"Polish grenadiers bearskin or czapka" Topic
7 Posts
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davbenbak | 07 Feb 2017 6:06 p.m. PST |
For Polish grenadiers 1807-1809 I can't find anything definitive one way or the other. And what of voltigeurs? Although I did read that the Vistula Legion grenadiers wore the czapka, it sounds like the rest of the units in Spain were issued French articles when resupplied so many other ranks may have worn shakos. It seems that bearskins were the thing after 1810. I'm interested in assembling some units for the 1808-1809 time frame to either fight in Spain or repel the Austrian invasion. |
Toronto48 | 07 Feb 2017 7:13 p.m. PST |
I think that your research is correct as there is no fixed decision An example is shown here link |
robert piepenbrink | 07 Feb 2017 7:35 p.m. PST |
Hmm. My usual concern is not "is there any evidence of something other than a bearskin being worn?" but "can I get away with putting my grenadiers in bearskins?" Apart from aesthetics, visual cues to what a unit is are not to be despised. I'm usually not big on forage caps, overcoats or cased colors, either. But the nice thing about miniature wargaming is that there are hardly any binding rules. |
Murawski | 08 Feb 2017 2:59 a.m. PST |
The Vistula legion grenadiers were only equipped with czapkas after the Russian debacle. All evidence I've seen would say that the VL up until 1813 would all be in shakos. In fact the uniform would be very similar to that of the Young Guard. As to GDW grenadiers, ideally they would be in bearskins, although the Poles being Poles some regiments were 'ideally' in czapkas (the more you read on the Poles the more contradictions you get) but as to what they actually wore in the field, especially in France, is anyone's guess. Polish regiments in 1809 were equipped from a variety of sources, including captured Prussian uniforms. I believe there were attempts at uniformity in headwear however. |
Glencairn | 08 Feb 2017 11:54 a.m. PST |
I remember reading somewhere that some , not all, Polish battalions issued the Czapka (pronounced "chap-ka") to grenadier and voltigeur companies. The centre companies wore French style shakos. At some point, I think about 1810, the usual "Change hats, boys!" decree came along, prescribing bearskins for the grenadiers; I believe the voltigeurs were also encouraged to swop their Czapkas for the plain French version, but there is no reason to believe this order was followed with any greater zeal or punctuality than any other. My own Poles have bearskins for the grenadiers, French style shakos for the centre companies, and czapkas for the voltigeurs, giving them an easily identifiable look about them.. |
Rod MacArthur | 08 Feb 2017 12:16 p.m. PST |
Glencairn, Interesting. My Poles have grenadiers in bearskins, fusiliers in czapkas and French style shakos for Voltigeurs. I decided on that based on George Nafziger's book "Poles and Saxons of the Napoleonic Wars". I have 6 battalions of them, the three Regiments sent to Spain, each of 2 battalions. Rod |
Murawski | 09 Feb 2017 4:35 a.m. PST |
Unless French equipped, GDW centre companies wore the czapka. Although broke, the GDW by 1810 would have been well equipped in Polish uniforms. After 1812 the Poles were actually better uniformed than the French as they stockpiled uniforms. Don't confuse the VL – who did wear shakos – with the GDW. The VL until 1813 were part of the French army not the Polish. National identity was huge for the Poles so unless in dire straits would have wanted to look 'Polish'. |
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