Saturday, February 20, 2021

General Scenario: Battle of Castiglione, August 5, 1796

    On consideration of a scenario for trying out some hitherto unplayed Napoleonic wargames rules, I decided that Albuera was perhaps better suited to a second game with some or all of the sets, and began looking for a different scenario, preferably one I haven't gamed before. With my ongoing participation in Jon's Rivoli game, a battle from Napoleon's first Italian campaign seemed attractive. Thus I settled on the Battle of Castiglione


The overall situation as Napoleon was confronted by yet another attempt by the Austrians to relive the garrison of Mantua (like the following two maps, from David Chandler's The Campaigns of Napoleon). 


Early phase of the battle


The later phase of the Battle. 


This Map is from https://wikivisually.com/wiki/Castiglione_1796_campaign_order_of_battle


And yet another map!


Revised OOB and naps based information provided by Michael:


Castiglione August 1796

1 Infantry - 1,000 1 Cavalry = 600, 1 Artillery = 10 guns


French Army of Italy, Napoleon Bonaparte commanding


Division Massena

Brigade Joubert

3 Light Infantry


Brigade Valette

3 Light Infantry


Brigade Victor 
3 Line Infantry

Brigade Rampon

2 Light Infantry


Brigade D’Allemagne
3 Line Infantry

1 Battery


Division Augereau

4 Line Infantry, 1 Battery

Division Despinois
3 Line Infantry

Division Fiorella
4 Line Infantry


Division Kilmaine
2 Grenadier, 2 Chasseurs, 1 Hussar, 1 Dragoon
2 Horse Artillery


TOTAL: 8 Light Inf, 17 Line, 2 Grenadiers, 4 Cavalry, 4 Batteries

(20,000 Inf rising to 27,000 at end of battle, 2400 cavalry, 40 guns)




Austrian Army, FM Dagobert von Wurmser


Right Wing, FML Davidovich


Col Schubirz
1 Jager, 1 Grenz

GM Spiegel 

1 Line 1 Grenadier (actually Deutschmeister IR #3), 1 6# Foot Battery


GM Liptay
4 Line Infantry, 1 6# Foot Battery


GM Mittrowsky (2nd Line)
4 Line Infantry, 1 6# Foot battery


Left Wing, FML Sebottendorf


GM Gummer

2 Line Infantry


Col. Piazczek
2 Hussar, 1 Uhlan
1 x 3# Cavalry Battery

2 x 12# Foot Batteries (at Monte Medolano)


TOTAL: 1 Jager, 1 Grenz, 1 “Grenadier”,11 Line, 2 Hussar, 1 Huhlan, 6 Batteries

14,000 Infantry 1800 Cavalry, 60 guns




Terrain Map

Deployment Map

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Original version:

Finding a good Order of Battle proved much more difficult. The best I could find was this one from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castiglione_1796_campaign_order_of_battle


French Army

Castiglione 1796 campaign order of battle
Napoleon Bonaparte

Austrian Army

Castiglione 1796 campaign order of battle
Dagobert von Wurmser


    However, it is completely lacking in any detail as to the kinds of troops contained within each formation. I was able to make a rough approximation from more detailed listings for battles earlier and later in the campaign, but in the end wound up just using what seemed reasoable to me from that data and the contents of my own collection. 

    I settled on the following somewhat generic OOB, which will have to be further adapted to the rules to be played. In any event, I used the following rough conversion of historical numbers to tabletop units:  1 Infantry unit  = 1,000 men, 1 Cavalry unit = 600 men,  1 battery = 8 guns


French Army- Napoleon Bonaparte

Massena 8,000

6 Line Infantry, 2 Legere. 2 Batteries


Augereau  10,000

8 Line Infantry, 2 Legere,  2 Batteries


Despinoy 4,000

4 Line Infantry


Verdier 2,00 Grenadiers

2 Grenadier


Marmont 18 horse artillery

2 batteries


Kilmaine 1500 Cavalry

1 each Chasseur, Dragoon, Hussar


Fiorella 500 dragoons, 5,000 infantry

1 Dragoon, 1 Legere, 4 Line, 1 Battery


TOTAL: 29 infantry, 4 cavalry, 7 artillery



Austrian Army, Dagobert von Wurmser


Melas 8,000 Infantry, 24 guns

1 Light Infantry, 1 Grenadier, 6 Line Infantry, 3 x 6 lber Foot batteries


Sebottendorf  8,000 Infantry, 24 guns

1 Grenz, 1 Grenadier, 6 Line, 3 x 6 lber Foot batteries


Davidovich 7,000 Infantry,  2400 cavalry, 16 guns

1 Light Infantry, 6 Line Infantry, 2 Hussar, 1 Chevau-Leger, 1 Dragoon, 2 x 6 lber Foot batteries


TOTAL: 23 Infantry, 4 cavalry, 8 Artillery


Terrain map, 6 x 9 foot table


Deployment Map; arrival of Despinoy, and later Fiorella, will bein part rules dependent. 


    Now to set up the terrain and troops, and then decide which rules to play first!


February 22nd, 2021 - Thanks to the much more detailed (but still with gaps) information from Michael aka Wargamer Rabbit, a significant revision to the OOB and deployment maps will be coming in the next few days...   Peter


32 comments:

  1. Looks good, Peter! Let me check my Castiglione book and see if it contains a more precise OB. I am pretty sure I have seen Castiglione scenarios. Let me look for those too.

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  2. This all looks rather good and I enjoyed reading how oyu went about creating the OOB and table map:).

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    1. Thanks, Steve. I am going to try to at least set up the table today.

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  3. Interesting scenario. So exciting waiting to find out which rules you will use !
    You do know FOB will likely be best anyhow :-)

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    1. If I use FoB3 for this secenario at all, it will likelybe the LAST set I use for it. :-)

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  4. Impressive research and background for scenarios, Peter.

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    1. Thanks, Dean; I really need a better source for more detailed OOB's, even though I will still convert them to a somewhat more abstract form. I don't worry about the strengths of individual battalions etc, as long as the total numbers of units and general balance of troop types is correct.

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  5. Superb work - reminds me of some books that I need to pick up.
    ...scenario lends itself to FoB3 I would say?

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    1. Thanks! It should work well with FoB, and (hopefully) with many other rules sets as well.

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  6. Looking forward to seeing this, Peter. The campaigns in Italy are some of my favorite. I re-read those chapters in Chandler's book over the Fall.

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    1. Likewise; read them many times myself. I'd love to see Gill tackle these campaigns!

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  7. Wondergul campaign and looking forward to your battles Peter. I have a wonderful book on Castiglione I grabbed from Nic at Eureka many, many years ago.

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    1. Thanks, Carlo. I don't suppose that book has anymore detailed information about the Orders of battle?

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    2. This is the book that has the detailed OB.

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  8. Can't add to your OOB work, your sources are at least as good as mine for the Italian campaigns.

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  9. I have gained a new-found interest in Napoleon's Italian campaign through Jonathan's Rivoli game, so will be following this one with keen interest.

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    1. The uniforms won't be right (some of the French will be in Bicorne, but carrying 1804 flags, the rest more 1809... and the Austrians in helmets, which is also a 1796 uniform0, but the era is very interesting!

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  10. Peter,
    You have the Castiglione 1796 book by Bernhard Voykowitsch pub 1998? It covers the campaign timeline and both August 3rd and 5th 1796 battles. I think Amazon has a copy. Michael WR
    Will email tonight my finding from the OOB in book.

    I will email you tonight

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    1. No, but iot looks like I may axquire it given the dearth of useful English language sources! :-)

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  11. Peter,
    Just emailed you with the OOB info I had on hand. Check you inbox. Michael.

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    1. Got it! Thanks so much.
      Expect some revisions to the scenario based upon this information!

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  12. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  13. Excellent very tempted to try this myself!! :)

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    1. Wait for the revised scenario in the next few days. Meantime, your own rules are high on the play test list!

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    2. Wonderful! I will wait thanks!

      Will be interested to see if you can make sense of 321 rules :)
      A few slight tweaks since last version six months ago, and I will put 5.1 up on my site shortly. 5.0 had a fairly major change in deleting the closing fire mechanic to speed up play, but we felt it needed a couple of balance tweaks after another six months of playing (mainly decreasing difficulty of charging artillery frontally, which is a hard interaction to balance!).

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    3. Let me know when 321, 5.1, is done!

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  14. I look forward to all your developments with this one Peter. Researching and compiling the orders of battle, map and other scenario information is a bit part of the interest and enjoyment for mine.
    I can second Michael's mention of Bernhard Voykowitsch's book (not that that is needed, plus Michael's blog is a fabulous source in itself!). Voykowitsch is good for events from early June to immediately after Castiglione. In the intro. he tells of his grand plans to go through the entire campaign, but sadly this was the only one published (to my knowledge). You have Boycott-Brown's 'Road to Rivoli', yes?
    Regards, James

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    1. I agree with you, James; I enjoy developing scenarios, although it can be time consuming. Yes. I have Road to Rivoli. It is good for narrative and background, but very lacking in maps and OOB's!

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