"Russian Reserve Squadrons" Topic

G'Day Gents,

In 1810 it was ordered that the reserve half-squadrons and squadrons were abolished and in their place during war every cuirassier and dragoon regiment left one of its center squadrons (II, III or IV) in its quarters. This squadron was also called Reserve Squadron (Zapasnyi Eskadron).

Thus each cuirassier and dragoon regiment had 4 (not 5) squadrons in the field.

During the campaign in 1812 the reserve squadrons were taken into field service. In June there were entire regiments organized of such squadrons and they were called svodno, or svodnyi. These cavalry regiments (svodnyie polki) were formed into brigades.

Two questions please…

1…Are any of these svodnyie polki that were only two or three squadrons strong?

2…How strong is a cuirassier squadron

Best Regards
Art

Since our Russian experts all appear to have left the building it might be worth asking on the Wargames Website. Jonathan Gingerich, who created this excellent site on Russian Facings in the Napoleonic Wars, posts there and he seems to know his stuff. link

According to Nafziger, a Cuirassier squadron had 161 officers and men.

Unfortunately I have no information on how many squadrons were grouped into the individual svodnyie polka; however the composition of the Divisions was authorised as follows:

14 March 1812– Eight new Cavalry divisions were ordered to be formed from replacement and reserve squadrons.

9th Cavalry Division,
from the 4 replacement squadrons of: Chevalier Guards, L.-Gds. Horse, His Majesty's Life-Cuirassiers, Her Majesty's Life-Cuirassiers.
from the 3 replacement squadrons of: L.-Gds. Dragoons, Hussars, and Lancers.
from the 8 replacement squadrons of: 1st Cav. Div. Riga, Yamburg, Kazan, and Nezhin Dragoons; Grodno Hussars; and Polish Lancers.
from the 8 replacement squadrons of: 2nd Cav. Div. Pskov, Moscow, Kargopol, and Ingermanland Dragoons, and Yelisavetgrad and Izyum Hussars.
10th Cavalry Division
from the 8 replacement squadrons of: 3rd Cav. Div. Courland, Orenburg, Siberia, and Irkutsk Dragoons, and Sumy and Mariupol Hussars.
from the 6 replacement squadrons of: 4th Cav. Div. Kharkov, Chernigov, Kiev, and New Russia Dragoons, and Pavlograd Hussars.
11th Cavalry Division
from the 4 replacement squadrons of: 5th Cav. Div. Akhtyrka Hussars and Lithuania Lancers.
from the 8 replacement squadrons of: 6th Cav. Div. Starodub, Tver, Zhitomir, and Arzamas Dragoons; Aleksandriya Hussars; and Tatar Lancers.
12th Cavalry Division
from the 8 replacement squadrons of: 7th Cav. Div. St.-Petersburg, Livonia, Severskii, and Kinburn Dragoons; Belorussia Hussars; and Volhynia Lancers.
from the 8 replacement squadrons of: 8th Cav. Div. Smolensk, Pereyaslavl, Tiraspol, and Dorpat Dragoons; Olviopol Hussars; and Chuguev Lancers.
13th Cavalry Division
from the 4 reserve squadrons of: Podgoshcha Depot.
from the 4 reserve squadrons of: Staraya Russa Depot.
from the 4 reserve squadrons of: Kholm Depot.
from the 4 reserve squadrons of: Toropets Depot.
from the 4 reserve squadrons of: Yelna Depot.
from the 4 reserve squadrons of: Roslavl Depot.
14th Cavalry Division
from the 6 reserve squadrons of: Novgorod Severskii Depot.
from the 4 reserve squadrons of: Konotop Depot.
15th Cavalry Division
from the four reserve squadrons of: Romny Depot.
from the 4 reserve squadrons of: Akhtyrka Depot.
16th Cavalry Division
from the 4 reserve squadrons of: Chigrin Depot.
from the 4 reserve squadrons of: Novomirgorod Depot.
from the 4 reserve squadrons of: Yelisavetgrad Depot.
from the 4 reserve squadrons of: Olviopol Depot.