Napoleon’s Eagles (Part 4)
Russia 1812

The Landlocked Admiral

by Kevin Birkett, FINS, Eire

20th September to 18th December 1812

On the 20th September elements of Tshitsagov’s Army of the Danube under the command of Lambert crossed the Styr at the village of Neswitsch in the vicinity of Lutsk and put to flight 14 squadrons of Austro-Saxon cavalry. The Tsar’s offensive in the south had begun.

While both the Russians and the Austro-Saxons had spent the previous weeks bringing up reinforcements and strengthening their positions the advantage in the southern theatre had swung decisively to the Tsar’s troops. Arriving on the Styr Tshitsagov had immediately set about incorporating Tormassov’s forces with his own; the union of these two armies bringing the number of Russian troops operating in this area to 60,000.

Faced with these numbers Schwarzenberg and Reynier could offer little opposition consequently they retired towards the relative sanctuary of the Pinsk marshes leaving the Russians to cross the Styr in force between Dubno and Lutsk. By the 29th the Russians were nearing the Bug, Langeron’s Corps defeating Bianchi’s Austrians at Lubolm on that day.

On the 11th October Tshitsagov assaulted Schwarzenberg’s positions behind the Murawiec to the east of Brest. Equal for once in numbers, about 24,000 apiece, Schwarzenberg and Reynier were able to drive off the Russians but, fearing Tshitsagov would cross the Bug above Brest and cut their communications with Warsaw, they retired.

On the 13th a Russian attempt to turn the Austro-Saxon right near Baila on the River Tzna was repulsed by Reynier. Defeated again Tshitsagov withdrew to positions around Brest and Kaminiec. There followed a lull in fighting on this front while the protagonists brought up reinforcements and supplies.

Schwarzenberg who had long been expecting reinforcements by Zamosc moved in that direction to facilitate their safe arrival. Reynier too was awaiting fresh troops, Durutte’s division of the XI Corps. It was while Schwarzenberg and Reynier were concentrating on this process that, on the 28th October, Tshitsagov, leaving Sacken on the Bug with 25,000 men, slipped away with 35,000 men towards Minsk and Borisov in an attempt to trap Napoleon on the Berezina.

Unsure of what course to follow, Schwarzenberg and Reynier initially hesitated but eventually pursued Tshitsagov, the delay however had allowed the Russians to make a clean break. Schwarzenberg leaving Reynier to deal with Sacken marched on Slonim. His pursuit while late was also short lived. Torn between pursuing the Russian admiral and leaving Reynier to be overwhelmed by Sacken in his rear, Schwarzenberg turned back.

Meanwhile Reynier and Sacken had been shadowing each other as they headed in a general northeast direction. By the 12th November Reynier had reached Lapinika and two days later he was in Volkovysk.

At 3 a.m. on the 15th elements of Sacken’s corps slipped into the city catching its occupants, only those troops assigned to guard Reynier and the Corps baggage, by surprise. Reacting quickly Saxon and French battalions, Durutte had finally rendezvoused with Reynier, poured into the city but too late.

By 8 a.m., following a bitter house-to-house struggle, the Saxons had been driven from the town and had taken up new positions on the north bank of the Volkovysk river. However despite their numerical superiority such was the strength of this new position that all further attempts by the Russians to advance received a bloody check.

On the 16th the Saxons attempted to retake the town but they too were driven back. As the protagonists drew breath three distinct artillery salvos could be heard, Schwarzenberg had arrived with two infantry divisions and two cavalry brigades in answer to Reynier’s pleas for help. Reinvigerated

Durette’s Frenchmen surged forwards under cover of a heavy Saxon artillery barrage. Caught between two fires Sacken withdrew leaving 1,500 dead and wounded on the field of battle and 2,500 men and all his baggage in the hands of his adversaries.

Reynier and Schwarzenberg meanwhile lost just 1,800 of their combined strength of 28,000.

By the 24th November Sacken had retired to Brest and Kobrin and thence to Lubolm and Kovel. Cautiously following this withdrawal up Reynier’s VII Corps occupied Brest while Schwarzenberg seized Kobrin. On the 1st December they relinquished the pursuit of Sacken and again moved north.

On the 14th December, as a consequence of events further north, Schwarzenberg and Reynier retired from Slonim to Bialystock, which they reached on the 18th.

As the year drew to a close with the meteorological and military situations steadily worsening, Schwarzenberg received orders from the Hofkriegsrat to retire into the Austrian province of Gallacia. Abandoned by his Austrian allies Reynier was also forced to retire.

Tshitsagov meanwhile had made considerable progress towards his objective, cutting Napoleon’s communications at Borisov. Freed from the attentions of Schwarzenberg, who had given up the chase at Slonim and returned to assist Reynier, on the 17th November Tshitsagov surprised the garrison of Minsk capturing the city and its vital supplies. Realising the gravity of the situation Dombrowski, whose division was then in Semlo, immediately set out for the vital bridge at Borisov. On the 19th Tshitsagov’s advance guard, commanded by General Lambert, departed Minsk via the Jouknovo road.

The race for Borisov was on. In the event Dombrowski won the race, arriving in Borisov at midnight on the 20th, although his defences were far from complete when, at dawn the following morning, Lambert’s three divisions attacked. Dombrowski stubbornly resisted throughout the 21st, nevertheless by 5 p.m. Lambert had succeeded in capturing the bridge and forcing him back towards Lochnitza. Tshitsagov had reached his objective; Napoleon and the Grande Armée were trapped.

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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