Clash of Empires The Napoleonic Wars The Battle of Lodi 1796

As an introduction to a future release of Clash of Empires: The Napoleonic Wars I thought it would be interesting to use the Clash Battle System to recreate some of the famous battles of the Napoleonic era starting with the Battle of Lodi in 1796. More correctly described as a battle of the Revolutionary period Lodi is important because it was during this action that Napoleon earned his soubriquet of “Little Corporal” and it was after Lodi that Napoleon himself became convinced that he was destined for greatness. Therefore, this battle sets the scene for the start of Napoleon’s meteoric rise.

Background

The Italian Campaign 1796-1797 was a conflict between French forces and the two allied armies of Piedmont and Austria for control of Northern Italy. It was part of The War of the First Coalition (1792-1798) which broke out between Revolutionary France and various neighbouring monarchies who feared the spread of the revolutionary doctrine of “Liberty, Equality and Fraternity”. Late in March 1796 the young and inexperienced general Napoleon Bonaparte was appointed to the command of the French Army of Italy by the Directory. Up to this point Napoleon was relatively unknown and his only military achievements were the successful command of an artillery brigade during the Siege of Toulon (1793) and the putting down of a monarchist revolt with his famous ‘whiff of grapeshot’ in Paris (1795). The Italian Campaign was part of a larger strategy and was intended to divert Austrian troops away from the main effort which was being carried out by the French under Carnot in Germany. If successful, this army was then to join with the Army of Italy for an advance into Austria. However, the French army in Italy was in a wretched state its troops ragged and dispirited by years of neglect. Nevertheless, Napoleon took up his new command with great enthusiasm and it wasn’t long before his energy and skilled leadership restored the pride and fighting spirit to the Army of Italy. Already under his command was some of the later Marshals of the French Empire, namely Berthier as chief-of-staff, the flamboyant cavalry commander Murat and Marmont in charge of the artillery. After quickly assessing the situation and reviewing his forces which consisted of some 45,000 men and 60 guns Napoleon went straight on the offensive. Using what would later be termed as his ‘Strategy of the Central Position’, Napoleon drove his meagre forces like a wedge between the army of Piedmont and that of Austria and after defeating the Piedmontese chased the Austrians to the River Adda. Here the Austrian commander Beaulieu set up a rear guard at the bridge at Lodi to cover the retreat of his army to the Tyrol.

The Austrian covering force was placed under the command of General Sebottendorf and consisted of about 10,000 men and 12 guns. The artillery was positioned along the far bank and on the bridge itself and these were then backed up by the Austrian infantry battalions and cavalry. Upon reaching the bridge with some 17,000 troops Napoleon immediately sent cavalry detatchments up and down the river to find an alternative crossing and formed his infantry grenadiers into an assault column. Covered by artillery fire this elite force then stormed across the bridge and despite sweeping enfilade fire from the Austrian guns managed to get to the other side where they delivered a spirited bayonet charge against the Austrian defenders who were pushed back. An attempt by the Austrians to retake the bridge was prevented by the arrival of French reinforcements and a cavalry outflanking force which appeared on the enemy’s right flank. Sebottendorf having lost nearly 2000 men and all his guns only just managed to extricate his force and now joined Beaulieu in full retreat. The French suffered about 350 casualties in the battle.

Five days later Napoleon entered Milan in triumph. After a brief pause, he then proceeded after the Austrians defeating them in many battles and eventually invaded Austria itself where he dictated peace terms in the Treaty of Campo Formio on October 17th, 1797. One of the main factors that contributed to the French victory in the War of the First Coalition was the strategic and tactical genius of the young Napoleon Bonaparte. It was at Lodi that Napoleon earned his soubriquet ‘Little Corporal’ in recognition of his courage and determination.   

Clash of Empires

Using the Clash of Empires rules the battle strength and capabilities of the combatants can be shown as follows: -

A unit represents 3-4 infantry battalions, 9-12 cavalry squadrons or 16-24 guns.

French Forces

The French forces at Lodi consist of 6 infantry units, 2 cavalry units and 1 artillery unit. These are grouped into the equivalent of one Corps and one Division. The French Army of Italy is classified as Ordinary in quality and as such uses 2D8 for its Battle Dice (highest scoring die only). All units are trained regulars and what they may lack in training or equipment they make up for in patriotic fervour. Therefore, the Infantry units have a Combat Rating of ❶, Cavalry ❷and Artillery ❸. On the Combat Rating (CR) to Fighting Bonus (FB) Conversion Table in the rulebook this equates to +2 FB for the Infantry, +1 FB for the Cavalry and +1 FB for the Artillery.  This gives a total of +4 FB for the French forces at Lodi. For Tactical Deployment the French are using the Assault Column as their predominant formation. This solid block of a formation ranging from ten to thirty ranks of men was favoured by the French and relied upon speed and a charge at bayonet point to wreak havoc amongst the enemy. In the game this arrangement is represented by a +1 bonus to Initiative, which is attributed to the rapidity of movement of this formation. It also has a +2 (+3 Initiative Win) * modifier for columnar attack and excellent resistance to Cavalry Shock Action. The main drawbacks of this formation are its restricted firepower and vulnerability to artillery fire. There is no significant Heavy Cavalry force present but there are Hussars and Dragoons which can be used for reconnaissance, screening and pursuit operations. The carrying out of these activities is represented as follows: - For +1 Initiative bonus roll 5-6 on 1D6. Modify by +1 for every 3 French Cavalry units and -1 for every 3 Austrian Cavalry units. For the pursuit of a defeated enemy again roll 5-6 on 1D6 and modify by +1 for every 3 Cavalry units. If successful increase opponent’s losses by +1 on the Casualty Table. Cavalry can also be used to execute a decisive attack especially against infantry on the battlefield. This type of offensive is called Cavalry Shock Action and is normally carried out by the heavies such as the formidable Cuirassiers but if these are not available in sufficient numbers then Dragoons and even Hussars and Lancers can be used in this role. Even at this early stage in his career Napoleon’s command status is that of Inspired and therefore rolls 2D6 for Initiative (highest scoring die only). Thus, the French army at Lodi rolls 2D6 +1 for Initiative with a further +1 modifier if a successful reconnaissance roll is made. The French outnumber the Austrians so get a 1D6 numerical advantage.

Austrian Forces

The Austrian forces at Lodi consist of 4 Infantry units, 1 Cavalry unit and 1 Artillery unit. These are divided into a Corps equivalent sized higher grouping. The Austrian army is of Ordinary quality and uses 2D8 for its Battle Dice (highest scoring die only). All units are trained regulars and therefore the Infantry have a Combat Rating of ❶, Cavalry ❷ and Artillery ❸. On the Combat Rating (CR) to Fighting Bonus (FB) Conversion Table in the rulebook this equates to +1 FB for the Infantry, +0 FB for the Cavalry and +1 FB for the Artillery. This gives a total of +2 FB for the Austrian forces at Lodi. For Tactical Deployment the Austrians are using the Defensive Line (3 ranks) as their predominant formation. This traditional three rank formation gets a +1 (+2 Initiative Win) * modifier for Infantry Firepower but can be vulnerable to Cavalry Shock Action. There is no significant Heavy Cavalry force present but there are Lancers and Dragoons that can be used for reconnaissance, screening and pursuit operations. The carrying out of these activities is represented as follows: - For +1 Initiative bonus roll 5-6 on 1D6. Modify by +1 for every 3 Austrian Cavalry units and -1 for every 3 French Cavalry units. For the pursuit of a defeated enemy again roll 5-6 on 1D6 and modify by +1 for every 3 Cavalry units. If successful increase opponent’s losses by +1 on the Casualty Table. Cavalry can also be used to execute a decisive attack especially against infantry on the battlefield. This type of offensive is called Cavalry Shock Action and is normally carried out by the heavies such as the formidable Cuirassiers but if these are not available in sufficient numbers then Dragoons and even Hussars and Lancers can be used in this role. The command status of General Sebottendorf is that of Competent and therefore rolls 1D6 for Initiative. Thus, the Austrian forces at Lodi roll 1D6 for Initiative with a +1 modifier if a successful reconnaissance roll is made. The Austrians are defending a river line so get a 1D6 Battle Advantage Die.

*(#) Initiative also reflects the overall performance of an army on the battlefield regarding steadiness of musket volleys, effectiveness of hand-to-hand combat and adroitness of action moves such as changing formation to square as defence against cavalry. The general success of these actions is represented by the second modifier in brackets which can only be activated by an Initiative win.

Napoleonic Clash Battle Procedure:

1. Initiative

2. Cavalry Reconnaissance/Screening. For +1 Initiative bonus roll 5-6 on 1D6. Modify by +1 for every 3 of your own Cavalry units and -1 for every 3 of your opponent’s Cavalry units.  

3. Battle Dice (highest scoring die only).

4. Army Combat Rating (CR) to Fighting Bonus (FB).

5. Calculate Battle Bonus. (Determined by various Battle Factors and expressed in the form of a Points Value which converts into one or more Battle Bonus Dice).

6. Any other Battle Advantages such as Opponent outnumbered or Tactical Advantage.

7. Total Battle Roll.

8. Pursuit of defeated enemy. For +1 bonus to enemy losses on Casualty Table roll 5-6 on 1D6. Modify score by +1 for every 3 Cavalry units.

Highest scoring Battle Roll wins and the difference between the two scores determines the number of casualties.

Conversion and Casualty Tables not shown.

Napoleonic Battle Log

French Forces

Initiative	Battle Dice	No. of Units and Combat Rating (CR) to Fighting Bonus (FB)	Battle Bonus	Battle Advantage Dice	Total Score
2D6 +1 (+1) 6 and 4 (Highest die only) 6+1 = 7 Recce/Screening 5-6 on 1D6 = 4 Fail Recce.	2D8 6 and 4 (Highest die only) Evens Dice	Inf ❶x6 = + 2 FB Cav ❷x 2 = +1 FB Art ❸ x 1 = +1 FB Total = +4 FB Deployment = Assault Column	18 Points Converts to 1D4 = 4 (Double Bonus) 4x2 = 8	Opponent outnumbered 1D6 Tactical Advantage 1D6 4+3 = 7	6+4+8+7 = 25 Pursuit 5-6 on 1D6 =1

Battle Bonus Calculation

Battle Factor (1D6)	Modifiers	Score	Points Value
Artillery Attrition	0	2	2
Infantry Firepower	Assault Column -2	4-2 = 2	2
Infantry Melee	Assault Column +2 (+3)	4+3 = 7	7
Cavalry Shock Action	Versus Line (3 ranks) +1 (+2)	5+2 = 7	7
			Total = 18

Roll 1D6 for each Battle Factor and apply modifiers to find total points value and then compare with total FB on the conversion table (in rulebook) to calculate Battle Bonus Dice. Double bonus for odds or evens Battle Dice. For multiple dice double highest scoring die only.

Notes: - The French fail to make their reconnaissance roll but nevertheless score 7 for Initiative which yields a 1D6 Tactical Advantage. This can be used to represent the cavalry flank attack. In addition, evens Battle Dice and other high scoring factors contribute to a winning Battle Roll of 25.  A 1 is rolled for Pursuit so there is no +1 bonus to the opponent’s losses on the Casualty Table. French losses equate to 1 Infantry unit.

Napoleonic Battle Log

Austrian Forces

nitiative	Battle Dice	No. of Units and Combat Rating (CR) to Fighting Bonus (FB	Battle Bonus	Battle Advantage Dice	Total Score
1D6 (+1) = 5 Recce/Screening 5-6 on 1D6 = 4 Fail Recce.	2D8 8 and 3 (Highest die only) No odds or evens	Inf ❶x4 = +1 FB Cav ❷x1 = +0 FB Art ❸x1 = +1 FB Total = +2 FB Deployment = Line (3 ranks)	13 Points Converts to 1D4 = 4	Defending a river line 1D6 = 5	8+2+4+5 = 19 Pursuit 5-6 on 1D6 = N/A

Battle Bonus Calculation

Battle Factor (1D6)	Modifiers	Score	Points Value
Artillery Attrition	Artillery versus Assault Columns +1	4+1	5
Infantry Firepower	Line (3 ranks) +1 (+2)	3+1	4
Infantry Melee	0	3	3
Cavalry Shock Action	Versus Assault Columns -2	3-2	1
			Total = 13

Roll 1D6 for each Battle Factor and apply modifiers to find total points value and then compare with total FB on the conversion table (in rulebook) to calculate Battle Bonus Dice. Double bonus for odds or evens Battle Dice. For multiple dice double highest scoring die only.

Notes: - The Austrians fail to make their reconnaissance roll and go on to lose Initiative with a score of 5. Despite a high Battle Die score of 8, and a reasonable Battle Bonus the Austrians succumb to the French cavalry flank attack and the violent impact of the French column. The Austrians lose 2 Infantry units, 1 Cavalry unit and their Artillery.

The French clash with the Austrians at Lodi in 1796. After Lodi Napoleon became convinced that he was destined for greatness. Figures by Irregular Miniatures from their 20mm Napoleonic range. Painted by Silurian and from the author’s own collection. The numerical strength of each army is denoted by the coloured plastic counters. Game board from the Clash of Empires: The Napoleonic Wars Game.

Sources

Chandler, D.G. 1966: The Campaigns of Napoleon. Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc.

Chandler, D.G. 1998: Napoleon’s Marshals. Weidenfeld & Nicolson.

Dupuy, R. E. and Dupuy, T. N. 1993: The Collins Encyclopaedia of Military History. Harper Collins Publishers.

Haythornthwaite, P.J. 1990: The Napoleonic Source Book. Arms and Armour Press.

Smith, Digby. 1998: The Greenhill Napoleonic Wars Data Book. Greenhill Books.

Article Front Page Picture

Napoleon Bonaparte with his army at the Battle of Lodi now exhibited in the Villa dei Mulini, Portoferraio, Italy. After Alamy (IY04940415).