EylauFebruary 8, 1807

Early fighting saw limited French "pinning" attacks by the IV Corps in the center, followed by Russian counterattacks, while the French III Corps stormed SerpaJlen. The French VII Corps was to breach the center and seal the victory, but was engulfed by a sudden storm while moving forward, blown apart by Russian artillery when they appeared out of the murk, and finally destroyed by vicious Russian attacks. With his center nearly fatally weakened, Napoleon sent forward his cavalry reserve to tie up the Russians until the French infantry could regroup. Something like 10,000 French cavalry rode through the Russian lines and then back again in a glorious, costly, diversion. With the center stabilized, Davout's UI Corps ground forward, rolling up the Russian left flank and finally seizing Kutschitten. Meanwhile, Lestocq's Prussians had passed through Althoff with Ney's VI Corps in pursuit. The fresh Prussians moved through the Russian rear, then struck the strained UI Corps' lines at Kutschitten, driving the exhausted Frenchmen back toward Klein-Sausgarten. The VI Corps belatedly took Schloditten, then abandoned it as the cold dark night drove the survivors on both sides into whatever shelter could be found. Both sides had suffered disastrous losses, but the French strategic position, with the nearly fresh VI Corps up and still more distant troops marching to the guns, was much stronger. The Russians withdrew during the night, leaving the French happy enough to sit in place and claim the victory. Napoleon claimed a loss of only 8,000 men, but more realistic estimates reach 20—25,000. Russian losses were probably also in excess of 20,000 men.