The Battle of Cremona was a battle of the War of the Spanish Succession that took place on February 1, 1702 between France and Austria.
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. On February 1, 1702, Eugene conducted a night attack that caught the French garrison, unde...
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The Battle of Cremona was a battle of the War of the Spanish Succession that took place on February 1, 1702 between France and Austria.
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. On February 1, 1702, Eugene conducted a night attack that caught the French garrison, under Marshal François de Neufville, duc de Villeroi, 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.
The wits of the army made at his expense the famous rhyme:
"Par la faveur de Bellone,
et par un bonheur sans égal,
Nous avons conservé Crémone
--et perdu notre général."
The Austrians also captured other high-ranking French officers...
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