Reply To: Battle of Castiglione: A Polemos Ruse de Guerre Refight

[Guy Farrish]

Not sure where the 12 pounders come from, but there are some apparent differences in precisely, though not generally, what happened.

Clausewitz says 12 heavy guns (thanks Chris)

Marmont (obviously a tad self serving, but…) says horse artillery – ‘five companies serving 19 pieces’  charged forward (over a defile!)* in sections of two pieces and ‘the head was crushed’ (whatever that means) but the rest of his artillery unlimbered ‘at very close cannon range’, where despite the enemy being of heavier calibre, they rapidly demounted half the Austrian guns.

(he doesn’t mention grenadiers or Verdier but simply says Serrurier’s (Marmont’s spelling) division arrived).

Atlas Des Plus Memorables Batailles, Combats Et Sieges Des Temps Anciens, Du Moyen Age Et De L’Age Moderne, en 200 feuilles … Atlas der merkwürdigsten Schlachten, Treffen und Belagerungen der alten, mittlern und neuern Zeit in 200 Blättern 1831, p.731.(That’s a mouthful! Sorry- but it is two languages!) says ‘A battery of twenty cannon’ was ordered by Napoleon against the Austrian left wing with a great success against the enemy there and subsequently General Verdier took the hill with three battalions of grenadiers. (no source).

The section from the initial Wikipedia link by OotKust is not a quote from Chandler (although the reference at the end of the section is Chandler pp198-199) but a summary of what he says (198-9 does in fact contain the relevant quotes from Marmont’s Memoires, which would have saved me time if I’d bothered to read that but at least I had the fun of reading it in the French first).

The only other references in Chandler’s description of the battle are from Commandant J Colin’s Transformations of War and Napoleon’s Correspondance, and not directly relevant to the attack on Monte Medolano

 

So – some Austrians occupied a small rise, built a redoubt of sorts, and based their left flank on it, with heavy artillery. Some French guns (horse artillery probably from descriptions – but ‘heavy’ according to Clausewitz- who wasn’t there  but didn’t have an axe to grind) between 12 and 20 depending who you believe and what happened, unlimbered fairly close to the redoubt and opened a heavy fire on the position. This sufficiently discommoded the Austrians and allowed French infantry – possibly Verdier’s husbanded Grenadier masse de rupture (Rather a small 3 battalion masse)  – to take the ‘hill’ and turn the Austrian line.

I’m not sure I’m really much the wiser but thanks everyone for making me go and do a little digging :^)

 

*This I think is the source of the galloping artillery -‘ je lançai ma colonne au grand galop’