Battle of Cremona

Background

Five months after repulsing the French at the Battle of Chieri (Chiari) in Lombardy, Prince Eugene of Savoy retook the offensive, moving westward with the Austrian army of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor to Cremona on the Po.

Attack

On 1 February 1702, Eugene conducted a night attack that caught the French garrison, under Marshal François de Neufville, Duc de Velleroi, completely by surprise. The plan was an infiltration in a commando-style attack under Eugene of Savoy himself, and a larger force under Charles Thomas de Lorraine-Vaudemont, who would take the Po gate. Eugene of Savoy stormed the city, capturing the Duc de Villeroi He was succeeded by Vendôme. The Austrians also captured other high-ranking French officers. and 1,000 French soldiers were killed in the attack, many of them in their sleep. The wits of the army made at Villroi's expense the famous rhyme:

"Par la faveur de Bellone,
et par un bonheur sans égal,
Nous avons conservé Crémone
--et perdu notre général."

"By the favour of Bellone, and a happiness without equal, We preserved Crémone --and lost our general."

However the plan didn't succeed completely as the force under Vaudemont was held up by the difficult terrain and arrived later than planned. They were too late to surprise the citadel of Cremona, and an important bridge was blown up by the defenders. Then the citadel held out, thanks to the valiant defence of the Po gate by the Irish Brigade. A relieving French army approached Cremona, and Eugene was forced to withdraw.