Spring in the Shadow of the Alps: When The Hammer Blow Falls.
As April warmed up the Piedmont in Northern Italy Marshal Sacco struck on a bold almost insane plan. Over the winter he had reinforced his Army of Northern Italy to 230,000 Infantry, 50,000 Cavalry and 40 Batteries of field guns and 20 batteries of Horse guns. He had also gain a new fire brand of a Cavalry General Cosimo Siciliano. It was Siciliano who helped Sacco plan the spring offensive. Marshall Sacco would break the Army of Northern Italy into two again He would take the Bulk of the Army and March Southeast so that it looked like they were heading to reinforce the Siege of Genoa, this would force the French to intercept Saccos before he and the Army could get to Genoa. Meanwhile Siciliano and the Bulk of the Army’s cavalry would move west then south along the foothills of the Alps. While Lonbardi’s Army would move south at a slower pace just west of Sacco’s Line of March. When the French intercepted Sacco and engaged in battle Lombardi would swing south then attack their rear. Meanwhile Sicilino and the Cavalry would attack the French forward supply base at Cuneo.
April 18,1843 was a warm spring morning when Major General Léonard Roux was enjoying his breakfast when he started receiving reports that The Italians were marching south by south east in force. Given that the war was not nover the only reason that Sacco would march that direction was he intended to Crush the Genoa Pocket, where Major General Bava, the one Sardinian Commander worth a damn in Roux's mind, was bottled up. This was worrying as it would free up more Italian troops for him to have to deal with later. But there was also opportunity Here If He moved fast enough he might be able to catch them Crossing the Po and destroy the biggest chunk of the Italian Army. This would delight Paris who were rightly very worried about an English Army encamped at Cherbourg. So without finishing his breakfast he started drafting orders. He wanted his Army minus the Cuneo Garrison 210,000 Infantry, 7,000 Cavalry, 52 batteries of field guns and 8 batteries of horse guns. Ready to march within the hour. By 1100 hours the French were marching toward destiny. Because King Chalres Felix was insistent that he use what was left of the Army of Piedoment he assigned it commanded by Major General Giacomo Consoli the task of Screening the Left (northern) Flank of the French Advance. The Army of Piedmont consisted of 50,000 Infantry, 3,000 Cavalry and 14 batteries of field guns, after the beating it took in 1842 the men’s morale was low and faith in the officers was nonexistent.
Roux and his French army would catch up with Sacco at the town of Pollentia just east of Bra. However when his men arrived at the field they found not a moving army but an Italian army that was deployed for a battle along a one mile wide front just east of the town. Roux deployed his men, it meant little to him the Italians were out in the open and in front of his army he would crush them all the same. At 1300h on April 19,1843 the Battle of Pollentia began in earnest.
Meanwhile three hours earlier at 1000h at the old battle field of Savigliano Lombardi’s Column ran into the Sardinian Army of Piedmont out numbered over two to one the Lonbardi was able to use his numbers to overwhelm the Sardinians flanks and by 1200h he had encircled the demoralized Sardinian troops. The most dedicated and loyal parts of the Army namely the Piedmont Guards Division would hold out for almost four more hours before finally overwhelmed by the Italian’s numbers, but this was the exception most of the Sardinian Army surrendered en mass once they realized there was no escape this time. In some instances whole divisions would throw down their rifles and walk to the nearest Italian unit and surrender peacefully. When one such event started to take place with a Brigade that was in line next to the Piedmont Guards they turned their fire on the men attempting to surrender, mowing down hundreds of men from behind. The fact that the Piedmont guards and one or two other hold out divisions kepted Lombardi’s men occupied meant that they wouldn’t be able to march on the main battle till the morning. The Second battle of Savigliano while not as big or bloody as the previous one was a decisive victory for Lombardi and would prove to be a turning point.
Back at Pollentia the first day of fighting had ended in stalemate the battle field was too narrow for either side to use their numbers effectively. Not hearing from Consoli was beginning to worry Roux so that night he sent his cavalry out on a night recon and the report he got back confirmed his worst fears. The Italians had set a trap and he had walked into it not only that but the acurseid Sardinias had allowed themselves to be encircled and crushed without trying to get word out to him. He wanted to let his men sleep tonight but now the reserve would have to be woken up so they could redeploy before he lost his entire army. He would send the better part of his reserve 70,000 Infantry west to Cappellazzo to block the Itailians at Savigliano he had to extract his army but he couldn’t just pull out or it would be Lombardi infront of him and Sacco behind. And he would be no better off than he was now.
April 20, 1843 would see heavy fighting as the Battle of Cappellazzo began at 0900h when Lombardi’s army found the French Reserve deployed and waiting for them with 70,000 Infantry 6,000 Cavalry and 21 batteries of field guns commanded by General de Division Émilien Petit. Lombardi deployed his 90,000 Infantry, 2,500 Cavalry and 15 batteries of field guns and the battle commenced. Both sides were exhausted and determined. The Itailians to finish off the french and put an end to the Kingdom of Sardinia once and for all. The French not to be encircled and end up like the Sardinians. So that the battle ended up as a hard fought stalemate by the time the sun fell below the horizon.
Back at Pollentia the battle continued as a stalemate until Sacco pulled one of this trademarked sleight of hands. He dispatched two divisions on a 10 mile march around the mountain to the North of the battle; these two divisions would reappear at 1700h behind the French Left Flank. With the bulk of his reserve fighting at Cappellazzo Roux had little he could deploy to meet this and instead had to have his left flank do a series of Left Wheels so that they turned to meet the new flank this also shortened this line. However in doing so he had made his position untenable and when Sacco started a fresh assault on the Left and center trying to Drive the French army into the River the well disciplined french soldiers broke. Maybe Roux could have salvaged something from the battle at that point, however he never got the chance as an Italian sharpshooter managed to put a bullet in his left ear and out of his right. At 1805h Major General Léonard Roux fell from his horse dead. And the french army broke. Roux’s aide de camp Colonel Juste Robert was able to get most of the Artillery mustered and retreating protected by the Cavalry and as many units in good order as he could find. He also managed to along with General de Division Aimeric Durand throw together a rear guard that bought time for at least some of the Army to escape the battle however they had to sacrifice themselves to accomplish this.
When the smoke Cleared the French Army was gone over 70,000 Frenchmen had been taken prisoner another 4,500 were dead and 8,600 were wounded; the Italians had not had any men captured but had suffered 3,000 killed and 9,000 wounded. When all three battles were added up Italy had lost just over 10,000 killed and 25,000 wounded. France’s grand total for all three battles would be 75,000 captured, 13,500 killed and 22,600 wounded. The Sardinians had been wiped off the map, losing all of their last field army. General de Division Émilien Petit would reform at Cumeo which they returned to find battered but not broken, as the Garrison had been more than enough to ward off Siciliano Cavalry raid. That is not to say everything was fine, the Rail Line that had been painfully run though the mountains had been destroyed in several places and over 300 supply wagons had been burned.
April 23, 1843 Naples
When Word of the battle first reached Naples just hours after the guns had fallen silent Napoleon II had ordered the bells rung in celebration of the victory over the French however as time passed and the Full report came in from Marshall Sacco it became clear that the war against the French was not over. Sardinia was another story as King Charles Felix had been overthrown by what subjects he had left under the government of the Kingdom of Sardinia, and its new Leaders Chancellor Fonsie Arcuri and Queen Esmeralda had sent word that they would like to discuss terms to Naples. When he was informed of this in his room where he was held captive Crown Prince Ferdinand Emanuele complained that his sister had no right to the throne only for Napoleon II to remind him that first he was a captive here and second his father was not dead but in route to Paris after being overthrown and he should be glad that the Sardinian Monarch survived at all “After all that is the way Republics are born.” Napoleon instructed Sacco to offer the following terms.
- The Kingdom of Sardinia surrenders to the Italian Empire All Sardinian troops on the ground and Ships at sea shall cease all combat operations against the Italian Empire and its Allies.
- The Kingdom of Sardinia will order the French to abandon their position at Cumeo and leave all Sardinian Territory and ports.
- On May 1,1843 the Kingdom of Sardinia will cease to exist and integrate itself into the Italian Empire. If all the terms of the treaty are met then on that Day Queen Esmeralda would become the Duchess of Piedmont if Not another governmental structure will be created.
On April 24,1843 the Sardinian Government would sign the treaty and orders were sent to Bava to stand down in Genoa; which he would do on the next day having his men stack their arms and march out of the city to Albenga where they would encamp on April 28,1843 before being disbanded. It was the Sardinian Navy that threw a wrench in things by refusing to accept the orders or recognize the new Government they would sail to Toulon and join up with the French Royal Navy. In response Queen Esmerarlda was forced to exile the officers and men of the Fleet that kept fighting after the signing of the Treaty of Albenga. The French would be the other thorn as they refused to abandon Cumeo which they had fortified, Louis XVII decided that making the Italians fight on the Eastern side of the mountains was better than letting them descend into southern France as the Romans once had Gaul. As the deadline approached Napoleon II and Marshall Sacco would agree that Esmeralda had done her utmost to honor the treaty and grant her the title of Duchess of Piedmont when she abdicated the throne of Sardinia on May 1, 1843.