039. The Battle of Mohrungen - WDS Campaign Eylau-Friedland

25 January 1807 - Historical - Intended to be played Head to Head - With the Russian offensive in progress, Marechal Bernadotte's I Corps was in danger of being attacked and destroyed. Bernadotte rightly decided to move southeast from Preußisch Holland to Mohrungen to allow him to escape to the south. Markov's Russians advanced on Mohrungen at first dealing the small French detachment a blow. Adopting a defensive posture at the Pfarrersfeldchen enclosed farm with his main force, and detaching the 7th Egers to watch for Dupont, his advance guard of Hussars and Egers approached Mohrungen. The French only had six battalions on hand but along with two regiments from the corps cavalry they had a brigade of dragoons. Dupont was on his way from Preußisch Holland and would arrive at any moment. The action started with the French dragoons attacking the Russians with the Elizabethgrad Hussars recoiling from the initial contact into a ravine. They would have been destroyed had not the 5th Egers saved the hussars with a stalwart defense. From there they fell back behind the main body at Pfarrersfeldchen and with them awaited the French attack. The French assault was initially weak: only one battalion of the 9th Legere making the initial attack on the small enclosed farm on the main road. Repulsed with great loss by Russian grenadiers they were soon joined by the 27th Legere and 8th Ligne. The 25th Egers were not up for the fight and fell back with little effort. Markov realized that the farm was lost and began retreating as Dupont's division arrived. The 7th Egers had been sent to watch for his arrival. They fell back in disorder at the attack of the French infantry. With more French arriving Markov knew that he could not hold his position. With more Russians on the way he retreated eight miles to the northeast. The French I Corps had escaped the trap!