A rearguard action during the War of Austrian Succession in which Austrian forces inflicted losses on the retreating Franco-Spanish army but failed to cut off its escape.
Key Facts
- Date
- 10 August 1746
- Conflict
- War of Austrian Succession
- Bourbon retreat destination
- Tortona
- River crossed
- Po River (south bank, west of Piacenza)
- Preceding battle
- Battle of Piacenza
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Following their defeat at the Battle of Piacenza, the Franco-Spanish Bourbon army was cut off by converging Austrian and Sardinian forces. To avoid encirclement, Marshal Maillebois devised a bold plan to cross to the south bank of the Po River west of Piacenza and march the army westward toward safety.
On 10 August 1746, Austrian forces under Antoniotto Botta Adorno attacked the rearguard of the retreating Bourbon army near Rottofreddo. The Austrians inflicted significant casualties on the Franco-Spanish rear but could not fully halt the retreat. The Bourbon army, led jointly by the comte de Gages for Spain and Maillebois for France, successfully executed its crossing and withdrawal.
Despite suffering serious losses in the rearguard action, the Bourbon army escaped Austrian encirclement and reached Tortona. The battle demonstrated the limits of Austrian pursuit capability and allowed the Franco-Spanish forces to regroup, prolonging the Italian campaign of the War of Austrian Succession.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
2 belligerents
Antoniotto Botta Adorno.
Side B
2 belligerents
Jean Thierry du Mont, comte de Gages, Jean-Baptiste François des Marets, marquis de Maillebois.