"Does anybody have a OOB of Davout's 3rd corps " Topic

At austerlitz or Auerstedt

The Osprey Campaign Series book on Austerlitz has an excellent OOB for the forces involved.

link

or link

Ian

Fom the figures I have, as at 5 Oct 1806:

HQ III Corps

Corps Comd – Marshal Davout
CoS – Gen de Bde Daultanne
Sub CoS – Adjutants-Commandants Hervo and Romeuf
Att to Staff – Col Beaupre
CC Arty – Gen de Bde Hanicque
Arty CoS – Col Charbonnel
CC Engr – Col Touzard
CoS Engr – Chef de Bn Breuille

1st Inf Div
GOC – Gen de Div Morand
Gens de Bde – Debilly, d'Honnieres, Brouard
13th Lt Regt – Col Guyarder 1,507
17th Line Regt – Col Lanusse 2,080
30th Line Regt – Col Valterre 2,059
51st Line Regt – Col Baille 2,170
61st Line Regt – Col Nicolas 2,140
1 Coy Lt Arty (6 pieces) 100
1 Coy Foot Arty (7 pieces) 104
2 Coys Arty Train 130
Att to Lt Arty from Train 49
Total for Division 10,359

2nd Inf Div
GOC – Gen de Div Friant
Gens de Bde Kister, Lochet, Grandeau
33rd Line Regt – Chef de Bn Cartier 2,038
48th Line Regt – Col Barbanegre 1,616
108th Line Regt – Col Higonet 1,625
111th Line Regt – Col Gay 2,346
Half-Coy Lt Arty (2 pieces) 40
1 Coy Foot Arty (6 pieces) 134
1 Coy Arty Train 85
Total for Division 7,896

3rd Inf Div
GOC – Gen de Div Gudin
Gens de Bde Gauthier, Petit
12th Line Regt – Col Verges 2,059
21st Line Regt – Col Decous 2,274
25th Line Regt – Col Cassagne 1,849
85th Line Regt – Col Viala 2,170
Half-Coy Lt Arty (2 pieces) 40
1 Coy Foot Arty (6 pieces) 83
1 Coy Arty Train 120
Total for Division 8,595

Cavalry
Comd – Gen de Bde Vialannes
1st Ch a Cheval, Col Exelmans 420
2nd Ch a Cheval, Col Bousson 530
12th Ch a Cheval, Col Guyon 470
Total for Cavalry 1,420

Corps Troops
Arty Park 500
Det Gendarmes & 6th Coy Sapeurs 130

Total for III Corps 28,878

Looking at the strengths of the infantry regiments, I think that the Lt Inf was organised into 2 Bns, while the Line Regts had 3 Bns.

Obviously, the translation of Davout's Journal, Napoleon's Finest, has excellent OBs for the 3rd Corps.

In addition to archival orders of battle and returns, we compiled charts showing stengths of each regiment from Austerlitz through Eylau. Officer casualties are also part of the charts (based on Martinien).

Don't forget that one of Davout's Divisions from the Channel Camps was detached to Marshal Lannes and was led at Austerlitz by General Caffarelli.

Scott Bowden added the reports from Austerlitz, including Caffarelli's, in our original chapter NOT included in the General Davout's 1896 french edition.

Matt DeLaMater
militaryhistorypress.com
militaryhistorypress@hotmail.com

Esseentially, Byrhthelm`s figures, would appear to be the same as those on pages 8-11 of Davout`s Journal.

The total given then was 28,874, but a note added to this says that it would be an exaggeration to say that the total for the corps was more than 26,000 on the 14th of October.

If your gaming system is finely tuned, and you need to adjust your unit strengths, then that`s 10% less than the figures stated.



Available through Google Books:

Opérations du 3e corps: 1806-1807: rapport du maréchal Davout, duc d'Auerstædt by Louis Nicolas Davout, duc d'Auerstaedt; editor Leopold Charles Davout, prince d'Eckmühl d'Auerstædt. Published by C. Lévy, 1896. 385 pages.

It is also available on Internet Archive –– it can be saved in various formats including.txt through the Internet Archive web site.

Thanks for the help.

What I tried to previously post was that there are no better OOBs anywhere than those found in the pages of Napoleon's Finest. It is the single best and most detailed source anyone will find on the subject.

Thanks again to Military History Press and to Scott Bowden for bringing this wonderful piece of Napoleonic history to life!

Me ke aloha,

MJ

The regiments were organized into two battalions.

…and to continue what Fritz started, some of the 1806-07 regiments also fielded elite company(ies) from the depot battalion(s). All detailed in MHP's book.

How accurate are the Nafzinger OoB for III Corps and this battle in general? There seems to be a drill down with very specific breakdowns within brigades and regiments. I'm not always sure how to interpret the OoB and whether to completely trust them.

For instance, in the example below, 21eme is shown as being divided into 4 regiments, two of which are extremely under strength. In the Chandler Ospery book the 21eme is shown as having 3 regiments. Hourtoulle,s large Jena-Auerstadt states the 21eme has 2 battalions and 178 men of the 3rds elite. Opérations du 3e corps, Davout's report never mentions the 21eme except as a whole. One of the Battalion commanders is recommended for decoration. The Nafzinger OoB for Jena includes the 3rd Corps and in that rendition the 21eme is divided into 3 regiments. The work cited here is Foucart, Campagne de Prusse (1806)- I don't have Foucart. Also cited is Opérations du 3e corps. I am guessing that the 4th Bat may be the depot batallion back in France. I am also guessing that the 3/21st is nothing more than the Grenadiers and Voltigeurs cited a few lines above. The numbers add up. This would jive with Hourtoulle. Taking it a step further, I can find a couple instances in which maps indicate 21eme having 3 components. One is in Hourtoulle and provenance of the other is from John Hamill's wonderful tour of the battlefield. link I'm not sure what the provenance is of his maps.

excerpt
Nafzinger OoB Auerstadt citing vaguely French Archives. (national archives presumably)
Brigade: Général de brigade Petit
Staff/12th Line Regiment (8/13)
1/12th Line Regiment (26/886)
3/12th Line Regiment (25/930)
Grenadiers, 3/12th Line Regiment (3/65)
Voltigeurs, 3/12th Line Regiment (3/107)
3/12th Line Regiment (15/279)

Staff/21st Line Regiment (9/12)
1/21st Line Regiment (24/964)
2/21st Line Regiment (26/959)
Grenadiers 3/21st Line Regiment (3/85)
Voltigeurs, 3/21st Line Regiment (3/116)
Grenadiers, 4/21st Line Regiment (3/79)
3/21st Line Regiment (18/200)
4/21st Line Regiment (16/393)

Bolkonsky

Gallica has the Foucart Volumes with the Tables unfolded.
Vol. 2 has O.B.s of the French forces in the back.

link

Davout's Corps is on page 982
link

Cliff

P.S.
The first map on the 'johnsmilitaryhistory.com' site is from "A Military History and Atlas of the Napoleonic Wars" by Esposito and Elting – the West Point Atlas.
The others are from some German source. He mentions Bressonet's maps.

Great resource Cliff, thanks much. Very glad to have a copy of that book. Quite right, Esposito and Elting, I forgot that I have a copy! And I now recall Bressonet but I was unable to find any other citation for him.

I'll check Nafziger against Foucart. Thanks again!

Yep, this is definitely the source for Nafziger