" Raevsky’s Redoubt " Topic

Hi all

Does anybody know where I could find a description of the Raevsky's Redoubt. The earthworks, lenght, how they built it, how it looked like etc… If anybody could tell me where I could find sketches or line drawings it would be great.

Thanks a lot for your help.

Saludetes

I am at work but I seem to recall that this book had some pretty good discriptions, it is a book I highly recommend. Great battle discriptions obs etc.

The Battle of Borodino
by Alexander Mikaberidze
Published by Pen and Sword

William

Flattened 'V' with 100 degree angle.Each shoulder 72 metres long. A further 19m long flank each side (stepped back by width of main shoulder and parralell to it) added. Supposedly, a ditch 7.3m wide by 3.1m deep added to outside by 11pm on 6 September. 6-10 wolf pits in chequerboard fassion added beyond this to break up cavalry charges as redoubt was vulnerable.

Double palisade (outer wall 8 feet, inner wall 6.5 feet)added to rear with two openings on the sides. Timber and iron from demolished village near used to construct this.

If you google borodino you should find somthing

In the book 'Borodino the Moskova' by histoire & collections has a diagram of the redoubt.

By pioneer Lt Bogdanov…

the front of the redoubt was almost straight, with a pointed angle of 160 degrees towards the junction of 2 little streams(the semenovskoi and Kolocha). The trench in front was 10yards wide with deep pits or wolf holes, over a depth of 120 yards in front of it. On either side, earthen shoulders had been begun and the gorge which was not a gorge was very open behind. No doubt so the infantry could intervene more easily inside the battery which was cluttered with artillery equipment.
The artilery accupied the forward space and the infantry in support was placed in a fold of the ground just behind the redoubt protected from enemy fire. The best place to attack was on the left flank, more open and further from gorki battery.

basicly. Redoubt--10 meter wide ditch in front--100s of wolf pits up to 100meters in front of the ditch.

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Hi Saludetes,

As William already noted, my book on Borodino has a discussion (and a sketch) of this redoubt on pages 82 and 83. Below is the text from the book:

"This fortification, later to be known as the Rayevsky's Redoubt, was built by the troops of the Moscow opolchenye under direction of Lieutenants Liprandi and Bogdanov. The redoubt was constructed in the shape of a wide "V" with two 72-meter long épaulments (shoulders) converging at an over 100-degree angle and were reinforced by two 19-meter flanks. According to Bogdanov, by the time he saw it at 11:00 p.m. on 6 September, the fortification was surrounded by a "3,5 sazhen [7.3 meters] wide and 1,5 sazhen [3.1 meters] deep ditch." Sent to help construct the redoubt, Bogdanov was met by Rayevsky, who told him that "due to the open and rolling terrain, the redoubt can be attacked by the cavalry…" So six wolf pits (other sources indicate ten) were dug in a chess formation leading up to the ditch. Bogdanov then spent the entire night working on improving the redoubt's defenses. He recalled that "it was necessary, despite very limited time, to reinforce both flanks with brustwehr and ditches while the opening in the rear was to be closed by a double palisade, with two openings on the sides…. We used wood and iron from the nearby villages that were taken apart." By the time the battle began, Bogdanov's men managed to reinforce the flanks and put up a double palisade with 8-feet high outer and 6.5 feet high inner walls. The redoubt was initially defended by twelve guns of the 26th and six guns of the 47th Light companies, though some sources indicate that six guns of the 12th Battery Company might have been deployed here. A battalion of the Poltava Infantry Regiment was assigned to defend the guns. Inspecting his redoubt a few hours before the battle, Rayevsky turned to his officers, "Now, gentlemen, we can be assured. Emperor Napoleon saw a simple open battery yesterday but his troops will find a true fortress here today."

Best wishes,

Alex

Hi Alex
Great book! Do you have plans for other about the Russians in the Napoleonic Wars

Salut,

Yes, I just finished Borodino's "sequel" – "Napoleon's Great Escape: The Crossing of the Berezina" – and it should be out in the spring. There are a couple more in the pipeline:))

Best wishes,
Alex