"Malta Garrison 1875-1878" Topic

Can anybody give me an order of battle for the Malta Garrison in the 1875-1878 period. I am asking since this would be the most available force for a British intervention in a Russo-Turkish War

I believe that the British actually landed a larger force in Malta at that time, including troops from India. Here's a start:

PDF link

As you scroll around, you will see Malta listed any number of times so you can get a rough idea of what was typically there.

Another trick is to go to Google Books and punch in "Malta Garrison 1875-1878" and see where it takes you. Some old, public domain memoire that has been scanned might turn up.

This is the actual intervention force prepared for the Russo-Turkish war.

Cyprus Expedition left from Malta for Cyprus 18 July 1878 arrived Cyprus 22 to 23 July.
(brevet)Lieutenant-General Sir Garnet Wolseley in overall command.
M Bty 1st Bde RA
F Bty 2nd Bde RA
The 42nd Royal Highland (The Black Watch)
71st (Highland) Light Infantry
Half battalion of 101st Royal Bengal Fusiliers (ex 1st European Bengal Fusiliers of the Honourable East India Company transferred to the British Army and renumbered as the 101st)

Disembarked Malta 29 May 1878
Major General J Ross (in command of the Indian troops)
Madras and Bombay European Sappers and Miners
25 Regt Madras Native Infantry
13 Regt Bengal Native Infantry
31 Regt Punjab Native Infantry
9 Regt Bombay Native Infantry
26 Regt Bombay Native Infantry

Arrived in Cyprus 7 Aug 1878
2nd (Prince of Wales own) Gurkhas
1st Bombay Lancers

The 9th Bengal Cavalry (1st Hodson's Horse) although included in the plans for the expedition to Cyprus stayed in Malta.

maltaramc.com/index.html

Maltese Garrison by year

1876
Royal Artillery
12 Bde RA
1 Bty 12 Bde RA – Arrived Oct 1873. Left Oct 1880.
2 Bty 12 Bde RA – Arrived Oct 1873. Left Oct 1880.
3 Bty 12 Bde RA – Arrived Oct 1873. Left Jan 1881.
4 Bty 12 Bde RA – Arrived Oct 1873. Left Mar 1882.
5 Bty 12 Bde RA – Arrived Oct 1873. Left Mar 1882.
6 Bty 12 Bde RA – Arrived Oct 1873. Left Mar 1882.
7 Bty 12 Bde RA – Arrived Oct 1873. Left Sept 1882.

Royal Engineers
20 Coy: 12 Dec 1876 – Ordered from Portsmouth to Malta.
21 Coy
24 Coy: Dec 1876 – Left for England.
33 Coy: Dec 1876 – Detachment arrived from Davenport.

Infantry Battalions
The 1st/27th (Inniskilling) arrived at Malta from Belfast 30 Nov 1876.
The 42nd Royal Highland (The Black Watch) disembarked at Malta on 27 November 1874.
71st (Highland) Light Infantry disembarked at Malta on 30 April 1873.
74th (Highlanders) disembarked at Malta on 22 February 1872. 2 Dec 1876 The 74th (Highlanders) embarked for Singapore
98th Foot disembarked at Malta on 13 Dec 1875
101st Royal Bengal Fusiliers disembarked at Malta on 19 October 1874.

1877
Royal Artillery
Strength: 959 men. On 1 July 1877 there was a reorganisation of the Royal Artillery. Brigade HQs overseas were broken up. Batteries were rotated instead of whole Brigades. 12 Bde was renamed 10 Bde and five new Garrison Bdes were formed.

13 Bty 10 Bde RA (1 Bty 12 Bde RA
14 Bty 10 Bde RA (2 Bty 12 Bde RA
15 Bty 10 Bde RA (3 Bty 12 Bde RA
16 Bty 10 Bde RA (4 Bty 12 Bde RA
17 Bty 10 Bde RA (5 Bty 12 Bde RA)
18 Bty 10 Bde RA (6 Bty 12 Bde RA
1 Bty 11 Bde RA (7 Bty 12 Bde RA)

Royal Engineers
Strength: 188 men.
11 Coy: Dec 1877 – Arrived from Bermuda.
20 Coy: 12 Dec 1876 – Ordered from Portsmouth to Malta.
21 Coy: Oct 1872 – Arrived at Malta.
24 Coy: Dec 1876 – Left for England.
33 Coy: Dec 1876 – Detachment arrived from Davenport.

Infantry Battalions
2nd/2nd (Queen's Royal) disembarked at Malta on 6 Aug 1877.
2nd/13th (1st Somersetshire) (Prince Albert's Light Infantry) disembarked at Malta on 6 Aug 1877.
The 1st/27th (Inniskilling)
The 42nd Royal Highland (The Black Watch)
71st (Highland) Light Infantry
98th Foot
101st Royal Bengal Fusiliers

1878
Royal Artillery
Strength: 981 men.

13 Bty 10 Bde RA (1 Bty 12 Bde RA)
14 Bty 10 Bde RA (2 Bty 12 Bde RA)
15 Bty 10 Bde RA (3 Bty 12 Bde RA)
16 Bty 10 Bde RA (4 Bty 12 Bde RA)
17 Bty 10 Bde RA (5 Bty 12 Bde RA)
18 Bty 10 Bde RA (6 Bty 12 Bde RA)
1 Bty 11 Bde RA (7 Bty 12 Bde RA)
M Bty 1 Bde RA. Arrived from India in May1878. Left for India in 1878.
F Bty 2 Bde RA. Arrived from India in May 1878. Left for Cyprus in 1878.

Royal Engineers
Strength: 142 men.
11 Coy
12 Coy: Nov 1878 – Arrived from Bermuda.
20 Coy: Dec 1878 – Left for Chatham.
21 Coy: Oct 1872 – Arrived at Malta.
33 Coy
Madras and Bombay European Sappers and Miners: Arrived from India in May. Left for Cyprus in Oct 1878.
Sappers and Miners (3 men).

Infantry Battalions
The 1st/Royal Scots embarked at Portsmouth for Malta on 27 Jan 1878.
2nd/2nd (Queen's Royal) 6 Feb 1878 the battalion embarked for Bombay
2nd/10th (North Lincolnshire) Disembarked 19 Aug 1878
2nd/13th (1st Somersetshire) (Prince Albert's Light Infantry) 21 Feb 1878 the battalion left for Bombay.
The 1st/27th (Inniskilling) Dec 1878 Ordered to Hong Kong.
The 42nd Royal Highland (The Black Watch) Embarked 18 Jul 1878 for Cyprus.
1st/61st (South Gloucestershire) disembarked at Malta on 20 February 1878
71st (Highland) Light Infantry Embarked 18 Jul 1878 for Cyprus.
98th Foot
101st Royal Bengal Fusiliers Half battalion embarked 18 Jul 1878 for Cyprus

Cyprus would have become an in theatre staging depot for any war in support of Turkey in Europe.

The Indian units were back in India in time for the Afghan campaign of 1878, which was a result of Russian influence in Afghanistan.

"After tension between Russia and Britain in Europe ended with the June 1878 Congress of Berlin, Russia turned its attention to Central Asia. That same summer, Russia sent an uninvited diplomatic mission to Kabul."

If Britain had entered the war with Russia the Indian units would still in my opinion have been returned for the above campaign, and replaced by British infantry battalions.

Thank you for asking this question, I have been meaning to look into this for ages.

What rules are you thinking of using?

Gentlemen, this is great. We are using Black Powder with army lists created by me with contributions from the other players (you can find the first draft here link I will probably base the british on the Zulu war lists in BP with some changes once I sit down and read them.

So it looks like at the level of gaming where 1 unit= 1 battalion a force of 10-11 infantry units, and maybe 3-4 units of artillery

Three good volumes on the Russo Turkish War of 1877-78, and all free.

Defence of Plevna Frederick William Herbert
link

The Russo Turkish War Major F Maurice
link

Russian Campaigns in Turkey 1877-78 FV Greene
link

Thank.

How big were british battalions? Does regimentsignify two battalions

In the British army the infantry regiment is an administrative organisation, not a tactical one. A regiment could have several battalions, all in different corners of the world. They would never fight alongside each other. [He said, then waited for people to pitch in and quote a couple of exceptions that prove the rule.]

In the field, divisions are made up of brigades, not regiments. Each brigade comprises several battalions, all from different regiments. Your 10-11 battalions would probably make three brigades of 3-4 bns and 1 artillery unit each.

I believe in the 1870s a British battalion establishment was ~800 men in 8 companies, each of ~100 men.

Others may provide more authoritative answers than mine.

Chris

Thanks Chris. I am actually thinking of making a excel sheet of battalion strengths for all major combatants of the 1816-1897 period as a fast resource for unit sizes in Black Powder.