ED NOTE: In this article Mark demonstrates a valuable method for using historical research to set up a scenario for further study. The initial part of the article covers the operations of The Russian/ Austrian army against the French republican army of Italy in 1799 (General Bonaporte was off in Egypt at the time fighting The Battle of Aboukir). Mark uses this study to Bet a good appeciation of the terrain and the possibilities and impossibilities inherent in the position chosen by Joubert around Novi This can not be overemphasized because when he turns to his own development of a scenario he can make realistic judgements concerning the movement difficulties and time delays that the forces would experience. The second battle, which Mark postulates as occuring in 1813 is fought using EMPIRE, 2nd edition -- although any Divisional/ Corps level set of rules would also be applicable The extent of umpire involvement adds a considerable dimension to the pre-battle moves of the respective commanders and further enhances the unpredictability of the arrival and placement of formations not on the table at the games start. Altogether this is the direction toward which more and more players seem to be moving in their own games and it makes for an excellent article from which we can all learn something -- Bruce Weeks. "Suvarov had lost the battle," wheezed Senor Trucco, "but just like at Marengo, reinforcements arrived and turned defeat into victory." Sr. Trucco, a retired engineer and amateur historian of 80 years, was relating to me the course of the Battle of Novi. His enthusiasm for the history of his town was contagious. Sr. Trucco had written a history of the battle for the local historical publication, NoviNostra (our Novi). Most of my information comes from this document and talking with him. Novi, Italy is now a medium-sized industrial city twenty kilometers south and east of Marengo. In 1799 it was militarily important for its position between two passes to the Ligurian coast and Genoa, and its proximity to the fort of Gavi to the South. At Novi the first foothills rise abruptly from the table-flat plain of the Po, at places reaching heights of 50 meters. The area has natural military boundaries. To the west lies the Lemme River and to the east the marshes of the Scriva. The French, outnumbered 2-1, had the strategic option of abandoning Italy altogether or making a stand. Suvarov, in possession of the initiative after his victory on the Trebbia (17, 18, 19 June) advanced in leisurely fashion upon the French. Aieksandr Vassilievich Count Suvarov Riminski, would have pushed his forces harder had he foreseen the morning's disasters. But he was lulled by his overwhelming superiority in troops, especially the excellent Austrian and Russian cavalry and preferred to draw the French out on the plain where cavalry would be most effective. Suvarov believed in the destruction of the enemy's will to resist by destroying his forces. He demanded hard marches, utilized cossacks for raiding enemy communications, concentrated his forces at the point of decision, and by sheer force of personality and will drove his forces into assault after assault until the enemy was overwhelmed. Heedless of casualties! he demanded victory -- and achieved it. His soldiers revered him only after the Czar. He trained them in his new style of mass artillery preparations and column attack, shared their dangers and hardships, and led them to victory. In the later withdrawal through. Switzerland these same troops would literally march into an abyss on his orders. Suvarov's opponent, the young Bartelemy Catherine Joubert, had just taken command on the sixth of August. His troop's morale was low and there were far too few of them. Total forces in the area of operations mustered 34,000 to oppose 66,000 Allies who were also far stronger in cavalry and guns. He had only a few days to decide to run or fight, and composed himself to give battle at Novi as much from indecision as from fear of the personal consequences of a retreat (French generals were still being beheaded for "treason") His dispositions and leadership were good, and th battle was his while he lived. THE BATTLE Suvarov had given instructions to be wakened at 0800 on the morning of the 15th, to be done by two cossacks dousing him with water as he lay wrapped naked in his cloak on a bed of straw. His sentries followed his instructions to the letter. Kray, meanwhile, ambitious and jealous of Suvarov's authority (a condition endemic in Allied commanders) sought to win all the laurels as soon as the mist cleared. Joubert perceived that the Austrians were advancing without Russian support and with both flanks "in the air" and immediately prepared counter- attacks. The Austrian advance ground to a halt against French elan. Suvarov was awakened at the appointed time and apprised of Kray's insubordination. He had little choice but to support the premature attack with an attack of his own lest the Austrians be destroyed completely. Two divisions of the Russian corps advanced straight upon Novi and the ridge. He also summoned Melas to come as soon as possible. All went badly for the Allies, although the Russian attack probably saved the Austrians from annihilation. Joubert deployed along the ridge of Novi, from Pasturana to just east of the city. The weak cavalry brigades were placed on the flanks of the main position. Watrin's division held the line between the French right and Dombrowsky's Polish-ltalian Legion. The Legion was guarding the only usable crossing of the Scriva at Serraalle. On the plain the Austrians formed the Allied right under General Kray, stretching from Basoluzzo to the Alessandria road. The Russian corps completed the arc, deploying south of Pozzolo. General Melas and a large combined reserve was far in the rear near Alessandria. Suvarov did not want to show his full strength, hoping the French would come to him, and this left the reserve too far away to be of immediate support. In the early morning the odds were nearly equal, 7 of 12 Allied divisions were not on the field. The easiest approach to the ridge is from the west in front of the Austrian position where the ridge levels into the plain. Here Joubert placed the bulk of the French forces. The rest of the ridge is quite steep especially from Novi to Serraville, where it rises to 50 meters, occasionally at attitudes of 45 degrees. Here the ridge was also thickly dotted with manor houses and small woods. The entire French position was very strong but also contained a strong disadvantage. The severe nature of the terrain continued into the French rear and parallel to their line. restricting movement except on the limited road system. The Austrian divisions were flanked right and left and a French brigade attack pierced their center at St. Antonio. Only the Allies' preponderance of cavalry and the Russian support restored the tactical situation securing the flanks and surrounding and capturing 1000 Frenchmen behind the Austrian lines. The Russian columns were soon repulsed by the strong defenses of the ridge. At the moment of their retreat Watrin's division converged upon them from their left and the flank cavalry brigade charged, turning their retreat into a rout toward Pozzolo. The Allied attack at this point was halted or broken and Suvarov was nearly beaten. He had only one fresh division in immediate reserve. The French were in position to "roll up'' the entire Allied line. Two Factors From Victory Two factors came between the French and victory. First, in the morning counterattacks, Joubert was struck in the head by a ball and was carried to Novi where he died a few hours later. How much effect his death had on the command structure is a matter of conjecture. No doubt there was a degree of confusion but it is impossible to say how much. Had the French been able to coordinate their efforts better at the critical time and place, or had Dombrowsky's elite Legion been committed they might have consolidated a victory before the arrival of the Allied reserve. Melas' arrival in the afternoon turned the tide beyond retrieval. He brought two fresh divisions to the Allied center and five to the left against Watrin's exposed f lank. At this point the French could only withdraw. With reserves in hand Suvarov recovered the initiative Kray had squandered and ordered attacks at all points. On their right and center the French managed an orderly withdrawal before the Allied advance; on the left -- disaster. Kray had gotten his Austrians moving forward again just as the French attempted to retreat through Pasturana. Guns careened down the steep slopes, units broke formation, and the presence of infiltrating cossacks turned retreat into rout. Unseasonal rains had swollen the normally small rivulet through the valley of Pasturana, making the crossing impossible for artillery. Most of the guns were lost and at least 700 men drowned in the stream which today bears the name, Rio dei Morti (literally, Brook of the Dead). The campaign ended with Austria regaining all of Northern Italy; the French forced back to their starting point of 1796. All that Napoleon had gained was retaken by Suvarov. Scenario: Second Battle of Novi Back to Table of Contents -- Courier Vol. 1 #5 To Courier List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1980 by The Courier Publishing Company. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com