Order of battle in the Montenotte campaign
![Painting showing blue-coated officer holding a flag and pointing his sword to rally his troops as they defend a mountaintop](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/32/Rampon_Monte_Legino.jpg/350px-Rampon_Monte_Legino.jpg)
In the Montenotte campaign between 10 and 28 April 1796, General Napoleon Bonaparte's French Army of Italy broke the link between Feldzeugmeister Johann Peter Beaulieu's Austrian army and Feldmarschallleutnant Michelangelo Alessandro Colli-Marchi's Sardinian army. In subsequent engagements, the French defeated the Austrians, pursued Colli to the west, and forced the Sardinians to withdraw from the First Coalition against France. Actions were fought at Voltri (now a suburb of Genoa) on 10 April, Monte Negino (Legino) on 11 April, Montenotte on 12 April, Millesimo on 13 April, Second Battle of Dego on 14–15 April, Ceva on 16 April, San Michele Mondovi on 19 April, and Mondovì on 21 April.[1]
Abbreviations used
[edit]Military rank
[edit]- GD = General of Division (French army or division commander)
- GB = General of Brigade (French brigade commander)
- FZM = Feldzeugmeister (Austrian army or corps commander)
- FLM = Feldmarschall-Leutnant (Austrian division commander)
- GM = Generalmajor (Austrian brigade commander)
Other
[edit]- k = Killed
- old = The old numbers of the infantry units. In March 1796, the French army reorganized the demi-brigades and assigned new numbers. Boycott-Brown gives the new numbers while Smith gives the old ones. For example, the new 51st Line Demi-Brigade was formerly the 99th Line.[2]
French Army order of battle
[edit]French Army on April 9
[edit]Army of Italy (France): Napoleon Bonaparte (42,717 in the field, 64,356 total)[3][4][5]
- Cavalry: General of Division Henri Christian Michel de Stengel (k)
- 1st Cavalry Division: Henri Stengel (3,090)
- General of Brigade: Marc Antoine de Beaumont
- 1st Hussar Regiment (4 squadrons)
- 10th Chasseur Regiment (4 squadrons)
- 22nd Chasseur Regiment (4 squadrons)
- 25th Chasseur Regiment (3 squadrons)
- 5th Dragoon Regiment (3 squadrons)
- 20th Dragoon Regiment (3 squadrons)
- 2nd Cavalry Division: General of Division Charles Edward Jennings de Kilmaine (1,778)
- 7th Hussar Regiment (4 squadrons)
- 13th Hussar Regiment (3 squadrons)
- 24th Chasseur Regiment (4 squadrons)
- 8th Dragoon Regiment (3 squadrons)
- 15th Dragoon Regiment (3 squadrons)
- 1st Cavalry Division: Henri Stengel (3,090)
- Advance Guard: General of Division André Masséna
- 1st Division: General of Division Amédée Emmanuel François Laharpe (8,614)
- Generals of Brigade: Jean Joseph Magdeleine Pijon, Philippe Romain Ménard
- 17th Light Demi-Brigade (3 battalions)
- 22nd Light Demi-Brigade (3 battalions)
- 32nd Line Demi-Brigade (3 battalions)
- 75th Line Demi-Brigade (3 battalions)
- 2nd Division: General of Division Jean-Baptiste Meynier (9,526)
- Generals of Brigade: Elzéar Auguste Cousin de Dommartin, Barthélemy Catherine Joubert, Jean-Baptiste Cervoni[6]
- 11th Light Demi-Brigade (2 battalions)
- 25th Line Demi-Brigade (3 battalions)
- 51st Line Demi-Brigade (3 battalions)
- 27th Light Demi-Brigade (1 battalion)
- old 51st Line Demi-Brigade (1 battalion)
- old 55th Line Demi-Brigade (1 battalion)
- 1st Division: General of Division Amédée Emmanuel François Laharpe (8,614)
- Not organized into corps:
- 3rd Division: General of Division Pierre Augereau (10,117)
- Generals of Brigade: Martial Beyrand, Claude Perrin Victor, Pierre Banel (k), Jean-Baptiste Dominique Rusca[7]
- 4th Light Demi-Brigade (2 battalions)
- 29th Light Demi-Brigade (2 battalions)
- 4th Line Demi-Brigade (3 battalions)
- 18th Line Demi-Brigade (3 battalions)
- 14th Line Demi-Brigade (1 battalion)
- 4th Division: General of Division Jean-Mathieu-Philibert Sérurier (9,448)
- Generals of Brigade: Jean Joseph Guieu, Pascal Antoine Fiorella, Louis Pelletier, Sextius Alexandre François de Miollis[8][9][10]
- 69th Line Demi-Brigade (3 battalions)
- 39th Line Demi-Brigade (3 battalions)
- 85th Line Demi-Brigade (3 battalions)
- 5th Division: General of Division François Macquard (3,690)
- Generals of Brigade: Jean David, Claude Dallemagne
- old 22nd Line Demi-Brigade (1 battalion)
- old 100th Line Demi-Brigade (3 battalions)
- 6th Division: General of Division Pierre Dominique Garnier (3,136)
- Generals of Brigade: Jean Davin, Guilin Laurent Bizanet, Joseph Colomb
- old 20th Line Demi-Brigade (3 battalions)
- old 7th Provisional Demi-Brigade (2 battalions)
- 7th Division: General of Division André Mouret (4,808)[11]
- Generals of Brigade: Emmanuel de Serviez, Gaspard Amédée Gardanne, Pierre Verne[12]
- old 83rd Line Demi-Brigade (3 battalions)
- old 13th Line Demi-Brigade (1 battalion)
- old 10th Provisional Demi-Brigade (2 battalions)
- Grenadiers (1 bn)
- 8th Division: General of Division Raphael Casabianca (3,125)
- Generals of Brigade: François Parra, François Guillot
- old 15th Light Demi-Brigade (3 battalions)
- old Jura and Hérault Demi-Brigade (1 battalion)
- 9th Division: General of Division Antoine Casalta (1,045)
- old 12th Line Demi-Brigade (1 battalion)
- old 56th Line Demi-Brigade (1 battalion)
- Reserve: (1,900)
- 5 battalions
- 3rd Division: General of Division Pierre Augereau (10,117)
Key
[edit]- Note: It is unknown which brigadiers to whom the demi-brigades were assigned.
Allied Army order of battle
[edit]Austrian Army on April 1
[edit]Austrian Army: Feldzeugmeister Johann Peter Beaulieu (32,000 infantry, 5,000 cavalry, 148 guns)[13][14]
- Division: Feldmarschallleutnant Eugène-Guillaume Argenteau
- Brigade: General-Major Mathias Rukavina von Boynograd (Dego)
- Carlstadt Grenz Infantry Regiment (1st battalion)
- Preiss Infantry Regiment Nr. 24 (1 battalion)
- Toscana Infantry Regiment Nr. 23 (1 battalion)
- Brechainville Infantry Regiment Nr. 25 (1 battalion)
- Brigade: General-Major Anton Lipthay de Kisfalud (Acqui Terme - Ovada)
- Brigade: General-Major Mathias Rukavina von Boynograd (Dego)
- Division: Feldmarschallleutnant Karl Philipp Sebottendorf
- Brigade: Oberst (Colonel) Karl Wetzel (Tortona)
- Wenzel Colloredo Infantry Regiment Nr. 56 (2 battalions)
- Mészáros Uhlan Regiment Nr. 1 (2 squadrons)
- Brigade: Oberst Karl Salisch (Alessandria)[15]
- Terzi Infantry Regiment Nr. 16 (1 battalion)
- Lattermann Infantry Regiment Nr. 45 (1 battalion)
- Stein Infantry Regiment Nr. 50 (1 battalion)
- Brigade: Oberst (Colonel) Karl Wetzel (Tortona)
- Unattached brigades:
- Brigade: General-Major Wilhelm Lothar Maria von Kerpen (Pavia)
- Archduke Anton Infantry Regiment Nr. 52 (2 battalions)
- Wilhelm Schröder Infantry Regiment Nr. 26 (1 battalion)
- Huff Infantry Regiment Nr. 8 (1 battalion)
- Brigade: General-Major Franz Nicoletti (Lodi)
- Thurn Infantry Regiment Nr. 43 (3 battalions)
- Michael Wallis Infantry Regiment Nr. 11 (1 battalion)
- Jordis Infantry Regiment Nr. 59 (1 battalion)
- Brigade: General-Major Gerhard Rosselmini (Lodi)
- Deutschmeister Infantry Regiment Nr. 4 (1 battalion)
- Strassoldo Infantry Regiment Nr. 27 (2 battalions)
- Cavalry Brigade: General-Major Anton Schübirz von Chobinin (Pavia)
- Archduke Joseph Hussar Regiment Nr. 2 (10 squadrons)
- Mészáros Uhlan Regiment Nr. 1 (? squadrons)
- Brigade: General-Major Philipp Pittoni von Dannenfeld (Near Novi Ligure)
- Reisky Infantry Regiment Nr. 13 (3 battalions)
- Nádasdy Infantry Regiment Nr. 39 (2 battalions)
- Terzi Infantry Regiment Nr. 16 (1 battalion)
- Lattermann Infantry Regiment Nr. 45 (1 battalion)
- Szluiner Grenz Infantry Regiment (1 battalion)
- Neapolitan Cavalry Brigade: Prince di Cuto (Lodi)[16]
- Rey Cavalry Regiment (4 squadrons)[17]
- Regina Cavalry Regiment (4 squadrons)
- Principe Cavalry Regiment (4 squadrons)
- Brigade: General-Major Wilhelm Lothar Maria von Kerpen (Pavia)
Sardinian Army
[edit]Sardinian Army: Feldmarschallleutnant Michelangelo Alessandro Colli-Marchi
- Austrian Auxiliary Corps: Feldmarschallleutnant Giovanni Marchese di Provera[18]
- Belgiojoso Infantry Regiment Nr. 44 (3 battalions)
- Strassoldo Grenadier battalion
- Gyulai Freikorps
- Division (at Ceva): General Brempt[19]
- Colonel Colli-Ricci's Light Infantry (1 battalion)
- Genevois Infantry Regiment
- Royal Grenadiers Infantry Regiment (1 battalion)
- Royal Allemand Infantry Regiment
- Acqui Infantry Regiment (1 battalion)
- Division (at Ceva): General Giuseppe Felice, Count Vital
- Division (at Ceva): General Count di Torneforte
- Tortona Infantry Regiment (1 battalion)
- Mondovì Infantry Regiment (1 battalion)
- Acqui Infantry Regiment (1 battalion)
- Others in the campaign:
- Commanders: General Jean-Gaspard Dichat de Toisinge (k), General Count de la Chiusa
- La Marina Infantry Regiment (2 battalions)[20]
- Montferrat Infantry Regiment (1 battalion)
- 3rd Grenadiers (1 battalion)[21]
Key
[edit]- Note that Colli-Marchi was an Austrian fighting in the Sardinian army.
Notes
[edit]- ^ Smith, p 112. There is some dispute over the date of this battle. Smith lists 22 April, David G. Chandler and Boycott-Brown 21 April, and Fiebeger 20 April!
- ^ Boycott-Brown, p 142
- ^ Fiebeger, p 8. Total army strength is from Fiebeger. His divisional strengths are not used, but his brigade commanders generally agree with Smith.
- ^ Boycott-Brown, pp 195-196. Boycott-Brown lists the new demi-brigade numbers and strengths for the 1st through 4th Divisions, but no brigade commanders. His strengths are the same as Smith's.
- ^ Smith, p 113. Smith's Borghetto order of battle appears to present an accurate state from early April. Smith lists the old demi-brigade numbers, numbers of battalions, brigade commanders, and division strengths. These were used except as noted.
- ^ Fiebeger, p 8. Fiebeger places Cervoni in Laharpe's division.
- ^ Fiebeger, p 8. Fiebeger lists Rusca in place of Victor.
- ^ Smith, p 113. Smith lists Sérurier's brigadiers as Pelletier, Fiorella, and Miollis.
- ^ Fiebeger, p 8. Fiebeger lists only Guieu and Pelletier.
- ^ Boycott-Brown, p 266. Boycott-Brown only mentions Guieu and Fiorella in his account of the battle of Mondovì.
- ^ Smith, p 113. The 7th, 8th, and 9th were rated as coast divisions.
- ^ Fiebeger, p 8. Fiebeger places Verne in Garnier's division.
- ^ Boycott-Brown, pp 167-168. Boycott-Brown lists Austrian organization, regiments, numbers of battalions and squadrons, and locations. Though Kerpen, Schübirz, and Pittoni are given as division commanders, their commands were brigade-sized and they held the rank of General-Major, i.e., brigadiers. Therefore they are listed here as unattached brigades.
- ^ Fiebeger, p 8. Fiebeger gives a total of 28,000, which may be more accurate than the theoretical numbers shown here. Fiebeger lists Argenteau (Liptay, Ruccavina, Pittoni, Sallich) and Sebottendorf (Kerpen, Schubirz, Nicoletti, Roselmini) as having four brigades each.
- ^ Fiebeger, p 8. Boycott-Brown lists no commander for this brigade. Fiebeger lists 'Sallich' as the brigade commander at Tortona.
- ^ Boycott-Brown, p 348. There were about 1,500 cavalry, not included in the Austrian total.
- ^ Smith, pp 113-114. Neapolitan units are listed in the Lodi and Borghetto orders of battle.
- ^ Smith, p 112. This is listed in the Millesimo order of battle. Smith incorrectly lists the freikorps as Gyulai IR # 32.
- ^ Boycott-Brown, pp 260-261. Boycott-Brown's order of battle for Ceva is used here.
- ^ Smith, p 112. La Marina and Monferrat fought at Dego.
- ^ Smith, p 112. The 3rd Grenadiers fought at Millesimo.
References
[edit]- Boycott-Brown, Martin (2001). The Road to Rivoli: Napoleon's First Campaign. London, UK: Cassell & Co. ISBN 0-304-35305-1.
- Chandler, David G. (1966). The Campaigns of Napoleon. New York, N.Y.: Macmillan. ISBN 0-02-523660-1.
- Fiebeger, G. J. (1911). The Campaigns of Napoleon Bonaparte of 1796–1797. West Point, New York: US Military Academy Printing Office.
- Smith, Digby (1998). The Napoleonic Wars Data Book. London: Greenhill. ISBN 1-85367-276-9.
External links
[edit]- Smith, Digby; Kudrna, Leopold. "Austrian Generals of 1792-1815". napoleon-series.org. Retrieved 13 February 2013. This site lists the full names of Austrian generals.
- Fortezze Savonesi (Italian)