Preussisch-Eylau (now Bagrationovsk), 7 and 8 February 1807

A town in East Prussia (now the Russian enclave around Kaliningrad - once Konigsberg); about 33km south of Konigsberg. Both the Russo-Prussians and French claimed a victory, but the Russo-Prussians withdrew. (Last action - Hof, 6 February; next action Ostrolenka, 16 February.)

French Forces

Emperor Napoleon I commanding:

Imperial Guard Infantry

M Lefebvre

GdB Hulin: 1er Grenadiers a Pied (2 bns)
GdB Soules: 1er Chass (2 bns);
2e Chass (2 bns).

Cavalry

M Bessieres

GdD Walther: GrenaCh (4 sqns);
Col Dahimann ChaCh (4 sqns);
Mamelukes (1 sqn).

Artillery a Cheval.

Imperial Guard totals 6 bns, 9 sqns, 12 guns.

III Corps

1st Division GdD Morand
GdB Debilly, GdB Brouard, GdB d'Honieres: 13e Regt (2 bns); 17e and 30e Regt (2 bns each); 51e and 61e Regt (3 bns each). 2 x FAB (13 guns).

2nd Division GdD Friant
GdB Kister; GdB Lochet, GdB Grandeau: 33e, 48e, 108e and 111e Regt (8 bns), 1x FAB (8 guns).

3rd Division GdD Gudin
GdB Petit and GdB Gauthier, 12e, 25e, and 85e Regt (2 bns each); 21e Regt (3 bns), 1x FAB (8 guns)

Light Cavalry GdB Viallarres 1
er and 12e ChaCh (6 sqns)

Artillery Reserve
3 x FAB, 1x HAB (17 guns).

III Corps totals 29 bns, 6 sqns, 46 guns.

* = III Corps arrived on the battlefield at midday on the Russian left flank. The battle had been raging since about 0900 hrs.

IV Corps

M Soult

1st Division GdD Saint-Hilaire
GdB Candras, GdB Ware 10e Regt legere; 35e, 43e, 55e Regt (8 bns); 2 x FAB (12 guns)

2nd Division GdD Leval
GdB Schimmer, GdB Ferey, GdB Vivies
24e Regt Legere, 4e, 28e, 46e, 57e Regt (10 bns), 2 x FAB (12 guns)

3rd Division GdD Legrand
GdB des Essarts, GdB Lavasseur: 26e Regt Legere, 18e, 75e Regt (2 bns each); Tirailleurs Corses and Tirailleurs du Po (1 bn each), 2 x FAB (12 guns)

Artillery Reserve
1x FAB (6 guns).

IV Corps totals 26 bns, 36 guns.

VI Corps

M Ney**

1st Division GdD Marchand
GdB Villatte, GdB Roguet: 6e Regt Legere; 39e, 69e and 76e Regt (8 bns).

2nd Division GdD Gardanne
25e Regt Legere, 27e, 50e and 59e Regt (8 bns).

Light Cavalry GdB Colbert:
10e ChaCh; 9e Hus (3 sqns each)

Artillery
4 x FAB, 2 HAB (24 guns).

VI Corps totals 16 bns, 6 sqns, 24 guns.

**= Ney's corps did not arrive on the battlefield until 1915 hrs.

VII Corps

M Augereau

1st Division GdD Desjardins
GdB Lapisse, GdB Lefranc: 16e Regt Legere (4 bns); 14e Regt (2nd Bn); 44e and 105e Regt (3 bns each); 1x FAB, 1x HAB (8 guns).

2nd Division GdD de Bierre:
GdB Amey, GdB Sarrut, GdB Anon. 7e Regt Legere, 24e Regt (3 bns each); 63e Regt (2 bns), 1x FAB, 1x HAB (8 guns)

Light Cavalry GdB Durosnel
20e ChaCh (3 sqns), 1x HAB (4 guns)

Artillery Reserve
2 x FAB ( 16 guns)

VII Corps totals 19 bns, 3 sqns, 36 guns

The Reserve Cavalry

M Prince Murat

1st Cuirassier Division GdD Nansouty
GdD La Houssaye, 9e and 11e CuirR (8 sqns); 1/2x HAB (3 guns).

2nd Cuirassier Division GdD d'Hautpoul:
GdB Verdiere, GdB Saint Sulpice: 1er, 5e and 10e CuirR (4 sqns each); 1/2x HAB (3 guns).

1st Dragoon Division
GdD Klein, GdB Fenerolz, GdB la Motte, GdB Picard: ler and 2e DragR (3 sqns each); 4e and 14e DragR (4 sqns each); 20e and 26e DragR (3 sqns each), '/~x HAB (3 guns).

2nd Dragoon Division GdD Grouchy
GdB Roget, GdB Milet, GdB Boussard: 3e, 4e, 6e, 10e, 11e DragR (3 sqns each) 1/2X HAB (3 guns).

3rd Dragoon Division GdD Beaumont
GdB Boye, GdB Marizy, GdB Latour-Maubourg: 5e, 8e, 12e, 16e, 19e and 21e DragR (4 sqns each), 1/2x HAB (3 guns).

4th Dragoon Division GdD Sahuc
GdB Margaron, GdB Laplanche, GdB Anon: 17e, 18e, 19e and 27e DragR (3 sqns each), 1/2 x HAB (3 guns).

Light Cavalry Division GdD Lasalle
GdB Milhaud: 1er, 3e and 5e HusR, 13e ChaCh (3 sqns each). Light Cavalry Brigade: GdB Wathier: 11e ChaCh, Bavarian 1st ChLR Kronprinz (4 sqns each).

Artillery Reserve
1x HAB (8guns).

Cavalry Corps total 98 sqns, 26 guns.

French totals 96 bns, 123 sqns, 200 guns, ca 75,000 men.

French losses

According to their bulletins there were 1,900 killed and 5,700 wounded. Other French sources say 2,000 killed and 15-16,000 wounded.

Eleven days after the battle Lestocq's Prussians reported French officers as killed and wounded with about 21,000 other ranks killed and wounded. The following French generals were killed QdDs Desjardins and Hautpoul-Salette; GdBs Binot, d'Hommieres, Corbineau (see note at end of list), Dahlmann, Lochet and Vare.

In view of the very fierce nature of the combat, it is highly likely that the real French losses were heavier than officially reported. They also lost 6 eagles or colours and standards (1st Bn l0e Legere (eagle), 1st Bn, 18e de Ligne (eagle and colour); 2nd Bn 24e de Ligne (eagle and colour); 1st Bn 44e de Ligne (eagle); 51e de Ligne (eagle); and one other.

Prussian and Russian Forces

GdC Baron von Bennigsen

2nd Division

GM Koschin; Leffi-KurR; Kargopol DragR (5 sqns each); Isum HusR (10 sqns); Cossack R Ilowalski IX, Cossack R Jefremov III. GM Mazovskoi: Favlovski GrenR, Rostov MuskR (6 bns); GM Sukin II, Petersburg GrenR; Jeletz MuskR (6 bns); GM Count Lieven: 1st and 20th Jagers (6 bns). Artillery: 2 x 12 pdr, 2 x 6 pdr and 1x HAB (60 guns).

3rd Division

GM Count Pahlen Little Russian KfirR, Kurland DragR (5 sqns each); Sum HusR (10 sqns); Cossack R Ilowaiski X, Cossack R Papuzin. GM Uschakov: Tauride Grenadier R; Lithuanian MuskR (6 bns); GM Titov II: Kaporski and Muromsk MuskR (6 bns); GM Netting: Tschernigov and Dnieprov MuskR (6 bns). Artillery: 2 x 12 pdr, 3 x 6 pdr and 1x HAB (72 guns).

4th Division

GM Baron Korff: KurK St George, Pskov DragR (5 sqns each); Polish CavR (10 sqns); Cossack R Grekov IX, Cossack R Grekov XVIII; GM Somov: Tula and Tengisk MuskRs (3 bns each); GM Arseniev: Tobolsk MuskR (3 bns). GM Barclay de Tolly: Polotzk and Kostroma MuskRs (3 bns each); 3rd Jagers (3 bns). Artillery: 2 x 12 pdr, 3 x 6 pdr and 1x HAB (72 guns).

5th Division

GM Sacken: Riga DragR; Kasan DragR, Elisabethgrad HusR (20 sqns); Lithuanian CavR (5 sqns); Cossack R Gordejov. Sievsk, Kaluga, Perm and Mohilev MuskRs (12 bns); 24th and 25th Jagers (6 bns). Artillery: 2 x 12 pdr, 2 x 6 pdr and 1x HAB (60 guns).

7th Division

GM Tschaplitz: Moscow DragR, Ingermanniand Dragr (10 sqns); Favlograd HusR (10 sqns); Cossack Rs Malachov and Andronov. Ekaterinoslav GrenR (3 bns); Moscow, Vladimir, Voronesch, Pskov and Azov Musk Rs (15 bns); 5th Jagers (3 bns). Artillery: 2 x 12 pdr, 3 x 6 pdr FAB and 1x HAB (72 guns).

8th Division

Petersburg DragR; Livland DragR (10 sqns); Olviopol HusR (10 sqns); Cossack Rs Kieselev and Sysojev, Moscow GrenK (3 bns); Schlfisselburg, AltIngermarmland, Podolsk and Archangelgorod Musk Rs (12 bns); 7th Jagers (3 bns). Artillery: 4 x 12 pdr and 1x HAB (60 guns).

Russian totals 126 Ims, 145 sqns, 15 Cossack sotnias 336 guns, ca 58,000 men.

The following Russian generals were wounded: GL Dochtorov, GMs Barclay de Tolly, Count Lieven III, Sukin II, Korff, Mitzki, Arseniev, Gersdorf and Titov II.

Russian losses 18,000 killed and wounded, 3,000 captured , 24 guns and 16 colours.

Prussian Corps

Gen L'Estocq commanding (arrived on the battlefield at 1320 hrs).

Avantgarde

Auer DragR Nr 6 (10 sqns); Towarczys (1/2 sqn); 1x HAB.

1st Division

GrenBn Fabecky (1 bn); IR Rfichel Nr 2 (2 bns); DragR Baczko Nr 7 (3 sqns); KOrR Wagenfeld Nr 4 (4 sqns); 1/2 HAB.

2nd Division

IR vac Schorring Nr 11 (2 bns); GrenBn vac. Schlieffen (I bn).

3rd Division

Towarczys (9 1/2 sqns); Russian IR Wyburg (3 bns); 1/2 HAB, 2 Fus coys; 21st Russian Jagers (3 bns).

Prussian totals: 12 1/2 bns, 29 sqns, 2 x HAB (9 guns), ca 5,584 men.

Prussian losses: Not exactly known; ca 800 killed, wounded and missing.

Comment

Hopfner (Vol III, page 289) states that 'Napoleon was displeased with M Augereau's conduct this day' (his corps suffered very heavy casualties). M Augereau left the army and his VII Corps was broken up and distributed among the others'. Bennigsen evacuated Eylau at 1830 hrs that night - against the advice of most of his staff - and the 4th French Division later occupied the town without a fight.

Sources

Hopfner, Lettow-Vorbeck, Martinien.
Listing taken from The Greenhill Napoleonic Wars

More Eylau

Introduction
10am
Charge of Murat
12 Noon
11pm
Eylau Order of Battle
Eylau Map Large (very slow: 245K)
Eylau Map Jumbo (extremely slow: 406K)