Battle of Campo Tenese

Last updated
Battle of Campo Tenese
Part of the War of the Third Coalition
Morano Calabro.jpg
Campotenese is located in the Morano Calabro municipality. The photo of Morano Calabro shows nearby mountainous terrain.
Date9 March 1806
Location
Northwest of Morano Calabro, Italy
Result French victory
Belligerents

Flag of France (1794-1815).svg  France

Kingdom of Naples
Kingdom of Sicily
Commanders and leaders
Jean Reynier Roger de Damas
Strength
10,000 14,000
Casualties and losses
Unknown but light 1,000 killed & wounded
2,000 captured
8,000–9,000 deserted
Guns & baggage captured
Total:
11,000-12,000

The Battle of Campo Tenese (9 March 1806) saw two divisions of the Imperial French Army of Naples led by Jean Reynier attack the left wing of the Royal Neapolitan Army under Roger de Damas. Though the defenders were protected by field fortifications, a French frontal attack combined with a turning movement rapidly overran the position and routed the Neapolitans with heavy losses. The action occurred at Campotenese, a little mountain village in the municipality of Morano Calabro in the north of Calabria. The battle was fought during the War of the Third Coalition, part of the Napoleonic Wars.

Contents

Following the decision by King Ferdinand IV of Naples to ally himself with the Austrian Empire, Russian Empire, and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Napoleon's decisive victory over the Allies at the Battle of Austerlitz, Napoleon declared Bourbon rule of southern Italy at an end. In the second week of February 1806, the Imperial French armies poured across the border in the Invasion of Naples. The Neapolitan army split into two wings and retreated before the superior forces of their opponents. At Campo Tenese, Damas attempted to stand with the left wing to give the right wing time to join him.

After the defeat, the Neapolitan army disintegrated away from desertion, and only a few thousand soldiers outlasted to be evacuated to Sicily by the British Royal Navy. However, the conflict was far from over. The siege of Gaeta, the British victory at Maida, and a bitter insurrection in Calabria proved to be obstacles to the French victory.

Background

In early 1806, French Emperor Napoleon prepared to defend his possessions in Italy against the Austrian Empire. To this end, he deployed 68,000 troops under Marshal André Masséna in the north, 18,000 soldiers led by General of Division Laurent Gouvion Saint-Cyr in central Italy, and 8,000 men from the satellite Kingdom of Italy. [1] For its part, the Austrian army in Italy under Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen numbered 90,000 men. [2] King Ferdinand's Neapolitan army added only 22,000 soldiers. Afraid that Saint-Cyr's corps might overrun his lands, the king concluded a treaty with Napoleon to remain neutral during the War of the Third Coalition. [3]

As soon as Saint-Cyr's army marched north, Ferdinand and Queen Maria Carolina violated the agreement and invited the British and Russians to land expeditionary forces in their kingdom. [4] Napoleon had been double-crossed. Lieutenant General James Henry Craig's 6,000 British and General Maurice Lacy of Grodno's 7,350 Russians landed at Naples on 20 November 1805. [3] However, Napoleon's firm victory at the Battle of Austerlitz on 2 December 1805 resulted in the demise of the Third Coalition. [5] As a result, both expeditionary forces were ordered by their governments to withdraw, and they were gone by mid-January. This left Ferdinand alone to face the fury of Napoleon, who had determined to conquer the Kingdom of Naples and hand the crown to his brother Joseph Bonaparte. [6]

Saint-Cyr's corps was renamed the Army of Naples in January 1806 and placed under the command of Masséna, though Joseph was the nominal leader. Annoyed at being demoted, Saint-Cyr clashed with Masséna and was recalled early in the campaign. The army was divided into three wings. General of Division Jean Reynier commanded 7,500 soldiers of the right wing assembled at Rome. Masséna led the 17,500 troops of the center, which were also concentrated in Rome. The 5,000 men of the left wing under General of Division Giuseppe Lechi massed at Ancona on the Adriatic Sea. General of Division Guillaume Philibert Duhesme was marching from Austria with an additional 7,500-man division, and 3,500 more troops from northern Italy were destined for the campaign. Masséna's army numbered more than 41,000 men. [6] While the Imperial French army's combat effectiveness was high, it suffered from maladministration. Its troops were poorly paid, clothed, and fed, leading the soldiers to rob the local people as a matter of course. This habit would have evil consequences. [7]

French columns lunged across the border on 8 February 1806, finding no resistance and causing panic at the Neapolitan royal court. [6] Queen Carolina abandoned Naples on 11 February and fled to Sicily. Ferdinand had already left on 23 January. [8] Lechi's division occupied Foggia on the Adriatic after only one week. The Italian general later crossed the Apennine Mountains and reached Naples. Masséna's column quickly arrived before Gaeta, about 40 miles (64 km) north of Naples, where its commander Prince Louis of Hesse-Philippsthal refused a demand to surrender. The imposing fortress dominated the coast road, so the French marshal left one division to blockade the place and advanced to Naples with a second infantry division. On 14 February, Masséna occupied Naples [9] and Joseph made a triumphant entrance to the city the following day. [10] Reinforced by General of Division Jean-Antoine Verdier's division from Masséna's main body, Reynier's column reached Naples at the end of February after marching on secondary roads. [9] Joseph now took control of the army, putting all troops near Naples under Masséna, assigning a mobile force to Reynier, and placing the forces on the Adriatic littoral under Saint-Cyr. Joseph ordered Reynier to conduct a fast march to the Strait of Messina. [11]

Battle

Jean Reynier Regnier IMG 3216.JPG
Jean Reynier

The Neapolitan army was divided into two wings. The left wing under Roger de Damas consisted of 15 battalions and five squadrons, while Marshal Rosenheim's right wing had 13 battalions and 11 squadrons. [6] Receiving word that the Neapolitan army was located to the south, Reynier left Naples and advanced [9] with about 10,000 troops. Meanwhile, the Neapolitan wings retired before the French invasion. Rosenheim, whose column was accompanied by Hereditary Prince Francis, withdrew in front of Lechi's division on the east coast while Damas fell back south of Naples. Damas' left wing had between 6,000 and 7,000 regulars plus Calabrian militia. Rosenheim's right wing counted somewhat fewer soldiers. [11] The commanders of the two Neapolitan wings hoped to unite their forces near Cassano all'Ionio. Damas determined to hold a blocking position in the mountains until his colleague could reach the rendezvous. On 6 March at Lagonegro, Reynier's light infantry advance guard located Damas' militia rear guard under an officer named Sciarpa. The French scattered their opponents with a loss of 300 casualties and four artillery pieces. [12] Reynier's scouts identified Damas' position on 8 March, and the French general prepared to attack the following day. [9]

Roger de Damas Roger de Damas.jpg
Roger de Damas

In March 1806, Reynier's force consisted of his own division plus a second division under Verdier. Reynier's all-French division included the 1st Light and 42nd Line Infantry Regiments in the 1st Brigade and the 6th Line and 23rd Light Infantry Regiments in the 2nd Brigade. All regiments had three battalions. Verdier's division was made up of the three-battalions, 1st Polish Legion and the 1st Battalion of the 4th Swiss Regiment in the 1st Brigade and the three-battalion French 10th Line Infantry Regiment in the 2nd Brigade. The artillery arm had three 6-pound cannons, four 3-pound cannons, and five howitzers. [13] The cavalry units were four squadrons each of the French 6th and 9th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiments. [14] [lower-alpha 1]

Damas' infantry contingent counted three battalions each of the Princess Royal and Royal Calabrian Regiments, two battalions each of the Royal Ferdinand, Royal Carolina, and Prince Royal Regiments, and one battalion each of the Royal Guard Grenadiers, Royal Abruzzi, and Royal Presidi Regiments. The left wing cavalry comprised two squadrons each of the Prince Nr. 2 and Princess Regiments and one squadron of the Val di Mazzana Regiment. [15]

Damas' left wing counted about 14,000 soldiers, only half regulars. His corps took up a strong position near Campotenese, with his troops sheltered behind breastworks. [12] The Neapolitans were deployed across a 1,500 yards (1,372 m) wide valley with both flanks against the mountains. [9] Narrow defiles marked the valley's entrance and exit points. The pass behind the Neapolitans was the weakest point in Damas' defensive layout since it could make retreat difficult. [12] The Neapolitan general put nine battalions in the first line, defending three artillery redoubts. He bolstered the first line with cavalry support and arranged the balance of his troops in a second line. He did not guard the mountains on either flank. [9]

Reynier's troops broke camp on the morning of 9 March. A wind at their backs blew snow in the eyes of their adversaries. [12] The French general put one brigade in his front line, ordered his light infantry to turn the Neapolitan right flank, and placed Verdier in charge of the reserve. By 3:00 PM, everything was ready. [9] In a single file, Reynier's light infantry picked their way along the cliffs on Damas' right flank and ultimately emerged to the right and rear of their opponents. Deploying into a cloud of skirmishers, they attacked, inducing chaos in the Neapolitan lines. At the same time, General of Brigade Louis Fursy Henri Compère led a frontal assault on the first line. [16] After exchanging a few volleys with their enemies, Compère's men charged forward and captured one of the redoubts. [9] In the face of the double attack, the Neapolitan line crumpled, and the men fled to the valley exit. Soon, the pass was crammed with panicked soldiers, and the French took 2,000 prisoners, including two generals. [16] Total Neapolitan casualties added up to 3,000, and their artillery and baggage were also captured. French losses were unknown but light. The battle marked the end of the Neapolitan army as an effective force. [17]

Aftermath

That evening, Reynier's troops camped at the village of Morano Calabro. A French eyewitness, Paul Louis Courier, recorded that exhausted and starving soldiers robbed, raped, and murdered the inhabitants. Courier later described the war as "one of the most diabolical waged in many years". By 13 March, Reynier covered the 60 miles (97 km) distance to Cosenza. The French reached Reggio Calabria on the Strait of Messina a week later. Prince Francis escaped only a few hours earlier. [16] While Reynier chased Damas' crippled wing, Duhesme and Lechi pursued the wing led by Rosenheim and the prince. [18] During the retreat, the Neapolitan army dissolved; only 2,000 or 3,000 regulars from both wings remained to be taken off by ship to Messina in Sicily. The militia directly left for their homes while most of the regulars deserted the colours. Before leaving for Sicily, Francis encouraged the militia to form flying columns to fight the French. [16]

In 1806, much of Calabria was a rough place. The 1783 Calabrian earthquakes had killed 50,000 people. Much of Reggio was still in ruins as late as 1813, and many churches were not rebuilt by 1806. The Calabrians were a hardy breed with an independent streak. They sometimes indulged in vendettas against neighboring families and villages. Plundering Imperial troops and grasping French civil authorities quickly set off a rebellion by the proud Calabrians. On the other hand, the residents of the major towns despised the Neapolitan royal government and often favored the French. [19] The revolt flared up after certain incidents. At Scigliano, the French left a detachment of 50 soldiers. A woman was raped, and the villagers massacred most of the Frenchmen. The French commanders had only one response to such events: to assault, sack, and burn down the offending village. This led directly to an ugly cycle of atrocity and counter-atrocity. [20] The newly anointed King Joseph tried to be fair. He ordered French soldiers to be shot for criminal offenses and French officials to be put on trial for corruption. Nevertheless, the Calabrian insurrection soon ran out of control. [21] The siege of Gaeta would occupy the French from 26 February to 18 July. [22] Meanwhile, the Battle of Maida on 4 July would seriously threaten French control of Calabria. [17]

Notes

  1. ↑ A typographical error caused the 6th Regiment to be listed twice. Since the author listed the 9th Regiment at Maida on p. 176, it is assumed that the 9th was intended.

Citations

  1. ↑ Schneid (2002), pp. 3–4
  2. ↑ Schneid (2002), p. 18
  3. 1 2 Schneid (2002), p. 47
  4. ↑ Johnston (1904), p. 68
  5. ↑ Smith (1998), p. 217
  6. 1 2 3 4 Schneid (2002), p. 48
  7. ↑ Johnston (1904), p. 94
  8. ↑ Johnston (1904), p. 84
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Schneid (2002), p. 49
  10. ↑ Johnston (1904), p. 86
  11. 1 2 Johnston (1904), p. 88
  12. 1 2 3 4 Johnston (1904), p. 89
  13. ↑ Schneid (2002), p. 173
  14. ↑ Schneid (2002), p. 174.
  15. ↑ Schneid (2002), p. 175
  16. 1 2 3 4 Johnston (1904), p. 90
  17. 1 2 Smith (1998), p. 221
  18. ↑ Schneid (2002), p. 50
  19. ↑ Johnston (1904), pp. 92–94
  20. ↑ Johnston (1904), p. 96
  21. ↑ Johnston (1904), pp. 100–101
  22. ↑ Smith (1998), p. 222

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">War of the Third Coalition</span> 1805–1806 conflict during the Napoleonic Wars

The War of the Third Coalition was a European conflict lasting from 1805 to 1806. During the war, France and its client states under Napoleon I opposed an alliance, the Third Coalition, which was made up of the United Kingdom, the Austrian Empire, the Russian Empire, Naples, Sicily, and Sweden. Prussia remained neutral during the war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Maida</span> 1806 Battle during the War of the Third Coalition

The Battle of Maida, fought on 4 July 1806 was a battle between the British expeditionary force and a French force outside the town of Maida in Calabria, Italy during the Napoleonic Wars. John Stuart led 5,236 Anglo-Sicilian troops to victory over about 5,400 Franco-Italian-Polish troops under the command of French general Jean Reynier, inflicting significant losses while incurring relatively few casualties. Maida is located in the toe of Italy, about 30 kilometres (19 mi) west of Catanzaro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Caldiero (1805)</span> 1805 Battle during the War of the Third Coalition

The Battle of Caldiero took place on 30 October 1805, pitting the French Armée d'Italie under Marshal André Masséna against an Austrian army under the command of Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen. The French engaged only some of their forces, around 33,000 men, but Archduke Charles engaged the bulk of his army, 49,000 men, leaving out Paul Davidovich's corps to defend the lower Adige and Franz Seraph of Orsini-Rosenberg's corps to cover the Austrian right against any flanking maneuvers. The fighting took place at Caldiero, 15 kilometres east of Verona, during the War of the Third Coalition, part of the Napoleonic Wars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Gaeta (1806)</span> 1806 siege during the War of the Third Coalition

The siege of Gaeta saw the fortress city of Gaeta and its Neapolitan garrison under General Louis of Hesse-Philippsthal besieged by an Imperial French corps led by Marshal André Masséna. After a prolonged defense in which Hesse was severely wounded, Gaeta surrendered, and Masséna granted its garrison generous terms.

The Army of Naples was a French Army unit which took this name following its capture of Naples in 1799. It was related to the Army of Italy. The Army of Naples was virtually annihilated after the Battle of the Trebbia: more than half of the personnel were casualties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Franjo Jelačić</span> Croatian nobleman

Baron Franjo Jelačić Bužimski was a Croatian military officer and nobleman, a member of the House of Jelačić. He began his service in the Habsburg army as a Grenz infantry officer and fought against the Ottoman Empire. During the French Revolutionary Wars he received promotion to the rank of general officer and won an outstanding victory at Feldkirch. His later career proved that his martial abilities were limited. He twice led independent division-sized forces in the Napoleonic Wars, with unhappy results. He was Proprietor (Inhaber) of an Austrian infantry regiment from 1802 until his death.

Louis Fursy Henri Compère was a French general of artillery in the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Verona (1805)</span> 1805 Battle during the War of the Third Coalition

The Battle of Verona was fought on 18 October 1805 between the French Army of Italy under the command of André Masséna and an Austrian army led by Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen. By the end of the day, Massena seized a bridgehead on the east bank of the Adige River, driving back the defending troops under Josef Philipp Vukassovich. The action took place near the city of Verona in northern Italy during the War of the Third Coalition, part of the Napoleonic Wars.

Gaspard Amédée Gardanne was a French general who fought in the Napoleonic Wars.

Alois Graf von Gavasini led a combat brigade in the armies of Habsburg Austria and the Austrian Empire during a remarkable number of battles in the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars. A native of Bonn, he offered his services to Austria and won an award for bravery in 1790. While a field officer in the Italian campaign, he led the rear guard at Primolano in September 1796. Badly outnumbered by the French, he and his soldiers put up a vigorous fight until he was wounded and captured. At Arcole in November 1796, he commanded a brigade on the field of battle against Napoleon Bonaparte's French army. Promoted to general officer in the spring of 1800, he led a powerful brigade at Hohenlinden during that year's fall campaign in Bavaria. Though the battle ended in a decisive defeat, Gavasini's troops fought well before being forced to retreat. The 1805 campaign in Italy found him directing a reserve brigade at Caldiero. After briefly retiring, the warrior returned to lead a brigade at the battles of Sacile, Piave River, and Graz during the 1809 war. That year he retired from the army and did not return.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean-Jacques Germain Pelet-Clozeau</span>

Jean-Jacques Germain Pelet-Clozeau became a French general in the Napoleonic Wars and later was a politician and historian. He joined the French army in 1800 and became a topographic engineer. He joined the staff of Marshal André Masséna and was wounded at Caldiero in 1805. He served in southern Italy in 1806 and Poland in 1807. He was wounded at Ebelsberg and fought at Aspern-Essling and Wagram in 1809.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pierre-Louis Binet de Marcognet</span>

Pierre-Louis Binet de Marcognet joined the French army in 1781 as an officer cadet and fought in the American Revolutionary War. During the French Revolutionary Wars he fought in the Army of the Rhine and was wounded at First and Second Wissembourg. After being dismissed from the army for a year and a half for having noble blood, he resumed his military career and was wounded at Biberach and Kehl. Promoted to lead the 108th Line Infantry Demi-Brigade, he was in the thick of the fighting at Hohenlinden in 1800, where he was wounded and captured.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Cardedeu</span> 1808 battle of the Peninsular War

The Battle of Cardadeu on 16 December 1808 saw an Imperial French corps led by Laurent Gouvion Saint-Cyr assault a Spanish force commanded by Juan Miguel de Vives y Feliu and Theodor von Reding. Saint-Cyr won the engagement by forming most of his troops into gigantic attack columns and smashing through the Spanish lines. Cardedeu is located 17 kilometres (11 mi) northeast of Barcelona, Spain. The action occurred during the Peninsular War, part of the Napoleonic Wars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Molins de Rei</span> 1808 battle during the Peninsular War

The Battle of Molins de Rei or Battle of Molins de Rey or Battle of Molins del Rey saw an Imperial French corps led by Laurent Gouvion Saint-Cyr attack a Spanish army temporarily led by Theodor von Reding and the Conde de Caldagues because its commander Juan Miguel de Vives y Feliu was absent. Saint-Cyr outmaneuvered his opponents, distracting them with a false attack in front while sending the bulk of his force across Llobregat River in a turning movement around the Spanish right flank. The Spanish defensive lines crumbled and the French captured 1,200 soldiers, all the Spanish artillery and Caldagues himself. The Peninsular War engagement was fought near Molins de Rei, located 15 kilometres (9 mi) west of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.

The VIII Corps of the Grande Armée was a French military unit that existed during the Napoleonic Wars. Emperor Napoleon I formed it in 1805 by borrowing divisions from other corps and assigned it to Marshal Édouard Mortier. Marshal André Masséna's Army of Italy was also reorganized as the VIII Corps at the end of the 1805 campaign. The corps was reformed for the 1806 campaign under Mortier and spent the rest of the year mopping up Prussian garrisons in western Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Castelfranco Veneto</span> 1805 battle during the War of the Third Coalition

In the Battle of Castelfranco Veneto, two divisions of the French Army of Italy confronted an Austrian brigade led by Prince Louis Victor de Rohan-Guéméné. The Austrians had made a remarkable march from deep in the Alps to the plains of northern Italy. But, caught between the divisions of Jean Reynier and Laurent Gouvion Saint-Cyr, Rohan surrendered his command after failing to fight his way out. The event occurred during the War of the Third Coalition, part of the Napoleonic Wars. Castelfranco Veneto is located 40 kilometres (25 mi) northwest of Venice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Invasion of Naples (1806)</span> 1806 invasion during the War of the Third Coalition

The Invasion of Naples was a front during the War of the Third Coalition, in 1806, when an army of the French Empire led by Marshal André Masséna marched from northern Italy into the Kingdom of Naples, an ally of the Coalition against France ruled by King Ferdinand IV. The Neapolitan army was defeated at Campo Tenese and rapidly disintegrated. The invasion was eventually successful despite some setbacks, including the prolonged Siege of Gaeta, the British victory at Maida, and a stubborn guerrilla war by the peasantry against the French. Total success eluded the French because Ferdinand withdrew to his domain in Sicily, where he was protected by the Royal Navy and a British Army garrison. In 1806, Emperor Napoleon appointed his brother Joseph Bonaparte to rule over southern Italy as king.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antoine Digonet</span>

Antoine Digonet commanded a French brigade during the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars. He joined the French Royal Army and fought in the American Revolutionary War as a foot soldier. In 1792 he was appointed officer of a volunteer battalion. He fought the Spanish in the War of the Pyrenees and was promoted to general officer. Later he was transferred to fight French royalists in the War in the Vendée. In 1800 he was assigned to the Army of the Rhine and led a brigade at Stockach, Messkirch and Biberach. Shortly after, he was transferred to Italy. In 1805 he fought under André Masséna at Caldiero. He participated in the 1806 Invasion of Naples and led his troops against the British at Maida where his brigade put up a sturdy resistance. After briefly serving in the 1809 war, he took command of Modena and died there of illness in 1811. He never married.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giuseppe Federico Palombini</span>

Giuseppe Federico Palombini or Joseph Friedrich von Palombini became an Italian division commander during the Napoleonic Wars. He joined the army of the Cispadane Republic in 1796 and fought at Faenza in 1797. He became commander of a dragoon regiment in 1798. He became commander of the Napoleone Dragoons, of the Cisalpine Republic army, in 1802. He fought as an ally of the French at Kolberg and Stralsund in 1807. He married the daughter of Jan Henryk Dąbrowski (Dombrowski) in 1806.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Army of the Kingdom of Naples (Napoleonic)</span> Military unit

The Army of the Kingdom of Naples was the primary land defence and offence force of the Kingdom of Naples. It served alongside Napoleon’s Grande Armée in various campaigns and wars across Europe, until its final demise in the Neapolitan War of 1815. It was in service from 1806 to 1815, reborn from the Army of the Two Sicilies after the annexation of Naples. The Army was more known for the splendour of its uniforms rather than the achievements of its troops.

References

Preceded by
Siege of Gaeta (1806) 		Napoleonic Wars
Battle of Campo Tenese		Succeeded by
Battle of Maida

39°52′30″N16°04′00″E / 39.87500°N 16.06667°E / 39.87500; 16.06667

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.