"Spanish Army - a couple of queries" Topic

The gap between theory and practice seems to have been particularly large for the Napoleonic Spanish armies. I wonder if anyone more knowledgeable than myself can help me with some gaps in my information:

1) During one of the army reorganisations a number of Grenadier regiments were mooted. Did these actually take the field or were they purely paper formations?

2) Was there any regular artillery train prior to 1812/13? If not how were the artillery pieces, ammunition etc. transported and moved around the battlefield?

3) Are there any more recent/morecomprehensive works on Spanish colours and standards generally available than the Terry Wise book from Osprey?

Thanks in advance for any input.

Cheers

Peter

mooted?

Debated or proposed.

Peter – maybe some slight help in lieu of a real expert turning up:

1. There were a number of Grenadier formations during the war, but I'm not sure which ones you mean.

a. Permanent Grenadier Battalions – Provincial Militia Regiments of 2 battalions each from Andalusia, Galicia, New Castile and Old Castile.

b. Ad hoc Grenadier Battalions – converged Grenadiers, same principle as equivalent British and French formations.

c. Newly-raised Grenadier units. Unfortunately I know of no source which suggests in what sense they were 'Grenadiers'. A couple of them appear to have been called 'of the General' or 'of the Army' which might suggest that they were converged Grenadier Battalions as above. Others ('de la Canarias' and 'Fernando VII) just seem like fancy names. I don't know of any large-scale re-organization taking place. Do you know when exactly this was mooted?

2. By civilian contractors until 1813, except for the horse artillery batteries.

3. There is a decent page of plates in this one: link

Regards

And a little combined TMP wisdom:

Spanish Grenadiers

TMP link

TMP link

TMP link
:
TMP link

TMP link

Spanish Flags

TMP link

TMP link

TMP link

TMP link

Hopefully of some help

Regards

Sing tow row row row row row row
for the Spanish grenadiers

Thanks for the the input chaps. Looks like I don't have to sweat too much about producing a Spanish artillery train.

Cheers

Peter

Peter:

Please produce the Spanish artillery train with Oxen! My army for Saguntum could use them.

Dale

There were four National Militia Grenadier regiments of two battalions each with approximately 700 men per battaion in 1808 and rather less in 1809.

'National Militia Grenadier' is an interesting name and would challenge most rulesets troop categorisation.

- Allan

Dale,

I'll be happy to provide limbers with Oxen teams in draft. Just email me to sort it out.

Cheers

Peter