"French Regimental Artillery 1812" Topic

Hi

Is it worth putting them on a wargames table. I have quite a library of book on 1812 and apart from appearig in the OBs and Napoleon forming a battery at regimental artillery at the start of Borodino they are not mentioned. Once the horses started and continued to die in large numbers would the commanders have re-assigned the battalion gun horse to the Corps and Divisional reserve companies?

Gaming Prussians and Russians from 1812 onwards don't have Regimental artillery. But playing 7YW reenactment games they do and having 1 4pdr battery in my Prussians play those as Regimental artillery with a 2 gun stand attached to a Reserve Regiment. I add their fire to the Battalion if both firing or if small arms is out of range can fire on their own as part of that Battalion just as a skirmish company was attached.
Rarely makes much difference but then that's Empire, just like that 1 company skirmish on a mass battlefield another cog in the drive.

For regimental artillery in Black Powder or house rules, I attach one 4 pdr to each multi-battalion regiment. That seems to work quite well.

As far as the history is concerned, in 1812, the guns were seen as a symbol of honour second only to the Eagle. As a result, they were hung onto as long as possible. As far as I am aware, the regimental horses were shuttled to the guns as long as possible and most, if not all, the lost guns were lost during the retreat when there were simply no horses left, the men no longer had the strength to pull them and discipline finally broke down to 'sauve qui peut'.

Personally don't use them but I think Artilleryman has a great idea

sorry to chime in, but can i just ask what is "regimental artillery" exactly – i aks this also because i was reading an old courier magazine and hte author was comparing empire 4 to Empire 3 and was lamenting the changes to the regimental artillery rules -so i was wondering since then what exactly is so unique about this,

and what rules out there factor it in? whatever it is – is it just the attachment of artillery to a regiment?

Don't put them on table but add their fire to that of the regiment's first battalion when it fires where appropriate.

To answer the question as to what are regimental guns, from 1809 through 1812 two 3# or 4# guns were assigned to each regiment. Some of the larger regiments in Davout's Corp in 1812 had two sections per regiment. They move with the regiment except in impassable terrain and must fire at the same taget as the battalion to which they are attached unless out of small arms range.

okay thanks for that info – so no regimental artillery in 1813?

For 1813, In the returns dated 15 August, there are regimental 6pdr guns attached to some French and Italian infantry regiments in the French V and XI corps. Information from "Napoleon's Grande Armee of 1813" by Scott Bowden. That is all I could find.