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]

Contents

French Army

General Staff

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
Artillery–None2nd 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 Total–29,942––29,942, 33 guns

Habsburg Army

General Staff

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
Vinko Knežević (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 Total–30,379––30,379
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

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