Lannes and Bernadotte arrived on the field to greet their Austrian hosts. Hiller and Hohenlohe both rushed forward to bring the fight to the French. The Austrians opened the engagement when Hiller deployed Vincent’s hussars in support of Radetzky’s infantry division, Nordmann was to connect Radetzky’s left to Hohenlohe’s ArmeeKorps.
Across the field, Bernadotte setup in a crossroads and a small town ahead of a dense wood. Hohenlohe deployed Lindeneau’s Grenadier Division on the march and pushed into Bernadotte’s right. Bernadotte held and Hohenlohe continued to bring up Ulm’s division to increase the pressure.
About this same time Radetzky and Lannes’s two divisions came to grips. The Austrians made initial progress but it was costly and Hiller ordered Vincent’s hussars forward in the hopes of driving off one of Lannes’s bloodied divisions, but it wasn’t enough. Radetzky’s men were forced to retreat and Nordmann was coming under pressure from Houssaye’s Dragoon Division sent forward by Bernadotte. Hiller’s position wasn’t tenable, and with Lindeneau’s grenadiers now retreating as well, Hohenlohe held back Ulm as a last reserve to cover the Austrian withdrawal.
