1806 Neapolitan Campaign

1806 Neapolitan Campaign

On 9 February 1806, Marshal Masséna as commander of the French Army of Italy (well Joseph Bonaparte was nominal commander, the pattern is set here that would later happen in Spain) invaded the Kingdom of Naples.

King Ferdinand IV of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies had promised to be neutral during the war of the Third Coalition, thus securing Napoleon’s southern flank and his Italian Kingdom.

During the campaign in Germany Napoleon learned of the British and Russians landing troops in the Neapolitan kingdom, thus breaking the kingdoms neutrality (even though Ferdinand confused his blamelessness).

So we start our campaign at this point with the French making the first move on the 9^th February 1806 (winter).

The French have three corps I, II and IV Corps (with French and Italian troops) of the Army of Italy with two I & IV in Rome and II Corps in Ancona (however because Ancona does not appear on the map we are using this corps will start at Fermo on the 11^th February).

As for the Allies there is the Neapolitan Army (they favour building prepared positions like the Russians) both it’s regulars and militia and well as the British and Russians, there has also been added an Austrian Division (the commander has not received the news of the signing of the Treaty of Pressburg on the 26^th December and does not believe the French when they sent the news), so he will fight, for now.

The British and Neapolitans start at Fondi on the west coast (the main theater) on the road from Rome via Terracina via Capua to Naples.

The Russians and Neapolitans are at Pescara on the east coast, with the Austrians with Russian support at Aquila.

The Allies seek to keep the French from over running the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies both the mainland part (Kingdom of Naples) and island part (Kingdom of Sicily).

The French of course want all of both kingdoms as the new Kingdom of Naples for Joseph Bonaparte as King.

The French objectives are on the west coast as follows:

Gaeta Fortress, either capture or blockade.

Capua,

Naples,

Cosenza,

Reggio

And the destruction of the Allied forces.

The French objectives are on the east coast as follows:

Pescara,

Foggia,

Bari,

Brindisi,

Otranto

And the destruction of the Allied forces.

The Allied objectives are to hold the above mention French objectives and the halting and or destruction of the French forces and as a consequence being a threat to the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy.

The rules we are using for this campaign are Blackpowder.

The average size infantry units will be 16-24 (4-6 bases) figures

Small is under 16 (4) and Large over 24 (6) figures.

The average cavalry units will be 9-18 figures.

Small is under 9 and Large is over 18 figures.

Batteries are under BP a single gun & crew.

What we will have is 1 gun & crew represent 6 gun batteries

2 guns & crew represent 8 gun batteries

3 guns & crew represent sent 12 & 14 gun batteries.

There will be Victory Points (VP) for battle field objectives as well as for units removed from the field by shooting or hand-to-hand but not for shaken units.

The event cards will also be used.

There are only two players doing the map moves

French  - Robert

Allied    - Steve M

Infantry move at 10 miles per day max

Cavalry move at 20 miles per day max

Couriers move at 40 miles per day max

 These movement rates will be halved in bad weather.

While French units will be represent by French figures

Italian units by Italian where we can and Westphalian to make up when needed.

British units by British figures.

Russian units by Russian figures.

Austrian units by Austrian figures.

Neapolitan units by Spanish & Austrian figures (as this army modeled it’s uniforms after Austria and Spain).

This campaign should not be over long.

The first battle took place at the club on the 18th May 2014.

Campaign time 15th February 1806.

Umpire

There have four battles so far with the French winning the first three battles and tactical draw on the fourth.
The next game will take place at Salerno for the February 2015 game day.

Battle of Fondi

Battle of Santi

Austrian infantry charging French Grenadiers on the Allied right flank

Battle of Pescara

NSWC Campaigns-1805

1805 Austerlitz Campaign

This campaign is being played in 25mm using WRG rules with a few modifications for simultaneous movement. The campaign started off at an historical point in October 1805. We have a variable ratio of troops to figures depending on the number of troops involved in a battle and number of players.

So far we have seen a cautious advance by his imperial highness the Emperor Napoleon into Bavaria. The French and Bavarian cavalry are probing for the Austrian forces under General Major Karl Leiberich von Mack and Archduke Ferdinand which are withdrawing before the French advance, there has been no actions as of and including October13th in Bavaria.

As for the Russians all we know at this time is that they are still advancing towards Bohemia and Bavaria. When will they arrive not even the Austrians know when that will be. General Major Karl Leiberich von Mack hopes it will be soon as the Austrian forces in Bavaria maybe out-numbered and the arrival of the Russians may address the imbalance.

In Italy it has been a different story, the French Army of Italy (VIII and IX Corps) made more aggressive moves against the forces of Archduke Charles (4th, 5th, 6th and 8th Columns), this resulted in a battle at Padua between 30,000 French vs 50,000 Austrians on the 14th October.

The Battle of Padua was a victory for the Austrians forcing the French VIII Corps to retreat towards Legango and its bridge with the Austrian 5th and 8th Columns in close pursuit.  The 5th and 8th Columns attacked the French VIII Corps on the 15th October while the French attempted to cross the river.  The Battle of Legango was another Austrian victory.

Austrian Right at Padua

Austrian Centre advancing

Austrians advancing

Meanwhile, while the battle took place at Padua the French IX Corps at Vicenza moved south to support the VIII Corps. As the French IX Corps withdrew from Vicenza the Austrian 4th Column crossed the bridge and reoccupied Vicenza, this placed the Austrian 4^th Column behind the French IX Corps.

Once the French Army of Italy commander released what had happened at Vicenza he ordered the IX Corps north to Verona on the 15^th October and thus did not directly support the VIII Corps. 

The Austrian 4th & 6th Columns (this column joined the battle as the day wore on) attacked the French IX Corps at Verona on the 16th October while the French try to withdraw back across the Adige River.  The Battle of Verona was a French success in that it stopped the Austrians crossing the Adige River on the 17th October allowing the IX Corps to get a day ahead of the Austrians and more in a position to help VIII Corps to the south.

The two armies ready and waiting

French defending

Austrians

Cuirassiers vs Cuirassiers (some Fronk Rank Russians acting as Austrians against some Perry plastic Westphalians acting as French)

While the French VIII and IX Corps sort to extract themselves from a sticky situation in Northern Italy.  The French III Corps ran into the Russians in Bohemia at Klattau on the 26th October.  This was a surprise for the French as they were not expecting the Russians so far West and behind the Army of Germany's left flank.  The main part of the Army of Germany was pursuing the main Austrian army under Mack as it retreated Eastwards drawing the Emperor on as he sort a big battle to crush the Austrian army in Germany before the Russians could help.

The Battle of Klattau was a Russian victory and the French III Corps withdrew Westwards.

French Guard infantry taking a Russian battery

French Guard advancing

Russians defending

French infantry advancing

This campaign ended when Napoleon moved to Italy in his retirement, pity that.