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The Battle of Loano occurred on 23-24 November 1795 during the War of the First Coalition. The French Army of Italy led by Barthélemy Schérer defeated the combined Austrian and Sardinian forces under Olivier, Count of Wallis. ==Context== In September 1795, General of Division Schérer replaced François Kellermann in command of the Army of Italy. Facing the French were 30,000 Austrians and 12,000 Piedmontese under the overall command of Feldzeugmeister (FZM) Joseph Nikolaus De Vins and Benedetto of Savoy, Duke of Chablais. Relations between the Austrians and the Piedmontese remained touchy, even though the latter force was led by an Austrian officer, Feldmarschal-Leutnant Michelangelo Colli. The politicians in Paris insisted that Schérer mount an offensive. This was urged on by General of Brigade Napoleon Bonaparte, then a military planner at the War Ministry.〔Chandler, p 37-38〕 The centre of the French army, under the orders of General of Division André Masséna, was formed of two old Army of Italy divisions. A third Army of Italy division formed the left wing, commanded by General of Division Jean Sérurier. The right wing, under General of Division Pierre Augereau recently arrived with Schérer from the armies of the Pyrénées. One more division, remaining at Col de Tende, covered Saorge. This army of 40,000 men lacked provisions, decent clothing and munitions, since the British Royal Navy had cut off its supply lines to Genoa. The Austro-Sardinian army was 53,000 strong. On its left the allied defensive works touched the sea at Loano on the Italian Riviera. Its right was anchored in the Piedmont mountains with strongholds at Ceva, Cuneo and Mondovì. This position was made up of apparently impregnable posts, linked together by trenches and defended by 100 artillery pieces. Schérer arrived in terrain he did not know and was modest enough to criticise his own abilities and put planning of the attack in the hands of worthier generals in his camp. Masséna had already proved himself the most able of Schérer's colleagues and was put in charge of the planning. One of the most painful privations suffered by the French soldiers was the lack of shoes in the midst of snow, rocky crags and stony roads. They wrapped their feet in linen, bandages and straps but these proved insufficient. Luckily a brig got past the British warships and arrived before the battle, bringing 100,000 biscuit rations and 24,000 pairs of shoes, raising morale throughout the camp. These were distributed to the weak and suffering first, then to those who had distinguished themselves in action, though many in the army still remained barefoot. One old grenadier quipped that, from tomorrow, the enemy would be responsible for supplying them with shoes. On 17 November, General of Division Étienne Charlet attacked the Austro-Sardinians at Campo di Pietri, surprising them, destroying their trenches and capturing three cannon and 500 prisoners. However, a spell of bad weather forced Masséna to give up the attack he had planned on the right, and he resolved to operate in the centre, take the enemy positions there, pass over them and take the other positions in the rear of the enemy line. Masséna was instructed to carry out this bold plan himself. Unaware of the impending attack, De Vins pled illness and gave up his command on 22 November. FZM Wallis took command of the combined allied armies. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Battle of Loano」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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