The Strongpoint at Jungingen
11 October 1805
The church at Jungingen was a strongpoint in the successful defense of the village against repeated Austrian infantry assaults. The church was held by a converged elite battalion of grenadiers and carabiniers drawn from the six infantry battalions of general Dupont’s 1re division du corps de Ney. This ad hoc unit was commanded by chef de bataillon Decouchy who had the church loopholed and barricaded in preparation for the imminent attack. Skirmishers from Decouchy’s battalion deployed in front of Jungingen to draw the repeated waves of Austrian attackers into the village where they would encounter the strongpoint. Meanwhile, the two battalions of the 9ème légère sent one company each around the flanks of Jungingen from their reserve position northeast of the village to block likely escape routes on the southwestern side. When the Austrian infantry attack faltered at the defended church, and became disorganized, the formed battalion columns of the 9ème légère counterattacked into the village and drove the enemy infantry back.
When the repulsed Austrians found their retreat routes blocked by French infantry in their rear, thousands of them quickly surrendered. The process was repeated six times between 13:00 and 16:00 hours, until General Mack finally realised that cavalry support on the flanks of Jungingen was required to prevent French infantry from encircling his attacking units. Accordingly, two regiments of Austrian Kürassiers and one of Chevaulegers attacked north of Jungingen where they encountered the 1st battalion of the 96ème de ligne which had formed square. The square held, but the Austrian cavalry moved on to attack and defeat the 15ème and 17ème régiment de dragons which had been sent forward to support the infantry at Jungingen.
Austrian Forces
- Feldmarschall-Leutnant Baron Karl Mack von Leiberich
- Feldmarschall-Leutnant Erzherzog Ferdinand von Österreich-Este
- 3. Kürassier Regiment
- 6. Kürassier Regiment
- 4. Chevauleger Regiment
- 6. Chevauleger Regiment
- 6pdr Horse Artillery Battery (6 guns)
- Feldmarschall-Leutnant Prinz Karl Philipp zu Schwarzenberg
- Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 8 (3 Bataillons)
- Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 11 (2 Bataillons)
- Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 20 (3 Bataillons)
- Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 54 (2 Bataillons)
- Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 54 (Grenadier-Bataillon)
- 6pdr Foot Artillery (6 guns)
- 6pdr Foot Artillery (6 guns)
French Forces
- 1ère Division d’Infanterie
- Général de Division Pierre-Antoine Comte Dupont de l’Étang
- 1ère Brigade
- Génèral de Brigade Jean-Victor Rouyer
- 9ème Légère (2 bataillons)
- 2ème Brigade
- Général de Brigade Jean-Gabriel Marchand
- 32ème de Ligne (2 bataillons)
- 96ème de Ligne (2 bataillons)
- Companie, 1er régiment d’artillerie à pied
- Two 4-pdr guns, four 6″ howitzers
- Companie, 2ème régiment d’Artillerie à cheval
- Two 8-pdr guns
- 4ème Division de Dragons
- 1ère Brigade
- Général de Brigade Louis-Michel-Antoine Sahuc
- 15ème dragons
- 17ème dragons
- 1ère Brigade
Jungingen
Timber-framed building on the Jungingen-Haslach road
Farm yard east of Jungingen church
View of the road next to the church yard
View of the church from the church yard
Church yard und grave stones
Farm opposite Jungingen church
Farm yard west of Jungingen church
Small barn west of Jungingen church
View of Jungingen church from the southside of the village
Ulm-Jungingen road entering the southside of the village
Fields between the Lehr-Jungingen und Ulm-Jungingen roads
After the engagment at Haslach-Jungingen, the Austrian forces withdrew toward Ulm again, und there would be more engagements to fight until the eventual surrender on 20 October 1805.