. After the passage of the mutual defence act, this is something which could bring in considerable tax relief for the state; however, with no enemies on any border, the Alabama Militia do not really have their heart in it. The parade is considerably below muster strength, and a number of men do not seem as experienced with their (predominantly Austrian) rifles as they should be.


A second engagement takes place on the road to Dybbol, this time involving German infantry against a Danish rearguard brigade. The rearguard attempts a bayonet charge against the Prussians, and again the difficulty of charging Dreyse infantry shows up - heavy Danish casualties result, though the charge disorders the Prussians (owing to one Landwehr regiment starting to break, and subsequent disruption) and slows the German pursuit.


17 February

As his troops begin to enter the Dybbol position (largely the advance guard, which took the first trains) de Meza is lambasted by the Danish parliament for abandoning the Dannevirke.
The conversation that takes place is acrimonious, including threats of dismissal, but in the end the deciding factor is considered that de Meza at least executed the withdrawal well - the heavy artillery largely made it out as did most of the rest of the force - and he is retained in command, pending a successful performance at Dybbol.

Pushing his luck, de Meza also requests that he be given first call on the Danish navy as he feels that good shore support could make the difference. This is denied - the Navy feels that attacks on the Prussian coast could be decisive in creating a case for a good peace - but he is given the ironclad Rolf Krake, the steam frigate Niels Juel and the old sail battleship the Frederik VI. (The intent is for Niels Juel to tow the Frederik VI around if need be.)