Campaign Battle of Wernberg

Marechal H'ordern, leading II, V and VII Corps in the north, managed to surround two thirds of Kutuzov's army at the very gateway to the Bohemian passes, cutting off two columns (those of Bagration and Skepalov) on the northern road too far away to help - they had been pushing ahead to Eger to establish a base of operations there.  On 6 December H'ordern forced a battle at the crossing of the Naab at Wernberg.  He had managed to cross the river further downstream with several divisions, and Dumonceau's Batavians began the battle astride the eastern road through the mountains to Haid and Kladrau - the other road by which the Russians might have sought to escape.

Cut off from the straight road into Bohemia, Kutusov resolved to break out to the north, toward the remainder of his army.  He began by strongly garrisoning the town itself, guarded to its west by the river Naab and controlling the strategic crossroads.  

Wernberg, seen from the east, held by the columns of Miladoravich and Essen.  A strong battery of guns covers the eastern approaches.

Snow overnight and through the morning gave way to sleety fog at dawn, which delayed the French attack until the afternoon.  Through the morning, though, advancing French formations could be dimly made out approaching from every point of the compass.  The battle opened at 1:00pm with an assault by Gazan's division of Lannes' V Corps, emerging from the woods to the south to fling themselves straight against the town.  The initial assault was beaten back, but more and more French troops were approaching...

...including from the north, where Dokhturov's column was hastily flung into and around the village of Feistberg to keep that crucial road open agains the probing of the cavalry division of VII Corps.  

Durosnel's cavalry, with horse artillery covering their front, approach Feistberg
from the north.  In the background Lannes' Waldeck and Batavian infantry
can be seen approaching Wernberg to support Gazan in a renewed attack before darkness falls.

By dusk, the pressure of repeated assaults on the strongpoint of the town was mounting, but the garrison could not be relieved, for Kutuzov's focus was on achieving a breakout to the north, for which the town of Luhe, guarding the crossing of the little river of the same name, had be taken and held.  To that end, the reserve cavalry was raced north, muscling Durosnel aside, and Dokhturov's men sent after them to secure the retreat.

At dawn on December 7, when Mattieu's division managed to discover a ford and forced a crossing of the Naab north of Wernberg, the position became untenable, and Miladoravich's men were pulled out, leaving General Essen as a forlorn hope, or rather as a speed bump.

The Russian Reserve Cavalry, guarding the strongpoint of Luhe while looking over their shoulders at the approach of Dokhturov's men to support them.

Luhe and the road north was secured by Dokhturov by midday, and the French threat from east of the road staved off by a combination of artillery fire and cavalry charges.  In the south, though, it became clear that Essen would not escape.  Mattieu's crossing of the river closed the ring around them, and by 2:00pm they had been forced to lay down their arms.

The victorious division of II and V Corps swept north, through Werberg, past Feistberg and on, but Essen's sacrifice had not been in vain.  By the time the sun set at 4:00pm, the remainder of 1st West Army had crossed the Luhe and were safely on their way to Eger to rejoin their comrades there.