Battle of Haslach-Jungingen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Haslach-Jungingen
Part of the War of the Third Coalition
Ulm-Jungingen location in Germany
Date 11 October 1805 Location Ulm-Jungingen, present-day Germany 48°24′N 9°59′E / 48.4°N 9.98°E / 48.4; 9.98 Result French victory
Belligerents
French Empire	Austrian Empire
Commanders and leaders
Pierre Dupont	Karl Mack von Lieberich
Strength
4,000-5,000-6,000	25,000
Casualties and losses
1,500 killed, wounded, and captured 600 killed or wounded 11 cannon captured	1,100 killed and wounded 1,100-2,000 killed or wounded 4,000-6,000 captured 4 guns and 2 flags

The Battle of Haslach-Jungingen, also called the Battle of Albeck, happened on October 11, 1805. It took place near Ulm-Jungingen in modern-day Germany. This battle was part of the War of the Third Coalition. This larger war was a major part of the Napoleonic Wars. The French army fought against the Austrian army, and the French won.

Why the Battle Happened

Napoleon's Plan to Trap the Austrians

During the Ulm Campaign, Napoleon's large French army, called the Grand Army, made a big move. They marched from the Rhine River eastward. Then, they turned south towards the Danube River. This was a clever plan to surround the Austrian army. The Austrian army was led by General Karl Mack von Lieberich.

Once at the Danube, the French army turned west. This meant most of Napoleon's soldiers were now facing west. The main part of the Austrian army was now trapped. However, Napoleon wasn't sure exactly where all the Austrian troops were.

French Misunderstanding and Orders

The French leaders thought the Austrian soldiers in Ulm were just a small group. They believed these soldiers were protecting the main army's retreat. Marshal Joachim Murat was put in charge of some French troops. His job was to move west towards Ulm.

On October 11, Murat told Marshal Michel Ney to move most of his soldiers to the south side of the Danube River. Ney thought this was a bad idea. He felt the French forces on the north side would be too small. But Murat insisted, saying he only cared about plans made during the battle. Ney followed the order, leaving only General Pierre Dupont's soldiers on the north bank. Dupont's troops had some cavalry support.

The Battle of Haslach-Jungingen

Austrian Breakout Attempt

The battle began when General Mack and Archduke Ferdinand tried to escape. They wanted to break out from the French forces surrounding them at Ulm. Mack sent about 35,000 Austrian soldiers, including 10,000 cavalry, eastward along the Danube.

General Dupont, with only about 4,100 French soldiers, suddenly faced this huge Austrian force. He felt that retreating would lead to his division being destroyed. So, he decided to attack the much larger Austrian army instead. He hoped to slow them down. He also wanted to make them think he had more soldiers than he actually did.

Dupont's Brave Stand

Dupont's small force was made up of soldiers from different regiments. These included the 9th Light Infantry and the 32nd and 96th Line Infantry Regiments. He also had about 900 cavalry soldiers. His closest support was a division of dragoons.

Throughout the day, the French launched attacks to hold back the Austrians. The toughest fighting happened at Ulm-Jungingen. This village was just west of Albeck. The 9th Light Infantry held the church there. French General Jean Rouyer made the church stronger. He sent out skirmishers (soldiers who fight in small groups) to stop the Austrian attacks. Then, he sent in more soldiers from his reserves.

General Mack could not use his large number of cavalry effectively. This was because woods to the north protected Dupont's side. As the battle went on, Mack started to believe that the French troops he was fighting were just an advance group. He thought they were not an isolated force. This mistake stopped him from using all his reserve soldiers. This allowed Dupont to hold off the Austrians until nightfall. Dupont then pulled back his tired troops. He took with him about 6,000 Austrian prisoners and 8 captured cannons. The Austrians also lost 1,100 soldiers killed or wounded. Mack himself was slightly wounded. He then retreated back into Ulm.

The Austrians caused about 1,000 French soldiers to be killed or captured. They also took 2 French cannons. An Austrian cavalry unit captured a special flag (called an eagle) from the French 15th Dragoons.

What Happened Next

Impact on the Ulm Campaign

Marshal Murat's mistake gave General Mack a great chance to escape. He could have broken out to the east on the north side of the Danube. But Mack's weak leadership and Dupont's strong actions stopped the Austrian army from getting out of Napoleon's trap. For a few more days, only Dupont and some cavalry blocked the north bank. Mack wasted this time.

After the fighting at Haslach-Jungingen, a big argument broke out. Marshal Ney and Marshal Murat argued about who was to blame for the danger Dupont's soldiers faced. Napoleon stepped in and sided with Ney.

On October 14, at the Battle of Elchingen, Mack tried to break out again. But the rest of Ney's army attacked across the river to the north bank. This closed off one of Mack's last ways to escape.