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| Although the hills around Montenotte are thickly wooded, some of the valleys have open fields, like this area near Cascina Garbazzo. The author is unable to give a precise location, because he didn't know where he was when he took the shot. However, it is less than half a mile from the Cascina. |
Moves:
Argenteau's attack precipitated an immediate counteroffensive by Bonaparte, who moved General of Division (MG) André Masséna's two divisions from Savona to the area of the Cadibona Pass. Satisfied that Beaulieu was too far to the east to intervene effectively, Bonaparte determined to crush Argenteau. He ordered MG Amédée Laharpe's division to join Rampon's force, making a total of 7,000 soldiers at Monte Negino. Masséna marched from Altare, up the left leg of the λ, with BG Philippe Romain Ménard's 4,000-man brigade. In order to reach their jumping off positions, the troops started at 2 am and marched in a rain storm. MG Pierre Augereau's division and other units concentrated near the Cadibona Pass.
The 3rd battalion of the Terzi IR # 16 marched all night to reach Montenotte at dawn. Argenteau deployed this unit, some Croats, and several detached companies from his other regiments to guard the Altare road. The rest of the Austrians still faced Monte Negino. One battalion of the Preiss IR # 24 arrived in the area but was not committed to the next day's battle.
Montenotte:
Fog shrouded the area at dawn on 12 April. When it cleared, several French cannons began firing from Monte Negino on the Austrians below them and Argenteau saw that he was confronted by a large force. Shortly afterward, Masséna's soldiers launched their attack on the weakly held Austrian right flank, swamping the defenders with superior numbers. Argenteau deployed the Stein and Pellegrini battalions under Lt. Col. Nesslinger to hold the center and assigned the two Archduke Anton battalions to defend the left flank on Monte Pra. Then he took the Alvinczi battalion to the rescue of the 3rd/Terzi battalion on his right flank.
While Masséna overwhelmed Argenteau's right, Laharpe fell on the Austrians defending Monte Pra. At first the Austrians conducted a stout defense. But Masséna's assault made such rapid progress that Argenteau ordered a retreat. The 3rd/Terzi battalion was nearly destroyed and Nesslinger's two battalions were badly cut up. In the Austrian retreat from Montenotte Superiore, the Alvinczi battalion provided the rear guard. The battalion had to fight its way out, losing its color and many soldiers.
Argenteau's men barely cleared out of Montenotte Inferiore before Masséna's and Laharpe's flanking forces converged on the hamlet. By 9:30 am the battle was over.
Results:
The battle was General Bonaparte's first victory in the Montenotte Campaign. By the next morning, Argenteau reported only 700 men with the colors. The rest were lost in combat or scattered. Boycott-Brown presents French losses as light; a sampling of reports show that the 32nd Line, 51st Line, 75th Line, and 17th Light lost 10, 8, 27, and 19 casualties, respectively. The Austrians admitted losing 166 killed, 114 wounded, and 416 missing, for a total of 696.
Three historians assert that losses were more severe. Digby Smith wrote that the French suffered 800 killed, wounded, and missing, while the Austrians lost 2,500 killed, wounded, and captured, most of the casualties being prisoners. Gunther E. Rothenberg listed 2,500 Austrian casualties against 880 French. David G. Chandler also gives Austrian losses as 2,500, but lists no French losses.
A badly shaken Argenteau pulled his surviving soldiers back to cover Acqui, while other forces under Rukavina held Dego, about 6 km to the north-northeast of Montenotte. He sent an alarming dispatch to Beaulieu stating that his command was "almost completely destroyed". Bonaparte issued orders to exploit his success by widening the gap between the Austrian and Sardinian armies by thrusting west toward Millesimo and north toward Dego. The next actions were the Battle of Millesimo on 13 April and the Second Battle of Dego on 14–15 April.
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| The situation when we last left off was by turn 3 French forces were finally initially victorious. Only 5 turns were left in the game. "Vive La France"!!! |
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| A broader view of the French Right flank at this time as Napoleon looks on and the Austrians react! It's all or nothing for the French on turn 4 I decide (Good or Bad decision). I'm charging everywhere! |
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| The Left flank advances as well, if not only to make some room! These are "my best troops" (Enter Murphy), "were my best troops". My thought is they may get sacrificed, but they'll soften up the Austrians Horde (Biggest Battalion)? |
I played the Austrians and Chris the French. I did a variation of the StClair defense but strengthened the road defense in case the LaHarpe Division made a direct attack along the road. This is exactly what Christ did with supporting attacks against Austrian positions on Monte San Giorgio. Fortunately for the Austrians, Chris made numerous French single battalion assaults, (I did what I could, lol) which were battered by the massed Austrian fire, but led to progressive Austrian fatigue. The same approach was taken at the Bric Menau choke point. In the end, Austrian fatigue was able to out last losses of French morale from casualties. The game ended in the Phyrric Austrian victory, but when considering the Austrian victory conditions of maintaining a field presence (five of 8 battalions in somewhat good condition, whith one possibly threatened on turn 8 - last turn) and the French morale collapse at (68% with a game limit of 80%), (Austrians were at 77% with game limit of 75%), the results swung to a major victory. We played seven turns in about four hrs for a major conclusion!
BOTTOM LINE; We both had fun.
STATISTICS;
Division Argenteau
[501] Feldmarschall-Leutnant Argenteau - Active C+ [800 paces]
[ 520] Sec/Arty Btty 2/9 Reserve 5/73 [ 3] C+ Good Tired (Honors)
Brigade Rukavina
[503] Generalmajor Rukavina - Active C+ [400 paces]
[Y] [507] 1st/ IR44 von Preiss 152/350 C Broken Exhausted
[509] Bn/ IR 16 Terzi 19/544 C [sk] Good Tiring
[510] Bn/ IR 50 Stein 16/659 C [sk] Good Tired
[Y] [511] 2 Cos/Freiwilligers Grenz 86/112 C [sk] Broken Exhausted
[R] [512] Bn/IR 49 Pellrgrini 88/450 C Broken Exhausted
[D] [505] Bn Gun/IR 44 50/3 C Broken Tired
[516] Bn Gun/IR 50 0/55 [2] C Good Acceptable
Brigade Sebottendorf
[504] Generalmajor Sebottendorf - Active C+ [400 paces]
[508] 2 Cos/Gyulai Freikorps 9/171 C [sk] Good Acceptable
[514] Bn/IR 19 Alvintzi 0/520 C Good Fresh
[515] Bn/IR 52 Erzherzog Antoine 29/ 861 C Ex'lent Tiring
[517] Bn Gun/IR 52 6/49 [2] C Good Acceptable
[518] Bn Gun/IR 49 0/50 [2] C Good Tiring
Strengths: losses/active
399/3667 Bayonets
61/230 Artillerists
2/9 Cannon
460/3897 Total of all arms
6 Standards present
Division Massena
[106] General de Division Massena - Active A [1025 paces]
Division Laharpe
[102] General de Division Laharpe - Active B+ [950 paces]
[R] [144] 1em/21 DB Ligne 146/603 C+ [sk] Average Exhausted
[R] [145] 2em/21 DB Ligne 170/574 C+ [sk] Broken Exhausted
[R] [146] 3em/21 DB Ligne 24/721 C+ [sk] Average Tired
[R] [104] 1em/17 DB Legere 161/ 332 B [sk] Average Acceptable
[105] 2em/17 DB Legere 0/446 B [sk] Ex'lent Acceptable
[106] 3em/17 DB Legere 13/449 B [sk] Ex'lent Tiring (Honors)
[D] [110] Sqdn/7em Hussars 121/0 B- [sk] Average Acceptable
[114] 3em Btty/6 Art a pied 0/108 [4] B- Good Tiring
[D] [140] Converged Grenadiers 307/175 B+ [sk] Broken Acceptable
[D] [121] 1em/14 DB (Prov) Ligne 184/315 C- [sk] Broken Acceptable
[R] [122] 2em/14 DB (Prov) Ligne 123/379 C- [sk] Broken Tiring
[R] [130] 1em/99 DB Ligne 85/663 C+ [sk] Poor Tired
[D] [131] 2em/99 DB Ligne 299/455 C+ [sk] Broken Tiring
[132] 3em/99 DB Ligne 0/746 C+ [sk] Good Tiring
[108] General de Brigade Cervoni - Severely wounded A- [550 paces]
[105] Chef de Battalion Pijon - Severely wounded A- [275 paces]
[104] Chef de Battalion Rondeau - Mortally wounded B+ [250 paces]
[109] General de Brigade Fornesy - Lightly wounded B [450 paces]
Regiment Menard
[103] Chef de Battalion Menard - Active A- [275 paces]
[101] 1em/8 DB Legere 13/506 B [sk] Ex'lent Fresh
[102] 2em/8 DB Legere 0/501 B [sk] Ex'lent Fresh
[124] 1em/70 DB Ligne 49/489 C+ [sk] Good Tired
[Y] [125] 2em/70 DB Ligne 223/318 C+ [sk] Poor Tired
[ 126] 3em/70 DB Ligne 88/451 C+ [sk] Good Tired
Company Banel
[110] Capitaine Banel - Active B- [225 paces]
[113] 2 Btty/6 Art a pied 30/ 73 [ 4] B- Good Acceptable
Strengths:
losses/active
1885/8123 Bayonets
30/181 Artillerists
0/8 Cannon
2036/8304 Total of all arms
7 Standards present
very generation pays for freedom, sometimes at great cost. When the price is military conflict, the American people go to war, not just the armed forces. At home and abroad, Americans answer the call. These conflicts call for bravery, leadership, service, and sacrifice from millions of men, women, and families, and this immense effort transforms the participants and the nation.
