Napoleon’s Eagles (Part 4)
Russia 1812

Battle of Maloyaroslavets

by Kevin Birkett, FINS, Eire

24th October 1812

Entering the town the horrendous nature of the combat soon became apparent. On every side Prince Eugène’s entourage encountered scattered limbs and human heads, crushed by the wheels of the artillery. The houses formed a pile of ruins, and under their burning ashes appeared many skeletons half consumed.

Those that had escaped the flames, their faces blackened and their clothes and hair dreadfully burnt, beseeched the passing officers to afford them some relief or kindly to terminate their sufferings by death. Turning his tear-stained face away from the horrors that surrounded him Eugène Labaume, Captain of Engineers in the IV Corps, shuddered, wondering whether the barbarous times had returned, when the gods could only be appeased by the offering of human victims on their sanguinary alters.

The Grande Armée had evacuated Moscow on the morning of 19th October. Finding his advance on Kaluga blocked Napoleon had ordered the IV Corps to march on Maloyaroslavets where he planned to establish a bridgehead across the River Lutza. On the evening of the 23rd the lead elements of Eugène’s IV Corps, Delzons’ division, arrived at Maloyaroslavets and camped for the night, two battalions in the village and the remainder on the north bank.

Maloyaroslavets lays approximately seventy-five miles southwest of Moscow in flat meadowland heavily cut by ravines and streams. The town was built upon the side and summit of a lofty hill, rising above the River Lutza. Both banks rose steeply from the river and were heavily wooded and cut by ravines, all of which made the movement of artillery difficult and, since the river was not fordable, the single bridge of vital importance.

At 4 a.m. on the 24th October Doctorov’s Sixth Corps, which had been shadowing the Grande Armée for the past twenty-four hours, mounted a surprise attack on the sleeping French. The assault was an overwhelming success, driving the inadequate garrison from the town and leaving the French in possession of only the church and a few buildings near the bridge.

Hoping to expel the Russians before they established themselves, Delzons counter-attacked but he was already too late. Docturov had positioned a battery overlooking the bridge and a few rounds of canister sufficed to sweep the French attack away. Delzons’ division stood its ground on the north side of the bridge for the next hour while its general pondered his next move and the Russian guns caused havoc in its ranks. Eventually Eugène arrived bringing with him reinforcements of artillery. Undercover of a heavy fire from this artillery Delzons renewed his attack.

Descending the bank Delzons’ division charged across the bridge joined the two battalions that had so gallantly held on to their positions and push up through the streets of the town.

However retribution was not long in coming. Supported by his powerful artillery Docturov counterattacked driving the French back to the ravine, leaving them, once again, in possession of only the church and a few buildings near the bridge.

The French position was precarious and made worse by the death of Delzons, pieced by three musket balls as he attempted to rally his wavering troops. Nevertheless with a foothold established in the village Eugène was able to send across Broussier’s division, which together with Delzons’ division, by now under the command of Eugène’s chief of staff General Guilleminot, retook the disputed village.

By 10 a.m. Doctorov’s position was becoming critical. The French had captured the whole of the village and were only prevented from making any further progress by his hard-pressed artillery positioned on the hills behind Maloyaroslavets.

Every regiment in his corps had already been engaged and the numbers of killed and wounded were beginning to mount alarmingly. The sight of dust on the horizon, kicked up by the feet of two further French corps, convinced him that he required reinforcements; consequently messengers were dispatched to Kutusov.

Shortly Doctorov’s cries for help were answered. Raevski’s Seventh Corps swept onto the field, driving the French back through the village until only the church remained in their possession. Eugène still had one card to play though Pino’s, as yet un-blooded, Italian Division.

Eager to prove themselves the Italians advanced boldly across the bridge and through the village, ejecting Raevski’s victorious troops as it went. The village had changed hands for the final time. Still the Russians only gave up the struggle when their last attempt to take the village was thwarted following Eugène’s introduction of Lecchi’s Italian Guardsmen together with Gérard’s and Compans’ divisions of the I Corps into the fray.

Around 11 p.m. the fighting died down and Doctorov withdrew to the main body of the Russian army, some three miles to the rear. Eugène had established a bridgehead across the Lutza for the retreating Grande Armée but at considerable cost.

Some 6,000 of the 24,000 men engaged were casualties. Of the 24,000 men the Russians had committed some 8,000 lay dead or wounded on the field of battle. That night Kutusov withdrew the Russian army from the vicinity of Maloyaroslavets leaving the way clear for the French.

The following day, while on reconnaissance with his staff, Napoleon was ambushed by Cossacks and only narrowly escaped. The shock of this incident and the casualties of the previous day caused the Emperor to abandon his march to the south, throwing away the fruits of Eugène’s hard won victory.

Napoleon's Eagles (Part 4) Invasion of Russia 1812

Napoleon's Eagles (Part 3) Invasion of Russia 1812

Napoleon's Eagles (Part 2) Invasion of Russia 1812

Napoleon's Eagles (Part 1) Invasion of Russia 1812

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