The counterattack of the 8th Brigade

Prussina trench used for the Attack

 Unfortunately the heavy artillery fire delayed the reinforcements so much, that they on several  occasions came too late to
 resist the attack. In these cases there was now only the small crew of the redoubts to try to keep the positions.

 The redoubts at the stronghold Dybboel

The redoubts at Dybboel

 The redoubts I, II and III was defended by the 22nd regiment.
 Redoubt I had a distance of 550 meters to the Prussian trenches and was quickly surrounded by  the Prussian soldiers in
 the first column and the crew was forced to surrender.
 The redoubt fell at 10.06 am

Redoubt I 1864

 Redoubt II met the Prussians second column with artillery fire and forced them out to the sides toward the trenches. Here
 they were met by a fierce fire from the Danes and stopped or even retreated. But now the first and third Prussian column
 attacked the trenches from the sides or back. The first attack from the south of the redoubt was repulsed. Especially redoubt
 II was under very heavy shelling by the Prussian batteries at Broager. The redoubt was 400 meters from the Prussian front
 trench and fell at 10.10 am.
 In redoubt II, the commanding officer Lieutenant Ancher fought so valiantly, that the Prussians subsequently erected a
 memorial for him.

Lieutenant Ancher                                                    The memorial

Redoubt II 1864

 Redoubt III was defended by 19 men, and was attacked by 1000 Prussians.
 The attack Distance was 270 meters. Despite this, the Danes refused to surrender. 3 attacks were needed before the
 Prussians penetrated into the redoubt, but the fight continued in the interior of the redoubt and the powder magazine before
 the Danish soldiers finally surrendered at 10.05 am. At this time half of the defenders were dead or wounded.
 The Prussian losses in redoubt III were as large as 10 officers and 128 men.                

Redoubt III 1864

                                                                                 
                                Redoubt I 2010                                                  Redoubt II  2010                                                  Redoubt III 2010
 
 The redoubts IV, V and VI was defended by the second Regiment
 The Prussian fourth column which was supposed to attack redoubt fort IV in a distance of 400 meters, was met with such a
 fierce fire from the redoubt and the area behind it, that the column was in disarray. A part of the column attacked the trench
 to the left of the redoubt and broke through the Danish position. The redoubt was now effectively surrounded and fell after a
 fierce  battle at 10.13 am.

Redoubt IV 1864

 Redoubt V was in a distance of 320 meters from the Prussian front trench. The Danish defenders  managed to shoot two grenades with little bullets into the forwarding Prussian columns which
 suffered heavy losses. Two Danish counterattack against redoubt V with two or three platoons, pushed the enemy back for
 some time before the Danes even after hard struggle were forced to withdraw. The redoubt fell at 10.05 am

Redoubt V and the back                                                   of redoubt VI

 Redoubt VI fired six grenades with little bullets against the Prussian sixth column, while they advanced towards the redoubt.
 The attack distance was 330 meters.
 These grenades did not stop the Prussian advance, and after a short battle the redoubt fell at 10.05 am The infantry from
 behind did not reach in time to defend it.
 The Artillery crew continued firing until the redoubt fell, and therefore did not have sufficient time to destroy the guns, which
 were now turned against the trenches and the redoubts VII and VIII.

Redoubt VI 1864

                                                                      
                            Redoubt IV 2010                                                    Redoubt V 2010                                               Redoubt VI 2010
 
 
 Redoubt VII
 As soon as the shooting was heard, units from the 17^th  Regiment moved forward to take their posts in the redoubts VII and
 VIII. Despite heavy losses of the Prussian artillery fire on the road, they arrived before the enemy and opened fire against
 them. The Prussians were now surrounding  redoubt VII and shortly after it fell. The 1th Company attempted a counterattack,
 however, it failed.
 Also the 7^th Company attempted another counterattack, but was surrounded and after a short bayonet fighting they
 surrendered.

Redoubt  VII 1864                                                           Redoubt VII 2010

 The counterattack of the 8^th Brigade
 The time was now 10.45, and the attack had lasted for 45 minutes. The Redoubts I to VII were surrendered and the Prussian
 advance towards the beachhead,  where  the Danish 8^th Brigade was in reserve, continued. The brigade had not discovered
 that a  major attack was going on and precious time was lost. At 10.30 am the 8^th brigade was finally ordered forward to
 counterattack and take back the redoubts and support the first and the third  Brigade.
 At the beginning of the counterattack the brigade made little progress, and the enemy forces  were for a period forced to
 retreat.

The counterattack of  the 8th Brigade

 The redoubts VIII, IX and X were defended by the 17th regiment
 While the 8^th brigade’s counterattack was underway, redoubt VIII was still defended by the 5^th  company.
 28 Prussian artillery guns commenced a heavy fire over the redoubt VIII, and two times Prussian infantry tried to attack the
 redoubt, and both times attacks were repulsed. The third time they managed and the redoubt fell. Back by the defense was
 only a few men.

Redoubt VIII 1864

 Redoubt IX was attacked by nine enemy companies. It was defended by the sixth Company, and the battle ended only when
 most of the Company had fallen. Redoubt X was not left until the order to withdraw came, and all the guns in the redoubt
 were destroyed.

Redoubt IX 1864

Redoubt IX 1864

Redoubt X 1864

                                                     
                     Redoubt VIII 2010                                                 Redoubt IX 2010                                            Redoubt X 2010
 
 
 Although the counterattack of the 8th Brigade did not throw the enemy decisive, it had it not been in vain.
 The counterattack cost heavy casualties, but helped the remaining troops of the first and third Brigade to get back to the
 bridgehead. The Prussian forces continued their advance against the Danish positions at the bridgehead. But artillery fire
 from the opposite side of the strait Alssund and from the armored vessel Rolf  Krake stopped their advance and the remains
 of the Danish forces withdrew in good order back to the island Als and the pontoon bridges over Alssund was interrupted.
 The battle of Dybboel was lost.
 
 Casualties on both sides had been heavy, telling of the hard fighting, often hand-to-head with bayonets. On the Danish side
 approx. 700 were killed, 554 were wounded and 3,534 were captured, totally 4834 men. One general, (du Plat), a brigade
 commander, 5 regimental  commanders, 8 battalion commanders, and 36 company commanders were killed, wounded or
 captured. More than half of the commanders who participated in the battle 
 The Prussian loss were 1201 killed and wounded.