Battle of Caldiero (1809)
Battle of Caldiero (1809) | |||||||
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Part of the War of the Fifth Coalition | |||||||
Eastward-looking view of Soave. Castelcerino is out of the photo to the left along the crest of the ridge while San Bonifacio is a short distance beyond the right edge. | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
First French Empire Italy | Austrian Empire | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Eugène de Beauharnais | Archduke John | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
San Bonifacio: 3,000 Soave: 23,000 Castelcerino: 5,000 |
San Bonifacio: 1,800 Soave: 18,000 Castelcerino: 6,000 | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
San Bonifacio: light Soave: 1,000 Castelcerino: 409 |
San Bonifacio: light Soave: 700 Castelcerino: 872 |
In the Battle of Caldiero[b] or Battle of Soave or Battle of Castelcerino from 27 to 30 April 1809, an Austrian army led by Archduke John of Austria defended against a Franco-Italian army headed by Eugène de Beauharnais, the Viceroy of the Kingdom of Italy. The outnumbered Austrians successfully fended off the attacks of their enemies in actions at San Bonifacio, Soave, and Castelcerino before retreating to the east. The clash occurred during the War of the Fifth Coalition, part of the Napoleonic Wars.
In the opening engagements of the war, Archduke John defeated the Franco-Italian army and drove it back to the
Eugène probed at San Bonifacio on the 27th. On 29 April, he ordered part of his troops to make a holding attack against Soave while he sent an Italian force to seize the high ground on the Austrian right flank. On the 30th, the Austrians recaptured Castelcerino, which was lost the previous day. While this action was being fought, John's army began its retreat to the Brenta River at Bassano. Caldiero is located 15 kilometres (9 mi) east of Verona. The towns of Soave and San Bonifacio lie along the Autostrada A4 about 25 kilometres (16 mi) east of Verona. Castelcerino is a small village in the hills about 4.5 kilometres (2.8 mi) north of Soave.
Background
See
At the start of the 1809 war,
At the start of the war, the Tyrolese people rose in revolt. Under leaders such as
Eugène never led large formations into battle, yet Napoleon appointed him commander of the Army of Italy.
On 10 April 1809, the Austrian VIII Armeekorps advanced from
In a preliminary action on the 15th, Sahuc's vanguard received a drubbing at Pordenone.[13] Nevertheless, believing he outnumbered John, Eugène attacked the Austrian army in the Battle of Sacile on 16 April.[14] In fact, the Franco-Italian army numbered 35,000 infantry, 2,050 cavalry, and 54 guns, while their opponents deployed 35,000 infantry, 4,000 cavalry, and between 55 and 61 guns.[13] Eugène sent two divisions against the Austrian left flank, held by VIII Armeekorps. In the face of stubborn resistance, two more divisions were committed to the struggle. When John suddenly launched IX Armeekorps against the weakened French left flank, Eugène called off his attacks and ordered a retreat. The Franco-Italians lost 6,500 men and 15 guns, while the victorious Austrians counted 4,000 casualties.[15]
As the Franco-Italian army fell back to the Piave River, it met Jean Maximilien Lamarque's infantry division and Charles Joseph Randon de Malboissière de Pully's dragoon division moving forward. Eugène used these fresh units to cover his retreat. After holding the line of the Piave for four days, he began a withdrawal to the Adige on 21 April.[16] At this time the army was joined by Teodoro Lechi's Royal Italian Guard.[17] After a pause on the Brenta on the 24th, the retreat was resumed. Anxious for his northern flank, Eugène authorized Baraguey d'Hilliers to fall back to Rovereto. Chasteler followed this up, taking Trento on 23 April and appearing before Rovereto on the 26th.[16]
Deeply embarrassed by his defeat, Eugène made a vague report to Napoleon. But his imperial stepfather soon found out. The infuriated emperor sent Eugène a critical letter suggesting that he ask Marshal
On 23 April, there was a clash at Malghera near Venice. John ordered
Battle
On the Adige, Eugène reorganized his army into corps under commanders that he nominated and who were approved by Napoleon. General of Division
On 27 April, there was a clash at San Bonifacio and Villanova. Seras defended the position with the 106th Line Infantry Regiment, one squadron of cavalry, and four guns, a total of 3,000 men. They were opposed by Oberst (colonel) Anton von Volkmann's 1,800-man advance guard. Volkmann with eight companies of the Johann Jellacic Infantry Regiment Nr. 53 managed to evict the Franco-Italians from San Bonifacio. However, Oberst Ignaz Csivich von Rohr and five companies of the Oguliner Grenz Infantry Regiment Nr. 3 were unable to secure the adjacent village of Villanova and its bridge over the Alpone River. Darkness and a rainstorm brought the action to a close. Historian Digby Smith called casualties from both sides "light" but listed the skirmish as an Austrian victory.[2]
On the same day as the clash at San Bonifacio, Archduke John received news of his brother Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen's defeat at the Battle of Eckmühl.[25] John deployed his army in a "formidable" defensive position blocking the main highway. The army's right flank lay at Soave behind the Alpone while its left stood at Legnago behind the Adige. John posted three battalions north of Soave<[23] to hold Monte-Bastia. The Austrian center stood around San Bonifacio. Most of Eugène's army was deployed north of Arcole, though a few units lined the west bank of the Adige below the confluence of that river with the Alpone. The Franco-Italian left wing stretched north to Illasi and Cazzano di Tramigna. Eugène planned to turn John's right flank, pushing the Austrians toward Venice. Meanwhile, Venice's large garrison would break out to the north. If the plan worked, the Franco-Italians might snare John's entire army between the two forces.[25]
Eugène's army occupied the same ground where the Battle of Caldiero of 1805 was fought. Macdonald's corps held Caldiero in the center while Seras, Abbé, one Italian brigade, and the Italian Guard were on high ground on the left at Colognola ai Colli. Pully's dragoon division was in reserve, while the other cavalry units were deployed on the west bank of the Adige under Grouchy.<[23] On 29 April, General of Brigade Antoine-Louis-Ignace Bonfanti's brigade of Fontanelli's division and the Italian guard attacked the Austrian detachment on the heights. Meanwhile, Grenier led the divisions of Seras and Abbé to attack Soave, with MacDonald's troops in support.[26]
Eugène committed 23,000 men to the fight, including 24 battalions, 10 squadrons, and eight pieces of artillery. The units involved were three battalions of the 1st Italian Line Infantry Regiment and one battalion of the 2nd Italian Line from Bonfanti's brigade, three battalions of the Royal Italian Guard, 4 squadrons each of the 20th and 30th Dragoon Regiments, plus two squadrons of the 8th Hussars. Grenier sent in two guns and four battalions of the 53rd Line from Seras' division, and two battalions each of the 8th Light and 102nd Line Infantry Regiments from Abbé's division. MacDonald committed two guns and five battalions of the 9th, 84th, and 92nd Line from Broussier's division, and four guns and four battalions of the 29th Line from Lamarque's division.[27]
The defenders were 18,000 troops in 21 battalions and 24 guns in four batteries from Albert Gyulai's VIII Armeekorps. General-major
Led by the Italian Guard, Bonfanti's troops stormed Monte-Bastia[25] and seized Castelcerino. Grenier's attacks on Soave and San Bonifacio were repelled, however. The Franco-Italians suffered 1,000 casualties while the Austrians lost 400 killed and wounded, plus 300 captured. Smith called this action an Austrian victory.[27]
On 30 April, John counterattacked with 11 battalions and recaptured the lost positions.[25] Bonfanti was forced to pull back to Colognola.[26] Smith placed Austrian strength at eight battalions and 6,000 troops, including two battalions of 2nd Banal Grenz Infantry Regiment Nr. 11 and three battalions each from the two Jellacic Regiments. General of Brigade Jean Joseph Augustin Sorbier led the 5,000 men in seven battalions of Bonfanti's brigade and the Italian Guard. Italian losses numbered 409 killed and wounded while the victorious Austrians lost 300 killed and wounded, plus 572 missing. Smith expressed criticism of Eugène for neither supporting his troops at Castelcerino, nor mounting a holding attack in front. Sorbier, a different officer than Eugène's artillery chief, was mortally wounded[27] and died on 21 May.[28]
Result
John received orders from Archduke Charles on 29 April. He was urged to defend the territory he had captured, but was allowed to use his discretion. John knew that with Napoleon advancing on
After being delayed all day repairing an important bridge, Eugène's army began its pursuit on 2 May. The viceroy ordered Durutte to cross the Adige at Legnago with his division and head for Padua on the Brenta. From there he would rendezvous with troops from Venice and escort a supply train to the Piave to rejoin Eugène. Meanwhile, Frimont defeated the light brigade at Montebello Vicentino and got across the Brenta in good order while destroying the bridges.[30] In a series of actions on 2 May, the Austrians lost 200 killed and wounded while inflicting 400 casualties on their pursuers, including Debroc wounded. However, the Franco-Italians rounded up 850 sick or straggling Austrians during the day. Frimont, General-major Franz Marziani, and General-major Ignaz Splényi each led Austrian units in separate actions on the 2nd.[31]
After the rough handling of his light brigade, the viceroy expanded it into a light division and put General of Brigade
Explanatory notes
Notes
- ^ a b Bodart 1908, p. 401.
- ^ a b Smith 1998, pp. 294–295.
- ^ Petre 1976, p. 300.
- ^ a b Bowden & Tarbox 1980, pp. 101–103.
- ^ Schneid 2002, pp. 181–183.
- ^ Smith 1998, pp. 286–287.
- ^ Schneid 2002, pp. 65–66.
- ^ a b c Schneid 2002, p. 66.
- ^ Rothenberg 1982, p. 139.
- ^ Rothenberg 1982, p. 141.
- ^ Schneid 2002, p. 69.
- ^ a b Schneid 2002, p. 70.
- ^ a b Smith 1998, p. 286.
- ^ Schneid 2002, p. 272.
- ^ Epstein 1994, pp. 80–81.
- ^ a b Schneid 2002, p. 75.
- ^ Epstein 1994, p. 82.
- ^ Schneid 2002, p. 76.
- ^ Epstein 1984, p. 70.
- ^ Epstein 1994, p. 83.
- ^ Smith 1998, p. 293.
- ^ Epstein 1994, pp. 83–84.
- ^ a b c Schneid 2002, p. 78.
- ^ Epstein 1994, p. 84.
- ^ a b c d Epstein 1994, p. 86.
- ^ a b Schneid 2002, p. 79.
- ^ a b c d Smith 1998, p. 295.
- ^ Broughton 2021, Sorbier.
- ^ Schneid 2002, pp. 86–87.
- ^ a b Epstein 1994, p. 87.
- ^ Smith 1998, p. 297.
- ^ Schneid 2002, p. 80.
References
- Bodart, Gaston (1908). Militär-historisches Kriegs-Lexikon (1618-1905). Retrieved 13 June 2021.
- Bowden, Scotty; Tarbox, Charlie (1980). Armies on the Danube 1809. Arlington, Texas: Empire Games Press.
- Broughton, Tony (2021). "Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815". Archived from the original on 16 May 2021.
- Epstein, Robert M. (1994). Napoleon's Last Victory and the Emergence of Modern War. Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas. ISBN 0-7006-0664-5.
- Epstein, Robert M. (1984). Prince Eugene at War: 1809. Arlington, Texas: Empire Games Press. ISBN 0-913037-05-2.
- Petre, F. Loraine (1976) [1909]. Napoleon and the Archduke Charles. New York, NY: Hippocrene Books.
- ISBN 0-253-33969-3.
- Schneid, Frederick C. (2002). Napoleon's Italian Campaigns: 1805-1815. Westport, Conn.: Praeger Publishers. ISBN 0-275-96875-8.
- ISBN 1-85367-276-9.
Further reading
- Chandler, David G. (1966). The Campaigns of Napoleon. New York, NY: Macmillan.
External links
- Media related to Battle of Caldiero (1809) at Wikimedia Commons