Vandamme and Marmont encountered York and Doctorov in a see-sawing battle that left both sides in terrible dispositions.
Pajol’s light cavalry led Vandamme’s French corps forward, but with poor recon, Pajol found himself confronted on two sides with the enemy within a half mile. On his left, Mutius’ light cavalry brigade of hussars and landwehr quickly deployed, and the ensuing combat threw Pajol backwards. Meanwhile Prince Wilhelm’s brigade advanced directly towards Pajol’s initial line of advance and began to deploy, boxing the French in.
Vandamme brought up Delzons’ Division on Pajol’s left to relieve some of the Prussian pressure, and unwilling to take on french infantry, Mutius withdrew as Prince Wilhelm advanced.
Across the field perhaps three miles, St. Sulpice’s cuirassiers began deploying, on a rolling hill, after spotting Klebeck’s Russian hussars. The Russians reacted quickly though and addressed their line towards the French heavies. The junction between Vandamme and Marmont began to close as Pajol retired back and away from Prince Wilhelm’s advance connecting with Broussier’s Division, which itself was working to tie in with Tharreau.
The French cuirassiers fought a series of bloody engagements with Klebeck’s Russian hussars, eventually removing both from active participation. But while Delzon’s attack against the Prussian right developed and Vandamme added Broussier to the fight, Marmont suffered a body blow at just the wrong moment. Just as Tharreau and Ledru connected with Docturov’s Russians, Duka’s Russian Cuirassier Division – which had been screened by Klebeck’s hussars, swept into the rear of Marmont’s corps. This doomed the French right, and required Vandamme to break-off his attacks against the Prussians to provide shelter to Marmont.
