Battle of Volta
Genoa Cavalry Regiment in action near Volta
| date | July 26th and July 27th, 1848 |
|---|---|
| place | Volta , Lombardy , Italy |
| output | Victory of the Austrians |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
| Commander | |
|
Konstantin d'Aspre |
|
| Troop strength | |
| 15,200 infantrymen, 3,800 cavalrymen, 63 guns |
14,500 infantrymen, 2,200 cavalrymen, 34 guns |
| losses | |
|
21 officers, 435 men |
18 officers, 646 men |
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The Battle of Volta took place on July 26th and 27th, 1848 during the Italian War of Independence and was a last and unsuccessful attack by the Sardinian-Piedmontese troops to defeat the Austrians under Radetzky after the Battle of Custozza .
background
After the defeat at Custozza, King Karl Albert of Savoy ordered his troops to retreat to the western bank of the Mincio . He gathered his troops at Villafranca and went back to Goito , where around 30,000 men and 109 artillery pieces of the Sardinian army could concentrate. The Austrian I. Corps under FML Wratislaw went over the Mincio at Monzambano and pursued the Sardinians on Pozzolengo and Castigliano . The II Corps under FML d'Aspre pursued the enemy via Valeggio to Volta .
On the evening of July 26th, the Sardinian Lieutenant General de Sonnaz tried to turn the tide. The counterattacks of the Sardinian 2nd Corps from the heights near Cavriana brought initial successes against the Austrian division Wimpffen . He wanted to establish himself first on the heights of Volta, Cavriana, Solferino , and dare a battle there again. At 7 o'clock in the morning the Austrian II Corps also advanced over the height of Monte Belvedere to Prabiano in order to continue the march to Valeggio, to go over the Mincio and then to march against Volta. Sonnaz had evacuated Volta that morning, but returned on the evening of July 26th. At the same time, the Austrian II. Corps with the vanguard brigade of Major General Friedrich Liechtenstein had entered Volta before the Piedmontese. The vanguard of the II Corps was attacked by enemy forces in Volta and was able to maintain their position in the village with the help of the Kerpan Brigade . There was a disorderly night battle, which ended on the morning of the 27th with the retreat of the Sardinians.
Skirmish on July 27th
At 4 a.m. on the morning of July 27, the fight in Volta began again. The fighting Austrian II Corps (Division Franz Wimpffen and Division Franz Schaffgotsch ) had a total of 19.3 battalions, 26.5 squadrons and 63 guns with a total of 15,200 men and 3800 riders. The Sardinians, on the other hand, had 16 battalions, 14 squadrons and 34 artillery pieces with around 14,500 men and 2,200 horsemen.
The attacks were carried out mainly by the Sardinian Brigades Savona and Savoy of the division of Lieutenant General de Broglia. The freshly intervening Brigade Regina under General Ardingo Trotti seized the heights of San Felice and was able to push the Austrian brigade under Major General Liechtenstein back on the southeast group of houses from Volta to the village of Luccone to 300 paces. On the beleaguered left flank of the II Corps, the Szluin Border Guard Regiment No. 4 of the Kerpan Brigade then led a counterattack that the Piedmontese were unable to cope with. The Schwarzenberg brigade had already come to the aid of the Austrians, and the Gyulay brigade also went into battle formation on the heights north of Volta. At the same time, the Haugwitz Infantry Regiment No. 38 went over to counterattack near San Felice. The columns of Infantry Regiment No. 48 formed the first meeting, followed by the 11th Jäger Battalion in the second meeting. The Brigade Samuel Gyulay held in order behind the left wing of the II Corps, but no longer came into the battle as a whole, since all enemy attacks had been repulsed at around 10 o'clock. The bulk of the Edmund Schwarzenberg brigade then advanced again against Luccone, the Gyulay brigade against Sottomonte.
Further Austrian reinforcements arrived at Cavriana and forced the enemy to withdraw. While the Austrian artillery was firing at the retreating enemy, two squadrons of the Reuss Hussar Regiment No. 7 began to pursue them via Sottomonte. Slowly panic spread among the Piedmontese, the new defeat visibly demoralized, the desertions increased. The returning Sardinians were received in Cerlongo by the Acqui brigade standing there, and the retreat, covered by 12 squadrons of General Gazelli's cavalry brigade, continued to Goito. The Austrians lost 21 officers and 435 men, the Sardinians lost 18 officers and 664 men.
consequences
After the battle, the Piedmontese generals Bess, Rossi and the artillery colonel La Marmora appeared in the Austrian camp to offer an armistice . All three Austrian corps remained concentrated in and around Volta during this time, and Radetzky's headquarters were moved to Valeggio.
The persecution was resumed on July 28th, as the Austrian conditions were not accepted by the Sardinian king. From that day on, the Piedmontese army began to disintegrate, while the retreat through Cremona continued. The Austrian I Corps reached Piubega , the II Corps pursued the Sardinians via Cerlongo to Gazoldo .
On July 29th, Radetzky organized the further pursuit of the defeated enemy in his new headquarters in Valeggio. The day before, FML Haynau was in command of III. Corps, FML Thurn taken over by IV Corps. The 1st Corps advanced near Asola via the Chiese to Casalromano, while the 2nd advanced via Redondesco and Bizzolano to Canneto sull'Oglio . The Reserve Corps (FML of Wocher ) remained in Acquanegra and previously in Mantua securing IV. Corps marched to Marcaria and occupied with the avant-garde place Bozzolo . On July 30, the Austrian army advanced over the Oglio with two columns ; the 1st Corps marched on against Gadesco , the 2nd Corps crossed the river at Canneto sull'Oglio and advanced via Pozzo, Isolello and Gazzo to Cà de 'Marozzi. The Austrian Reserve Corps advanced behind the II Corps as far as Cigognola , while the IV Corps reached Vedesetto via Solarolo.
Karl Albert had to give up the whole Oglio line and his army reached Cremona on July 29th and Lodi on August 2nd . The Austrians were able to move into Milan , the capital of Lombardy , on August 6th without a fight .
literature
- Major General von Sternegg's Battle Atlas of the XIX. Century , Italian War 1848–49 delivery no. 56/57, p. 3., published by Paul Bäuerle, Iglau, Leipzig and Vienna (1890)
- Wilhelm Riistow : The Italian War of 1848 and 1884 9: with a short war theory, Friedrich Schultheß, Zurich 1862, p. 273
- Franz Joseph Adolph Schneidawind : The campaign of the emperors. royal Austrian Army under the leadership of Field Marshal Count Radetzky in Italy in 1848 and 1849 . Printed and published by U. Witting, Innsbruck 1853
- FJ Grüll: Campaign of the Austro-Hungarian Army in Italy in 1848 , Typogr.-Literar.-Artist. Institution, Vienna 1860
- Eusebio Bava : The struggle of Italy against Austria in 1848 , published by Franz Leo. Vienna, 1850.