Battle of Eckmühl 1809, attack on the southern part of the field near Oberlaichling.
Austrian Division - Dedovitch;
von Neustädter Brigade - 55th "Reuss-Greitz", 9th "Czartoryski" and a foot battery.
von Reise Brigade - 44th "Bellegarde", 46th "Chastler"
von Slutterheim Brigade - 4th "Vincent" Chevauxlegers, 10th "Stipsicz" Hussars
French Army of Germany; Lefebvre;
3rd Bavarian Division - von Deroi;
von Vincenti Brigade - 9th "Ysenburg", 10th "Junker", 5th light battalion.
von Sieben Brigade - 5th "Preysing", 14th Regiment, 7th light battalion.
Foot battery
4th French Division - St. Hilaire;
Lorencez Brigade - 10éme Légere, 3éme Line, 5 éme Line.
Destabenrath Brigade - 72éme Line, 105éme Line.
Foot battery.
The Austrian occupied the village of Oberlaichling in some force with a reserve a little way behind, and the woods down to and including the stone church at Unterlachling. The cavalry regiments protected a position just east of the church, while IR46 were located on the northern flank.
The Bavarian Division came over the ridged plateau and resolutely advanced toward the Austrian defensive position in the woods and church. In spite of sustained attacks the Austrians held the position until much later in the day, but as was inevitable the Bavarians' slowly pushed them out of the woods and into the open.
At Oberlaichling, the French infantry frontal assault cost them heavily, but they eventually took the village, and advanced through to the open plain. By now it was getting late in the day, Archduke Charles and finally had to concede the area by ordering a withdrawal north to join up with the main part of his army and avoid further contact with the French. So as the Austrians were moving northwards in ever increasing numbers, the 4th Chevauxlegers remained until the last moments to head off a potential breakthrough at the Eckmühl bridgehead. And the last infantry battalion to withdraw came from the intense fight with the Bavarians at Unterlachling.
Casualties were as follows; Bavaria; nearly 1400 killed or wounded and around 90 deserters. The French suffered the most with 1900 killed or wounded and just over 120 deserted.
The Austrians held a superb defence but suffered only 800 casualties with minimal desertion.
Charles eventually led his army across the Danube and on to Regensburg, but failed to lose contact with the French.
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