‘If there are any forces left to concentrate,’Victor said quietly. He glanced towards his men, now firing by companies in a continuous rattle of musket fire. ‘Besides, we’re going to run out of ammunition before long. Then we’ll be at their mercy.’

‘If that happens, we’ll fall back on the main camp and resupply the men from there.’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘Remember, Victor.’ Napoleon thrust his arm towards the ground.‘Hold here for as long as possible.That is our only chance of surviving this day.’

‘Yes, sir.’

Napoleon wheeled his horse round and rode along the rear of his line. Whenever the men noticed him, a cheer rose up, before the sergeants and officers bellowed at them to face front and keep firing. The first of the walking wounded were already staggering back from the foremost ranks, clutching their bloody injuries as they made for the rear. When he reached the end of the line it was clear to Napoleon that the main weight of the enemy attack was being thrown at General Watrin’s division, on the right flank. The dead and wounded lay thick on the ground and as the survivors closed ranks, the gaps in between units were growing all the time. So that was the enemy’s plan, Napoleon nodded to himself. Melas intended to crush the French right, then send his cavalry in a sweeping arc to trap the French army against the Bormida and crush them.

Watrin was having his arm bandaged as Napoleon rode up to the small cluster of divisional staff officers.

‘Not serious, I hope.’ Napoleon gestured towards the injury.

‘A flesh wound, sir. That’s all. Nothing compared to what’s happening to my men.’ He glanced at the smoke shrouding his line. Only the rear ranks were clearly visible. In front of them the men in the front lines were no more than dim grey shapes, firing, reloading and firing again. ‘They’re carving us up, sir. I doubt we’ll be able to hold this position for another ten minutes.’

‘You have to,’ Napoleon replied bluntly. ‘Reinforcements will be on the way.You have to hold the enemy back until they arrive. Whatever the cost. Is that clear?’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘Then God be with you, General.’

‘And you, sir.’

By the time Napoleon had returned to his command post on the raised ground behind Marengo, the Austrians had pulled back their battered assault columns and were preparing another attack. As the smoke dispersed and lifted from the battlefield the perilous situation of the French army was clear for all to see.The ground was littered with the dead and wounded of both sides, but whereas the battered units of Napoleon’s army were spread thinly across the ground the enemy were able to mass fresh battalions to continue the fight, and these were forming up, preparing for the next assault.