"Battalion fanions?" Topic

I have found little on the subject of French and Prussian battalion fanions (flags that were used to distinguish the infantry battalions that were not assigned to carry the regimental colors).

Anyone have a source or two they could recommend? I am interested in both Napoleonic and later (Franco-Prussian War) flags.

Battalion fanions

FNW18 2nd battalion fanions, Ligne ( white )

FNW19 3rd battalion fanions, Ligne ( red )

FNW20 2nd battalion fanions, Legere ( white )

FNW21 3rd battalion fanions, Legere ( red )

The above are for the French during Napoleonic wars

I have tried this question a long time ago only I suspect companies not carrying colors would use them. I know the French used them, Colonial American Armies used them, the Americans seem to have copied European practices. So why no Prussian Fanions ever seen?

Napoleonic era ….

link
These are replacements for eagles for battalions that did not have them.

These should not be confused with (smaller) company fanions or fanions d'alignement. These were stuck into gun barrels and used to help guide in marching and evolutions.

The battalion fanions should also not be confused with flags or signs used to locate a unit in an encampent.

Russians had regular battalion flags (and hence no need of battalion fanions), no company fanions d'alignement or similar, and did use flags to mark encampment locations. I would quess – repeat guess – that this was also exactly true for Prussians.

The Russians didn't need the fanions d'alignement because
- they ranked the men tallest on the flanks, shortest in the center, making the flank files more visible
- the had lots of officers, under-officers and vice-under-officers to regulate the evolutions. A platoon of ~22 files might have 2 of these on each flank and 6 more as file closers.
- Russians made a real effort not to rush new, untrained recruits into the field

As we might have expected, Seroga's guess is correct – Imperial France appears to have been the only nation of the time to issue only one colour per regiment, giving rise to "lower-status" fanions for the other battalions.

Post-reform Prussia had one colour per battalion (Avancier- /Retirierfahne), except for converged grenadier battalions (which did receive colours though after they were converted to permanent grenadier regiments). Companies may still have had camp flags, but would hardly have carried those in battle.

Pre-1808 the grenadiers aligned on two NCOs with extra-long spontoons posted in the centre; I'm in the office so can't check my books as to whether that practice was carried over in the reform era.

Two examples of French battalion fanions:

link

link

Allan

Allan so no real set pattern

Fredloan
On the evidence we have you are absolutely correct, but understandable considering official sanction and graphic guidance was absent. I felt the value in the link was the fact of showing real world examples.
Allan