Battle of Casteldelfino
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Casteldelfino was a military engagement in July 1744 during the War of the Austrian Succession
between France and the Kingdom of Sardinia.
An initial French offensive into Piedmont
had been beaten off after three days of fighting in the Varaita valley, near the village of Casteldelfino (7–10 October 1743).
In July 1744, a French army under Contì
tried to enter Piedmont
from the western Alps. The first columns of the French army took the head of the Stura
and Maira
valleys, while three others columns, the 7th, 8th and 9th, were positioned at the head of the Varaita
valley. The 7th column was composed of six battalions under lieutenant general Don Louis Gandinga. It left Guillestre and came through San Paul and Maurin, taking the head of Col d'Agnello to threaten the valley of Chateau Dauphine (Casteldelfino)
. It then withdrew to gain Acceglio
in the Maira valley in support of the 6th column under lieutenant general Compte de Lautrec, who had orders to gain Preit village to threaten the Maira.
Marquis de Camposanto, a lieutenant general with five battalions that composed the 8th column, advanced from the camp of Pontcernieres near Briancon
, just short of the Varaita and Maira valleys. Baillì du Givri, a lieutenant general at the head of ten battalions that formed the 9th column, captured the Montgeneve gap and descended into the valley of Cesana to deceive the Sardinian king Charles Emmanuel III. Givri made a feint and took Gardetta at the valley of Bellino
and also seized the top of Col du Bondormir that dominates the valley of Chateau Dauphin. Brigadier general Chevert commanded 1,500 men from several regiments and four companies of grenadiers from Poitou’s brigade. All these nine columns were at the positions assigned by Contì after traveling through roads heavily soaked by rain.
Prince Conti and the Infant of Spain, going down to the Col de l’Argentera at the head of their column, took Bersezio in the Stura valley before the rock of the Barricade. The Savoyard lieutenant general Pallavicini
, informed by his spies that three enemy corps were approaching with an envelopment maneuver, abandoned the high and the low Lobiera and the camp of the Montagnetta, strong positions for any army to take. After his success, Prince Conti was worried about the situations of the columns that were fighting on his left. The marechal de camp de Villemur sent an officer to give news of the victory on the right, but the messenger drowned. Other couriers were sent in the same time to Ballì de Givrì and Marquis Pallavicini, but they were not able to arrive in time to stop the futile fight in the Varaita Valley.
Lieutenant general de Gandica, at the head of 7th column, took Acceglio in the Maira Valley, then went into the Varaita valley to support the 8th and the 9th columns. Marquis de Camposanto, chief of the 8th column, reached the mountain of Traversiera with five battalions. To arrive there he marched at the foot of the Mont Peirol, where he advanced against the entrenched camp at the Bicocca plateau. His purpose was not a general assault. He only wished to create some noise and to avoid enemy presence at the main entrenchments of Pierre Longue. Ballì de Grivri made a feint and came with the 9th column from Briancon to the other side of the Montgeneve. He then came back and went to Col d'Agnello. He commanded Compte de Danois, a lieutenant general, and ten battalions, of whom three were from Poitou's regiment under lieutenant colonel Morenne. He also had a vanguard under Chevert, who commanded a detachment of 1,500 men and four companies of grenadiers. Chevert attacked the outpost of Chayol on July 16, but withdrew after some shooting with enemy forces near Gardetta.
During the night of the 16th and 17th, the French camped at Chayol while Savoyard troops did the same at Gardetta. At around this time, the French were informed about enemy positions from a spy.
With Chevert knowing that the enemy had equivalent numbers, he decided to attack. French grenadiers struggled to make inroads into Bondormir and had to assault several staunchly defended buildings in the process. At this time, Danois arrived with Poitou’s brigade. Chevert ordered an outflanking maneuver to trap the enemy, but the Sardinians retreated in good order under the cover of 300 dragoons. The French army descended to Celle di Bellino after destroying the buildings at Gardetta. They then headed to Bondormir and still had difficulties taking the trenches. From here they climbed over Pierrelongue and joined other detached groups arriving from parallel paths. Chevert now wanted an immediate full-scale attack and a French war council agreed to launch this assault the next day.
As soon as the Piedmontese could see the enemy on top of Pierrelongue, they destroyed the communications running from Bondormir and prepared defenses. The enemy was preparing a better zig-zag path through Pierrelongue’s ravine on the north face to reach the top of the mountain. Chevert had to prepare the attack with 1,500 men and they had to take the Pas du Chat, a deep ravine with slippery terrain. At the end of this gap, there were 400 Piedmontese grenadiers and a battery of cannons. When Chevert moved, the mountain was covered by a thick fog, and he was not able to see the trenches. He received a whole volley from some grenadiers who could hear him but they could not recognize his position. Chevert ordered a faster descent, to fix bayonets, and to avoid any exchange of fire with the enemy. The French charged and the enemy withdrew towards the redoubt of the Baraccone in great confusion. The Piedmontese abandoned their tents and burned three great stacks of wood to inform Bicocca's garrison that Pierrelongue was in French hands.
The French column descended from Pierrelongue without great losses despite heavy artillery shelling. It attacked the second redoubt on the Battagliola peak, forcing the Sardinians to flee. The French stopped their advance at Battagliola and held this position for about two hours to attend Mass and to take some rest. They later advanced against the heavily defended Mount Cavallo redoubt. The Sardinian commanders were Verger and brigadier chevalier Castagnole. Before the battle Chevert sent to Verger his aid de camp, a major of Regiment de Provence, to intimate the surrender or run the risk of having the entire garrison executed. Verger declined the call for surrender. Chevert ordered an immediate attack, but he wanted to inform de Givrì so the latter would come to his support. Chevert told Givri to do nothing without first being given orders. Poor supply conditions convinced Chevert that a massive attack was required to rescue the situation.
Chevert’s troops were to attack the battery while Poitou’s brigade would advance at his right. In the middle there was the regiment of Provence. Colonel Salis had to take a plateau over the Bellino ravine to avoid the presence of 4 Sardinian battalions south of the mountain.
The column advanced without sacks to be more efficient in combat, but it couldn’t advance in good order on such mountainous terrain; some soldiers went over to the others and the three corps attacked in only one great column. The weather was very dark on that day and a great, thick fog covered the redoubt; the French arrived within 50 meters of enemy positions undetected. A fierce exchange of fire opened the fight. The French were on open ground and took a heavy pounding. They had been fighting for more than four hours in a range of only 10 paces from the Sardinian positions and finally had to withdraw. Givrì wanted to continue the fight and sent in a fresh line of battalions. The attack was renewed with such courage and bravery that the French again reached the palisades, but they were ejected with great losses. Givrì, badly wounded in a thigh during this second assault, ordered his men to withdraw.
Since the order arrived in the middle of the action, soldiers of Poitou’s regiment wanted to continue the fight and asked for the flag. This was a dangerous moment, with bullets flying everywhere. Danois ordered a withdrawal because many higher officers were either killed or badly wounded, but the soldiers did not obey. They knew it would be a precarious withdrawal and decided to take down the palisade instead. They were fortunate that colonel Salis left his position that moment and attacked the redoubt from the rear. This action decided the battle: when the Sardinians moved to stop Salis' attack, a renewed charge by the French carried all before them and compelled the Sardinians to surrender.
The fight finished one hour before the night of July 19, 1744. The Sardinian army lost 1,350 men. French losses were also significant.
Charles Emmanuel III
removed all artillery from the forts of San Carlo and Bertola an Chateau when he heard of the defeat. He went to Chateau Dauphin to receive the 200 survivors of the Mount Caval massacre. Charles then left Chateau Dauphin and went to Sampeyre
, where he met general Guibert, who was at Bicocca. He also gave orders to the knights of Cumiana to evacuate the Maira valley. Marquis de Frabosa was told to leave the Stura Valley and to reach the defensive line of Castigliole-Saluces, where the main army was waiting. The dead of Pierrelongue were buried on the battleground and the wounded were transferred to Chateau Dauphin. The French wounded were recovered in the ruins of the redoubt of Mount Cavallo.
Danois, who was now the commander, permitted his soldiers three days of looting at Bellino and Chateau Dauphin. In the early hours of the 20th, French soldiers arrived at these two villages and pillaged houses and churches. In Bellino they killed two men and in Chateau Dauphin they took abandoned supplies of the Sardinian forces. The village of Pontechianale
was saved thanks to the generosity of Danois, but it had to give 50 men for eight days to transport wounded French soldiers away from the front. Givri was taken to Lyon
and died a few days later from his wounds.
, arriving with the Spanish Army
too late to join in the engagement, wrote to his colleagues serving with the Infante Philip: "We may again find occasion to match French valour in this war, but no army will ever surpass the gallantry I saw at Casteldelfino." Conti, in a report to Louis XV of France
, described it as, "the most brilliant and lively action that ever came to pass." He added: "The men there showed valour beyond all humanity. Our brigades have doused themselves in glory."
While the action at Casteldelfino raged, the bulk of the Franco-Spanish army moved against the Sardinians in the Stura valley and skillfully swept past the enemy fortifications along the Stura di Demonte
. The allies had reached the plains of southern Piedmont
. This battle is sometimes now remembered with the name of "Battle of Pierrelongue", to distinguish it from the previous "Battle of Casteldelfino" (October 1743).
War of the Austrian Succession
The War of the Austrian Succession – including King George's War in North America, the Anglo-Spanish War of Jenkins' Ear, and two of the three Silesian wars – involved most of the powers of Europe over the question of Maria Theresa's succession to the realms of the House of Habsburg.The...
between France and the Kingdom of Sardinia.
An initial French offensive into Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
had been beaten off after three days of fighting in the Varaita valley, near the village of Casteldelfino (7–10 October 1743).
In July 1744, a French army under Contì
Louis François I de Bourbon, prince de Conti
Louis François de Bourbon, Prince of Conti was a French nobleman, who was the Prince of Conti from 1727 to his death, following his father Louis Armand II. His mother was Louise Élisabeth de Bourbon, a natural granddaughter of Louis XIV...
tried to enter Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
from the western Alps. The first columns of the French army took the head of the Stura
Stura
Stura was a département of the First French Empire in present Italy. It was named after the river Stura di Demonte. It was formed in 1802, when Napoleon Bonaparte occupied the Kingdom of Sardinia. Its capital was Cuneo. It was divided into the arrondissements of Cuneo, Alba, Mondovì, Saluzzo, and...
and Maira
Maira
The Maira is an Italian river, a right tributary of the Po River, which runs through the province of Cuneo in eastern Piedmont. Its source is in the Cottian Alps near the Col de Mary on the French border...
valleys, while three others columns, the 7th, 8th and 9th, were positioned at the head of the Varaita
Varaita
The Varaita is a 75 km river of the Province of Cuneo in north-west Italy. It is the first right tributary of the Po River....
valley. The 7th column was composed of six battalions under lieutenant general Don Louis Gandinga. It left Guillestre and came through San Paul and Maurin, taking the head of Col d'Agnello to threaten the valley of Chateau Dauphine (Casteldelfino)
Casteldelfino
Casteldelfino is a comune in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 70 km southwest of Turin and about 45 km northwest of Cuneo...
. It then withdrew to gain Acceglio
Acceglio
Acceglio is a comune in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont. It is located above Prazzo in the upper Valle Maira about 90 km southwest of Turin and about 45 km west of Cuneo, on the border with France...
in the Maira valley in support of the 6th column under lieutenant general Compte de Lautrec, who had orders to gain Preit village to threaten the Maira.
Marquis de Camposanto, a lieutenant general with five battalions that composed the 8th column, advanced from the camp of Pontcernieres near Briancon
Briançon
Briançon a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department....
, just short of the Varaita and Maira valleys. Baillì du Givri, a lieutenant general at the head of ten battalions that formed the 9th column, captured the Montgeneve gap and descended into the valley of Cesana to deceive the Sardinian king Charles Emmanuel III. Givri made a feint and took Gardetta at the valley of Bellino
Bellino
Bellino is a comune in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 80 km southwest of Turin and about 45 km northwest of Cuneo, on the border with France...
and also seized the top of Col du Bondormir that dominates the valley of Chateau Dauphin. Brigadier general Chevert commanded 1,500 men from several regiments and four companies of grenadiers from Poitou’s brigade. All these nine columns were at the positions assigned by Contì after traveling through roads heavily soaked by rain.
Prince Conti and the Infant of Spain, going down to the Col de l’Argentera at the head of their column, took Bersezio in the Stura valley before the rock of the Barricade. The Savoyard lieutenant general Pallavicini
Pallavicini
The Pallavicini, Pallavicino, were an Italian noble family descended from Oberto I . The first Pallavicino fief was created by Oberto II, who received them it by Frederick Barbarossa in 1162...
, informed by his spies that three enemy corps were approaching with an envelopment maneuver, abandoned the high and the low Lobiera and the camp of the Montagnetta, strong positions for any army to take. After his success, Prince Conti was worried about the situations of the columns that were fighting on his left. The marechal de camp de Villemur sent an officer to give news of the victory on the right, but the messenger drowned. Other couriers were sent in the same time to Ballì de Givrì and Marquis Pallavicini, but they were not able to arrive in time to stop the futile fight in the Varaita Valley.
Lieutenant general de Gandica, at the head of 7th column, took Acceglio in the Maira Valley, then went into the Varaita valley to support the 8th and the 9th columns. Marquis de Camposanto, chief of the 8th column, reached the mountain of Traversiera with five battalions. To arrive there he marched at the foot of the Mont Peirol, where he advanced against the entrenched camp at the Bicocca plateau. His purpose was not a general assault. He only wished to create some noise and to avoid enemy presence at the main entrenchments of Pierre Longue. Ballì de Grivri made a feint and came with the 9th column from Briancon to the other side of the Montgeneve. He then came back and went to Col d'Agnello. He commanded Compte de Danois, a lieutenant general, and ten battalions, of whom three were from Poitou's regiment under lieutenant colonel Morenne. He also had a vanguard under Chevert, who commanded a detachment of 1,500 men and four companies of grenadiers. Chevert attacked the outpost of Chayol on July 16, but withdrew after some shooting with enemy forces near Gardetta.
During the night of the 16th and 17th, the French camped at Chayol while Savoyard troops did the same at Gardetta. At around this time, the French were informed about enemy positions from a spy.
With Chevert knowing that the enemy had equivalent numbers, he decided to attack. French grenadiers struggled to make inroads into Bondormir and had to assault several staunchly defended buildings in the process. At this time, Danois arrived with Poitou’s brigade. Chevert ordered an outflanking maneuver to trap the enemy, but the Sardinians retreated in good order under the cover of 300 dragoons. The French army descended to Celle di Bellino after destroying the buildings at Gardetta. They then headed to Bondormir and still had difficulties taking the trenches. From here they climbed over Pierrelongue and joined other detached groups arriving from parallel paths. Chevert now wanted an immediate full-scale attack and a French war council agreed to launch this assault the next day.
As soon as the Piedmontese could see the enemy on top of Pierrelongue, they destroyed the communications running from Bondormir and prepared defenses. The enemy was preparing a better zig-zag path through Pierrelongue’s ravine on the north face to reach the top of the mountain. Chevert had to prepare the attack with 1,500 men and they had to take the Pas du Chat, a deep ravine with slippery terrain. At the end of this gap, there were 400 Piedmontese grenadiers and a battery of cannons. When Chevert moved, the mountain was covered by a thick fog, and he was not able to see the trenches. He received a whole volley from some grenadiers who could hear him but they could not recognize his position. Chevert ordered a faster descent, to fix bayonets, and to avoid any exchange of fire with the enemy. The French charged and the enemy withdrew towards the redoubt of the Baraccone in great confusion. The Piedmontese abandoned their tents and burned three great stacks of wood to inform Bicocca's garrison that Pierrelongue was in French hands.
The French column descended from Pierrelongue without great losses despite heavy artillery shelling. It attacked the second redoubt on the Battagliola peak, forcing the Sardinians to flee. The French stopped their advance at Battagliola and held this position for about two hours to attend Mass and to take some rest. They later advanced against the heavily defended Mount Cavallo redoubt. The Sardinian commanders were Verger and brigadier chevalier Castagnole. Before the battle Chevert sent to Verger his aid de camp, a major of Regiment de Provence, to intimate the surrender or run the risk of having the entire garrison executed. Verger declined the call for surrender. Chevert ordered an immediate attack, but he wanted to inform de Givrì so the latter would come to his support. Chevert told Givri to do nothing without first being given orders. Poor supply conditions convinced Chevert that a massive attack was required to rescue the situation.
Chevert’s troops were to attack the battery while Poitou’s brigade would advance at his right. In the middle there was the regiment of Provence. Colonel Salis had to take a plateau over the Bellino ravine to avoid the presence of 4 Sardinian battalions south of the mountain.
The column advanced without sacks to be more efficient in combat, but it couldn’t advance in good order on such mountainous terrain; some soldiers went over to the others and the three corps attacked in only one great column. The weather was very dark on that day and a great, thick fog covered the redoubt; the French arrived within 50 meters of enemy positions undetected. A fierce exchange of fire opened the fight. The French were on open ground and took a heavy pounding. They had been fighting for more than four hours in a range of only 10 paces from the Sardinian positions and finally had to withdraw. Givrì wanted to continue the fight and sent in a fresh line of battalions. The attack was renewed with such courage and bravery that the French again reached the palisades, but they were ejected with great losses. Givrì, badly wounded in a thigh during this second assault, ordered his men to withdraw.
Since the order arrived in the middle of the action, soldiers of Poitou’s regiment wanted to continue the fight and asked for the flag. This was a dangerous moment, with bullets flying everywhere. Danois ordered a withdrawal because many higher officers were either killed or badly wounded, but the soldiers did not obey. They knew it would be a precarious withdrawal and decided to take down the palisade instead. They were fortunate that colonel Salis left his position that moment and attacked the redoubt from the rear. This action decided the battle: when the Sardinians moved to stop Salis' attack, a renewed charge by the French carried all before them and compelled the Sardinians to surrender.
The fight finished one hour before the night of July 19, 1744. The Sardinian army lost 1,350 men. French losses were also significant.
Charles Emmanuel III
Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia
Charles Emmanuel III was the Duke of Savoy and King of Sardinia from 1730 until his death.-Biography:...
removed all artillery from the forts of San Carlo and Bertola an Chateau when he heard of the defeat. He went to Chateau Dauphin to receive the 200 survivors of the Mount Caval massacre. Charles then left Chateau Dauphin and went to Sampeyre
Sampeyre
Sampeyre is a comune in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 70 km southwest of Turin and about 35 km northwest of Cuneo...
, where he met general Guibert, who was at Bicocca. He also gave orders to the knights of Cumiana to evacuate the Maira valley. Marquis de Frabosa was told to leave the Stura Valley and to reach the defensive line of Castigliole-Saluces, where the main army was waiting. The dead of Pierrelongue were buried on the battleground and the wounded were transferred to Chateau Dauphin. The French wounded were recovered in the ruins of the redoubt of Mount Cavallo.
Danois, who was now the commander, permitted his soldiers three days of looting at Bellino and Chateau Dauphin. In the early hours of the 20th, French soldiers arrived at these two villages and pillaged houses and churches. In Bellino they killed two men and in Chateau Dauphin they took abandoned supplies of the Sardinian forces. The village of Pontechianale
Pontechianale
Pontechianale is a comune in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 70 km southwest of Turin and about 50 km northwest of Cuneo, on the border with France...
was saved thanks to the generosity of Danois, but it had to give 50 men for eight days to transport wounded French soldiers away from the front. Givri was taken to Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
and died a few days later from his wounds.
Conclusion
The Comte de GagesJean Thierry du Mont, comte de Gages
Jean Bonaventure Thierry du Mont, comte de Gages , Viceroy of Navarre, 1746–1753, a Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece in 1745, was a Flemish - Walloon born Spanish General who was awarded by king Philip V of Spain in 1745, the first Bourbon house legal king of Spain since 1713 as a...
, arriving with the Spanish Army
Spanish Army
The Spanish Army is the terrestrial army of the Spanish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is one of the oldest active armies - dating back to the 15th century.-Introduction:...
too late to join in the engagement, wrote to his colleagues serving with the Infante Philip: "We may again find occasion to match French valour in this war, but no army will ever surpass the gallantry I saw at Casteldelfino." Conti, in a report to Louis XV of France
Louis XV of France
Louis XV was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death. He succeeded his great-grandfather at the age of five, his first cousin Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, served as Regent of the kingdom until Louis's majority in 1723...
, described it as, "the most brilliant and lively action that ever came to pass." He added: "The men there showed valour beyond all humanity. Our brigades have doused themselves in glory."
While the action at Casteldelfino raged, the bulk of the Franco-Spanish army moved against the Sardinians in the Stura valley and skillfully swept past the enemy fortifications along the Stura di Demonte
Stura di Demonte
Stura di Demonte is a 111 km long river in northwestern Italy . It is a tributary to the river Tanaro, which is a tributary of the river Po. Its source is in the Alps, near the border with France. It flows through Demonte and Cuneo before joining the Tanaro just east of Cherasco....
. The allies had reached the plains of southern Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
. This battle is sometimes now remembered with the name of "Battle of Pierrelongue", to distinguish it from the previous "Battle of Casteldelfino" (October 1743).