page_title: Battle of Csorna
section_title: Battle
hierarchical_section_title: Battle of Csorna / Battle
caption_attribution_description: English: Fleeing Austrian dragons, chased by Hungarian Hussars, August von Pettenkofen
context_page_description: The Battle of Csorna, fought on 13 June 1849, was one of the battles which took place in the Summer Campaign of the Hungarian War of Independence from 1848 to 1849, fought between the Habsburg Empire and the Hungarian Revolutionary Army. The Hungarian army was led by Colonel György Kmety, and the imperial army by Major General Franz Wyss. After liberation of the Hungarian capitals from the siege of Buda, the Hungarian commanders elaborated a plan to continue the Hungarian advance towards the Habsburg capital Vienna, before the arrival of the 200,000-strong army, sent by the Russian Empire to help the 170,000-strong Habsburg troops to crush the Hungarian revolution and freedom. But before the real fighting started between the two main armies, the commander of the 15th division of the VII Hungarian army corps, Colonel György Kmety, attacked the imperial half brigade led by Franz Wyss by surprise, and in heavy fighting forced them to flee. During the retreat the imperial commander also received a fatal wound, dying on the battlefield.
context_section_description: Kmety departed from Pápa on 12 June, and after his troops arrived at the destination, crossing the Rába river at Malomsok, they started the attack on 13 June at dawn. He had his sappers make two bridges in order to secure his troops' retreat if needed, and left a hussar company in Marcaltő. The Hungarian troops at Szilsárkány, which prepared to attack from the south, stumbled on an imperial patrol made of lancer cavalry (Uhlans) and captured one of them, but the others rode away. So it was a real danger, that Wyss and the Austrian troops around Csorna would be informed about the coming Hungarian attack. Kmety sent the cavalry of the Hungarian column which he wanted to send to Farád to cut the way of the imperials and their envoys towards Kapuvár. At Szilsárkány, Kmety divided his troops for the attack. He sent the Lieutenant-Colonels Emil Üchritz and László Pongrácz to lead the 10th, 12th, and 33rd Honvéd battalions with five companies of Wilhelm Hussars and the 9th cavalry battery to the enemy's rear, on the route: Bogyoszló — Jobbaháza — Farád. He himself, with the 45th and 2nd Honvéd battalions, two jaeger companies, two companies of Nádor Hussars, an infantry battery and two rockets, marched from the front to Csorna, while a part of his troops went in the same direction through Pásztori. So his troops attacked Csorna from three directions. When Emil Üchritz's troops were passing through Jobbaháza, the Lieutenant-Colonel learned that 15 Hungarian soldiers had been taken prisoners by a patrolling Uhlan platoon. These cavalry troops, together with an infantry company and two cavalry batteries, were stationed on an embankment between Kóny and Csorna. At Bősárkány a half infantry company with an Uhlan platoon were also stationed. These troops had the mission of observing the region to learn about Hungarian movements, and to keep the connection with the I imperial Army Corps. The Uhlan patrols' commander, lieutenant Chamot, after taking the Hungarian prisoners at Jobbaháza, heard the first roar of the cannons from Csorna, signalling the start of the battle, and in order to prevent his soldiers from being cut off by the enemy, decided to retreat towards Kapuvár. But right at this moment the Hungarian Vilmos-Hussars attacked, so the Uhlans retreated in haste, letting the prisoner soldiers loose, who thus could return to their comrades.
  Wyss received news from its Uhlan patrol about the 400 Hungarian troops at Szilsárkány, but he did not get concerned, thinking that they were only an isolated scout unit, so at 4:30 o'clock in the morning he commanded his troops to march out from Csorna in order to capture them. He also sent envoys to his outposts from Bágyog, Kóny, and to the half brigade from Kapuvár to advance towards Csorna. But none of the envoys arrived at their destinations.
  Shortly after that, at 4:45 o'clock, Wyss received news that some troops were advancing from the southeast, but he explained that they were the imperial battalions from the 29th infantry regiment, for which he was waiting. He sent a patrol to meet them, who only then sent him the messages that these were Hungarian soldiers. Hearing this, Wyss took a platoon of the Uhlans and went towards the part of Csorna in the direction of Szilsárkány. The advance of the Hungarians was so quick that they started to fire on Csorna from three directions, long before the imperials installed their cannons. The surprised imperials responded well, installing their cannons and troops in a hurry, in the heavy attack and fire of the Hungarians. The attack occurred at 5 o'clock, according to Kmety and 5:30 or 6 o'clock, according to the Austrians, and although they were expecting this to happen, its extraordinary quickness took them by surprise.
  The column led by Lieutenant-Colonels Emil Üchritz and László Pongrácz advanced on and along the road from Farád to Csorna, as follows: North from the road, the two companies of the Vilmos-hussars; on the road the 9th cavalry battery advanced; south from the road the 23rd and leftwards from it the 10th battalion, both having a line
caption: Fleeing Austrian dragoons, chased by Hungarian Hussars, August von Pettenkofen
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