"Spanish Ireland Regt. I need info." Topic

Did this unit see any combat against the French? How good was this infantry regiment? Did it contain Irishmen, or was it a Spanish unit with just an Irish name? Thank you in advance for your help.

They had 3 Irish regiments. Which one do you want to know about?
Hibernia
Irlanda
The other one. (Ulitonia? Began with a U)

Originally they were all Irish but by 1800 I think they were mostly Spanish born. A few of the officers were descended from Irishmen I think though

They saw some service. The Ultonia were captured at Girona in 1809 and Hibernia was captured at Badajoz in 1811.

Irlanda fought at La Albuera, in Zayas' division. It took 58% casualties (36 dead, 242 wounded of a total of 464 soldiers present at the start), the highest casualty rate of the division. Despite that, they sustained the line and even helped to cover the flank of the brigade when the Polish lancers appeared after destroying Colborne's brigade. They were Irish only in name, by that time.

link
though the city is in fact Girona, not Gerona

CH,

Girona and Gerona are one and the same. Girona is Catalan and Gerona is Spanish.

well there you go

This is where I know nothing of the Spanish, I thought the Spanish fought with the French? Or where their units on both sides?

Sorry, don't mean to hi-jack your thread.

P.

Err… Well, from 1808 to 1814 they fought AGAINST the French (war of independence and all that), albeit 4 batallions of Spanish infantry, regiment Joseph Napoleon, fought with the French in Russia.

Joseph tried to create a Spanish army, but besides his Royal Guard -mostly French and Italians- the units were riddled by desertion and mostly inoperative.

@Green Beanie – Take a look at Steve Balagan's website for more info: link

@Redmist1122 "This is where I know nothing of the Spanish, I thought the Spanish fought with the French? Or where their units on both sides?"

The Bourbon Spanish initially fought the upstart French revolutionaries from 1793-1795. They then joined the French from 1796-1802 and the Peace of Amiens. From 1803- mid 1808 they continued their alliance with the French until Napoleon decided to give the throne of Spain to his brother Joseph.

At this point the Spanish split – the majority of the country decided to resist the French while some Spanish, the Afrancesado (who saw the French as a breath of fresh air cleaning out their corrupt and inefficient government) supported Joseph.

As for the Spanish – they were a very pretty army, and the individual Spanish soldiers were very brave but, as a rule, the Spanish infantry battalions weren't given time to train properly before being thrown into action, and their cavalry and artillery lacked horses – with predictable results. They got thrashed time and again – but they kept forming new armies and coming back at the French.

I'm very slowly putting a 15mm Spanish army together and if you want to see some reviews of various 15mm Spanish options: tenfiguresaweek.blogspot.co.uk

Gents,
Thank you for the clarification, makes sense now.

P.

Joseph tried to create a Spanish army, but besides his Royal Guard -mostly French and Italians- the units were riddled by desertion and mostly inoperative.

However the Cazadores de Castilla, and the Toledo Regimiento de Linea were fighting in France in 1814.

I thought that the Spanish units of Joseph's army were disbanded in December 1813, partly as a result of the French distrust of foreign regiments following the defection of the Nassau and Frankfurt Regiments.

Rod

"However the Cazadores de Castilla, and the Toledo Regimiento de Linea were fighting in France in 1814."

True, although they were regiments only in name. I have not the figures here, but if memory doesn't fail me the Cazadores were something around 50 men, and the Toledo regiment 150+ men.

"I thought that the Spanish units of Joseph's army were disbanded in December 1813, partly as a result of the French distrust of foreign regiments following the defection of the Nassau and Frankfurt Regiments."

Not exactly. Most of the Joseph Napoleon had been destroyed in Russia, although about 900 men, captured by the Russians, were formed in a regiment called Imperial Alejandro, organized in 2 batallions. One batallion was lost at sea almost to the last man in 1814. The other disembarked in Northern Spain in March 1814, just before Napoleon's first abdication. This batallion was sent to South America in 1815 and fought in Peru and Chile. The remnants of the unit were destroyed at Ayacucho.

The Spanish soldiers in the depots at France weren't reorganized into fighting units, but as sappers and work companies. Some were the survivors of the retreat from Russia and others Spanish POWs, which volunteered as a mean to avoid staying as prisoners.