When was the Battle of Millesimo fought?
The Battle of Millesimo was fought on the 13th and the 14th of April 1796, during the Montenotte Campaign in Liguria, Northern Italy.
Questions about Battle of Millesimo
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What actually happened at the Battle of Millesimo?
There was no major battle at Millesimo itself. On the 13th of April, French forces under Augereau drove back Austrian units east of Millesimo, then spent the rest of the day in costly and ultimately failed assaults on Cosseria Castle. The castle's garrison of roughly a thousand Austro-Sardinian troops surrendered the following morning after running out of food, water, and ammunition.
Why did Napoleon give a misleading report about the Battle of Millesimo?
Bonaparte's report to the French government is believed to have been deliberately misleading to conceal how serious French casualties had been and how close his plans came to being compromised. He later privately admitted to Piedmontese chief of staff Colonel Joseph Costa that the siege of Cosseria Castle had been a mistake driven by his own impatience.
What were the casualties at the Battle of Millesimo?
The French lost 700 men in the assaults on Cosseria Castle on the 13th of April. The defending force of 988 men under Provera suffered only 96 killed and wounded, with the rest taken prisoner. French Adjutant General Jean Quenin and General of Brigade Pierre Banel were killed, as was the Sardinian commander Colonel Del Carretto.
Who commanded the garrison at Cosseria Castle during the Battle of Millesimo?
The garrison was commanded by Feldmarschal-Leutnant Giovanni di Provera, who withdrew there with part of the Gyulai Freikorps and two grenadier companies of the Strassoldo Infantry Regiment Number 27. Colonel Filippo Del Carretto's Sardinian 3rd Grenadier battalion joined them shortly after.
Who was Louis Suchet and what was his role at the Battle of Millesimo?
Louis Suchet was a French officer who received a promotion during the fighting at Millesimo when his colonel was killed in the assault on Cosseria Castle.