At Dürenstein a combined force of Russian and Austrian troops trapped a French division commanded by Théodore Maxime Gazan . The French division was part of the newly created VIII Corps , the so @-@ called Corps Mortier , under command of Édouard Mortier . In pursuing the Austrian retreat from Bavaria , Mortier had over @-@ extended his three divisions along the north bank of the Danube . Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov , commander of the Coalition force , enticed Mortier to send Gazan 's division into a trap and French troops were caught in a valley between two Russian columns . They were rescued by the timely arrival of a second division , under command of Pierre Dupont de l 'Étang . The battle extended well into the night . Both sides claimed victory . The French lost more than a third of their participants , and Gazan 's division experienced over 40 percent losses . The Austrians and Russians also had heavy losses--close to 16 percent--but perhaps the most significant was the death in action of Johann Heinrich von Schmitt , one of Austria 's most capable chiefs of staff .