Artillery in the 1799 Campaign

[Peter Chadwick]

I have been planning to game Suvorov’s campaign in Italy 1799. Despite  buying several works on the campaign e.g. Eagles Over The Alps I found that none of the OOBs contain information on the artillery for any of the armies. Does anyone have such information or know where I could find it?

[Heroy]

Asking about the “campaign” is a little broad. I know nothing of the Austrians. If you specify which of the French are of interest, I could try to help. For Suvorov …

Suvorov’s guns are usually called “2-pounder” in Russian and most French sources.
40x 2-lber Piedmontese mountain guns were to be taken from Austria’s Italian arsenals and delivered to the Russians at Airolo. Some Piedmontese gunners went also sent to aid in training of the Russian artillerists. Since only only about 1/3 of the mules promised by the Austrians for transporting both the guns and provisions were delivered, only 25 guns were used. There was a total 5-day delay waiting for the Austrians, and Suvorov went utterly ballistic. The Cossacks were dismounted and packs were made up for their horses to carry provisions. The Russians moved out, not willing to wait any more, short on both guns and food.
http://www.museum.ru/1812/Library/Tiesenhausen/tizengauzen_rus.html#r11
http://adjudant.ru/suvorov/reding02.htm

That said, I think they were really these Piedmontese 3-pounders – the carriage can be dismounted in three parts and carried, with its tools and equipment, by two mules.
https://web.archive.org/web/20140922225725if_/http://www.cornwallmodelboats.co.uk/acatalog/809_lrg.jpg
http://img367.imageshack.us/img367/489/piedmont1kw2.png
http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/1955/piedmont2hw3.png

They are also called “Sardinian” sometimes in place of “Piedmontese”. The Austrians took the guns from arsenals. They needed to get specifically Piedmontese gunners to act as trainers. It is not clear that the guns were in use with the Austrians, and could have been from the forces of Carlo Emanuele IV. There was also a Piedmont 1-pdr mountain gun of 16 calibres length, but no Piedmont nominal 2-pdr mountain gun.

[Peter Chadwick]

Thanks for your reply. The first link only details the later part of the campaign. I am interested in the campaign up to the battle of Novi in August 1799.

[OotKust]

Heroy wrote:

Suvorov’s guns are usually called “2-pounder” in Russian and most French sources. 40x 2-lber Piedmontese mountain guns were to be taken from Austria’s Italian arsenals… – and

That said, I think they were really these Piedmontese 3-pounders –

I agree from reading same. Naming ‘of things’ often IMO a confused mixture of nationality/ locality/ degrading comments based on who and where, and how they [writers/ authors] felt about them.

I think I read somewhere Massena also had some, just because, some artillery is better than none I guess… however ineffectual they may have been at the time, I think disposed of quickly, which is why they are generally discounted as ‘real’ guns.
I’m guessing they were more like an oversize sniper rifle and about as useful in assaults.
fwiw- d

[Guy Farrish]

Never underestimate the psychological effect of something making a bigger ‘bang’ than a musket firing at you if you only have a musket.

I suspect a 2lb or 3lb ball requires a rather large ‘sniper rifle’ – about 30-40 times the mass of a musket ball (1.14 oz approx).

[OotKust]

Guy Farrish wrote:

Never underestimate the psychological effect of something making a bigger ‘bang’ than a musket firing at you if you only have a musket.

Probably very true Guy- having been to Waterloo battlefield way back when (no, not the original!) I’d not want to:

• face Brits and riflemen only 750 yards away, and
• face any French ‘Grand Battery’ of 80 guns even knowing the shot in wet conditions was ineffective, mostly, probably…

cheers davew

[Author]

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