"Griffiths, French Napoleonic Infantry Tactics 1792-1815 And" Topic

Yesterday's game was routed due to snow and ill health amongst the players. Later that evening I unpacked two of my French 1806ish battalions in bicornes merging their center companies to form one eight company battalion per the 1791 regulations.

In preparation for the game I had been reading portions of Paddy Griffiths, French Napoleonic Infantry Tactics 1792-1815. (Osprey Elite Series Booklet #159) In order to do something Napoleonic last night, I returned to Paddy's remarks and diagrams adapted from the 1791 Réglement concernant l'exercice et les manoeuvres de l'infanterie as follows:

link

Shown is a simple eight company battalion in line. However, what makes it a little extra visually interesting for me is the placement of battalion drummers and a few other things.

Perhaps tonight I'll photo the same battalion in several column permutations.

Bon chanace,
Bill

Very nice!

That was nice, productive even though you didn't get to play.

It's good to see this sort of thing from time to time. Very nice. We should see it more often on game tables.

I'm a little shy on the Republic and early Empire. Was it standard procedure to combine the grenadier companies? On a brigade scale or divisional scale?

Tomorrow it's back to work. However, tonight I added another item from Griffith and the 1791 regulations. It's in the 1755 manual too BTW.) This one shows the eight company battalion forming line to the right with commentary about how to do it on your tabletop. See:

link

Merci et bon cnance,
Bill

Grenadier companies were combined to form provisional regiments such as the ones commanded by Oudinot in 1805 and 1806. Usually they were the depot battalions that were marching to the front in this ad hoc formation. I am not as familiar with the pre-1804 organization so I'm not sure how the grenadiers were used during Napoleon's Italian campaigns in the late 1790s and at Marengo.

you will actually note that it was not just Grenadier companies that formed these btlns of elite. They were also formed from Voltiguer companies and in some cases entire elite btlns were made up of Voltiguers.

Shane

Interesting. I've been wondering just how the 'converged' Grenadier and Carabinier companies were organised during the Italian Campaign. ie in 8 or 9 company demi-brigades? Or something else?

Soult employed combined grenadier units at Albuera in 1811 [battalions of Grenadier Reunis]. Junot, had similar battalions at Vimeiro in 1808. However, it's my understanding that these battalions were not formed by taking the grenadier companies of the battalions that were present at the battle, those companies remained with their respective parent units. The Grenadier Reunis were, in these instances, formed from companies from battalions of regiments that were not represented at the battle. Oudinot's famous combined grenadier regiments, seen from 1805-1807, were the precursor to the Young Guard. Once the Young Guard battalions became more prevalent, the purpose of these combined elite units was less important, and that was certainly the case in the central and northern European theaters. However, one can understand why Soult, operating in the South of Spain, far from any Young Guard or other Guard units, would have wanted to create an elite reserve. But at the same time, he wouldn't have wanted to reduce the integrity or strength of his line battalions, so the Grenadier Reunis battalions were formed by combining the elite companies of regiments that were operating on the lines of communication or in reserve areas.

npm

<<The Grenadier Reunis were, in these instances, formed from companies from battalions of regiments that were not represented at the battle.>>

Usually taken from battalions dropped off to garrison forts and major conurbations – it was felt this was a waste of the elite companies (or, as DAF has said, the flank companies of training/depot formations).

However, it was not uncommon for the grenadier/voltigeur companies of a single regiment (or occasionally even a brigade) to form up together in a separate ad hoc unit for a specific purpose. I believe such units were supposed to be commanded by officers of the rank of major (hence the extra rank of "chef de bataillon" in the battalion etats).

All the time the French formed from grenadier companies ad hoc grenadier battalions – so a division could create its own elite battalions.