The Combat of Korneuburg was a relatively minor rearguard action fought by Austrian VI Korps of the Kaiserlich-königliche Hauptarmee under Johann von Klenau against elements of the French IV Corps of the Armée d'Allemagne, under the command of Claude Legrand. The brief combat ended in favour of the French.[2]

Combat of Korneuburg
Part of the War of the Fifth Coalition
Date7 July 1809
Location48°20′43″N 16°19′59″E / 48.34528°N 16.33306°E / 48.34528; 16.33306
Result French victory
Belligerents
France French Empire Austrian Empire Austrian Empire
Commanders and leaders
France Claude Legrand Austrian Empire Johann von Klenau
Strength
13,000
24 cannons
18,000
64 cannons
Casualties and losses
350 400[1]
Map
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200km
125miles
22
Armistice of Znaim from 10–11 July 1809
21
Battle of Hollabrunn (1809) on 9 July 1809 Combat of Schöngrabern on 10 July 1809
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Combat of Stockerau on 8 July 1809
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Wagram
18
Battle of Wagram from 5 to 6 July 1809
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Battle of Graz from 24 to 26 June 1809
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Battle of Raab on 14 June 1809
15
Battle of Sankt Michael on 25 May 1809
Aspern
14
Battle of Aspern-Essling from 21 to 22 May 1809
12
Battle of Tarvis (1809) from 15 May to 18 May 1809
11
Battle of Wörgl on 13 May 1809
10
Battle of Piave River (1809) on 8 May 1809
9
Battle of Ebelsberg on 3 May 1809 Battle of Linz-Urfahr on 17 May 1809
8
Battle of Caldiero (1809) from 27 to 30 April 1809
7
Battle of Neumarkt-Sankt Veit on 24 April 1809
6
Battle of Ratisbon on 23 April 1809
5
Battle of Eckmühl from 21 to 22 April 1809
4
Battle of Landshut (1809) on 21 April 1809
3
Battle of Abensberg on 20 April 1809
2
Battle of Teugen-Hausen on 19 April 1809
1
Battle of Sacile from 15 to 16 April 1809
  current battle
  Napoleon in command
  Napoleon not in command

Context

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Following the French victory at the battle of Wagram the day before, the commander of the Kaiserlich-königliche Hauptarmee, the main Austrian army, Archduke Charles of Austria-Teschen, organised an orderly retreat towards Bohemia. Archduke Charles detailed Klenau, with 18,000 men and 64 cannons to delay the French pursuit, which was spearheaded in this sector by the French IV Corps of Marshal André Masséna. Masséna had formed a vanguard under the overall command of General Legrand, whose command (13,000 men and 24 cannons) included Legrand's own 1st division of IV Corps, the Corps cavalry under General Jacob François Marulaz and the cuirassiers from the 2nd heavy cavalry division of General Raymond-Gaspard de Bonardi de Saint-Sulpice.

Battle

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These forces made contact with the Austrian Corps on 7 July near Korneuburg, around 19 kilometers northwest of Vienna. After a brief engagement, the French broke through and Klenau promptly retreated. The French had around 350 men killed or wounded, while the total Austrian losses are unknown, but included 300 prisoners of war.[2]

Notes

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  1. ^ Gill 2020, p. 118.
  2. ^ a b Pigeard 2004, pp. 424–425.

References

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  • Gill, John H. (2020). The Battle of Znaim: Napoleon, The Habsburgs and the end of the War of 1809. Barnsley: Greenhill Books. ISBN 978-1784384500.
  • Pigeard, Alain (2004). Dictionnaire des batailles de Napoléon (in French). Tallandier, Bibliothèque Napoléonienne. ISBN 2-84734-073-4.
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Preceded by
Battle of Wagram
Napoleonic Wars
Combat of Korneuburg
Succeeded by
Combat of Stockerau