The Mondovi Operation

Italy 1796-97 The War of the First Coalition

The Mondovi Operation: A Black Powder Campaign Scenario:

Background

In March 1796 Napoleon Bonaparte took command of Revolutionary France’s Army of Italy.

In April 1796 the French broke out of the enclave they were holding on the Italian riviera and seized the central position between the allied armies of Piedmont and Austria.

This scenario covers the second week of the campaign. It includes the actions fought at Ceva, Pedagiera, the Cursaglia and outside Mondovi, which resulted in Piedmont suing for peace. 

Essentially, faced with two-to-one odds, the Piedmontese commander-in-chief General Colli conducts a fighting withdrawal via successive defensive positions. He is trying to keep his army intact and buy time for his Austrian ally, Beaulieu, to regroup at Acqui and return to the fray by attacking the French right flank. On the 16th, the leading French division under Augereau is repulsed at Pedagiera. This is one end of a strong fortified line, the other being at Ceva on the Tanaro river. Napoleon moves Masséna’s division to Mombarcaro to keep Colli cut off from Beaulieu. He brings up Sérurier’s division and prepares a major assault on Ceva, while probing round the flank.

However, Colli slips away overnight and falls back to the line of the Cursaglia. This is a river with few crossing points and a steep west bank. Here too the French are initially repulsed on the 19th.

Again the French prepare a new assault, again they probe past the flank, and again Colli tries to preempt them by falling back. This time, however, some of his troops are too tardy and are caught by the French attackers. Consequently they reach their new position outside Mondovi in disorder. The Sardinian army fights bravely but is finally routed, and the King sues for peace with France. Piedmont is knocked out of the war.

What will happen in this re-enactment?

Victory & Defeat:

Victory revolves around how long the Sardinians can delay the French while keeping their army in being. They must hold Ceva and the Pedagiera redoubt at the end of 18 April; San Michele at the end of 21 April; Carrù and the ridge by Mondovi at midnight on 22 April. If a position is lost and they then retake it, it is considered held. They earn:

1 VP for each Objective location they hold at the end of its “Deny Until” turn;

1 VP if they still have 5 or more non-Spent units at game end. The Artillery counts as a unit.

Sardinian Victory: Sardinians have 5+ VP.

Draw: Sardinians have 4 VP.

French Victory: Sardinians have 3 or fewer VP.

6 days – 16-22 April (18 map move periods)

Objective	Hold Until
Ceva	Midnight 18 April
Pedagiera	Midnight 18 April
San Michele	Midnight 21 April
Carrù	Midnight 21 April
Mondovi Ridge	Midnight 22 April

Victory Conditions

The protagonists earn 1 Victory Point (VP) for each Objective location they hold at the end of its “Deny Until” turn;

1 VP if they still have 5 or more formations in being at game end. Artillery counts as a formation. All other formations are brigade sized units.

Sardinian Victory: Sardinians have 5+ VP.

Draw: Sardinians have 4 VP.

French Victory: Sardinians have 3 or fewer VP.

Campaign Length

 6 days – 16-22 April 1796 or18 periods for the purpose of map movement (see map movement rules annex A).

Order of Battle & Initial Dispositions

Battalions & batteries are units; regiments, brigades and divisions are formations. Unless stated otherwise all units are standard size. General and brigade commanders’ staff ratings (SR) are listed.

Piedmontese Army

Commander in Chief: General Michelangelo Colli-Marchi (SR7)

1st Right Wing Div, Col Marquis de Toisinge (SR7)

4 standard infantry bns & 1 x volunteer light infantry bn

Cavalry Reserve – 4 x small regts of hussars; 2 x small regiments of dragoons; 1 small regt of uhlans (under direct command of Colli) at Mondovi

1st Left Wing Division: Col Baron Brempt (SR7)

8 x standard infantry bns  in prepared positions at Pedagiera

2nd Left Wing Division Brigadier Francesco Vitale (SR7)

8 x standard infantry bns

2 x Grenadier bns

1 volunteer light infantry bn in prepared positions at Ceva

2nd Right Wing Division Col Marquis de Bellegarde at San Michele

8 infantry bns

2 Grenadier bns

3 Light infantry bns 

1 x battery of foot artillery

French Army

Commander in Chief: Napoléon Bonaparte (SR10)1 x battery of horse artillery under direct command enters on 18 April from Millesimo

General Charles-Pierre-François Augereau (SR 9)

Division Augereau  enters on morning of 16 April east of Pedagiera

Brigade Beyrand (SR 8)

4th Light Demi-Brigade 3 x small bns

29th Light Demi-Brigade 3 x small bns

Brigade Victor (SR8) enters on morning of 18 April from Millesimo

4th Line Demi-Brigade 3 x bns

18th Line Demi-Brigade 3 x bns

General André Masséna (SR9)

Division Masséna enter morning of 16 April at Bormida bridge

Brigade Dommartin (SR8)

11th Light Demi-Brigade 3 x small bns

27th Light Demi-Brigade 3 x small bns

Brigade Joubert (SR8)

51st Line Demi-Brigade 3 x bns

55th Line Demi-Brigade 3 x bns

 General Jean-Mathieu-Philibert Sérurier (SR8)

Division Sérurier enter on 16 April from direction Garessio

Brigade Guieu (SR8)

39th Line Demi-Brigade 3 x bns

69th Line Demi-Brigade 3 x bns

Brigade Fiorella (SR8)

14th Line Demi-Brigade 3 x bns

56th Line Demi-Brigade 3 x bns

General Stengel (SR8)

1st Cavalry Division enters on morning of 19 April from Millesimo

2 Regiments of Hussars

2 Regiments of Chassuers a Cheval

2 Regiments of Dragoons

Scenario & Special Rules

 The Tanaro and Cursaglia Rivers were swollen and difficult to cross. Nonetheless, a unit that starts its turn adjacent to a River and throws a 4+ ON A D6 may cross the river using one move to do so. It ends its movement disordered on a throw of 1 on a D6.

Because of the exceptional energy and endurance shown by the French troops, as well as the quality of many of their junior leaders, French infantry units are all rated Elite 4 +

Sardinian grenadier units are rated as per Austrian Grenadiers and their light infantry as Grenzers but wavering.

This scenario nicely illustrates the challenges, and the risks, of a fighting withdrawal, which is notoriously one of the most difficult operations in war.

The length of front and the French superior numbers mean that each Sardinian position will eventually be outflanked or overwhelmed. The trick for the Sardinian commander is to decide when it is time to fall back to the next. He will also want to maintain a reserve to respond to French breakthroughs, and to counter-attack as Colli did.

The time pressure on the French means they will probably have to attempt hasty assaults, just as happened historically at Ceva and at the Cursaglia. These may be (historically) repulsed; but they may get lucky, or they may disrupt and pin the Sardinians enough to hinder their withdrawal. Meanwhile they should constantly probe round the Sardinian flanks.

French move first