Historical Note
Frustrated at not being able to break through at Arcole Bonaparte ordered a bridge to be built over the Alpone River near the Adige River. By dawn on 17 November 1796 Augereau had one demi-brigade over the bridge. French troops continued to cross and engaged the surprised Austrians.
At one point Augereau was pushed back over the bridge. He rallied his troops and crossed again. Masséna took Arcole when he attacked it directly over the bridge and Augereau from the south. Mittrovsky was forced to fall back to San Bonifacio. Alvintzi realizing his left wing was in trouble ordered his troops to withdraw.
Briefings and Orders of Battle
General Baron Joszef Alvintzi :
General order of the day issued at 6:00am November 17, 1796: "We have succeeded in
turning back the French assaults for two days and will do so today if they choose
to be so foolish in attempting to breach our lines once again."
General Baron Anton Mittrovsky : You are commanding the Austrian forces on the
east bank of the Alpone River. You have ordered the forces commanded by Brigido to hold Arcole,
with Schübirz holding Albaredo. Your personal command is ordered to launch a counterattack across
the Arcole bridge no later than 3:00pm. Sticker's command has been designated to support you.
General Marchese Giovanni Provera : You are commanding the Austrian forces on the
west bank of the Alpone River and have been ordered to attack Bionde Di Porcile and then
push the French back to Ronco.
For a detailed Austrian Order of Battle click HERE.
General-in-Chief of the Army of Italy : Général Napoleon Bonaparte :
General order of the day issued by the commanding General Bonaparte at 6:00am November 17, 1796:
"I have instructed that a bridge be thrown over the Alpone and have conveyed orders that
will shatter the Austrians that remain to oppose us."
Général Pierre-Francois-Charles Augereau : You will assume temporary
command of your first brigade and the cavalry. Your command will cross the new
bridge over the Alpone River and attack and hold Arcole.
Général Robert : You will assume command of this adhoc brigade and attack
Arcole over the Arcole bridge.
Général André Masséna : Your command will attack the Austrians at Bionde
Di Porcile and Belfiore Di Porcile, then once secured, turn on Arcole.
Général Leclerc : You will attack and hold Albaredo and San Gregorio.
Your command will attack Albaredo supported by a small column from Legnago.
Général Claude Perrin Victor : You will remain in reserve under the direct
control of Général Bonaparte.
Adjutant-Général Honoré Vial : You will support Leclerc's attack on Albaredo,
San Gregorio and Arcole. Your force is approaching from Legnago in the south on
the east bank of the Alpone.
For a detailed French Order of Battle click HERE.
Arcole - November 16, 1796 : After Action Report
During the night Bonaparte ordered a bridge be built over the Alpone and planned a four prong attack. Masséna would attack Bionde Di Porcile and Belfiore Di Porcile as before. Once these were secured he would attack Arcole. Robert with an adhoc brigade would attack Arcole directly from across the bridge. Augereau would cross the new bridge and attack Arcole. Leclerc would attack Albaredo supported by a small column from Legnago.
Alvintzi was still trying to hold on to his original plan of catching the French in a vise. He simply ordered his troops to repeat their orders from the previous day.
The 51st Ligne was over the new bridge before dawn and pushed back a battalion of Croats. The 4th Ligne was right behind them and they both started off towards Arcole when they noticed a strong line of Austrians starting to form up in front of them. Augereau attacked them but there was too many of them and they started to outflank him. Overwhelmed Augereau was forced to fall back.
Leclerc formed his force up under fire from the Austrian battery in Albaredo and then pressed his attack forward. Schübirz moved out of Albaredo and formed up in line to receive the French attack. The fire from Leclerc's battery was too much for the Austrians to take in the open. Both Austrian battalions broke and fled the field.
Masséna's attack on Belfiore Di Porcile started off well as three Austrian battalions routed as the French columns tried to close with them. Provera was shaken but prepared, his second line held while his guns opened up on the French. Two squadrons of cavalry moved from behind his line and took the French columns in flank. It was a disaster, three columns routed and the rest of Masséna's troops fell back to Bionde Di Porcile.
At first light Mittrovsky had sent his own brigade over the Arcole bridge to counterattack Robert. Just as it seemed to be working a hidden battalion of French emerged from the willow trees on his flank and poured musket fire into them. His entire brigade routed except for the Grenadiers. Surrounded the Grenadiers tried to withdraw but panicked and fled back trough Arcole taking the only battalion left in Arcole with them.
Robert could not believe his good fortune and started pushing battalions into Arcole. Mittrovsky was now pulling troops back from the south where they had just beaten off Augereau's men and started to ring Arcole. No sooner had he set up a battery to support his infantry when the French launched an attack on his line. The fire from his line and the canister from the battery was too much for the French. They fell back taking heavy losses.
The Austrian artillery managed to start a fire in Arcole that quickly spread. Robert realized his troops could not contain the fire nor could they advance towards the Austrians. Reluctantly he ordered his men back over the Arcole bridge.
It was only 10:30 but the French were finished. Unable to advance in any sector Bonaparte ordered his men to fall back to Ronco.
Arcole 16 November 1796 Map:
Arcole Map Notes
Conclusion
While one cannot fault the French plan, it did appear that some of their attacks may have been a little too aggressive and were not coordinated. They also failed to consider the possibility of a counterattack. Provera demonstrated how effective cavalry could be in such a role. Mittrovsky was also able to fight on two fronts in succession showing how the central position can be used to your advantage. A tactic that Bonaparte often used on a far grander scale. This battle was clearly an Austrian victory.
Bonaparte was later to have said that he only beat Alvintzi by luck. Apparently this day was not his lucky day.
