As part of our ongoing campaign featuring the 1799 in Italy with the Austro-Russian armies of Suvarov and Melas versus the french armies of Moreau and McDonald we fought the dual battle of Cavalcaselle/Peschiera, which played out in the campaign on the 11th of april 1799.
The campaign is play by email with 12 players and a judge and has been in progress since the start of the year. We have played 15 campaign days and 5 tabletop battles – with Cavalcaselle being the largest. The campaign is completely blinded for the players with play by email and troop orders to the umpire. Rules for attrition, supply, weather, rebellions, sieges and you name it is in effect. The campaign map is google earth, with all of Italy in play. When doing battle the terrain is transposed directly to the tabletop in 1:2000 helped by historical maps.
The campaign newspaper (in danish) "Il monitore Milanese" can be found at:
link
The printing press is based in Milan so is heavily loopsided for the revolutionaries but have feature articles from royalist papers as well.
The battle for Cavalcaselle was the end of Moreaus maneuvre inside the quadrilateral (Mantau, Peschiera, Verona, Legago) to obstruct the allied advance. Moreau coming from the south and east ambushed Vukassovich´s corps that was observing Peschiera from the east side of Mincio. After pushing Vukassovich to the side Moreau choose to stand on the east side of the river awaiting the onslaught of Suvarov from the east and Krays austrians from the south. Despite being reinforced from the westside at Peschiera by Seruriers corps, Moreau at the end had to retreat across the river heavily attacked by russians and austrians, who joined hand in battle for the first time in the campaign.
The campaign continues as Melas advances to invest Mantua. Will Moreau hold the Mincio line and when will McDonald come to his aid from the south of Italy.
The start of the battle. Moreau is closing in on Cavalcaselle from the east and south. Vukassovich has been onserving Peshiera from Cavalcaselle, but must suddenly defend against the onslaught. Serurier is observing from the safety og of the fortress and river line.
finds bases at the dollar store!
