Battle of Cassano (1799)

BelligerentsRussian Empire
Habsburg monarchyFrench RepublicCommanders and leadersAlexander Suvorov
Pyotr Bagration (WIA)
Adrian Denisov
Andrey Rosenberg
Mikhail Miloradovich
Yakov Povalo-Shveikovsky
Michael von Melas
Johann Chasteler
Michael von Fröhlich
Konrad von Kaim
Peter Ott
Philipp Vukassovich
Friedrich Hohenzollern-Hechingen
Friedrich von Seckendorff
Johann Zopf
Franz ReiskyBarthélemy Schérer
Jean Moreau
Paul Grenier
Claude Victor-Perrin
Jean Sérurier(POW)
François Quesnel
Nicolas Beker


†
Jean RousselUnits involved

Allied Field Army:

• Bagration's Advance Guard;
• Rosenberg's Corps;
• Vukassovich's Division;
• Ott's Division;
• Zopf's Division;
• Fröhlich and Kaim's Division.
  • Beyond that:
    • Seckendorff's Detachment;
    • Hohenzollern's Detachment.

Army of Italy:

• Sérurier's Division;
• Grenier's Division;
• Victor's Division;
• Laboissière's Detachment.

Strength 48,000–49,000

27,000–28,000

Casualties and losses

2,000–2,500 killed and wounded

Other estimates:
4,886–6,200

6,900–7,500 killed, wounded and captured

Other estimates:
10,500–11,000

27 guns and 3 standards

The Battle of Cassano (French: Bataille de Cassano, German: Schlacht bei Cassano) was fought in 1799 from 27 to 28 April (O.S.: 16 to 17 April) near Cassano d'Adda, which about 28 km (17 mi) ENE of Milan. The clash is part of the battle of the Adda River (Russian: Сражение на реке Адда, German: Schlacht an der Adda) or the so-called forcing of the Adda, which on the first day of 26 April (O.S.: 15 April) resulted in a minor victory for the Russians under the Count Suvorov over Barthélemy Schérer's French forces at Lecco. Then, on the second day, Suvorov's Austrians and Cossacks prevailed over Jean Moreau's army, who replaced Schérer as supreme commander, and trapped his isolated division on the third. The action took place during the War of the Second Coalition, as part of the larger conflict known as the French Revolutionary Wars. Moreau was not entirely responsible for his defeat, much of the responsibility for which lies with Schérer, who overextended his troops and failed to exploit the advantages of his position.

The battle of the Adda River was four separate combats. Lecco was a victorious combat for Suvorov's Russians, but it was only a diversionary attack. The key engagement on 27 April was the combat at Vaprio d'Adda (at the end there were about 11,000 Austrians and Cossacks and 7,000 French), which is north of Cassano; and on the same day, at Cassano itself, the Austrian Reisky regiment (1,911 men) successfully stormed the bridge-headfortifications—Moreau was thrown back everywhere. The French detachment cut off by the combat of Vaprio was afterwards surrounded at Verderio by Josef Philipp Vukassovich, who overcame the weakest French defenses in Brivio. Thus, the Allied army was able to overcome the river and the enemy obstacle simultaneously.