The French Army's artillery fire had all been coming from a position to the west of the center of the battlefield, and the attention of the Prussian officers was concentrated there as well.
But suddenly, cannonballs flew out from the vicinity of the right flank of the Prussian Army, catching both soldiers and officers off-guard. The startled soldiers stopped in their tracks without any officers to restrain and command them, and the formation immediately descended into chaos.
Because those five cannonballs were so precisely targeted, they caused 28 casualties among the infantry lines. An experienced Prussian veteran exclaimed, "That must be a French artillery camp, otherwise they couldn't have hit so many men!"
His words spurred greater confusion until an officer who had hurried over whipped him to the ground, and the surrounding clamorous cries of terror faded somewhat.