Aspern-Essling battle report – 1995

 

1:00 PM – Start of battle

1:40 PM – North Bridge knocked down while under repair

2:00 PM – 2^nd Column begins to advance.  Napoleon orders Lasalle and Marulaz to attack 3^rd Column and Reserve Korps.

2:20 PM – 16^th Chasseurs a Cheval charge Neutrael Hussars (Insurrection) and drive them off.  O’Reilly Chev. Countercharge the pursuing 16^th, which breaks off and rallies behind the dike.

2:40 PM – 1^st Column begins to advance on Aspern.

3:00 PM – Lasalle and Marulaz break off after driving off Hohenzollern & Kronprinz Cuirassiers with Lasalle wounded.  Baden Light Dragoons & Hesse Darmstadt Chev. Are decimated by the Blankenstein Hussars led by Gen. Schwarzenberg.   D’Espagne’s Cuirassier division begins to assault.

3:20 PM – Austrian 1^st & 2^nd columns begin the assault on Aspern.  Frensnel’s division is driven off.  The French reach the church at the same time as the Austrians and take it.

3:40 PM – 5^th Column begins advance on Essling.  Charles orders formation of Grand Battery!  D’Espagne’s Cuirassiers drive off Blankenstein Hussars & O’Reilly Chev.  Kottulinsky’s division, supported by Vincent, drive Legrand out of Aspern.  2/26^th Ligne remained isolated in the church.  Charles personally led the attack.  IV Corps artillery battery is lost.

4:00 PM – d”Espange drives off Hessen-Homburg Cuirassiers and destroys 1/57^th (Collorado) in mass, then recalls behind the dike.  Kottulinsky takes Aspern church from the 2/26^th.

4:20 PM – 5^th Column assaults Essling.  Boudet is killed.  The North bridge is repaired.  Austrian 1^st column captures part of Aspern.  Molitor is killed.

4:40 PM – Austrian Grand Battery formed between Aspern and Essling.

5:00 PM – Aspern – 16^th Ligne standard taken by 36^th Kolowrat regt.  Essling – 5^th Colujn driven off.  Lannes commanded 3/56^th battalion personally.  Kienmayers Reserve Cavalary with Liechtenstein attached begins attack towards d’Espagne’s division.  92 gun Austrian Grand Battery opens fire as Lasalle’s cavalry charges (in a one mile wide line!) in an attempt to suppress them.   4 French Light Cavalry regiments are decimated (1380 casualties out of 2400 troopers) and Lasalle is killed.

5:20 PM – Kienmayers division, Liechtenstein Cuirassiers charge the French 4^th Cuirassiers, are disordered crossing over the dike and are driven back.  Nansouty and St. Cyr arrive.

5:40 PM – Vincent’s division is driven out of Aspern.  4^th Cuirassiers beaten by Knesevich Dragoons who pursue into 6^th Cuirassiers, who drive off the Austrians.  More cavalry die in the French center from artillery fire.

6:00 PM – Maurluz – IV Cav. Corps Leading 14^th Chausseurs has his horse shout out from under him.  Combat over dike is indecisive. LeGrand killed.  2^nd & 3^rd Austrian Columns driven out of Aspern.  1^st Column pushes further into Aspern.

6:20 PM – Marulaz’s cavalry drives Kienmayer’s cavalry back to the Grand Battery.  1^st Column takes another city block on Aspern (owning 3).  26 more guns are added to the grand battery….118 guns total.

6:40 PM – South bridge up.  Kienmayer drives deep into French center pushing back Marulaz and d’Espagne.

7:00 PM – 2^nd & 3^rd Columns enter Aspern.  Nostitz division of the 2^nd Column moves around Aspern through the woods to attack the south side of town.  Molitor’s artillery & corps guns stall the attack as the infantry emerge from the woods.  Nansouty charges 5^th column – 2^nd Cuirassiers personally led by Nansouty are decimated and shattered against the 14^th Bellgarde regiment in masse.  Nansouty is killed.

7:20 PM – General Ledru (commanding for Legrand) killed.  Kienmayer driven off by the combined forces of Lasalle, Marulaz, d’Espagne and Nansouty.  The 9^th & 12^th Cuirassiers take a trophy from Knesevich dragoons.  24^th Legere (under St. Cyr) attacks Nostitz in the Gemeide Au.

7:40 PM – 24^th Legere driven out of Gemeide Au.  Old Guard arrives on the battlefield.  1^st Carabiniers destroy part of the 5^th Column and the Archduke Ferdinand Hussars.  Lasalle’s Light cavalry are ‘commandiered’ by Massena and sent into the 3^rd Column but are driven off.  4^th Column attacks Essling and takes the Granery from the 3/93^rd Ligne  (A ‘20’ rolled on 2d10!).  3^rd Cuirassiers capture the 14^th Bellgarde regiment and 5^th Column artillery.  The entire 5^th Column routs from the field.  Aspern catches fire.

8:00 PM – FML Hiller is killed in Aspern.  St. Cyr takes back part of Aspern, but the 2^nd Column continues to gain ground as well.  Nostitz division routs out of Geimeide Au.  Marshal Lannes is lightly wounded in Essling (at least his legs are okay).  Nansouty’s division is stopped by 4^th Columns support cavalry.  The Austrian Grenadier divisions move towards Essling.  Austrian general Vogelsang leads the Erz. John Dragoons  in a bold attack and reach the dike in the center.

8:20 PM – Leguay (Molitor) killed in Aspern.  3^rd Column enters Aspern.  Nordmann (1^st Column) is repulsed from Aspern by St. Cyr, but hold onto the church.  The Young Guard reaches the field.  4^th Column (1^st Jaegers, 3^rd Erz. Karl regiment) captures part of Essling.  Lannes leads an attack against the 4^th Column’s cavalry and drives it off.  Lasalle’s division is finally eliminated.  Marulaz’s division is damaged by the Erz. John Dragoons who make it past the dike and into the middle of the French position.

8:40 PM – Guard Cavalry and 2^nd Heavy Cavalry division enter the battle.  The Empress Dragoons attack and defeat the Erz. John Dragoons, killing Vogelsang.  However, the Vincent Chev have followed and push back the Empress Dragoons all the way to Napoleon’s HQ.

9:00 PM – The Lindenau Grenadier division takes Essling, killing Lannes  (Poor guy can’t catch a break).  Napoleon is seriously wounded (and later dies) during the attack on his HQ by the Vincent Chev.  The French army begins a general retreat to Lobau island.