On 20 May 1745, he and his hussars distinguished themselves with a daring nocturnal passage past an Austrian corps of 20,000 men. Zieten led the famous "Zietenritt" (Zietenride) around the enemy's lines to deliver the King's order to a distant detachment. Two weeks later, at Hohenfriedberg on 4 June, the Zieten Hussars distinguished themselves for the first time in a battle. Before the Battle of Hennersdorf in November, the Zieten Hussars shadowed the Imperial army, waiting to pounce on them. At Hennersdorf, Zieten repulsed the sudden and unexpected assault of the Austro-Saxons; Winterfeldt arrived on the field in time to take a decisive part in the victory. Once again the rivals had to share their laurels, and Zieten actually wrote to the king in disparagement of Winterfeldt, receiving in reply a full and generous recognition of his own worth and services, coupled with the curt remark that the king intended to employ General von Winterfeldt in any way that he thought fit.