From the Rawkins CD – for the line infantry's artillery companies
COMPAGNIA DI ARTIGLIERIA REGGIMENTALE
From 1810 each Reggimento di linea was to be assigned a Compagnia di Artiglieria Reggimentale, a company of regimental artillery, consisting of two captured Austrian light 3pdr field guns with an establishment of 75 officers and men, including an attendant train section. Although the regiments of line infantry included an artillery company on the paper strength from 1810 the batteries, if raised, do not appear to have served with the field battalions until 1812, although two 3pdr or 4 pdr guns were delivered to the depot of each of the regiments in 1811. The equipment prescribed for the Compagnia di Artiglieria Reggimentale consisted of two guns, three
regimental/artillery tool wagon. The train section was also responsible for the regimental train which was officially set in 1810 as one regimental field ambulance, and for each battaglioni di guerra, one small arms caisson and one supplies wagon. Any additional wagons for supplies, officers baggage or field equipment had to be found from forge, and caissons, one regimental funds or ‘acquired' locally. The regiment received funding to purchase four draft horses for each vehicle, the beasts usually found from auctions of retired cavalry mounts.
HEADGEAR
Both the artillerists and the train wore the same pattern of shako as the infantrymen of the regiment with black leather trim to the upper edge and brass lozenge plate pierced with the regimental number. The chin- scales were brass with a grenade motif stamped onto the boss. The gunners and the drivers all had a red ball pompon. The berretto, fatigue cap was of the same stocking pattern as worn by the regiment but was dark green with red piping and tassel for the artigliere and had a red grenade motif at the front of the headband. The cap is also described as having dark green piping and a wide red trim to the headband. The treno berretto was dark green with dark green piping and tassel.
COAT
The coat issued to the Artiglieria was a dark green habit coat with the collar, lapels, turnbacks and cuffs all dark green with red piping, and the cuff-flaps red. The shoulder-straps were bastion tipped and dark green piped red; the tail pockets were piped red. All buttons were white metal and embossed with the regimental number. In correspondance between the author and the late Rene North he indicated that there was some evidence that the Artigliere 1o di classe, 1st class gunners may have been distinguished by fringed red epaulettes and the the Artigliere 2o di classe, 2nd Class gunners may have had dark green cuff-flaps. Whilst these variations from the regulations of 1810 may be feasible no original source is given to support these suggestions and no firm evidence has been found elsewhere although similar distinctions were used by the neighbouring Kingdom of Naples.
The drivers of the regimental train were issued with a coat in 1810 of the ‘habit a la Kinski' style. This was a short tailed, single breasted coatee of dark green closed at the breast with nine large white metal buttons. The collar and the turnbacks were dark green piped with red and cuffs were of the Brandenburg pattern and dark green with red piping and red cuff-flaps. The shoulder-straps were bastion tipped and dark green with red piping. In 1812 a new coatee of the same style began to be issued with red collar, small vertical tail pockets and square-cut cuffs piped red with two buttons at the training edge, one on the cuff actual and one above. This coat appears to have been worn by the regimental baggage drivers from 1813.
BREECHES, ETC
The waist-coats and breeches for the artillery gunners were dark green with white metal buttons and worn with black, high over the knee gaiters with cloth covered buttons in 1810. The Artiglieria were issued with white overall trousers for summer wear and dark green overalls for winter and campaign wear. Both the gunners and the treno drivers were issued with the ‘giubba' sleeved waistcoat for fatigues, of dark green with white metal buttons and dark green facings to the collar and cuffs. The gunner's great coats were of the same double breasted pattern as issued to the line infantry in 1811 and were pepper-grey with plain upright collar and Swedish cuffs and closed with two rows of white metal buttons on the breast. The shoulder-straps were plain coat colour with rounded inner tips.
The drivers of the train section were issued with dark green breeches and high cuffed riding boots in 1810 but by 1812 these had generally been superceded by tight fitting overall trousers of a very light grey, or dark green heavy canvas with a row of white metal buttons on the outer seam. The overalls were worn over short riding boots with screw-in spurs. The mounted drivers were issued with a cavalry style greatcoat of pepper grey, single breasted with a deep cape at the shoulders closed with four large white metal buttons. The plain collar and the short squared cuffs were of the coat colour.
EQUIPMENT
The equipment and arms issued to the Compagnia di Artiglieria Reggimentale was basically the same as issued to the elite companies of the line infantry. The musket issued was the standard pattern m 1777 infantry short carbine with a socket bayonet manufactured in Italy and fitted with a whitened leather sling. Pouch belts were of the standard infantry issue, a whitened leather simple loop belt which supported a black leather cartridge pouch with a plain undecorated lid. The sabre-belt was whitened leather and supported the regulation infantry pattern 1805 sabre- briquet in a double frog with the bayonet. The sabre-scabbard and bayonet sheath were black leather with brass heel and fittings. Sabre-straps were white with red knot and tassels.
The train drivers and outriders were not issued with the carbine or bayonet although long arms were carried in the baggage wagon for piquet and guard duties. Each man was armed with the infantry pattern sabre-briquet carried on a regulation pattern whitened leather shoulder belt with black leather scabbard and white sabre-strap. The drivers and outriders were issued with two cavalry pistols either of the 1805 Italian pattern or the Italian copies of the m 1777 French pistol carried in holsters on the saddle.
OFFICERS & NCOs
The non-commissioned officers of the Artigliere and the treno wore the same basic uniform as the men except that they were distinguished in the same manner as their counterparts in the infantry with silver or white stripes of rank worn on the sleeves above the cuffs.
The two company officers wore the same style of shako or bicorn hat as the infantry officers with all metalwork and lace trim silvered and red pompons. The coat was of the same style and colouring as those of the men with silver grenades on the turnbacks and silver epaulettes as for the tenente and sotto-tenente of the infantry.
Breeches and waistcoats were dark green and worn with high cuffed riding boots. All officers' equipment was as for those of the line infantry but belting was generally black leather with brass buckles and fittings.
MUSICIANS
Very little information has been found about the uniforms of the drummers of the regimental artillery or the trumpeter of the train section. The uniforms would probably have been as for the men perhaps with the drummers having swallows-nest epaulettes which would probably have been dark green or red with white lace trim. The drummers and the trumpeter of the train section may have had white lace trim to the collar and cuffs.
HORSE FURNITURE
The train out-riders had demi-shabraques of dark green edged with a wide band of white and piped dark green at the extreme edge and a white sheepskin saddle cover with dark green dogtooth edging. The valise was squared and dark green with white lace trim at the outer tips. The two company officers were mounted and their shabraques were of the same pattern as used by the line infantry officers, dark green with a silver lace edging piped dark green and a silver grenade motif in the rear corners.
For the light infantry:
COMPAGNIA DI ARTIGLIERIA REGGIMENTALE
From 1810 each Reggimento Leggera was to be assigned a Compagnia di Artiglieria Reggimentale, a company of regimental artillery, consisting of two captured Austrian light 3pdr field guns with an establishment of 75 officers and men, including an attendant train section. The establishments and equipment were exactly as those for the line infantry regiments and the companies do not appear to have been assigned to the field until the 1812 campaign and although they existed on paper in 1813 do not seem to have been re-raised.
The uniforms and equipment of the artillerists and train soldiers were almost identical to those of the line infantry regimental artillery except that the shako was decorated with a shako plate of the light infantry pattern embossed with the buglehorn motif and regimental number. The coats were of the same pattern habitveste as worn by the Fanteria Leggera with short tails and pointed lapels and were dark green with dark green collar, lapels, turnbacks, shoulder-straps and cuffs piped scarlet and scarlet cuff- flaps. Waist-coats and breeches were dark green and were worn with black, knee length gaiters with brass buttons. All equipment was as for the regimental artillery of the line infantry. The uniforms of the non-commissioned-officers and officers followed the same distinctions as the regiment with officers having silvered plate and fittings to the shako or silver cockade-strap on the bicorn hat and the long tailed habit coat with pointed lapels and epaulettes as for the regimental officers.
paints the Dogman from the Flintloque starter set.
