Action at Sochocin
24 December 1806
The Opponents
by Robert Goetz, USA
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The Russian forces at Sochocin were under the overall command of Barclay de Tolly. Barclay was himself with the forces at Kolozab, leaving command of the forces at Sochocin to Colonel Davydovskii, shef of the 1st Jäger regiment. Details of the composition of Davydovskii’s force are not clear, but his force arrived at Sochocin on 22 December, having marched from Borkowo to strengthen the extreme right of the Russian positions on the Wkra. [1]
Another view upstream from the bridge, showing the broad bend of the river and the town of Sochocin in the background. Photo credits: Jan W. Kowalik
This may have been prompted by Kamenskii’s offensive plans, by the French build-up north of the Vistula-Narew line or both. Davydovskii’s force consisted of two battalions of 1st Jäger, an excellent
unit that had been trained in the woods of Karelia and specialized in fighting in woods and broken terrain. These two battalions amounted to about 1100 men. Supporting the infantry were three squadrons of Isoum hussars, amounting to about 375 men, and a half battery (6 guns) of horse artillery . [2]
A small detachment of Efromov-V Cossacks may have also been attached to Davydovskii’s force, although these would have been distributed as patrols and not have played a very significant role in the action. In all, Davydovskii had about 1525 men and 6 guns at Sochocin. As of 23 December, Davydovskii had positioned a squadron of cavalry and up to a battalion of jäger on the right bank of the Wkra covering the bridgehead.
To the south in the woods on the left bank between Sochocin and Kolozab stood Barclay’s reserve, three battalions of Tenguinsk musketeers under Colonel Petr Ivanovich Ershov. Ershov’s regiment, amounting to about 1600 men, was under Barclay’s direct command but would play an important role in the action at Sochocin.
The French forces attacking Sochocin were drawn from Augereau’s VII Corps. Augereau divided his corps to march on both Sochocin and Kolozab. Against the first point he sent the 2nd Division of Général de Division Etienne Heudelet de Bierre, supported by the light cavalry brigade of Général de Brigade Antoine Jean Auguste Henri Durosnel. Heudelet’s division was composed of two brigades.
The first, commanded by Général de Brigade Francois Pierre Joseph Amey, include the three battalions of 7th Légère and formed the advance guard. The second brigade of Général de Brigade Jacques Tho-mas Sarrut, composed of 24th Ligne (3 battalions) and 63rd Ligne (2 battalions), along with Durosnel’s 7th and 20th Chasseurs, formed Heudelet’s reserve. Supporting the force were a battery of horse artillery and a battery of foot artillery.
Heudelet’s column was supported on its left by General Watier’s cavalry brigade, which screened the French left by covering the road to Raciaz to the north. On the right was the 1st Division of VII Corps under General Desjardin, supported by General Milhaud’s light cavalry brigade. Desjardin’s second brigade, under the command of Général de Brigade Jacques Lefranc, stood in reserve at Kolozab and would later play a crucial role in the action at Sochocin. Lefranc’s brigade consisted of 44th Ligne and 105th Ligne, each regiment with two battalions.
Napoleon’s orders had been issued to Augereau on 22 December, placing Milhaud and Watier under his command and directing him to seize the bridges at Kolozab and Sochocin and clear the way to Nowemiasto and Ciechanow. Durosnel’s cavalry and Heudelet’s division had marched from the bridgehead at Zakrocym on the 22nd and 23rd of December, and were concentrated at Skarzyn and Radzymin, southwest of Plonsk, by the evening of the 23rd.
Action at Sochocin 24 December 1806
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