Battle of Wertingen

Cape Finisterre - Wertingen - Haslach- Jungingen - Elchingen - Ulm - Trafalgar - Caldiero - Ried - Lambach - Bodenbühl - Steyr - Amstetten - Mariazell - St. Pölten - Cape Ortegal - Dürnstein - Schöngrabern - Wischau ( Vyškov ) - Austerlitz

In the battle of Wertingen on October 8, 1805, French troops wiped out under the command of Joachim Murat and Jean Lannes a small Austrian army under the command of Franz Auffenberg.

Background

Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte led his army of about 200,000 men across the Rhine. Shortly after he crossed the Danube, encountering an Austrian army under Charles Mack of Leiberich at Ulm. Unaware of the strength of the approaching troops, he held his position while the French forces based position in the Danube area and the paths from Ulm to Vienna blocked.

Troops

Murat's troops consisted of heavy cavalry units (especially Dragoons ) and light cavalry units. These were supported by the grenadiers and light infantry.

Auffenberg was an eclectic mix of cavalry, cannons and infantry available.

Battle

Since Auffenberg troops were surprised by the advancing French, Auffenburg seems to have mobilized only a small part of his army, about 5,500 men. However, the course of the battle is disputed. One historian says that individual Austrian battalions were wiped out or surrounded by cavalry charges and therefore capitulated. Another author writes that the Austrian grenadiers were formed as a square and cavalry attacks withstood, attacked by French grenadiers.

The French losses are presented with 319 dead and wounded. The Austrians suffered 400 dead and wounded. In addition, 2,900 men fell into captivity and six guns were captured by the French. A historian speaks of 2.000 captured Austrians. Since the supply routes were cut off, the Austrians moved back to their base in Ulm.