Napoleon's Invasion of Russia

by George F Nafziger

  * (C. Duffy Borodino, Napoleon Against Russia, 1812, p. 84)

  The Battle Begins

  The first cannon shots broke the stillness of the dawn, and the Russians began their reply. It was quickly discovered that the three batteries, a total of 102 guns, that Napoleon had ordered formed on September 6th were out of range of their targets. The guns had to be prolonged forward 1,600 paces until they were within range.

  The firing spread to the I and III Corps. The air was torn by the shriek of round shot. Death and destruction had begun to rain on both armies, with shots indiscriminately smashing all that they encountered.

  Eugene's forces advanced into the village of Borodino, as directed, and engaged the Russian Guard Jager Regiment with the 106th Line Regiment. Barclay had recognized the dangerous position of the Guard Jagers and sent Lowenstern to recall them. As Lowenstern arrived, so did the French, at “an unbelievable speed.” Delzon's 13th Division had caught the Guard Jagers, commanded by Colonel Bistrom, and one French brigade hurried them across the Kolocha. Another brigade sent forward skirmishers who fired on the fleeing Russians as they crossed the bridge. The crowding was so thick and the fire so heavy that the regiment lost half of its strength before it had completely crossed the bridge.

  So rapid was the advance of the 106th Line Regiment and the retreat of the Russian Guard Jagers, that the French were able to cross the intact bridge and advance on Gorki. However, the French began to lose their organizational integrity, and, as they grew fatigued, they were struck frontally by the regrouped Guard Jagers and in the flank by the 1st, 19th, and 40th Jager Regiments. The 106th Line was thrown back across the Kolocha, where it reformed behind the 92nd Line Regiment. The Russians quickly reoccupied the lost ground on their side of the Kolocha, while the Russian Guard Equipage Battalion destroyed the bridge.

  Delzon's division occupied the village as the Bavarian cavalry deployed behind the village to the east. Eugene prepared to renew his assault across the river by organizing a twenty-eight-gun battery near Borodino. This battery was positioned so that it could bring the Raevsky and Gorki earthworks under fire. Since the village was untenable, the Russians quickly lost interest in Borodino, and the French deployed around it. Ornano moved to Bezzoubovo, and the divisions of Gerard and Broussier, the Italian Guard, and Grouchy5s III Reserve Cavalry Corps supported Morand's division as he prepared to recross the Kolocha.

  Barclay began a tour of his army, and as he passed through the Russian Imperial Guard he was showered with shot. Lowenstern recalled that the young grenadiers preserved a truly military bearing and calmly welcomed Barclay's appearance. The shots were already working to devastating effect in their ranks, but the men stood stoically and silently, with their muskets by their sides, and they coolly closed up their ranks whenever a missile claimed its victim. The effect was shaking to all, but hardest on the officers. General Lavrov was so shaken by the carnage that he suffered a nervous breakdown.

  The Battle for the Bagration Flèches

  As Napoleon heard the battle around Borodino develop, and when he judged that Poniatowski had had enough time to reach his jumping-off positions, he directed that Davoufs I Corps begin its attack of the Bagration flèches. The flèches had been under fire of the 102 guns of Sorbier, Pemety, and Foucher since 7:00 A.M., but most of their fire had been directed on the Raevsky Redoubt and the village of Borodino. Thirty-eight guns had taken an enfilade position against the lines of the 2nd Army of the West, while the others had enfiladed the 1st Army of the West. In the middle of this cannonade, General Compans' 5th Division advanced with the support of thirty guns. He moved on the flèches, to the right of Sorbier's battery, and crossed the woods. Teste's 25th and 57th Line Regiments cleared them of Russian skirmishers while the entire division pushed along the southern edge of the woods. Friant and the 2nd Division remained behind as a reserve. To the south, Ponia-towski had also become engaged in battle.

  Compans” men marched into the fury of the Russian 11th and 32nd Light Companies. The Russian fire took such a heavy toll of the advancing infantry that the columns thinned perceptively as they advanced. Not only was the cannister fire from the flèches taking a toll, but Russian skirmishers stationed between the flèches and Utitza, under Prince Cha-koffski, kept the French under heavy fire.

  À stray shot from a Russian skirmisher struck General Compans and put him out of the battle. Shortly after Marshal Davout's horse was killed beneath him, throwing him to the ground and stunning him. With the temporary loss of these two, General Dessaix took command of the assault, and Compans' two-pronged assault fell to the side. The 57th Line Regiment advanced into and seized the westernmost flèche. However, the fire from the Russian skirmishers and a counterattack by the 2nd Converged Grenadier Division and a few battalions of the 27th Division threw them out.

  General Voronzov's forces reestablished themselves in the flèche while General Sievers advanced with the Akhtyrsk Hussar Regiment, Lithuanian Uhlan Regiment, and the New Russia Dragoon Regiment. General Sievers pursued the recoiling French back to their main lines and captured twelve guns. However, in its turn, the Russian cavalry was attacked by the 2nd and 4th Wùrttemberg Chevauxlégers and thrown back. The French recaptured their guns.

  The 5th Division was scattered in the ditches and folds of the ground before the flèches. General Rapp came forward to assume command of the division from Dessaix. This permitted him to concentrate his attention on his 4th Division, which had replaced the 5th in the front line.

  Ledru's 10th Division moved forward at 9:00 A.M. as the third assault against the flèches, with three regiments in battalion columns. He was supported by Junot's VIII Corps, which was positioned to the left of Shevardino, and the IV Reserve Cavalry Corps. Davout's renewed advance was supported by the I Reserve Cavalry Corps.

  Bagration saw the assault coming and brought up the rest of Never-ovski's 27th Division to support the 2nd Converged Grenadier Division. The French did not observe this and were still unaware of the existence of the third flèche, behind the flèche designated as Ledru's target. As Ledra advanced on his target flèche, Junot was chasing the Russian jagers from the woods to the south of the flèches.

  Bagration ordered Raevsky to shift part of his 7th Infantry Corps towards the flèches, and the 2nd Grenadier Division of Prince Carl of Mecklenburg was to move to the left of Semenovskaya. The 2nd Cuirassier Division was to position itself to the left of the grenadiers. Bagration then ordered the 3rd Infantry Corps of General Tuchkov I to detach the 3rd Division towards the flèches. He also demanded and received from the reserve the Guard infantry regiments Ismailov, Lithuanian, and Finland, the Emperor and Empress Cuirassiers, eight battalions of the converged grenadiers, the two Guard Position Batteries—Emperor and Arakcheyev, and the 1st Guard Horse Battery. Though reinforcements were on the way, it would take one-and-a-half hours before all of them would arrive.

  This was sufficient time to allow the French to fully develop their attack. The 24th Légère and the 57th Line Regiments struck the leading flèche from the south simultaneously as Ledru struck the fiòche from the north. It was at this time that the French realized that there was a third flèche. The French attack finally drove the 2nd Converged Grenadier Division out of the flèche.

  By this time Bagration had sent the 27th Division, four battalions of the 12th Division, the 2nd Grenadier Division, the 2nd Cuirassier Division, the Akhtyrsk Hussar Regiment, the Lithuanian Uhlan Regiment, the New Russia Dragoon Regiment, and five horse guns into the cauldron brewing around the flèches.

  The French had been reinforced by the light cavalry brigades of Beurmann and Bruyère. The Wurttemberg cavalry, under Beurmann, was sent to stop a Russian infantry force moving to retake the flèches, but was struck by Duka's Gluchov, Novgorod, and Little Russia Cuirassier Regiments. The Wurttembergers were thrown back, and Duka's cavalry struck the head of Dessaix's 4th Division. Six guns were lost to the Russians momentarily.

  Duka's cuirassiers were quickly countercharg
ed by 100 volunteers of the 6th Polish Uhlan Regiment under Major Sucharzewski. They were stopped and brought under the concentrated fire of the French artillery.

  General Rapp was in the front lines directing his forces when he was struck twice by spent musketballs, a third ball grazed his arm, and a fourth shot struck him in the hip and threw him from his horse. Dessaix once again assumed the command of both divisions, only to be shot in the arm by a musketball.

  Ledru's division succeeded in its fourth attack, at about 10:00 A.M., and took possession of the flèche once again. During the course of the capture of the flèche, Russian generals Neverovski and Gorchakov II were wounded. The French had barely reoccupied the flèche as Konovnit-zin's 3rd Division, supported by the Soum and Marioupol Hussar Regiments, and the Kourland and Orenburg Dragoon Regiments counterattacked and drove them out.

  Upon seeing the Russians retake the flèche, Murat seized control of the Wùrttemberg Kònig Jàgers and the 72nd Line Regiment. He led them forward, retaking the southernmost flèche once again. The Russian cuirassiers charged Murat's force, surrounding him and his jàgers in the flèche with a sea of hostile cavalry. The remainder of the Wurttemberg division advanced to save their fellows.

  Napoleon was informed of the capture of the flèches and decided that Junot's VIII Corps was no longer required to support Davout's attack. He directed Junot to move between Davout and Poniatowski. When Napoleon learned of the checking of Ney's forces, he sent him Friant's 2nd Division. A total of 26,000 French were massed before the flèches occupied by only 18,000 Russians.

  Heavy batteries on both sides pounded the other's infantry. Bagration was struck by a cannister ball that eventually killed him. Both his chief of staff, St. Priest, and Konovnitzin were wounded.

  Though the French retook the flèches again at 11:00 A.M., they were thrown out by Generallieutenant Borosdin's 8th Infantry Corps, supported by the Kiev, Moscow, Astrakhan, and Siberia Grenadier Regiments of the 2nd Grenadier Division.

  By 11:30 A.M. it was clear that the French had finally seized permanent control of the flèches. Konovnitzin withdrew his troops behind the ravine of the Semenovskaya, while General of Infantry Docturov took command of the 2nd Army of the West. The French had committed about 45,000 men and 400 guns to the battle over the flèches. The Russians had faced them with about 300 guns. The battle had lasted five hours before the French found themselves in indisputable control of the flèches.

  The Assault on the Raevsky Redoubt

  To the north of the battlefield, Eugene, after capturing the village of Borodino, directed Delzon to hold it with his division and brought Morand, Gerard, and Broussier across a pontoon bridge he had raised over the Kolocha above the village. He made preparations for his assault on the Raevsky Redoubt. Eugene's slow preparations and advance caused the Russians to think that his actions were purely diversionary, so they had begun shifting their forces along the northern flank towards the south to reinforce the battle around the flèches.

  Raevsky 's 7th Infantry Corps had been assigned to defend the redoubt and the surrounding terrain. He had formed a massive skirmish line with the 5th, 6th, and 41st Jager Regiments from the 7th Infantry Corps, the 19th and 40th Jagers from the 6th Infantry Corps, and the 18th Jager Regiment from the 4th Infantry Corps. This force was posted in the ravine of the Semenovskaya stream. Four battalions of the 12th Division were posted to the left of the redoubt. They were supported by six field batteries.

  A powerful artillery barrage prepared the way for Eugene's assault. This fire was directed primarily on the 3rd Cavalry Corps, posted to the left and rear of the redoubt. Horse Battery #9 was destroyed by this fire, but its position was quickly filled by another battery. The Alexandria Hussar Regiment and three dragoon regiments standing near the redoubt were severely mauled by this fire.

  Shortly before 10:00 A.M., Raevsky easily threw back a French reconnaissance in force led by Broussier. When Bagration was wounded, Raevsky took command in his place and began to move to Semenovskaya. Raevsky decided that it was too dangerous for him to leave his troops, who were threatened with attack. He sent Konovnitzin to handle things as best he could. Shortly afterwards, he found French grenadiers pouring through the embrasures of his redoubt.

  It was 11:00 A.M. when the lead elements of Morand's 1st Division advanced in the 4 'ordre mixte.” “Five battalions of the 30th Line Regiment and two battalions of the 2nd Baden Infantry Regiment, Bonamy's brigade, advanced directly on the redoubt. Great holes were ripped in their ranks by the cannister belching from the redoubt' s 12pdr cannons. Bonamy led them forward at the é 4pas de charge.?? They passed over the redoubt's wall, and the Russian gunners fought for their lives with their rammers. A bloody hand-to-hand battle ensued, and the French 30th Line Regiment swept through and beyond the redoubt, chasing the surviving gunners before them. Only a single battalion of the 13th Légère Regiment was unengaged and able to exploit the gap in the Russian lines. The other battalions were too heavily engaged to move through the gap.

  Barclay, having sent Lowenstem to investigate the commotion around the redoubt, learned of its loss and moved to the 6th Infantry Corps. He sent the two battalions of the Tomsk Infantry Regiment forward to turn the right of the redoubt.

  General Yermolov, chief of staff of the 1st Army of the West, was also passing this vicinity of the redoubt. He noted the 18th, 19th, and 40th Jager Regiments were fleeing in complete disorder. They were incapable of interfering with the French reorganization and consolidation of the recently captured redoubt. Yermolov took command of the 3/Oufa Infantry Regiment and directed it up the hill, towards the redoubt. Behind them he reorganized the jagers and directed them to follow it. He also directed Colonel Nikitin to take three horse batteries and support their advance.

  At the same time Generalmajor Kreutz, with part of the 3rd Cavalry Corps, consisting of the Siberian, Orenburg, and Irkhoutsk Dragoon Regiments and a horse battery, moved against the Italians. The Italians were advancing on the French left, and this attack stopped their advance.

  The commanders of the Russian 12th and 26th Divisions rallied their troops and were moving to crush the French 30th Line Regiment. They pierced the center of the 30th Line Regiment with the support of Colonel Nikitin's three horse batteries, now posted to the left of the redoubt. The French holding the redoubt fled before the massive Russian assault. Those that remained put up a desperate fight that lasted no more than ten minutes. General Yermolov took a handful of crosses of the Order of St. George and threw them at the redoubt to encourage the jagers, but they were out to avenge their insult and this was unnecessary. Those that remained of the French 30th Line Regiment were pushed out at bayonet point and suffered heavily. Only 268 men of the 36th Line Regiment remained to reform behind the French lines, despite support from the carabiniers.

  General Bonamy had been wounded fifteen times and was abandoned by his retreating troops in the redoubt. He was about to receive his sixteenth wound from a poised bayonet when he cried out that he was Murat, king of Naples. The grenadier who was about to bayonet him seized him by the collar and led him off to Kutusov. Kutusov's only action when he saw the bloody Bonamy was to see that his wounds were quickly tended to, and Bonamy passed into captivity.

  In the engagement around the redoubt, the Russians suffered the loss of General Koutaissof, chief of artillery to the 1st Army of the West. He had forgotten his true duties and had led a party of Russian infantry along the right of the redoubt. His death removed the only guidance and supervision that the Russian artillery reserve had. Once he died, movement from the artillery reserve to the battle stopped.

  As the French fell back from the redoubt, their artillery stopped firing, so as to not hit them. Silence fell for the Russians as well, for they were unable to fully re-man and serve the guns in the redoubt they had just recaptured. The French quickly reorganized and began to bring another powerful attack column against the 7th Infantry Corps and the redoubt. Another bloody battle swept over the redoubt.

/>   Prince Eugene of Wurttemberg was leading the 17th Division of the 2nd Infantry Corps south towards the battle around the flèches and halted it behind the redoubt at 10:00 A.M., when the French attacked him. He was resting his troops when he found himself attacked by the French III Reserve Cavalry Corps. The three cuirassier and four dragoon regiments moved forward with their light cavalry brigade screening their advance. This mass of cavalry swarmed around the Russian infantry, forcing it to form square quickly.

  Grouchy's III Reserve Cavalry Corps inflicted heavy losses on the 17th Division. Kreutz's Russian 3rd Cavalry Corps advanced to assist Prince Eugene, but his forces were insufficient to stop the carnage. Yermolov was twice forced to turn the guns in the redoubt around to fire on French cavalry in his rear. Despite the threat to their rear, Yermolov's forces stood fast.

  Around 11:00 A.M. the battle slackened, and the French artillery took up the pace. Prince Eugene of Wurttemberg was dehorsed by a cannon shot and, as he remounted, a howitzer shell killed the second horse. He finally mounted a draft horse from an artillery unit and led the second brigade (Krementchug and Minsk Infantry Regiments) towards the area behind the Bagration flèches, where he had been directed.

  Yermolov was struck in the neck by a cannister shot and passed command of the redoubt to Generalmajor Lichatcheff, commander of the 24th Division.

  The French Strike the Russian Center

  As the actions around the Bagration flèches and Raevsky Redoubt raged, Napoleon chose to direct elements of the I and III Corps, the I and IV Reserve Cavalry Corps, and a large force of French artillery to strike the Russian center. This force was directed against the Russian line around the village of Semenovskaya, which was defended by eight battalions of the 2nd Converged Grenadier Division. This force, commanded by Generalmajor Voronzov, was immediately in front of the village. They were supported by the Russian Guard regiments Ismailov, Lithuanian, and Finland, posted to the south of Voronzov, and the 1st Cuirassier Division, posted behind him. The converged grenadiers, cuirassiers, and the guard infantry had been sent forward from the reserve to fill this position. Somewhat to their rear was the 3rd Division, which, though primarily concerned with the flèches, could assist the center if problems arose. They acted as a second line to the forces around Semenov-skaya.