Battle of Mormant
Battle of Mormant | |||||||
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Part of the Campaign of France of the Sixth Coalition | |||||||
Battle of Mormant by Jean-Antoine-Siméon Fort | |||||||
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
France |
Austria Bavaria Russia | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Édouard Milhaud |
Peter Pahlen | ||||||
Units involved | |||||||
II Corps Reserve of Paris V Cavalry Corps VI Cavalry Corps |
V Corps V Corps VI Corps | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
18,000[1]–20,000 |
Hardegg's division Lamotte's division 3,500–4,300, 12 guns Total: 9,000[1] | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
600[1]–800[2] |
1,000 +2,114, 9–12 guns lost Total: 3,114[1] | ||||||
The Battle of Mormant (17 February 1814) was fought during the
. Pahlen's outnumbered force was enveloped by cavalry and infantry, and nearly destroyed, with only about a third of its soldiers escaping.Later in the day, a French column encountered an Austrian-Bavarian rearguard in the Battle of Valjouan. The Allied force was attacked and mauled by French infantry and cavalry, before it withdrew behind the Seine River. The Mormant-Valjouan actions and the Battle of Montereau the following day marked the start of a French counteroffensive intended to drive back Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg's Allied Army of Bohemia.
Background
The Allied generals, particularly the Prussians, were exuberant following their victory over
Napoleon landed some damaging blows on Blücher's army in the subsequent
While Napoleon was drubbing Blücher, Schwarzenberg's main army pushed back the forces of Marshals Victor and Oudinot. On the Allied right wing,
Leaving Marshals
Battle
Armies
Schwarzenberg had over 100,000 soldiers in his main army. A week later, on 23 February, the army counted Moritz von Liechtenstein's 2nd Light Division (4,000), Bianchi's I Corps (13,000), Gyulai's III Corps (11,000), Württemberg's IV Corps (10,000), Wrede's V Corps (21,000), Wittgenstein's VI Corps (15,000) and Barclay's Guard and Reserve Corps (30,000).[13] This reckoning was made after the Battle of Montereau which cost the I Corps 2,000 casualties and the IV Corps 2,844 casualties.[14] When Schwarzenberg heard about Blücher's defeats, he ordered his army to pull back behind the Seine.[15] Instead of obeying, Wittgenstein aggressively pushed his corps west beyond Provins toward Nangis while his advanced guard under Pahlen reached Mormant. On 16 February, Wrede's corps was near Donnemarie-Dontilly except for Anton von Hardegg's division which was in Nangis. Württemberg's corps was near Montereau with advance guards near Melun. Bianchi's corps was south of the Seine between Moret-sur-Loing and Villeneuve-la-Guyard with advance guards farther west in Fontainebleau. Gyulai's corps was in Pont-sur-Yonne, Barclay's Russian Reserves were near Nogent while Liechtenstein's division and the Austrian Reserves were at Sens.[16]
Napoleon massed his army near Guignes by the evening of 16 February. The
Mormant
At Mormant, Pahlen became aware that large numbers of French troops were near his position. The Russian placed two battalions in Mormant and massed the rest of his troops on both sides of the highway with his artillery in the center. He was prepared to fight or to retreat. During the night, Wittgenstein received positive orders to withdraw so he marched his corps east toward Provins at dawn. He forwarded the orders to Pahlen but they came too late. At daybreak, Pahlen saw that he faced an overwhelming force and began to retreat.
At 5:00 a.m. the French infantry advanced with Guillaume Philibert Duhesme's II Corps division on the left, Gérard's Paris Reserve in the center and Louis Huguet-Château's II Corps division on the right. Victor's corps artillery marched in the intervals.[20] Milhaud's corps included Hippolyte Piré's light cavalry division, André Briche's dragoon division and Samuel-François Lhéritier dragoon division. Kellermann's corps had only Anne-François-Charles Trelliard's dragoon division, fresh from the Spanish theater. Lhéritier was temporarily assigned to Kellermann.[19] Milhaud commanded the left wing cavalry with Piré's horsemen deployed on Duhesme's left and Briche's troopers echeloned to Piré's left rear. Kellermann commanded the right wing cavalry with Trelliard's dragoons on Huguet-Château's right and Lhéritier's troopers echeloned to Trelliard's right rear. Behind the front-line units marched two VII Corps units on the north side of the highway. Pierre François Xavier Boyer's division was in the lead with Henri Rottembourg's division 200 m (219 yd) farther back. The Imperial Guard artillery moved along the main road beside the VII Corps. The remainder of the army followed.[20]
Pahlen ordered the two battalions in Mormant to hold back the French at all cost in order to allow the rest of his command to escape. Four Cossack regiments opposed Kellermann's corps while Rüdiger's regular cavalry faced Milhaud's corps.[21] Jacques Gervais, baron Subervie's brigade of Pire's division turned half-right and swooped down on the Russian skirmishers while the rest of Milhaud's cavalry advanced on Rüdiger's horsemen. In the center, Gérard's infantry forced its way into the village of Mormant, flushing its defenders into the open. Pierre Ismert, leading one of Trelliard's brigades, hurled the 4th Dragoons at the fleeing Russians, forcing many to surrender. On the right flank, Lhéritier's first brigade under August Étienne Lamotte dispersed the first two Cossack regiments. When the Illowaiski and Rebrikov Cossacks tried to intervene they were swept away by Lhéritier's second brigade led by Jean Antoine de Collaert. As Lhéritier's horsemen galloped after the routed Cossacks, the 16th Dragoons of Trelliard's division charged and broke a Russian square.[23]
On the north flank, Rüdiger deployed nine squadrons in the first line and five squadrons in the second line. Against the Russian horsemen, Milhaud had Piré's division (minus Subervie's brigade) in the first line, Gabriel Gaspard Montelégier's brigade in the second and Denis Éloi Ludot's in the third. Successive charges by Piré and Montelégier broke Rüdiger's squadrons and chased them off the battlefield with the French light cavalry in pursuit. Milhaud directed Montelégier to deal with the Russian infantry while sending Ludot on a sweep to block Pahlen's escape route. Without its supporting cavalry, Pahlen's infantry battalions were compelled to form into a square formation to defend against cavalry. Antoine Drouot aggressively pushed 36 guns from the French Guard artillery into the front line where they pummeled the Russians.[24]
Pahlen sent messengers to Nangis pleading for assistance, but Ignaz Splény de Miháldi's division had already marched off leaving only Anton Leonhard von Hardegg's Austrian division from Wrede's V Corps. Hardegg had some infantry battalions in Nangis and two cavalry regiments in Bailly. The Austrian division commander declined to assist his ally and ordered an immediate retreat. However, before they could get away, the two Austrian cavalry regiments were disordered by the fleeing Cossacks and then scattered by Piré's and August Lamotte's horsemen. The Russian infantry's withdrawal continued, leaving a trail of casualties from artillery fire. On the outskirts of Grandpuits they were finally brought to halt by Ludot's brigade which was now blocking the Russian line of retreat.[24] Surrounded and hammered by artillery, the Russian battalions were all overrun by cavalry charges. The final square was broken when charged simultaneously by the brigades of Ludot and Ismert.[25]
The Russians probably lost one-third of their cavalry and admitted the loss of 2,114-foot soldiers. The French claimed 9–12 guns and 40 caissons captured while the Russians said they saved two cannons. The French cavalry commanders reported losing 150 horsemen and Gérard reported only 30 casualties. Pahlen's survivors dispersed over the French countryside.
Valjouan
At Nangis, Napoleon split his advancing army into three columns. Victor led the right-most column south toward Montereau. This force included the II Corps, Paris Reserve, Lhéritier's dragoons and Bordesoulle's recruits.[26] The left-most column under Oudinot, with the VII Corps and Trelliard's dragoons, followed Wittgenstein's retreat east toward Provins. MacDonald's center column consisted of the XI Corps, Piré light horsemen and Briche's dragoons; it headed southeast toward Donnemarie. The French emperor held the Imperial Guard in reserve at Nangis. Wittgenstein retreated rapidly[25] and crossed the Seine at Nogent that evening.[26]
Victor's column departed Nangis at 1:30 p.m. and bumped into enemy resistance at Villeneuve-le-Comte about 3:00 p.m. Tipped off by Hardegg's survivors, Peter de Lamotte deployed the 3rd Bavarian Division on the Valjouan heights, blocking the road. Lamotte posted the 11th Bavarian Line Infantry in an advanced position at Villeneuve and Grand-Maison farm; his cavalry covered both flanks. The divisions of Hardegg and Splény were behind Lamotte; they began withdrawing as soon as the French appeared. The Schwarzenberg Uhlans Nr. 1 and Archduke Joseph Hussars Nr. 2, rallied from their earlier mauling by the French cavalry, were positioned to assist the Bavarian cavalry. Gérard, whose troops led the infantry column, decided to attack at once and asked Victor for help from the II Corps. Gérard deployed Lhéritier to the right and Bordesoulle to the left.[25]
Supported by 12 cannons, Jacques Félix Jan de La Hamelinaye's brigade stormed Villeneuve and Grand-Maison at 3:30 p.m. Gérard held Georges Joseph Dufour's brigade in reserve. As the Bavarian foot soldiers bolted from both positions, they were set upon by Bordesoulle's cavalrymen. When some Allied cavalry tried to rescue the Bavarians, the French horsemen rode into them and chased them away. Next, the Iller Mobile Legion tried to intervene, only to be routed by the French recruits. Altogether, Bordesoulle's half-trained horsemen inflicted about 300 casualties on their foes.[25] They apparently took no prisoners except a wounded Austrian officer who Bordesoulle had to personally save.[2]
Peter de Lamotte formed his division into a square formation and began to retreat, followed by Bordesoulle.[25] At some point during the withdrawal, the two Austrian mounted regiments were attacked by a large force of French cavalry and suffered 200 casualties in the melee. After Lamotte marched about 2 km (1.2 mi) toward Donnemarie, Gérard's infantry burst out of the woods and nearly broke up Lamotte's division. However, the French cavalry was absent this time, allowing the Bavarians to reform their battalions and resume their retreat.[2] That evening, Wrede got the V Corps across the Seine at Bray, except for a rearguard at Mouy-sur-Seine.[27]
Other actions
On 17 February, Charpentier's division and a task force under Jacques Alexandre Allix de Vaux advanced south from Melun, driving Ignaz von Hardegg's division (Bianchi's I Corps) from Fontainebleau. Pajol and Pacthod left Saint-Germain-Laxis and headed southeast toward Montereau. They skirmished with Prince Adam of Württemberg's 1,000 infantry and cavalry during the day.[20]
Result
The Allies had become overextended and Napoleon took advantage of this to strike hard at his enemies. One historian estimated that the French sustained 800 casualties while the Allies lost 3,000 men and 14 guns at Mormant and Valjouan.[2] A second authority gave casualties for the actions as 600 French and 3,114 Allied, with the French seizing nine guns and 40 caissons. Pahlen was credited with 2,500 infantry and 1,800 cavalry of which 1,250 were Russian and 550 were Austrian. Though the author listed the Valjouan action, he did not list Bavarian numbers. The French brought 18,000–20,000 men to the battlefield.[22]
Napoleon was angry at Victor for not pressing on that evening.[26] He expected Victor to be at Montereau at 6:00 a.m. the next day. When Victor did not arrive before the town until 9:00 a.m.,[27] the French emperor replaced him with Gérard.[28] Schwarzenberg ordered the Crown Prince of Württemberg to hold a bridgehead at Montereau for a day.[26] The Battle of Montereau was fought on 18 February.[22]
Forces
French army
Corps | Division | Brigade | Units | Strength |
---|---|---|---|---|
II Corps Marshal Claude Perrin Victor[29] |
1st Division General of Brigade Louis Château-Huguet |
1st Brigade | 24th Light Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion | 274 |
19th Line Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion | 477 | |||
27th Line Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion | 132 | |||
2nd Brigade | 11th Light Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion | 219 | ||
2nd Line Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion | 154 | |||
56th Line Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion | 268 | |||
Artillery | 5th Foot Artillery Regiment, 17th Company | 59 | ||
6th Foot Artillery Regiment, 10th Company | 70 | |||
Train Battalion | 85 | |||
Guns | 4 12-pounders 5 6-pounders 6 4-pounders | |||
2nd Division General of Division Guillaume Philibert Duhesme |
1st Brigade | 26th Light Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion | 250 | |
4th Line Infantry Regiment, 1st, 2nd and 4th Battalions | 815 | |||
10th Line Infantry Regiment, 1st and 2nd Battalions | 579 | |||
2nd Brigade | 6th Line Infantry Regiment, 1st and 2nd Battalions | ? | ||
72nd Line Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion | ? | |||
93rd Line Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion | ? | |||
Artillery | 9th Foot Artillery Regiment, 8th Company | 34 | ||
Train Battalion | 189 | |||
Guns | 4 8-pounders 2 24-lb howitzers | |||
Reserve of Paris General of Division Étienne Maurice Gérard[30] |
1st Division General of Division Georges Joseph Dufour |
1st Brigade | 12th Light Infantry Regiment, 3rd Battalion | ? |
29th Light Infantry Regiment, 6th Battalion | ? | |||
32nd Line Infantry Regiment, 8th Battalion | ? | |||
58th Line Infantry Regiment, 6th Battalion | ? | |||
2nd Brigade | 5th Light Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion | ? | ||
15th Light Infantry Regiment, 7th Battalion | ? | |||
135th Line Infantry Regiment, 3rd Battalion | ? | |||
2nd Division General of Division Jacques de La Hamelinaye |
1st Brigade | 26th Line Infantry Regiment, 4th Battalion | ? | |
82nd Line Infantry Regiment | ? | |||
86th Line Infantry Regiment | ? | |||
2nd Brigade | 121st Line Infantry Regiment | ? | ||
122nd Line Infantry Regiment, 3rd Battalion | ? | |||
142nd Line Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion | ? | |||
Corps Artillery | Artillery | 6th Foot Artillery Regiment, 10th Company | ? | |
9th Foot Artillery Regiment, 8th and 24th Companies | ? | |||
17th Foot Artillery, 5th Company | ? | |||
7th and 14th Train Battalions | ? | |||
Guns | 4 12-pounders 11 6-pdrs and howitzers | |||
V Cavalry Corps General of Division Édouard Milhaud[31] |
3rd Light Division General of Division Hippolyte Piré |
5th Light Brigade General of Brigade Jacques Gervais Subervie |
3rd Hussar Regiment | 145 |
26th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment | 296 | |||
6th Light Brigade | 14th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment | 118 | ||
27th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment | 137 | |||
3rd Heavy Division General of Division André Briche |
5th Heavy Brigade General of Brigade Gabriel Montelégier |
2nd Dragoon Regiment | 306 | |
6th Dragoon Regiment | 297 | |||
11th Dragoon Regiment | 409 | |||
6th Heavy Brigade General of Brigade Denis Éloi Ludot |
13th Dragoon Regiment | 134 | ||
15th Dragoon Regiment | 230 | |||
Corps Artillery | Artillery | 2nd Horse Artillery Regiment, 4th Company | 50 | |
3rd Horse Artillery Regiment, 2nd Company | 44 | |||
6th Horse Artillery Regiment, 8th Company | 43 | |||
8th, 12th and 14th Train Battalions | 128 | |||
Guns | 4 6-pounders 6 4-pounders 4 24-lb howitzers | |||
VI Cavalry Corps General of Division François de Kellermann[31] |
4th Heavy Division General of Division Samuel-François Lhéritier temporarily attached from V Cavalry Corps |
7th Heavy Brigade General of Brigade August Lamotte |
18th Dragoon Regiment | 208 |
19th Dragoon Regiment | 177 | |||
20th Dragoon Regiment | 109 | |||
8th Heavy Brigade General of Brigade Jean Antoine de Collaert |
22nd Dragoon Regiment | 253 | ||
25th Dragoon Regiment | 363 | |||
5th Heavy Division General of Division François Trelliard |
9th Heavy Brigade General of Brigade Pierre Ismert |
4th Dragoon Regiment | 570 | |
14th Dragoon Regiment | 395 | |||
16th Dragoon Regiment | 255 | |||
10th Heavy Brigade General of Brigade François Léon Ormancey |
17th Dragoon Regiment | 339 | ||
24th Dragoon Regiment | 106 | |||
27th Dragoon Regiment | 502 | |||
I Cavalry Corps General of Division Étienne de Bordesoulle[30] |
Detachment | Replacements | Unknown companies destined for I Corps | 500 |
Allied forces
Corps | Division | Brigade | Units |
---|---|---|---|
VI Corps Advance Guard Lieutenant General Peter Petrovich Pahlen[32] |
14th Division | Brigade Generalmajor Ljalin |
Tenguinsk Infantry Regiment, one battalion |
Estonia Infantry Regiment, one battalion | |||
3rd Division | Brigade Colonel Schelwinsky |
Reval Infantry Regiment, two battalions | |
Selenguinsk Infantry Regiment, one battalion | |||
Brigade Colonel Kapustin |
20th Jäger Regiment, one battalion | ||
21st Jäger Regiment, one battalion | |||
4th Division | Brigade Colonel Rosen |
Tobolsk Infantry Regiment, two battalions | |
Krementchug Infantry Regiment, one battalion | |||
Brigade Colonel Stepanov |
4th Jäger Regiment, two battalions | ||
34th Jäger Regiment, two battalions | |||
3rd Hussar Division Lieutenant General Peter Petrovich Pahlen |
Brigade Generalmajor Delejanov |
Grodno Hussar Regiment, six squadrons | |
Soumy Hussar Regiment, five squadrons | |||
Brigade Generalmajor Dechterev |
Loubny Hussar Regiment, five squadrons | ||
Olviopol Hussar Regiment, four squadrons | |||
Brigade Generalmajor Lissanewitz |
Tchougouiev Uhlan Regiment, eight squadrons | ||
Brigade Cossacks |
Vlassov II Cossack Regiment | ||
Illowaisky XII Cossack Regiment | |||
Rebrikov III Cossack Regiment | |||
Tschermuschin II Cossack Regiment | |||
Jaroslav Cossack Regiment | |||
V Corps Lieutenant General Karl Philipp von Wrede[33] |
1st Austrian Division Feldmarschall-Leutnant Anton von Hardegg |
Brigade Colonel Leopold von Geramb |
archduke Joseph Hussar Regiment Nr. 2, six squadrons |
1st Szekler Grenz Infantry Regiment, two battalions
| |||
Horse Artillery Battery, six 6-pounders | |||
Brigade Colonel Adolph von Mengen |
Schwarzenberg Uhlan Regiment Nr. 1, six squadrons | ||
3rd Jäger Battalion | |||
3rd Bavarian Division Lieutenant General Peter de Lamotte |
Brigade Generalmajor Georg von Habermann |
7th Bavarian Infantry Regiment, one battalion | |
11th Bavarian Infantry Regiment, two battalions | |||
Unterdonau Landwehr Regiment, 1st Battalion | |||
Iller Landwehr Regiment, 1st Battalion | |||
Brigade Generalmajor Franz von Deroy |
5th Bavarian Infantry Regiment, one battalion | ||
8th Bavarian Infantry Regiment, one battalion | |||
9th Bavarian Infantry Regiment, one battalion | |||
Iller Landwehr Regiment, 2nd Battalion | |||
Isar Landwehr Regiment, 1st Battalion | |||
Brigade Generalmajor Elbracht |
4th Bavarian Chevau-léger Regiment, 1st–4th Squadrons | ||
5th Bavarian Chevau-léger Regiment, 1st–4th Squadrons | |||
Artillery | Horse Artillery Battery, six 6-pounders | ||
Foot Artillery Battery, eight 6-pounders |
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f Bodart 1908, p. 473.
- ^ a b c d Nafziger 2015, p. 206.
- ^ Chandler 1966, pp. 964–965.
- ^ Chandler 1966, pp. 966–968.
- ^ Petre 1994, pp. 58–60.
- ^ Petre 1994, pp. 64–66.
- ^ Petre 1994, p. 67.
- ^ Petre 1994, pp. 70–71.
- ^ Petre 1994, p. 77.
- ^ Petre 1994, p. 78.
- ^ Petre 1994, p. 80.
- ^ Nafziger 2015, p. 196.
- ^ Nafziger 2015, p. 220.
- ^ Nafziger 2015, p. 214.
- ^ Petre 1994, p. 81.
- ^ Nafziger 2015, p. 198.
- ^ a b Nafziger 2015, pp. 193–194.
- ^ Nafziger 2015, p. 199.
- ^ a b Nafziger 2015, p. 200.
- ^ a b c d Nafziger 2015, p. 201.
- ^ a b Nafziger 2015, p. 202.
- ^ a b c d Smith 1998, p. 498.
- ^ Nafziger 2015, p. 203.
- ^ a b Nafziger 2015, p. 204.
- ^ a b c d e f g Nafziger 2015, p. 205.
- ^ a b c d e Petre 1994, p. 82.
- ^ a b Petre 1994, p. 83.
- ^ Petre 1994, p. 84.
- ^ Nafziger 2015, p. 598.
- ^ a b Nafziger 2015, pp. 615–616.
- ^ a b Nafziger 2015, pp. 627–628.
- ^ Nafziger 2015, pp. 559–560.
- ^ Nafziger 2015, pp. 557–558.
References
- Bodart, Gaston (1908). Militär-historisches Kriegs-Lexikon (1618-1905). Retrieved 6 June 2021.
- Chandler, David G. (1966). The Campaigns of Napoleon. New York, N.Y.: Macmillan.
- ISBN 978-1-909982-96-3.
- ISBN 1-85367-163-0.
- ISBN 1-85367-276-9.
Further reading
- Alison, Archibald (1842). History of Europe from the Commencement of the French Revolution to the Restoration of the Bourbons. Vol. 10. Paris: Baudry's European Library. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
External links
- Media related to Battle of Mormant at Wikimedia Commons
Preceded by Battle of Garris |
Napoleonic Wars Battle of Mormant |
Succeeded by Battle of Montereau |