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Battle of Arcole Day One

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This is a report on the playtest of a scenario I knocked up for Black Powder. The scenario involves nine French battalions in two brigades attempting to seize the bridge across the Alpone and the town of Arcole in order to allow Bonaparte's Army of Italy to execute a flanking manoeuvre to cut the line of communication of an Austrian army attempting to relieve Mantua. In reality the battle, although it has become part of the foundation myth of the French Republic as a great victory, was only a partial success for the French. The Austrian relief attempt was defeated but the Austrian army managed to extricate itself from the trap Bonaparte laid for it and was back for another go a couple of months later. In this scenario the length of the game is variable. At the end of each turn a D6 is rolled and the result deducted from a starting number of 33. This will, on average, give a game of eleven turns but this isn't certain. I elected to do this to reflect the difficulty of moving wid
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Reflections of the Mondovi Operation

Once agin I am indebted to Nicholas Murray and Chris Pringle for their 'Bloody Big Battles' scenario of this operation. Playing the campaign made me appreciate just how finely nuanced the scenario is and how much research and scholarship has gone into its design. Secondly, I can see that despite the French advantages afforded by their superior command and mobility the Piedmontese could have achieved a strategic win in the face of tactical defeats. Had they avoided battle at Ceva and Padagiera then Vitali and Brempt may have been able to fall back to Lesegano and engage the French in a delaying action there. Bellegarde could have remained in reserve or counterattacked if Lesegano fell. With the defeat of Vitali and Brempt the Piedmontese were compelled to either abandon Lesegano or try and hold the French there with Bellegard's divsion. The former course of action left the road to Carru open whilst the latter risked the majority of the Piedmontese's troops in a
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Situation Report & Orders as at Midnight 20 April: Campaign Ends

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Situation Report French Bonaparte is at Lesegano with Augereau, Massena and Serieur's divisions. Serieur is reduced to brigade strength (6 x small bns ligne) Massena has two scratch brigades: 1e Bde: 4 x legere bns (small)                                                           2e Bde: 4 x ligne bns (standard) Augereau has two brigades: Legere bde: 6 x  legere  bns (small)                                                 Ligne Bde: 4 x   ligne b ns  (standard) & 2 ligne bn s (small) 1 x bty horse artillery Stenghal is one stage east of Lesegano with 6 regiments of light cavalry. Piedmont Bellegarde has been killed in action and his force at Lesegano has surrendered after taking heavy casualties. Colli & Toisinge are in position on the ridge south of Mondovi. Colli has lost his army in being but will hold Carru until midnight on the 21 April, one of his objectives. His remaining forces - 5 battalions of infantry and 7 small regiments of cavalry are
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Lesagno: France victorious! Bellegard falls at the head of his troops

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'Berthier! Write this down!' 'Oui mon General, jjjust a moment...' 'What time is it? Right...send this to Paris' 'The Army of Italy has once again vanquished the Sardinian King's forces. The road to Turin is open on the evening of 1e   Floréal and the commander of the Piedmontese army at Lesegno is mortally wounded. We march tomorrow!...that'll do, keep them happy...how many prisoners?' 'Ah, over 2,500 General,' 'Always a nuisance prisoners..oh well, tell them we're here to break their chains not shackle them or somesuch...get me Augereau please,' 'Oui mon General!' Bonaparte's gamble paid off, as these have been wont to do in this operation.  Augereau's diversionary attack on the Tarrono crossings tied down the Piedmontese reserve and main  French flanking assault broke their resistance with a combination of numbers and elan. The French deployed in attack formation, Serieur's d
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Battle of Lesagno 20 April 1796: The Ground

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Bonaparte snapped shut his eyeglass and shifted nervously in the saddle; his horse, sensing the general's impatience, pawed the ground. 'What's Augereau waiting for? Not like him to dally,' he fiddled with his riding crop. 'Wwwaiting for powder and shot, the roads are abbbominable ...' said the Chief of Staff, glancing past his chief at the distant Tarrano river. 'Well he'd better hurry, the men are all pent up...pointless attacking without a diversion though.' There was a dull rattling sound carried by the wind and every officer who had one raised their eyeglass. Puffs, then clouds of smoke on the the other side of the river. 'Thank Gggod for that!' said Berthier. 'God? God's got nothing to do with it! Sound the advance!' The Piedmontese's strategic aim is to delay the French and then fall back on Mondovi. They have six of their eighteen battalions facing Augereau, who is staging a diversionary attack off tab
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Operational Situation Morning 20 April

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The situation at dawn on 20 April was: Augereau's division is north of the Tarrano river  with four understrength demi-brigades Bonaparte is at Lesagno with Massena and Serieur's divisions, both of which are understrength, and with and one battery of horse artillery under his direct command.  In total the French have 12 battalions north of the river and 20 to the south, plus an artillery battery. Bellegarde has deployed six battalions under Vitali defending the line of the Tarrano. A further 10 battalions are drawn up defending Lesagno from the east, these are supported by a battery of foot artillery. Two battalions of grenadiers are in reserve. The challenge for the French is coordinate Augereau attack on the Tarrano river line with Bonaparte's main assault. If both occur simultaneously Bellegarde will not be able to transfer troops from one front to the other and his reserves will be stretched. If the attacks are not coordinated he may be able to move units t
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Situation Report & Orders 18 April & Situation Report 19th April

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Situation Report Midnight 18th April Augereau victorious at Pedagiera.  Piedmontese totally defeated: eight battalions lost.  Two of Victor's battalions reduced to small. Vitali rendevous with Bellegarde at Lesagno: 18 battalions of infantry (including two of grenadiers), two of grenadiers, 1 battery of foot artillery. Bonaparte rendevous with Massena and Serieur at Ceva. Colli & Toisinge remain in position south west of Mondovi. Orders issued as at midnight 18th April Augereau to march to Lesagno, cross the Tarrano and attck the Piedmontese Bonaparte to march to attack Piedmnotese at Lesegno. Stengal to make haste to Lesagno. Bellegarde to assume command at Lesagno and hold that place. 19 April movements & Situation Report Midnight 19th April Augereau arrives at the Tarrano north of Lesegno with 4 standard battalions of ligne; 2 small battalions of ligne; 6 small battalions of legere at midday Bonaparte arrives at Lesagno with Massena and Se
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