Marengo Order of Battle

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Battle of Marengo Lejeune - Bataille de Marengo.jpg
Battle of Marengo

The Battle of Marengo (14 June 1800) was fought between the French army of First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte and an Habsburg army led by General der Kavallerie Michael von Melas. With Napoleon's army lying across the Habsburg army's line of communications to the west, Melas resolved to attack. Early in the morning, the Habsburg army advanced from the city of Alessandria and took the French army by surprise. It was not until 9:00 am before Melas' army completely moved through a bottleneck at the Bormida River bridges. At first the Austrian attack stalled, slowed by bitter French resistance. By 3:00 pm, the Habsburg army compelled their outnumbered opponents to retreat. [1] Sore from having two horses killed under him, Melas handed over command of the pursuit to a subordinate and went to the rear. [2] Later in the afternoon, a newly-arrived French division suddenly attacked the pursuing Austrians. Combined with a quick burst of cannon fire and a well-timed cavalry charge, the surprise assault caused a complete collapse of the Austrian center column, which fled to the temporary safety of Alessandria. [3] The French suffered at least 7,700 casualties, including two generals killed and five wounded. The Austrians admitted losing 9,416 killed, wounded and missing, but some estimates range as high as 11,000–12,000 casualties. The Austrians lost one general killed and five wounded. [4] The next day, Melas requested an armistice. The victory gave Bonaparte enough bargaining leverage to gain control of northwest Italy during the subsequent negotiations. [3]

Battle of Marengo 1800 battle between French and Austrian forces

The Battle of Marengo was fought on 14 June 1800 between French forces under Napoleon Bonaparte and Austrian forces near the city of Alessandria, in Piedmont, Italy. Near the end of the day, the French overcame Gen. Michael von Melas's surprise attack, driving the Austrians out of Italy and consolidating Napoleon's political position in Paris as First Consul of France in the wake of his coup d’état the previous November.

Habsburg Monarchy former Central European country (1526–1804)

Habsburg Monarchy is an umbrella term used by historians for the lands and kingdoms of the House of Habsburg, especially for those of the Austrian branch. Although from 1438 until 1806 the head of the House of Habsburg was also Holy Roman Emperor, the empire itself is not considered a part of the Habsburg Monarchy.

Michael von Melas Austrian general

Michael Friedrich Benedikt Baron von Melas was a Transylvanian-born field marshal of Saxon descent for the Austrian Empire during the Napoleonic Wars.

Contents

French Army

General Staff

Louis-Alexandre Berthier Marshal and Vice-Constable of France

Louis-Alexandre Berthier, 1st Prince of Wagram, Sovereign Prince of Neuchâtel, was a French Marshal and Vice-Constable of the Empire, and Chief of Staff under Napoleon.

Pierre Dupont de lÉtang French general

Pierre-Antoine, comte Dupont de l'Étang was a French general of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, as well as a political figure of the Bourbon Restoration.

Armand Samuel de Marescot French general

Armand Samuel de Marescot, born in Tours on 1 March 1758, died November 5, 1832 at Castle Chaslay near Montoire Loir-et-Cher was a French general of engineering in the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. MARESCOT is one of the names inscribed under the Arc de Triomphe, on Column 14.

Corps Commanders

Organization

First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte's French Army at Marengo [5]
CorpsDivisionStrengthBrigades [6] [note 1] UnitsStrength
Corps Lannes
General of Division
Jean Lannes
Advance Guard1,577General of Brigade
Joseph Mainoni ( WIA )
28th Line Infantry Demi-brigade, 3 battalions1,577
Division Watrin
General of Division
François Watrin
5,071General of Brigade
Jean-Pierre Firmin Malher  ( WIA )
6th Light Infantry Demi-brigade, 3 battalions1,408
40th Line Infantry Demi-brigade, 3 battalions2,136
General of Brigade
Claude Ursule Gency
22nd Line Infantry Demi-brigade, 3 battalions1,527
ArtilleryNone2nd Horse Artillery Regiment, 2nd Company6 guns, caliber?
Cavalry214None 5th Dragoon Regiment 214 [note 2]
Corps Victor
General of Division
Claude Perrin Victor
Division Gardanne
General of Division
Gaspard Amédée Gardanne
3,178None44th Line Infantry Demi-brigade, 3 battalions2,248
101st Line Infantry Demi-brigade, 3 battalions930
Unknown2 3-pound cannons
Division Chambarlhac
General of Division
Jacques-Antoine Chambarlhac
6,564General of Brigade
Jean-Baptiste Herbin Dessaux
24th Light Infantry Demi-brigade, 3 battalions2,171
43rd Line Infantry Demi-brigade, 3 battalions2,326
General of Brigade
Olivier Macoux Rivaud  ( WIA )
96th Line Infantry Demi-brigade, 3 battalions2,067
Artillery5th Horse Artillery Regiment, 4th Company1 4-pound cannon
4 guns, caliber?
Cavalry262None 3rd Cavalry Regiment, 2 squadrons262
Corps Desaix
General of Division
Louis Desaix  
Division Boudet
General of Division
Jean Boudet  ( WIA )
4,856General of Brigade
Louis François Félix Musnier
9th Light Infantry Demi-brigade, 3 battalions1,833
30th Line Infantry Demi-brigade, 3 battalions1,200
General of Brigade
Louis Charles de Guénand ( WIA )
59th Line Infantry Demi-brigade, 3 battalions1,823
Artillery2nd Horse Artillery Regiment, 3rd Company4 4-pounder cannons
2nd Horse Artillery Regiment, 4th Company4 8-pound cannons
Division Monnier
General of Division
Jean-Charles Monnier
3,983General of Brigade
Claude Carra Saint-Cyr
19th Light Infantry Demi-brigade, 2 battalions673
70th Line Infantry Demi-brigade, 3 battalions1,410
General of Brigade
Jean Jacques Schilt
72nd Line Infantry Demi-brigade, 3 battalions1,900
Artillery1st Foot Artillery Regiment, 5th Company1 8-pound cannon
1 howitzer, 110 men
6th Foot Artillery Regiment, 10th Company2 3-pound cannons
Cavalry120None 1st Hussar Regiment, 1 squadron120
Reserve Cavalry
General of Division
Joachim Murat
None2,898General of Brigade
Bernard Étienne Marie Duvignau
6th Dragoon Regiment, 4 squadrons393
8th Dragoon Regiment, 4 squadrons443
12th Horse Chasseur Regiment, 4 squadrons391
General of Brigade
François Etienne de Kellermann
1st Cavalry Regiment 123
2nd Cavalry Regiment, 1 squadron258
20th Cavalry Regiment, 3 squadrons191
General of Brigade
Pierre Champeaux 
9th Dragoon Regiment, 3 squadrons150
15th Horse Chasseur Regiment249
General of Brigade
Jean Rivaud (Not engaged)
12th Hussar Regiment, 4 squadrons340
21st Horse Chasseur Regiment, 4 squadrons360
Reserve
General of Division
Louis-Alexandre Berthier
Consular Guard1,232Colonel
Jérôme Soulès
Foot Grenadier Regimentc. 400
Foot Chasseur Regimentc. 400
Colonel
Jean-Baptiste Bessières
Guard Horse Grenadiers c. 240
Guard Horse Chasseurs c. 120
ArtilleryGuard Artillery Company2 8-pound cannons
1 howitzer, 72 men
Reserve Artillery
General of Brigade
Auguste de Marmont
421NoneUnknown2 6-pound cannons
3 guns, caliber?
Military Engineers
General of Division
Armand Samuel de Marescot
269NoneSappers269
Grand Total29,94229,942, 33 guns

Habsburg Army

General Staff

Anton von Zach Austrian general

Anton Freiherr von Zach was an Austrian General with Hungarian ancestors, who enlisted in the army of Habsburg Austria and fought against the First French Republic. In the French Revolutionary Wars, he gained prominence as a staff officer. Still on active service during the Napoleonic Wars, he fought in the 1805 and 1809 wars. He was not given combat assignments after 1809.

Prisoner of war Person who is held in custody by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict

A prisoner of war (POW) is a person, whether a combatant or a non-combatant, who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.

Habsburg commanders

Organization

Michael von Melas' Austrian Army at Marengo [7]
WingDivisionStrengthBrigadesUnitsStrength
Advance GuardNone1,290 Oberst (Colonel)
Johann Maria Philipp Frimont
Mariassy Jäger Battalion, 4 companies164
Am Ende Light Battalion Nr. 3291
Bach Light Battalion Nr. 4277
Pioneers, 1 company100
Kaiser Dragoon Regiment Nr. 1, 2 squadrons272
Bussy Horse Jäger (French Émigré) Regiment, 2 squadrons186
Cavalry Battery
Right Wing Feldmarschall-Leutnant
Andreas O'Reilly von Ballinlough
2,997General-major
Franz Rousseau d'Heriamont
Mariassy Jäger Battalion, 1 company40
Ottocaner Grenz Infantry Regiment Nr. 2, 1 battalion298
Oguliner Grenz Infantry Regiment Nr. 3, 1 battalion602
Banater Grenz Infantry Regiment Nr. 4, 1 battalion533
Warasdiner-Kreutzer Grenz Infantry Regiment Nr. 5, 1 battalion755
Nauendorf Hussar Regiment Nr. 8, 3⅓ squadrons426
Hussar Regiment Nr. 5, 2 squadrons230
Württemberg Dragoon Regiment Nr. 8, 1 squadron113
Cavalry battery
Center
General der Kavallerie
Michael von Melas
Feldmarschall-Leutnant
Karl Joseph Hadik von Futak  
5,039General-major
Franz (Giovanni) Pilati von Tassulo
Kaiser Dragoon Regiment Nr. 1, 3 squadrons309
Karaczay Dragoon Regiment Nr. 4, 6 squadrons1,053
General-major
Friedrich Joseph Anton von Bellegarde ( WIA )
Archduke Anton Infantry Regiment Nr. 52, 2 battalions855
Johann Jellacic Infantry Regiment Nr. 53, 1 battalion613
General-major
Franz Xaver Saint-Julien
Michael Wallis Infantry Regiment Nr. 11, 3 battalions2,209
Feldmarschall-Leutnant
Konrad Valentin von Kaim
4,939General-major
Auguste-François Landres de Briey
Franz Kinsky Infantry Regiment Nr. 47, 2⅓ battalions1,640
General-major
Vinzenz Knesevich
Tuscany Infantry Regiment Nr. 23, 3 battalions2,188
General-major
Ludwig Wolff de la Marselle  ( WIA )
Archduke Josef Infantry Regiment Nr. 63, 3 battalions1,111
Feldmarschall-Leutnant
Anton von Elsnitz
4,214General-major
Johann Baptist Nobili von Loptay
Archduke Johann Dragoon Regiment Nr. 3, 6 squadrons859
Liechtenstein Dragoon Regiment Nr. 9, 6 squadrons1,014
General-major
Joseph Nimptsch von Fürst
und Kupferberg (Not engaged)
Hussar Regiment Nr. 7, 8 squadrons1,353
Erdödy Hussar Regiment Nr. 9, 6 squadrons988
Feldmarschall-Leutnant
Ferdinand Johann von Morzin [6] [note 3]
4,756General-major
Christoph von Lattermann ( WIA )
Paar Grenadier battalion2,116 [note 4]
Pers Grenadier battalion
Sciaffinati Grenadier battalion
Weber Grenadier battalion
Czerwenka Grenadier battalion
General-major
Karl Philippi von Weidenfeld
Pertusy Grenadier battalion2,240 [note 5]
Piret Grenadier battalion
Khevenhüller Grenadier battalion
Gorschen Grenadier battalion
Weissenwolf Grenadier battalion
Saint-Julien Grenadier battalion
Attached PioneersPioneers, 4 companies400
Left Wing
Feldmarschall-Leutnant
Peter Karl Ott von Bátorkéz
Advance Guard811General-major
Friedrich Heinrich von Gottesheim  ( WIA )
Mariassy Jäger Battalion, 1 company40
Frölich Infantry Regiment Nr. 28, 1 battalion523
Lobkowitz Dragoon Regiment Nr. 10, 2 squadrons248
Feldmarschall-Leutnant
Ludwig von Vogelsang  ( WIA )
2,194General-major
Josef Kajetan von Ulm zu Erbach
Hohenlohe Infantry Regiment Nr. 17, 2 battalions912
Stuart Infantry Regiment Nr. 18, 3 battalions1,282
Feldmarschall-Leutnant
Joseph von Schellenberg
4,597General-major
Anton von Retz
Pioneers, 1 company100
Frölich Infantry Regiment Nr. 28, 2 battalions1,046
Joseph Mittrowsky Infantry Regiment Nr. 40, 3 battalions853
General-major
Franz Seraph Sticker von Haymingthal
Splenyi Infantry Regiment Nr. 51, 2 battalions737
Josef Colloredo Infantry Regiment Nr. 57, 3 battalions)1,369
Lobkowitz Dragoon Regiment Nr. 10, 4 squadrons)492
Grand Total30,37930,379
92 guns [note 6]

Notes

Footnotes
  1. Smith provided the French brigade organizations, the fact that the 19th Light had only 2 battalions, and the number of squadrons per regiment.
  2. One squadron of 72 troopers was detached to army headquarters.
  3. Arnold did not list the grenadier battalions, other than to show Lattermann had five and Weidenfeld had six. Smith listed the battalions without noting which brigade they belonged to. However, the way they were ordered suggested that the lists in this table are probably accurate.
  4. This is the total strength of Lattermann's brigade.
  5. This is the total strength of Weidenfeld's brigade.
  6. Battalion guns are not counted in the total.
Citations
  1. Chandler 1966, pp. 290–293.
  2. Arnold 2005, p. 171.
  3. 1 2 Chandler 1966, pp. 293–296.
  4. Arnold 2005, pp. 190–191.
  5. 1 2 Arnold 2005, pp. 270–271.
  6. 1 2 Smith 1998, pp. 186–187.
  7. 1 2 Arnold 2005, pp. 272–273.
  8. Arnold 2005, p. 60.

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References