First Battle of Biberach
2 October 1796
The Battle
by Jens-Florian Ebert and Roland Kessinger, Germany
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During the morning of 2nd October, General de Division Desaix started the attack with his Left Wing corps, advancing along the Riedlingen-Biberach road. The left Division under General de Division Gilles Joseph Sainte Suzanne pushed forward from the Bussen Hill to Oberstadion and stayed there to cover the left flank for the rest of the day (“Flanquers de Gauche”). The advance-guard under General de Brigade Charles Matthias Isidor Decaen (part of Beaupuy’s Division) and the rest of the Beaupuy’s Division on the right wing (Joba’s brigade) were marching in two columns from Ahlen towards Gutershofen and the Burrenhof. One brigade of St. Cyr’s corps under General de Brigade Gerard-dit-Vieux (21. demi-brigade légère, 26 demi-brigade légère and 2 cavalry regiments) were to advance south of the Federsee through Oggelshausen, together with Desaix’s corps and support them as required. Initially, Desaix’s troops met almost no resistance, as Latour had not anticipated a French attack north of the Federsee. Beaupuy’s Division reached the forests east of Seekirch and Ahlen, and an hour later, Desaix encountered the weak Austrian detachment under Oberst Nostitz (Kospoth’s Division) around Ahlen, quickly driving the Austrians back through Gutershofen and the Burrenhof to the Galgenberg Hill west of Biberach. After this first French attack, FML Kospoth retreated with his division from Stafflangen in a position near Mittelbiberach. Led by Decaen’s brigade, Beaupuy followed though a narrow defile, but at the far end, the Austrians had been able to organise a line of defence and a heavy artillery duel soon erupted. The French halted, but after bringing reinforcements to the head of their column, they were able to dislodge the Austrians, who retreated several kilometres to the Galgenberg Hill, in order to avoid being outflanked to their right.. St. Cyr Clashes with Baillet Again Around Steinhausen On the southern side of the Federsee St. Cyr started his attack in three columns during the morning. The first column under General de Brigade Girard-dit-Vieux (Duhesme’s Division) advanced from Oggelhausen to support Desaix. The strongest column under the direct command of St. Cyr himself (Lecourbe’s brigade from Taponier’s Division plus Vandamme’s brigade and parts of Bourcier’s reserve) advanced from Reichenbach, while the third column under General de brigade Pierre Garnier Laboissiére (the rest of Taponier’s Division) started its advance from Bad Schussenried against the Austrian positions. The northern column under Girarddit-Vieux advanced without meeting any serious resistance as far as the Galgenberg Hill (west of Biberach), to where FML Kospoth had already retreated during the afternoon after the opening engagement with Desaix. An Austrian 8-gun battery halted the centre column under St. Cyr, which was marching along the Reichenbach-Biberach road. Chef de Brigade Joseph Antoine Marie Michel Mainoni had been ordered by St. Cyr that morning to move from Sattenbeuren across the marsh south of the Federsee, occupy the Schienenwald Forest east of the marsh, and then to attack the Austrian battery from the right. However, Mainoni had become lost somewhere in the forest – rumours went round the army that he had only observed St. Cyr’s order to “cover” the advance and had therefore hidden so deeply in the forest that even St. Cyr’s couriers were not able to find him! With no sign of Mainoni, St. Cyr had to attack the Austrian battery from the front around noon, but he still had a large superiority in artillery. St. Cyr had positioned 24 horse artillery pieces (12 from his Centre corps and 12 from the Reserve) east of the wooded hills between Aichbühl and Klein-Winnenden. They quickly gained the upper hand against the Austrian guns, while 100e demi-brigade from Vandamme’s brigade advanced in two columns towards the hills to support their comrades. Then St. Cyr decided to order Lecourbe’s brigade to launch a frontal assault against the Austrian positions. Lecourbe’smen advanced at the double towards the Steinhausen hills. At the beginning of the attack the Austrians couldn’t see the French assault columns through the fog of gunpowder smoke, but once the Austrian gunners saw Lecourbe’s men, they poured a hail of canister into them. It was not enough - Lecourbe’s brigade with 84e and 106e demi-brigades delivered a bayonet charge (led by the 106e), thereby cutting down many Austrian gunners and capturing the guns. FML Baillet decided on a rapid withdrawal by his infantry to the north-east. They were covered by some recently arrived cavalry, whose attempts to stop Lecourbe’s advance were quickly driven off by a combination of the fire from French light artillery, which was now advancing ahead of Lecourbe’s column, and two cavalry regiments despatched to them by St.Cyr as support. It was only near the village of Grodt that FML Baillet could reform his troops and form a new defensive line, reinforced with a few units from Latour’s reserve. While the line was established, Austrian cavalry drove off several French cavalry forays and by 4 p.m., Baillet was securely positioned at Grodt. The Clashes Near Bad Schussenried and Olzreute In contrast to St. Cyr’s other columns, the right column under General de Brigade Laboissiére (17e and 31e demi-brigades) were unable to reach their objective, because they ran into determined resistance from the numerically superior troops of FML Mercantin and Prince Condé (7 1/2 batts, 19 sqdns) east of Bad Schussenried, and the French were driven back to this village during the afternoon. At this stage, Laboissiére requested St. Cyr to send reinforcements, failing which he would have to withdraw further, unaware that FML Baillet’s retreat to Grodt had exposed FML Mercantin’s right flank near Bad Schussenried. Knowing the whole situation, St.Cyr left part of his troops (Lecourbe’s brigade and part of the reserve) near Muttensweiler facing FML Baillet at Grodt and sent Vandamme’s brigade against Mercantin’s and Condé’s right flank near Olzreute during the late afternoon. This very real danger to their right forced FML Mercantin and Prince Condé likewise to retreat to a new position between Winterstetten-Stadt and Ingoldingen during the late afternoon. Their losses on the retreat were light as they had already prepared to move off eastwards after news arrived of Baillet’s withdrawal towards Biberach. When Vandamme reached Mercantin’s flank, the Austrians were already retreating but put up sufficient resistance to allow an orderly withdrawal by the Austrian centre, along with the reserve artillery train (which was protected by the reserve units positioned near Grodt) to Ummendorf over the Riß River. The other Austrian train wagons had been already sent beck through Biberach around noon. Vandamme and Laboissiére took a position near Wattensweiler and established contact with Lecourbe near Muttensweiler. Final Stage: The Armies Around 5 p.m. Around 5 p.m., the Austrian and Bavarian troops under FML Kospoth on the right wing had reached their new position on the Galgenberg Hill between Mittelbiberach and Biberach. Facing them was Desaix’s corps with his left wing (Beaupuy’s Division and the advance-guard) near Birkenhard and Girarddit-Vieux brigade from St. Cyr’s corps on the right wing near Oberdorf. South of Mittelbiberach, there was a large gap of several kilometres in the battlelines, which extended as far as the Austrian troops of FML Baillet and the reserve under FZM Latour facing Lecourbe’s brigade around Grodt. Further south were the units of FML Mercantin and Prince Condé on the Austrian left wing between Ingoldingen and Winterstetten, facing Vandamme and Laboissiére with parts of the reserve under Bourcier. Just after 5 p.m., Desaix and St. Cyr launched the decisive attack against the Austrian positions. However, Latour had recognised his positions were now precarious and issued the orders for a general retreat: FML Mercantin was to withdraw on Eberhardszell; Prince Condé was to go to Schweinhausen and Ummendorf, while Baillet and Kospoth crossed the Riß River at Biberach to take up a position on the eastern bank. Mercantin and Prince Condé withdrew through Unter- and Oberessendorf to Eberhardszell, and through Hochdorf to Schweinhausen and Ummendorf respectively from around 5 p.m., practically unmolested by the French. St. Cyr, who planned an infantry assault on FML Baillet’s position near Grodt, had only sent small cavalry detachments in pursuit of Baillet and Condé. One unit, consisting of 2e Chasseurs a Cheval and 9e Cavallerie regiment under Chef de Brigade Nansouty pushed forward as far as Appendorf and tried to attack the Austrian reserve artillery park that was still in Schweinhausen, but were driven off by steady gunfire and the artillery moved off safely. Appendorf was bombarded and set on fire by the Austrians in the evening and the bridge over the Riß was demolished, so that the French couldn’t cross the river there. The units under Baillet and particularly the right wing under Kospoth were less lucky, breaking up during the early evening under heavy French fire. The Struggle for the Galgenberg HillAfter FML Kospoth’s troops had taken up their position on the Galgenberg Hill in the late afternoon, they were able to repulse several attacks by Desaix from their well-protected positions. Desaix the launched a pincer movement to surround and cut off these Austrian troops. A strong detachment under Girarddit-Vieux on the French right wing was directed through Oberdorf towards Mittelbiberach, while another on the left wing under Decaen marched left of Birkenhard towards the Lindenberg Hill near Biberach. Further to the left, a third detachment of 1,000 men was sent down the to Riß Valley to march along the Warthausen-Biberach road, take the town and cut the road east. At the same time, Desaix hurled the rest of Beaupuy’s Division directly at the front of Kospoth’s positions. The Austrians were able to hold their lines for some time to cover the retreat of Baillet’s troops from Grodt to Biberach, but around 5:30 pm, the Austrian right wing broke up under French fire. FML Kospoth, knowing Baillet’s withdrawal was underway, realised the situation was hopeless and that he could only avoid encirclement by a rapid retreat to Biberach, which eh managed to reach with his cavalry and the lead units of his infantry columns. There was only one bridge over the Riß in Biberach, so many soldiers had to risk wading through the river away from it. However, the main part of Kospoth’s infantry, four battalions, was constantly engaged in heavy fighting with their pursuers and they were eventually cut off from Biberach. As French troops raced down the Lindenberg Hill, the four Austrian battalions, including one each from IRs 1 Kaiser and 22 Gemmingen, were encircled and forced to surrender. The fighting west of Biberach attracted many spectators from the town, but as the Austrian lines broke, many made their way home as quickly as they could. The civilians and sutlers, who had served the Austrian soldiers drinks during the day, now joined the panicked rush and created total chaos in the Austrian rear. Kospoth’s defence against Desaix had cost many casualties, but he had enabled Baillet to escape encirclement. After the right wing under Kospoth had collapsed, FML Baillet quickly disengaged from St. Cyr’s units and withdrew. The Storming of the Grodt Hills As a result of Laboissiére, St. Cyr’s march against Baillet had been delayed by 1 1/2 hours and until 5 p.m., only the artillery of the two forces had exchanged fore around Grodt. FML Baillet wanted to hold his ground for as long as possible in well-chosen defensive positions Kospoth was still holding Desaix, while St. Cyr and Bourcier couldn’t make any progress against Baillet. Then the action at Grodt took a decisive turn, when Mercatin’s withdrawal released some of St. Cyr’s men - Vandamme and Taponier now led their men in two assault columns against Grodt. At the same time, Baillet received news that Kospoth had finally been broken and that the left under Mercantin was in full retreat, so as the French assaults began just after 5 p.m., Baillet ordered a retreat of his own men. However, the French were already close enough to turn the retreat into a full-scale rout and an attempt by Baillet to form a defensive position around 6 pm on the Grodt-Biberach road failed as his men fled in wild panic towards the bridge over the Riß in Biberach. Meanwhile, Desaix’s lead units were approaching Biberach from the north, so the only choice for the Austrian troops was to break through or surrender. Many of the troops from the Austrian centre were able to escape at Latour’s direction the broken and wooded terrain west of Biberach. Two officers and a trumpeter of the Chevauxleger division of CR6, the Kaiser Carabinier went to the French lines and were promptly informed that they were encircled. They asked for surrender terms, which were agreed, but the officers returned to their position with a French escort, the troopers had already vanished. Eyewitness reports say that around 11 p.m., the two squadrons, together with approximately 100 infantry, rode through Biberach without being recognised by the French. Many other Austrian soldiers escaped under cover of darkness, even though Desaix and St. Cyr had ordered close surveillance of the Riß crossings at Biberach and Rißeck. In the narrow lanes and streets of Biberach, chaotic scenes occurred as the last Austrians followed by French advance troops moved almost simultaneously through the town towards the Riß on its eastern edge, but there was no fighting and the French did not attempt to cross the river. Only near Rißeck and Appendorf, some kilometres south of Biberach, was there a small exchange of artillery and musketry fire until 11 pm. Casualties The First Battle of Biberach on 2 October 1796 ended in a complete French triumph. According to their own reports, the French only lost 500 dead and wounded, but as is often the case, this figure appears to be too low. Among the wounded were General de Brigade Lecourbe, who was shot in the chest and Chef de Bataillon Mas from 10e légère. Latour’s army lost 1,000 dead and nearly 4,000 prisoners (among them 65 officers), which included 449 Bavarians (among them 12 officers). In addition, the Austrians lost 18 guns and 2 flags. Shortly after the battle, on 5th October, there was an exchange of prisoners in Biberach. The town had to provide 2,960 bread rations for the Austrian prisoners,so that the number of 4,000 Austrian prisoners seems probable. Aftermath During the morning of 3rd October, Latour concentrated his troops on the Ringschnaidt hills, some kilometres east of Biberach. Then he sent troops under his brother, FML Baillet, to Laupheim to approach the Danube and contact GM Nauendorf’s Division. After he had given this order, FZM Latour retreated with the other troops to Erlenmoos an der Rotturm. FML Mercantin and Prince Condé were to take their units to the hills near the Roth monastery and Eichbühl respectively. Moreau had inflicted many more casualties in the battle than he had sus-tained and so was able to achieve his primary objective of breaking clear of his pursuers, as he reached the most difficult part of his own retreat – the Black Forest mountains. St. Cyr returned to his former positions south of the Federsee on 3rd October and rested his men there the following day. The Left Wing corps under Desaix crossed the Danube near Riedlingen at that day to take up a new position between Sigmaringen and Vöhringen, with some troops deployed behind the Lauchert River to observe GM Nauendorf. Biberach was evacuated by the French during the morning of 5th October and was occupied by the Austrians sooner after - FZM Latour established his headquarters in the town on the 6th. Moreau’s Retreat After Moreau had got clear of Latour, he led his army on a legendary retreat through the Höllental Valley to Freiburg in the Upper Rhine Valley during mid-October. FML Petrasch’s small force was unable to interfere with it in the Höllental Valley and the local Landsturm militia units were quickly dispersed as the popular uprisings were suppressed. Several villages were burnt down during those actions.
Moreau was able to fight defensive actions at Emmendingen (19th October) and Schliengen (24th October), keeping his army fairly intact. He then crossed the Rhine with the two corps under Ferino and St. Cyr near Hüningen (a few kilometres north of Basle), while Desaix had already crossed at Breisach. In spite of Joudan’s defeat at Würzburg, Moreau had been able to lead his substantially intact back to France, which was celebrated in Paris like a victory. However, the area east of the Rhine was lost until Moreau crossed the Rhine again in May 1800. Only the garrisons of Kehl and Hüningen on the right bank could hold out until very early in 1797. Peace came a few months later with the Armistice of Leoben, but it was in northern Italy, where the spectacular victories of Napoleon Bonaparte decided the war and gained popular acclaim. Bonaparte would take power and ensure his campaign came to prom-inence, while Moreau’s two campaigns in southern Germany, both of which featured a victory at Biberach were gradually overshadowed and now are almost forgotten. First Battle of Biberach 2 October 1796 Back to Table of Contents -- First Empire # 70 Back to First Empire List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 2003 by First Empire. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com |
Sunday, 2nd October: Desaix’s Advance
Although Archduke Charles marched south with some battalions and cavalry regiments from the Lower Rhine, he was not able to defeat Moreau decisively, even after joining Latour on 15th October.