Battle of Dürenstein

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Battle of Dürenstein (or Dürnstein)

Date	11 November 1805
Location	Dürenstein
Result	Inconclusive

Combatants

First French Empire

Austrian Empire
Russian Empire

Commanders

Édouard Mortier

Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov

Strength

about 8,000

about 24,000

Casualties

about 1,800

about 2,000

War of the Third Coalition
Cape Finisterre – Wertingen – Haslach-Jungingen – Elchingen – Ulm – Trafalgar – Caldiero – Amstetten – Cape Ortegal – Dürenstein – Schöngrabern – Austerlitz

The Battle of Dürenstein (also known as the Battle of Dürrenstein or Battle of Dürnstein) was an engagement in the Napoleonic Wars during the War of the Third Coalition. The battle was fought on 11 November 1805, three weeks after the Battle of Ulm and three weeks before the Battle of Austerlitz, near the town of Dürenstein (modern Dürnstein) in the Wachau Valley in Austria, beside the River Danube, near the castle where Richard the Lionheart was held captive.

The main body of Napoleon's French army was on the south bank of the Danube, heading towards Vienna in the wake of the retreating allied forces of the Russian and Austrian Empires. Napoleon sent the French VIII Corps to march along the north bank of the Danube, in the hope of cutting off the retreat of the Russian and Austrian forces. The VIII Corps comprised three infantry division and a division of cavalry, under the overall command of Marshal Édouard Mortier. The Corps crossed the Danube at Linz and Passau in early November 1805, and the infantry marched east, close to the Danube, with the Corp's cavalry division conducting reconnaissance further north. General Gazan's division (about 6,000 men) took the lead, followed by General Dupont's division (another 4,000) about one day's march behind, with General Dumonceau's division (another 4,000) bringing up the rear. The Corps was supported by a flotilla of boats to provide communications across the Danube.

The leading division of Mortier's Corps reached Dürnstein on 10 November 1805, and skirmished with Russian patrols to the east of the town. Unknown to Mortier, the Russian Field Marshal Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov had already led the whole of the allied army across the Danube, and so the VIII Corps was confronted by a substantially larger force. The allies took the chance to attack Gazan's isolated division, planning for Miloradovitch's corps to approach Gazan's division from the east, supported by Bagration's corps, to pin the French in place, while two further corps, commanded by Generals Doctorov and Strick, marched to outflanked the French and attack from the west and the north.

On 11 November 1805, a column of Miloradovitch's troops attacked Mortier's outposts. Mortier ordered General Gazan to counter-attack, and to march east towards the town of Stein. He made rapid progress, but it quickly became clear that the opposing force was much stronger than a rear guard. Fighting continued though the villages of Upper Loiben, Lower Loiben and Rothenhof. Mortier ordered Dupont's division to hurry forward, to help Gazan's tiring troops. Meanwhile, Strick's column arrived, but was beaten back by the French 4ème Legère.

Fighting paused at around 2pm, as Mortier waited for Dupont and Kutuzov waited for Doctorov. Doctorov arrived first, pushing the French out of Dürnstein. Caught between two strong forces, the French decided to attempt to force their way back through Dürnstein. The French attacked as the day darkened, led by the 100ème Ligne. Dupont's Division arrived in the nick of time, catching Doctorov's corps on two sides and pushing him out of the town. Mortier was able to evacuate his Corps to the south bank using the flotilla on the river. Gazan lost around 1,800 men, and the allies around 2,000, including Imperial Field Marshal Schmidt.

Both sides claimed victory: the French abandoned the field, but the Russians were unable to make their numerical superiority count.