Battle of Piave, 8th May 1809
The following photographs were taken during a refight of the Battle of Piave in Christchurch, New Zealand. All figures are from the Heroics and Ros 1/300th range and are from the collection of Keith McNelly. The full scenario can be found in the Volley & Bayonet scenario book "Austria Stands Alone".
The Battle of Piave was the second battle in Northern Italy during the 1809 Campaign and follows the Austrian victory at Sacile earlier in the campaign. Piave involved some 25,000 Austrians under command of Archduke John who had begun a withdraw from Northern Italy in the face of Eugene's French/Italian army which had risen, by this time, to some 50,000 troops. With Archduke Charles falling back from Bavaria following his initial defeats at the hand of Napoleon the movement by Archduke John was designed, in part, to bring his army closer to Vienna and the support of Charles.
Interestingly, Piave involves a crossing of a major river in the face of an enemy with the crossing being limited by time and rising river levels.
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The
table after deployment is completed and Eugene's Army of Italy has made
its first move.
The Austrian army is deployed on the left. A some what weak VIII Corps is in the foreground resting on the town of Susignano, while IX Corps extends the Austrian left. The Austrian converged Grenadiers and cavalry are to the rear and only partly visible. The French are just visible on the right as advance elements drive in Austrian detachments guarding the fords. |
| The initial attacks are launched
at 4am against the Austrian Grenzer detachments deployed at the crossing points
of the Piave river. Behind the Piave and visible running the length of the
battlefield in the photograpgh above, is the Piaviselle stream, which in V&B is treated as
"marshy banked". This is a significant obstacle for both armies.
In between both the Piave river and the Piaviselle stream is a small
dike.
The towns along the Piaviselle are in order from front centre to centre are Barco, Mandre and Campana and are astride the Piaviselle stream. There are further towns are in the distance and on the left and right of the map. The table represents an area of battle some six and a half miles in length. The dark green areas are drainage areas. |
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| A close up view of the Albert
Gyulai's Austrian VIII Corps deployed around Susignano immediately prior
to moving forward against the Narvese ford. In the foreground is Grenzer
Regiment 10 followed by Infantry Regiments 27, 61 and 62. Behind the
"Corps" are the converged Position Batteries. Their use is an
optional historical "what if" but one that we find balances the battle.
Note the modelling of brigade batteries on some bases, these count as battalion guns under Volley & Bayonet, but model the close support of the brigade batteries of the infantry. |
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By 6am advanced elements of Austrian VIII Corps have crossed the Piaviselle stream at the fords close to the town of Barco. At this critical moment the Austrian units are very exposed to a sudden French attack with their backs against the Piaviselle. The Grenzers moved to the left to prevent an upstream crossing and the position batteries deploy for a long-range bombardment of the French units forming up on the Austrian side of the Piave river at Narvese. Eugene's French and Italians are only able to cross one brigade per hour, therefore the build up of Allied forces is slow.
While VIII Corps forms up and engages the French with their brigade batteries the Austrians also cross the Piaviselle stream at Mandre and swing right to support VIII Corps.
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Here elements of Wolskeel's Austrian cavalry division have crossed the Piaviselle stream and advance along the banks of the dike. Austrian converged Grenadiers of the Army Reserve move into Mandre with Archduke John nearby. |
By 8am Austrian VIII Corp's main infantry regiments are across the Piaviselle stream and elements of Wolskeel's cavalry division are arriving to support Albert Gyulai's "Corps". A portion of the cavalry has been detached to the extreme left of the Austrian flank where it would conduct a series of delaying actions under command of Frimont. However, a Hussar and Dragoon Regiment, shown above are committed to the Barco area to close this crossing point at Narvese as quickly as possible.
Meanwhile, more French troops were now pouring across the Piave at two other crossing points. In the area of Campana Austrians of IX Corp's right wing form up behind the Piaviselle. Campana is some three miles from Barco. Between them and the forming French is the "dike". This obstacle is treated as a fieldwork and cannot be crossed by charging cavalry.
The Austrian plan called for the converged Austrian Grenadiers were to be committed to closing the French crossing around Narvese, but as they crossed the Piaviselle stream they were themselves attacked, while disordered, by two French regiments.
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Repelling the attacks the Grenadiers and Grenzers, of the Army Reserve, advanced in a series of sharp and successful counter attacks against the French infantry regiments. In the photograpgh to the right the Grenadiers and Grenzers can be seen advancing across the dike on the far right with Archduke John to their rear. They are positioned in the dark green marshy area in the centre right. They have just pushed back two French infantry units to their front. However, the French artillery is about to change face and fire canister into the packed Austrian ranks. |
The battle around Campana. Priula is on the far side of the Piaviselle stream. Narvese is to the right and outside this picture. |
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To
the left, a final view of the battle,
taken around 12 noon.
The Austrians have swept a number of French units back from the area around Barco and indeed a number have routed along the Piaviselle stream. Even the Italian Guard, after having put up a strong fight, has finally been swept away. However, the Austrians have taken heavy casualties after several hours of hard fighting. Several divisions are exhausted or close to exhaustion. Likewise, the French have suffered heavy casualties and are unable to pursue the Austrians. As such Archduke John can now fall back covering the withdrawal of his supply wagons. |