Po Valley Campaign - 10 September to end October 1742

I left the campaign in the aftermath of the (2nd) Battle of Cuneo. The Gallispans had been retreating ahead of the combined Austrian and Piedmontese armies when they were caught a few miles from Cuneo. The Gallispans fought a rearguard action and came off the worse in terms of casualties suffered but held off the enemy long enough for the bulk of their forces, including artillery and transport train, to escape.

The next map turn was the week commencing 10th September 1742. Whilst King Charles Emmanuel's Piedmontese dug in across the Stura opposite Cuneo and the Gallispans did likewise on the ridge by the city, Traun led his Austrians east to Alessandria. They were on their way to relieve the siege of Piacenza by Monetmar (Spanish), Francesco d'Este (Modenese) and King Carlos (Neapolitan).

In the final week of September, as Traun approached Piacenza the three Bourbon leaders held a council of war. What should their outnumbered forces do? D'Este was ready to stand and fight the Austrians, but he was outvoted by Montemar and Carlos. [The dice decided: 3 dice, one for each leader, needing a 5 or 6 for battle]. The Bourbons retreated into Parma, Modena and Guastalla as their best chance of survival. Once the Bourbons had gone, Traun had their siege works outside Piacenza destroyed so if they came back they would have to start all over again.

Meanwhile the Gallispans and Piedmontese eyed each other from their entrenched camps either side of the Stura. The Gallispans outnumbered the Piedmontese but it would have been too risky to attempt a storm of an entrenched camp. After 3 weeks in camp, and exhausted by countermarches and battles, the Piedmontese were prey to disease. They were afflicted by plague which took away 10% of their number. [As October came round it was time to see if an Event occurred and sure enough one did. I rolled against the Event Table and it came up 3. The first time this would mean a Jacobite uprising in Britain. The second time it would be an outbreak of plague in either the Austrians or Piedmontese. Unluckily for the Piedmontese the die picked them].

By and by King Charles Emmanuel realised that he could not remain in his pestilential camp and marched back to Turin and sent a force under Aspremont to guard Ivrea. Working in agreement with the Piedmontese, Traun distributed his force between Milan, Alessandria and Piacenza. Traun already held Cremona so he had a good central blocking position to hold off any advance by whichever Bourbon force ventured forth, and he would be able to concentrate quickly.  And the opposing factions stayed in their respective strongholds for the next 3 weeks when the first snows began to fall in the mountains. The campaigning season of 1742 was over.

Late campaign moves and final positions (circled)

It had been an active campaigning season. Four large field actions had taken place (Parma, Piacenza and 2 outside Cuneo) all won by the Austro-Piedmontese. Several sieges had resulted in two cities changing hands: Piacenza from Parma to Austria and Cuneo from Piedmont to Spain/France. A large Bourbon supply train had been ambushed which led to a weakening of the Bourbon forces. The French were plotting with James Stuart (James VIII and III) to return him to the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland. Nothing concrete had come of that, but it was a useful lever for the French. And finally, the Piedmontese had been hit by plague.

The rules, such as they are, have developed piecemeal. Occasionally I have fudged or diced my way out of uncertainty. Late on I added siege attrition rules, which stupidly I'd overlooked. And I have factored in a rough and ready 'Capitulation' provision for when a fortress falls. In the first week I assume to be by coup de main when losses on defenders are heavy and I'll dice for whether they go 'in the bag' or march out. In subsequent weeks the defenders (less accrued attrition) march out. Later still the defenders must go back to their 'home country' and can even lose their artillery. I don't make any provision for storms. Everyone is far too rational for that!

I think I will return to the campaign for the 1743 campaigning season. It's been enjoyable, if a bit tricky sometimes with less than tip-top admin. Maybe the next season will see an attack on a prepared position, or an escorted supply train. The latter could be played out with a different troop and ground scale. Lots of hussars swirling around or Piedmontese militia in the mountains. That's all some months off I think as I'd like to get some different toys out next.

Po Valley Campaign - The Battle of Cuneo, 1742

After quite a gap I got the battle on the table yesterday and played the game over two sessions. I used the 8 foot by 4 foot table top.

The available Franco-Spanish forces (aka the Gallispans). French to the left, Spanish to the right. The small round bases are hits which were carried over from earlier in the campaign.

The Austrians to the left, the Piedmontese to the right.

The Gallispans' objective. Cuneo. They had to reach there before being overrun by the enemy. Madonna dell Olmo at the road junction. The French will head up the left hand road and the Spanish to the right, but both meet at Madonna dell Olmo with potential for traffic jams!

Turn 6 of 20. The Austrian and Piedmontese cavalry arrive (right). Piedmontese on the top. Spanish rearguard facing the Piedmontese, French facing the Austrians. The Gallispans are greatly outnumbered in cavalry so they have to use infantry too.

The Spanish infantry are turning off the road before they reach the junction. Being a proud man, their commander the Infante, decides to face the enemy and allow the French to withdraw first. There had been a traffic jam (decided by dice roll) when the two allies' wagon trains arrived simultaneously.

The opposing sides face each other across the Grana. I decided this was fordable, it being late summer. No movement reduction but units had to dice to cross, which did cause some delay and disruption on the Austro-Piedmontese side.

The Gallispans decide that rather than wait to be overwhelmed they would attack the enemy first. Fortune favoured the brave, to some extent, with first blood going to the Spanish. However, given the French cavalry contingent went into the battle already weakened (each unit started with 1 hit) they were eventually routed.

The combined supply train reached the first bridge and were directed to the second bridge upstream of Cuneo to allow the infantry to enter the town. Surprisingly as it happens - they passed this second test for a possible traffic jam.

With the Gallispan cavalry cleared, it was left to the infantry to hold off the Austro-Piedmontese cavalry. Between the two roads, the French foot have been charged by the Austrian cavalry. Again, the defenders beat off the first charges.

Another view of the same stage. The Gallispans still hold the villages of Roata Rossi (left) and Passatore (centre).

After some initial confusion (again determined by dice roll) the Gallispans train crosses the bridge over the Stura and climb onto the ridge on which Cuneo sits.

The last stand of the Spanish rearguard. One brigade has been routed by the Piedmontese cavalry, but the second bravely sticks to its task, their commander invoking the tercios of the past!

The train is almost home. The bulk of the remaining French infantry are in Cuneo. The rest of the Spanish are in line ready to repel the enemy when night has fallen and the Austro-Piedmontese decide that they have lost enough today whilst the Gallispans have been chased away.

Orders of Battle and Losses

Piedmontese

	No. of bases	Hits at Cuneo	Losses at Cuneo
Cuirassiers	4	1
Dragoons	4		2
Hussars
Grenadiers/Guards	2
Musketeers Artillery	16 3	1

Austrians

	No. of bases	Hits at Cuneo	Losses at Cuneo
Cuirassiers	6	2	2
Dragoons	4		2
Grenadiers/Guards	1
Musketeers	12	2
Militia
Skirmishers
Artillery	4

Piedmontese and Austrian Total at Start: c 52,000

Total losses 6 cavalry bases, 3 cavalry and 3 infantry hits. Total c.6,000

Spanish

From France	No. of bases	Hits at Cuneo	Losses at Cuneo
Cuirassiers	2		2
Dragoons
Hussars
Grenadiers/Guards
Musketeers	15		5
Militia
Skirmishers
Artillery	2

French

	No. of bases	Hits at Cuneo	Losses at Cuneo
Cuirassiers	2	1
Dragoons	2		2
Hussars
Grenadiers/Guards
Musketeers	12		4
Militia	2
Skirmishers
Artillery	4

Spanish and French Total at Start: c 40,000

Total losses 4 cavalry and 5 infantry bases, plus 1 hit to cavalry (2 cav hits = loss of 2 bases). Total c.9,000.

Conclusion

So mixed results. The Gallispans suffered 50% more losses than the Austro-Piedmontese, but escaped with their train and artillery intact. They still hold Cuneo and are in a strong position. With no formed cavalry however, they won't be troubling the Queen of Hungary and King of Sardinia with offensive operations again this year. But they might be able to hold on to Cuneo over the winter, giving them a base of operations on the Italian side of the Alps for 1743.

I still have to dice for how many of these losses each side recovers in the campaign. And then work out the next map moves. Both sides will probably dig in on opposite sides of the Stura. The Austro-Piedmontese won't be able to make a proper investment of Cuneo, let alone siege with a sizeable Gallispan army. It's likely that part of the Austrian force will head off back to the Po and help oust the Bourbons from the Parma region. We'll see.