1805 was a year of triumph for French arms. And yet the French triumph could have been nullified by the opening of a new front, in southern Italy, as Old Albion, Britain, as another Athens, could with her "wooden walls" strike the French Empire in the soft, Mediterranean of, hypogastric.
So while everything was going well for Napoleon a new war front was suddenly created in Italy. This front opened when the king of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, Ferdinand I (also referred to as Ferdinand IV of Naples).
The French Invasion
The army of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies numbered around 22,000 men. However, the quality of this force was extremely low. In fact, the army of Naples, along with that of Spain, was considered and was the worst in Europe.
This army was commanded by the German marshal Rosenheim and the French exiled royalist general Roger de Damas. The attempt of the kingdom's authorities to strengthen the army through conscription failed miserably, and so finally prison inmates and patrons of the various establishments of the capital city of Naples joined the army.
The battle of Campo Teneze
In the meantime, the French force under Marshal Massena invaded the territories of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, on February 8, 1806, having to face only his numerically and mainly qualitatively inferior army. The French general Reynier was ordered to advance to the Straits of Messina and to place under his control the passage to and from Sicily , having under his command 10,000 men.
In the meantime King Ferdinand's army had retreated further south. While Rosenheim had taken up positions south of Naples, Damas took up positions in a naturally fortified location in the area of Campo Tenese in Calabria. The site was also fortified with campaign fortifications.
Damasus had deployed his forces along a small valley between two mountains on which he securely supported his wings. If there really was a location where the French could be intercepted it was right there. The total length of the occupied site was only 1,350 m On this narrow front, with its flanks secured, even the army of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was capable of stopping the French. At least that's what Damas believed.
French raid
On March 6, 1806, Rainier's scouts spotted opposing militia , under Colonel Skiarpa. Sciarpa's force manned a prime position well forward of the main line of Damascus defense.
The Neapolitan militia did not manage to delay the experienced French and were swept at the first charge, leaving behind 300 dead and prisoners, together with four valuable cannon.
After this success Reynier continued his advance and on March 8 found himself before the main line of defense of Damascus. The French general recognized the enemy location and decided to attack at first light. Damas, as Rainier found, had committed a fatal error.
"Impassable" mountains and crash
While he had fortified the small plain, having constructed three artillery emplacements, which supported nine battalions of infantry, he did not deploy his forces at all in the mountains which covered his location, considering that the difficult terrain did not permit of over-extending French manoeuvre.
And yet Rainier did exactly that. The French general ordered a single brigade of his to the front in order to occupy the bulk of the enemy's forces, and ordered the second brigade of his division to perform an overturning maneuver against the enemy's right, keeping one of his divisions in reserve.
The French light infantry moved in a man-by-man phalanx and, passing the impassable, according to Damas, mountain, to the right of the enemy position, found itself in the south of the Italians. Immediately afterwards the French deployed in a strafing formation and attacked, confusing the defenders who suddenly saw the enemy at their backs.
As soon as the first shots were heard in the rear of the Damascus forces, Reinier ordered a frontal attack. After little resistance the men of Damascus fled in panic. At least 1,000 of them were killed and another 2,000 captured.
All the artillery, the battle transports and the men's baggage were also lost. Even the soldiers who escaped, however, had completely lost their morale, while many had also thrown away their weapons. With no organic bond left, the men of Damascus had turned into a mob. Of the 14,000 men of Damascus, 8-9,000 were killed, captured or deserted!