"Spanish at Albuera" Topic

After years of resistance, I'm finally diving into painting Spanish. Since my group would like to do Albuera, what uniforms would they be wearing at that battle? My research says the white uniform with cocked hat, am I correct?

I believe by that time, they would be wearing a variety of blue and other coloured interim uniforms. This period was between the time when the old royal white uniforms wore out and the time those uniforms were replaced with the British manufactured uniforms in 1812.

Try Ocana. A veritabla sea of white

There are 2 interesting eyewitness descriptions of the Spanish Army of Estremadura in 1809.

Charles Leslie:

"The line infantry were in blue uniforms with red facings. The Provincial Corps, called Volunteers, were mostly dressed in the brown Spanish cloth of the country, with green or yellow facings. Some had shakos, others broad-brimmed hats with the rim turned up on one side: all had cap plates of tin announcing their designation."

George Fitzclarence:

"The white Bourbon uniforms had entirely disappeared, and circumstances and economy had changed the colour of the principal part of the infantry into a deep chocolate."

If this was the state of affairs in 1809, it is unlikely that many, if any, units at Albuera were still clothed in white uniforms and bicornes. The uniforms at Albuera would probably have been a very mixed lot, with perhaps the Guards and Irlanda retaining their traditional dark blue and light blue uniforms respectively, with bell-topped shakos, the rest in variously faced browns and blues with a mixture of shakos and round hats.

Yea but the Bourbon uniforms are cool…

In 1811 Spain economy was in ruins. British subsidies helped a little bit.

For the letters I have read, the Spanish generals constantly complained to the Government that they were without supplies, without money, without uniforms, ecc.

However, in La Albuera campaign you must take in mind there were two different Spanish armies. First, you have the remnants of the Fifth Army, under Castaņos. They formed on the left and practically didnt' intervene in the battle on the right. They have been on campaign for several months without proper supplies. So probably their uniforms would have been in tatters, being a mix of civilian, French and probably British supplied pieces.

Then you have the Fourth Army (Ballesteros) and the Expeditionary force from Cadiz (Blake, which included the Irlanda and Guards under Zayas… mind that the Guards, specially the 4th regt, a newlye raised unit, was formed by conscripts; however they stand their ground very well, their casualties well over 50% before being pulled out the line). Both, and specially Blake's troops that came from the Cadiz garrison, came from relatively quiet and well supplied fronts. Though I have not hard facts my guess is that Blake troops had been supplied by the British, as most of the Cadiz garrison had. However I am not too sure what kind of uniforms were sent.

Anyway, Bourbon uniforms and bicornes at the time of La Albuera have been gone for a long, long time.

Regards

Hi,

I've very recently been researching similar information, ready for painting up a 6mm mid-late Peninsular war Spanish army (from the Baccus 6mm British and French ranges). Rene Chartrand's books on the Spanish Army in the Osprey series are absolute gems!!

Anyway, using the Orbat in Oman's Vol IV:

The Spanish at Albuera

INFANTRY:

Murcia (1812 – blue jacket with yellow facings, sky blue pantaloons, black equipment)

Canarias (a provincial militia regiment? – 1810 – white jacket and trousers, red facings and piping, round hat; or possibly replace white with brown)

2nd of Leon (1814 – blue coatee and pantaloons, scarlet lapels and cuffs, white collar, turnbacks and waistcoats)

Campo Mayor (Light Infantry – 1814 – blue coatee and collar, crimson lapels, cuffs and turnbacks, white pantaloons, shako)

1st of Catalonia (1810 – Sky blue coat and pantaloons, white waistcoat, scarlet facings, round hat)

Barbastro (ex Tiradores de Doyle – red uniform, white waistcoat and breeches)

Pravia (1808 – Blue coatee and pantaloons, scarlet collar, cuffs and piping, white turnbacks)

Lena (1808 – Brown coatee and pantaloons, scarlet collar, sky blue lapels and cuffs, white piping, shako)

Castropol (1809 – white jackets with red facings, white breeches, white forage caps with a red band)

Cangas de Tineo (1808 – Brown coatee and pantaloons, straw-coloured collar, cuff flaps and piping, green lapels and cuffs, white pantaloons, grey greatcoat, black gaiters, shako)

Infiesto – ?

Spanish Guards (1811 – blue coatee, pantaloons and gaiters, scarlet cuffs, turnbacks and waistcoats, white lace, shako with red plume)

Irlanda (1814 – sky blue coatee and pantaloons, scarlet collar and cuffs, white piping, white pantaloons, shako – in 1809 at least, some may have been wearing old Bourbon uniform)

Patria (1809 – green coatee with green lapels, cuffs and turnbacks, scarlet collar and cuff-flaps, yellow piping, white waistcoat and breeches, shako with yellow band and cords and red plume [this uniform looks very French-style to me])

Toledo (1814 – blue coatee and pantaloons, yellow collar, cuffs and piping, white lapels, shako)

Legion Estranjera (might be the Cazadores Extrangeros Light Infantry unit – in which case – 1812 – blue coatee and pantaloons, yellow collar and cuffs, black gaiters, shako)

Walloon Guards (1811 – blue coatee, pantaloons and gaiters, scarlet cuffs, turnbacks and waistcoats, white lace, shako)

Ciudad Real (1814 – sky blue coatee and pantaloons, scarlet collar and cuffs, white piping, white pantaloons, blue greatcoats, shako)

Rey (1814 – brown coatee and pantaloos, violet collar and cuffs and lapels, white piping and cuff flaps, white trousers, shako)

Zamora (1814 – blue coatee with blue collar, buff lapels and piping, scarlet cuffs, brown pantaloons and greatcoats, short black gaiters, white trousers, shako)

voluntarios de Navarra (Light Infantry – 1814 – blue coatee, sky blue collar, green cuffs and turnbacks, white piping and pantaloons, black gaiters, shako)

More generally for Albuera, any combination of the following seems reasonable:

Coatee in brown, blue, sky blue or white (most likely red facings). Units suppplied from Galicia rather than Cadiz might get grey, but I think that the formations at Albuera would have been supplied from the South. I could certainly be wrong about this!!
Same colours for breeches
White or black equipment
Round hats, shakos (British, French or 'plain' style), or forage caps (as worn by the Castropol Regiment)

CAVALRY

Santiago- 'Heavy' cavalry regiment – 1814 – blue coat, scarlet facings, buff waistcoat and breeches, blue cloak)

Husares de Castilla – ?

Granaderos – ?

Escuadron de Instrucion – ?

The cavalry at this period is just as varied as the infantry. I think French Hussar styles and British Light Dragoon styles (i.e. with Tarleton-helmet) seem most common.

ARTILLERY

Blue coat with red facings, blue breeches/pantaloons and black gaiters, bicorne. This could be replaced by a brown uniform and a round hat might be worn instead of the bicorne.

Does any of this help?

Tremendous help, thank y'all for that. Seems like I need to order new figs *Sigh*