"Charge!- By Digby Smith" Topic

To mark the publication of Charge!, Digby Smith's study of some of the great cavalry charges of the Napoleonic Wars and the latest title in Frontline Books' expanding Napoleonic Library, John Grehan presents a selection of ten paintings detailing cavalry charges from the Napoleonic Wars.
Napoleon massed his cavalry to form huge bodies that could turn the tide of battle in a matter of minutes in a crashing charge. Yet, as Digby Smith explains, the success of a cavalry charge hung on many factors. These included terrain, weather, the condition of the horses, and, most especially, leadership and timing.
These factors are all considered as the author examines the cavalry charges at some of the key battles of the period, including Marengo, Eylau, Albuera, the crossing of the Beresina and Waterloo…"
See here
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Amicalement
Armand

I love the second picture.

Caulaincourt's cuirassiers did indeed try to get into the redoubt but failed and left their commander dead.

It took the Saxons and Poles to get in there. We all know that Boney could not believe it either and doubted what he was seeing.

200 years on, it is still the French cavalry who took the redoubt………..

I generally enjoy Digby Smith's books. His 1813: Leipzig is a masterpiece that I have read three times and refer to constantly.

Charge! is another matter. I have the first edition. It is pleasant enough to read, but I was hoping for more detail on the cavalry actions. Most of the chapters, in my opinion, were just histories of battles that had significant cavalry charges.

Tom

deadhead

Yes, whoever captured the Great Redoubt is still under question. However, although some have honoured Saxon and Polish troops with the capture, what Mikaberidze writes might suggest that its capture was not that clear cut.

'Fezensac de Montesquiou argued that 'the large redoubt was taken by a regiment of cuirassiers, retaken by the enemy, and then seized anew by the 1st Division of the 1st Corps detached for service with Viceroy.' (page 192, The Battle of Borodino by Alexander Mikaberidze)

Perhaps the confusion is because Napoleon may have been informed that the French Cuirassiers had captured the redoubt, so was correct in that sense, but he may not have been aware or informed that the Russians had retaken it and the final capture was by other troops, possibly infantry?

And just to confuse matters, Ilya Radozhitskii in Campaign Memoirs of the Artilleryman, Part 1: 1812, states that 'A muffled cry announced that the enemy had indeed broken inside the ramparts and hand-to-hand combat with bayonets ensued.' (page 78)

The problem is that Radozhitskii does not say who was first or who finally captured the redoubt, or mention if had been taken and retaken, only that it came under attack by both enemy cavalry and infantry. However, hand-to-hand combat with bayonets certainly suggests infantry fighting infantry, rather than Russian infantry fighting French cavalry. He also mentioned that Caulaincourt was the first to storm the redoubt from the rear and the first to be killed and that the cuirassiers had been driven off by heavy fire from Russian infantry.

To me, it seems that the final capture may have been achieved by a combination of cavalry and infantry assaults, rather than just the cavalry or just the infantry. Although I could be wrong, of course. LOL

Garryowen

Yes, I remember enjoying reading Digby's Leipzig book, which I obtained from a library. I don't own a copy so I guess I will either have to wait and hope it will be reprinted or, considering the price they are going for, obtain a second hand copy. But I will get a copy eventually, or so I keep telling myself

In terms of his Charge title, I know people who have read it and they were very disappointed, and the reviews don't appear to think much of it either.

I'm a Digby big fan!.

Amicalement
Armand

Tango01

I think his early books were good, when he just offered useful information or like the 1813 book because it included eyewitness accounts. And it was the eyewitness accounts that made his 1813 book, but I remember being very disappointed by the weak narrative that connected them. But it is still on my list to buy.

I share Gazzola's opinion of the Liepzig book, which has rather put me off the author. The eye-witness quotes are wonderful, but he doesn't do a good job with the wider narrative and analysis. Still there isn't much in English on the battle, so it's worth having.

I have it.

Amicalement
Armand

My short review of Charge from several years ago for anyone interested.

link

tshryock

Good review. It basically matches some of the earlier reviews on the titles. But I've always felt his work has declined in quality since Leipzig 1813, The Data Book and Napoleon's Regiments.

Forgot to mention Digby Smith's Armies of 1812, another early title, was a good one.