The Battle of Montebello

Campaign Map at start of battle

Two battles are fought at the same time.   4^th French division attacks 4^th Austrian division at Montebello and 3^rd Austrian division attacks 3^rd French division at Verona.

Having defeated the western Austrian column at Solo, Bonaparte now turns his attention to the eastern one at Montebello.  His aim is to defeat 4^th division before they can join forces with the main Austrian army south of Lake Garda

Wurmster is moving his army south in four separate columns.   His intention is to concentrate his army south of Lake Garda before marching south to raise the siege of Mantua

Table at start of battle

Centre right is Montebello

Bottom left is San Bonifacio

Centre right Austrians in defence at Montebello

Centre left French deployed ready to attack

4^th French division

General Argereau is a Poor commander

He commands 3200 infantry, 400 cavalry and 400 gunners

His infantry are better skirmishers than the Austrian

His artillery is less effective than the enemy

4^th Austrian division

General Scoboszlo is a Poor commander

He also commands 3200 infantry, 400 cavalry and 400 gunners

Half of his infantry are poor skirmishers but have effective volley fire

His artillery are all 9 pounders against the French 6 pounders.

Move 1 – 0800 to 0900

Both divisions start the battle of Move orders

French division advance behind cavalry screen

Austrian dragoons move to right flank to counter enemy cavalry

Move 2 – 0900 to 1000

Austrian gunners cause first casualties on French infantry

One Austrian infantry brigade move through town to support cavalry

Move 3 – 1000 to 1100

Austrian infantry receive artillery casualties and are shaken

French dragoons charge enemy cavalry but lose melee and retire shaken

Move 4 – 1100 to 1200

Austrian cavalry fail morale check to opportunity charge shaken dragoons

Dragoons retire behind square, pass morale and rally to disordered

Austrian infantry move to reinforce their left flank

Move 5 – 1200 to 1300

Argereau halts his left flank and orders his right to advance

Scoboszlo joins his left flank in preparation for the anticipated infantry attack

Move 6 – 1300 to 1400

French gunners continue to pound the Austrian infantry causing 30% casualties

Infantry fail morale and rout, as do their supporting militia infantry

The loss of his left flank is a disaster for Scoboszlo

Move 7 – 1400 to 1500

French left flank remains outside enemy artillery range

French right moves towards the town

Austrian gunners retreat into town

Austrian infantry continue to rout towards the table edge

Move 8 – 1500 to 1600

Scoboszlo orders his division to retreat

His left hand infantry turn to face the approaching French infantry

French gunners limber and advance to support the infantry

Move 9 – 1600 to 1700

Austrian military infantry in the centre retreats towards town

Line infantry deploy into line to cover the rest of the division as they retreat

French artillery unlimber at close range of enemy infantry

Move 10 – 1700 to 1800

French gunners fire at close range

Austrian infantry break and rout into supports

Supporting infantry also break and join rout

French infantry advance to occupy town

Summary

Argereau has won an easy victory in the second battle of the campaign

For a loss of 1600 infantry he has defeated the second of the three Austrian columns

Szoboszlo has lost 4000 infantry  and the remainder have routed

We used our own wargame rules to fight the battle

They can be found here

http://napoleonicwargamerules.blogspot.com/