"French skirmishers" Topic

Would French skirmishers be detached from their parent units and be formed into composite battalions that would provide the skirmish screen for their brigade or division, or would a battalion detach a company that would report back?

Also, how common was it for a battalion to detach more than one company?

V/R

Joe

I can't think of any specific examples of voltigeurs being combined to screen a brigade or division during the Napoleonic era. During the days of the Republic you hear of full battalions being sent forward in swarms, but I've never taken that very serious.

In terms of the light infantry drill even if the battalion was ordered to deploy two of the six companies were kept formed as a rallying point, etc. The more you deploy the less control you have over them and the last thing you want is to invite defeat in detail.

So as a sweeping generalization (I know, dangerous) no composite battalions of lights and at least 1/3rd of a legere battalion is kept in close order.

Both methods may well have been employed but the detachment of these light commands would affect the formations of the grand-body of troops from which they were drawn.
With its voligeurs screening the brigade/division only line or column of companies would be possible for the grand body.
eg: the advance of d`Erlon`s corps at Waterloo, where each body`s skirmishers were preceded by "columns" of battalions deployed in lines. The percieved mission was focused on countering allied skirmishers and overcoming the problem of deployment in attacking an enemy in a reverse-slope position and this therefore determined the organisation of the corp`s skirmishers.

My guess is the Legere battalions would do Brigade and Divisional level ops.

There are no exact regulations or clear descriptions available on this so its not possible to lay down any black and white, there are though some areas of dark gray and pale gray we can base logical best guesses on.

Military studies by Marshal Ney, plus Foucarts study of the 1806-7 campaign provides some clues.

Ney states a basic infantry organisation (c.1805) as 4 line regiments plus 1 light. His descriptions of manouvres for the Division include only the line troops, leaving an assumption that the light regiment is acting as the screen and advance guard for them. This is to some extent backed up by Foucart for 1806 where the light regiments are normally in the lead on attacking positions.

As for provision of light troops from the line themselves, this is more murky. There is the conversion of one company to 'voltiguer' designation shortly before the change from 9 to 6 companies, which would have been a pointless nonsense unless they did actually provide their own cover at times.

Ney does not explain any of that in his studies, merely commenting that his own preference would be the Austrian way using the 3rd rank rather than the French method. Which suggets they did commonly peel off squads or platoons as needed. There is also the instruction in the earlier Campaign Regulations to form a special light platoon in each battalion whenever taking the field that could perform this role. (something the British army also appears to have had a tradition of from before the 7YW)

There is to be found in Foucart mention of combined voltiguer and grenadier battalions acting as the advance guards for their line regiments at Jena. So in Division size grouping this appears to have been not totally unusual at that level, presumably when the light regiment was not present or terrain dictated greater light troop requirement. This is not disimilar to the British Peninsular practice.

The dispersed battalions during the Revolution have been suggested more the result of a lack of training and discipline to operate more effectively by Griffiths. The move away from this on the battlefield as soon as the troops received sufficient training certainly supports this.

As an example for intentionally dispersed battalions, here an extract from an instruction by général de division Schérer (Armée d'Italie) from the end of 1795 (in French, with German and Polish translation):

link

However, as Schérer was to be replaced soon by Bonaparte, I wonder whther this instruction was ever put in practice.

Yes, entire battalions were deployed in skirmish order throughout the period. The screen [a GRANDE BAND], thus created was appreciably denser than a normal skirmish screen.

This tactic was used by Davout at Auerstadt with great effect. See the book "Napoleon's Finest,Davout and his 3rd Corps, Combat Journal of Operations 1805-1807" by Military History Press. The book discusses this and other skirmish tactics in great detail.

Page 64: "General Morand combined the elite companies of the 3rd battalions of the 30th Line, 51st Line and the 61st Line and assigned those six companies the role of 'tiraileurs de combat' for the entire division." BTW, this included both the grenadiers and the voltiguers of those battalions.

The forthcoming Napoleon's Apogee covers Saalfeld and Jena
as well as Auerstaedt. You'll find many tactical snippets of tirailleur combat and useage-- the book is rich on this topic -- and read about the real world practices rather than theory.

As a gamer, it certainly opened my eyes.

Can some one please explain what "a grande bande" means. Seen it mentioned but can't find any reference in books that I have

Grande Bandes usually meant larger formations (whole battalions in many cases) that were shaken out in a thick skirmish line.

Some Google-Fu:
link

link

And a quote from Elting:

link

'Prussian, Austrian, Spanish, Piedmantese, Neapolitan, and English generals did their professional best and eventually found that some vulgarian of a French ex-sergeant, whom they had completely outmaneuvered, would fail to recognize the hopelessness of his situation, or that a recent captain of French artillery would show a shocking disregard for the accepted system of strategy and tactics. Thereupon another military masterpiece would degenerate into a knock-down-drag-out grudge fight.
Put yourself in their place. Swarms of skirmishers have enveloped your tight, strictly dressed formations, firing from behind cover in a most unsoldierlike fashion. If you charge them with the bayonet, they drift away-still shooting- and follow you when you return to your original position. Eventually your lines are in tatters. Then suddenly, out of the smoke, comes a howling, trampling, caterwauling rush of battalion columns, the bayonets and bull-weight of twelve fresh men against every yard of your exhausted line (which was only three deep when the action began) at their chosen point of impact.'

Whether it be in "Grande Bande" or just the voltigeur company of a battalion, I think it best to consider skirmishers deploying at the company level. The company commander and at least 1/3 of the company are to the rear, forming a reserve and a rally point. These reserve troops may also be used to relieve portions of the skirmish line.

I read somewhere that this reserve consisted of the third rank in French usage.

So at the tactical level, it is the same for individual voltigeur companies as it is for grande bandes. Just more companies in the grande bande, presumably side-by-side. Although a battalion in "Grande Bande" might keep a few companies in reserve, they are not the same as the third rank reserve kept for the skirmish line itself.

Don't forget though that a Grande bande would be much denser than an ordinary skirmish screen and would therefore present a better target for both infantry and artillery fire. Conversely, their combination of more men [ie more firepower], and looser formation, meant that they could advance against guns and shoot down the gunners.

The general, why would the "tirailleur en grande bande" be denser? I suppose the tirailleur tactics would be the same. Mentioned is that there are more companies, maybe whole battalions used but denser isn't stated.

anyone more info about the " grande bandes"?