OT--battle question

[Rexor]

Hello Napoleonic aficionados,

Here's a question for you: Which Napoleonic-era battles featured one side pulling off an unlikely victory against much greater numbers?

[IronWarrior]

Well, there are many examples, the most famous being the Battle of Auerstädt where Davout defeated the main Prussian Army with a single Corps.

One of my personal favorites was the Combat of the Coa where Craufurd's (a.k.a. "Black Bob" or "Iron Warrior") Light Division made a fighting withdrawl, holding off French troops six times their number, and Marshal Ney incessantly attacking the bridge. Technically it was a French victory, but still quite impressive.

French skirmishers came down to the water's edge and took cover behind rocks, engaging in a lively musketry duel with the riflemen across the river, while guns thundered at each other across the valley. Next, Ney ordered the 66th, a leading regiment of Loison's Division, to carry the bridge. Quickly they formed, and led by grenadiers the column rushed gallantly forward, to be mown down until bodies rose almost as high as the bridge's parapets, before they fell back. But the blood of the firey red-headed Ney was up and he ordered an elite battalion of picked marksmen to take the bridge, but they only added to the heaps of dead until the bridge was quite blocked. Out of 300 men, 90 were killed and 147 wounded in less than 10 minutes, and a third attack by the 66th, delivered with little dash or enthusiasm, was easily beaten back.

(From "Campaigning With the Duke of Wellington & Featherstone")

[Rexor]

ORIGINAL: IronWarrior

Well, there are many examples, the most famous being the Battle of Auerstädt where Davout defeated the main Prussian Army with a single Corps.

One of my personal favorites was the Combat of the Coa where Craufurd's (a.k.a. "Black Bob" or "Iron Warrior") Light Division made a fighting withdrawl, holding off French troops six times their number, and Marshal Ney incessantly attacking the bridge. Technically it was a French victory, but still quite impressive.

French skirmishers came down to the water's edge and took cover behind rocks, engaging in a lively musketry duel with the riflemen across the river, while guns thundered at each other across the valley. Next, Ney ordered the 66th, a leading regiment of Loison's Division, to carry the bridge. Quickly they formed, and led by grenadiers the column rushed gallantly forward, to be mown down until bodies rose almost as high as the bridge's parapets, before they fell back. But the blood of the firey red-headed Ney was up and he ordered an elite battalion of picked marksmen to take the bridge, but they only added to the heaps of dead until the bridge was quite blocked. Out of 300 men, 90 were killed and 147 wounded in less than 10 minutes, and a third attack by the 66th, delivered with little dash or enthusiasm, was easily beaten back.

(From "Campaigning With the Duke of Wellington & Featherstone")

Thanks much, IronWarrior. [:)]

[Mus]

What I find more interesting is how many examples of costly tactical victories over enemies of equal or lesser size turned into strategic defeats or stalemates.

BH Liddel Harts comparison of indirect approach to direct approach in "Strategy" covers a bunch of battles through this period and is particularly interesting.

[morganbj]

According to the memoirs of the victors, all of them.

[06 Maestro]

ORIGINAL: IronWarrior

Well, there are many examples, the most famous being the Battle of Auerstädt where Davout defeated the main Prussian Army with a single Corps.

While checking out these links posted by IronWarrior I noticed a film about Jena and Auerstadt. It is under "External links" (item #7). It is animated and about 40 minutes long-I think it is well worth a look.
It would be interesting if some local expert could give that film a thumbs up or down.

[morganbj]

Wow, pretty impressive.  I'll watch the whole thing tomorrow.