Battle of Ebelsberg

Overview

The Battle of Ebelsberg, known in French accounts as the Battle of Ebersberg, was fought on 3 May 1809 during the War of the Fifth Coalition, part of the Napoleonic Wars. The Austrian left wing under the command of Johann von Hiller took up positions at Ebersberg on the Traun river. The French under André Masséna attacked, crossing a heavily defended 550-meter-long bridge and subsequently conquering the local castle, thus forcing Hiller to withdraw. Ebelsberg is now a southern suburb of Linz, situated on the south bank of the Traun, a short distance above the place where that stream flows into the Danube River.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

At Ebelsberg on 3 May 1809, Masséna's French force drove Johann von Hiller's Austrian left wing from its position on the Traun river, compelling Hiller to withdraw and ceding French control of the crossing. The engagement formed part of the broader French advance during the War of the Fifth Coalition, in which Napoleon's forces pressed into Austrian territory along the Danube corridor. Austrian casualties—ranging as high as 8,340 by some accounts against French losses of up to 6,000—indicate the severity of the fighting relative to the forces engaged. By forcing Hiller's withdrawal, the battle removed a significant blocking force from the French line of advance and secured a river crossing that anchored Austrian defensive hopes in the region.

Tactics

Forces & casualties

Commanders (2)