094. The Battle of Casteggio-Montebello - WDS Campaign Marengo

9 June 1800 - Historical - Intended to be played Head to Head - The Austrians were looking to advance from Alessandria to the east to reestablish their lines of communication. Unfortunately for them the French had already taken the town and were advancing to the west. O'Reilly had to withdrawl to towards Casteggio and linked up with FML Ott near the town. The terrain favored the defender and as the French arrived in the late morning of the 9th of June they found the Austrians drawn up on the hills to the southest of the town as well as in Casteggio. Lannes ordered a hasty assault and the battle commenced. With only the 12th Hussars as his cavalry force and virtually no artillery the attack was doomed from the start. The French fought bravely and the hussars actually made a mad charge into the town itself but were repulsed. Waltrin's division made some progress on the heights but a sudden counterattack by the Austrians pushed his division back down the hill and out of the village. Lannes was back to where he started from and his force was in total dissarry when Victor arrived with Chambarlhac's division. The momentum shifted the other way and now it was the Austrian's turn to retreat. Lannes' men rallied and together with Victor took the town and heights and pressed the Austrians back on Montebello. Dusk fell and the Austrians conducted a skillful retreat off of the field of battle. A smaller force had taken a key location on the road to Alessandria. Later on the eve of the Battle of Marengo, Ott would be remembering this action and would give up the key village and thus cause the Austrians to have to fight to regain it. Montebello would be overshadowed by Marengo but the lesson was learned: the Austrians were no match for the French in a standup fight.