With the defeat of the First Army, Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia ordered a massed artillery attack against Canrobert's position at St. Privat to prevent the Guards' attack from failing too.
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The combined German forces, under Field Marshal von Moltke, were the Prussian First and Second Armies of the North German Confederation numbering about 210 infantry battalions, 133 cavalry squadrons, and 732 heavy cannons totaling 188,332 officers and men.
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The battle at first appeared to favor the French, for they had better rifles, the Chassepot, an early bolt-action rifle replacing the musket with a range of over 1,500 yards, far superior to the Prussian Dreyse bolt-action rifle, also called the needle gun, which had a range of only 600 yards.
It was established in 1916 and named after the farm owned by a Prussian missionary who had fought in the Battle of Gravelotte (1870–71).
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On August 18, 1870, Felix Salm-Salm was killed in combat at Saint-Privat-la-Montagne during the Battle of Gravelotte.
In the Franco-Prussian War Prittwitz took part in the battles of Gravelotte, Sedan - here he was wounded by a grenade - and in the conquest of Montmédy.
Two days later, while the French actually retreated on Metz (taking seven hours to cover 5 to 6 miles) the masses of the Germans gathered in front of Bazaine's Army at Gravelotte, intercepting his communication with the interior of France.