Abensberg 1809 Order of Battle

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Napoleon speaks to Bavarian troops. Abensberg.jpg
Napoleon speaks to Bavarian troops.

The Battle of Abensberg was fought on 20 April 1809, between an Allied force under the command of Emperor Napoleon I of France on one side and three Austrian corps led by Johann von Hiller, Archduke Louis of Austria, and Michael von Kienmayer. The Austrians formed the left wing of Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen's main army and were under the overall command of Hiller. Napoleon's French troops, reinforced by troops from the Kingdom of Bavaria and the Kingdom of Württemberg outfought their opponents, inflicted heavy losses, and forced the Austrians to retreat to the southeast.

Battle of Abensberg battle

The Battle of Abensberg took place on 20 April 1809, between a Franco-German force under the command of Emperor Napoleon I of France and a reinforced Austrian corps led by Feldmarschall-Leutnant Archduke Louis of Austria. As the day wore on, Feldmarschall-Leutnant Johann von Hiller arrived with reinforcements to take command of the three corps that formed the Austrian left wing. The action ended in a complete Franco-German victory. The battlefield was southeast of Abensberg and included clashes at Offenstetten, Biburg-Siegenburg, Rohr in Niederbayern, and Rottenburg an der Laaber. On the same day, the French garrison of Regensburg capitulated.

Johann von Hiller Austrian general

Johann Baron von Hiller was an Austrian general during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. He held an important command during the 1809 campaign against France, playing a prominent role at the Battle of Aspern-Essling.

Archduke Louis of Austria Austrian archduke

Archduke Louis, Prince Royal of Hungary and Bohemia and Prince of Tuscany, was the 14th child of Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II, King of Hungary and Bohemia, Grand Duke of Tuscany, and Infanta Maria Luisa of Spain.

Contents

During the fighting, 55,000 French and Germans faced 42,000 Austrians. Of these, only about 25,000 on each side became involved in the fighting. The Austrians lost 2,710 killed and wounded, plus about 4,000 captured. [1] Allied losses were 215 Frenchmen, 146 Württembergers, and 746 Bavarians, for a total of 1,107. [2]

Austrian forces

Left Wing: Feldmarschall-Leutnant Johann von Hiller

VI Armeekorps

Johann von Hiller Johann Freiherr von Hiller.JPG
Johann von Hiller

Feldmarschall-Leutnant Johann von Hiller (35,639) [3] [4]

Karl Freiherr von Vincent, born 11 August 1757 – died 7 October 1834, fought in the army of Habsburg Austria during the French Revolutionary Wars. He first served as a staff officer then later as a combat commander. During the Napoleonic Wars, he was given important commands in two campaigns. He was Proprietor (Inhaber) of a famous light cavalry regiment from 1806 until his death.

Joseph-Armand Ritter von Nordmann, was a French officer in the French Royal Army. He transferred his allegiance to Habsburg Austria during the French Revolution, like other French émigrés. In Austrian service he fought capably against his former country during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars.

Hussar light cavalry originally from Hungary

A hussar was a member of a class of light cavalry, originating in Central Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries. The title and distinctive dress of these horsemen were subsequently widely adopted by light cavalry regiments in European armies in the late 17th and early 18th centuries.

V Armeekorps

Archduke Louis LudwigLitho.jpg
Archduke Louis

Feldmarschall-Leutnant Archduke Louis (32,266) [3] [6]

II Reserve Armeekorps

Michael von Kienmayer Michael von Kienmayer.jpg
Michael von Kienmayer

Feldmarschall-Leutnant Michael von Kienmayer (7,975) [3] [7]

Generals

Reuss.H.XV.jpg Franjo Jelacic.jpg Radetzky-von-radetz.jpg Vinzenz Ferrerius von Bianchi.jpg Konstantin Ghilian Karl d'Aspre.jpg
Prince ReussFranz JellacicJosef RadetzkyFrederick BianchiKonstantin d'Aspré

French-Allied forces

Grande Armée: Napoleon I of France

Provisional Corps

Jean Lannes Jean lannes.jpg
Jean Lannes

Marshal Jean Lannes [8]

VII (Bavarian) Corps

Francois Lefebvre Francois-Joseph Lefebvre.png
François Lefebvre

Marshal François Joseph Lefebvre [10]

Württemberg (later VIII) Corps

Dominique Vandamme General Dominique Joseph Rene Vandamme (4).jpg
Dominique Vandamme

General of Division Dominique Vandamme [11]

Generals

General Charles Antoine Louis Alexis Morand1.jpg General Cesar Charles Etienne Gudin.jpg Etienne-Marie-Antoine Champion de Nansouty.jpg General Doumerc.jpg DeFrance.jpg Karl Philipp Wrede.jpg
Charles MorandCharles GudinÉtienne NansoutyJean DoumercJean DefranceKarl von Wrede

Footnotes

  1. Petre, p 139
  2. Arnold, p 120
  3. 1 2 3 Arnold, p 235. Strength only.
  4. Bowden & Tarbox, pp 70-71. Order of battle.
  5. Arnold, p 260n. Jellacic had exchanged Hoffmeister's brigade for Dollmayer's.
  6. Bowden & Tarbox, pp 69-70
  7. Bowden & Tarbox, p 72. Order of battle.
  8. Bowden & Tarbox, pp 57-59
  9. Petre, p 133. Petre does not specify which brigade was detached at Saal an der Donau.
  10. Bowden & Tarbox, pp 61-62
  11. Bowden & Tarbox, p 62

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References

Bibliography

The following two websites are excellent sources for the full names of French and Austrian generals.