"The great battery at Waterloo" Topic

Hello everyone,

What batteries exactly did the great battery at Waterloo consist of?
The 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th foot companies of the old guard with 24 x 12 pdrs guns and 8 x 6 inch howitzers.

The 11th company of the 6th Foot Artillery Regiment with 6 x 12 pdrs guns and 2 x 6 inch howitzers?
The 7th company of the 2nd Foot Artillery Regiment with 6 x 12 pdrs guns and 2 x 6 inch howitzers?
The 4th company of the 8th Foot Artillery Regiment with 6 x 12 pdrs guns and 2 x 6 inch howitzers?

And after ?

Because at the beginning it had 80 pieces…

But in addition after the death of General Desvaux de Saint-Maurice, the command of the grand battery fell upon General Lallemand, commander of the OLD Guard foot artillery, who subsequently ordered a company of horse artillery from Milhaud's IV Reserve Cavalry Corps (which one? The 5th company of the 1st Horse Artillery Regiment or the 4th company of the 3rd Horse Artillery Regiment?) as well as the mobile Volante companies of the Imperial Guard, to reinforce the grand battery.

Hi Paskal
The first French massed battery comprised 54 pieces, as follows:
. Main (central) division): 12pdr batteries of I, II & VI Corps (each battery 6 x 12 pdrs and 2 x howitzers) totalling 24 pieces.
. Supporting (left) division: 6 pdr batteries of Quiot, Donzelot & Marcognet (each battery 6 x 6 pdr and 2 x howitzers) totalling 24 pieces.
. Supporting (right) division: 6 pdr horse battery of Jacquinot (4 x 6 pdrs and 2 x howitzers) totalling 6 pieces.
This is the arrangement described by Desalles, the appointed massed battery commander.
Durutte's division arrived later (one battery 6 x 6 pdrs and 2 x howitzers). Deployed to Durutte's front.
Subervie's horse battery (4 x 6 pdrs and 2 x howitzers) was added later to the supporting (right) division.
Milhaud's two horse batteries (each battery 4 x 6pdrs and 2 x howitzers) were added later to the massed battery (exact location unknown, but all survived to form part of the second massed battery later on).
All the above 80 pieces were in place and in action before D'Erlon commenced his first assault.
No Imperial Guard artillery at this stage.
Hope this helps.
Kind regards
Allan

Thanks Alan,

But I had the solution,I have so much documentation that I didn't know it, here is what I found in Scott Bowden's book "ARMIES at WATERLOO" page 321:

From I Army Corps:
6th Foot Artillery Regt., 20th company (Division Quiot)
6th Foot Artillery Regt., 10th company (Donzelot Division)
6th Foot Artillery Regt., 19th company (Marcognet Division)
6th Foot Artillery Regt., 11th company*(Corps Artillery Reserve)

From II Army Corps:
2nd Foot Artillery Regt., 7th company*(Corps Artillery Reserve)

From VI Army Corps:
8th Foot Artillery Regt., 4th company*(Corps Artillery Reserve)

From the Imperial Guard:
Old Guard Foot Art.Regt., 1st company*
Old Guard Foot Art.Regt., 2nd company*
Old Guard Foot Art.Regt., 3rd company*
Old Guard Foot Art.Regt., 4th company*

Initial composition of the grand battery totalled 80 pieces of ordnance.

* Indicates 12 – pounder artillery companies.

The 6th Foot Artillery Regt., 10th company, and the 6th Foot Artillery Regt., 19th company were overrun and put out of commission during the charge of the Union Brigade.

The grand battery was subsequently reinforced by one company of horse artillery from Milhaud's IV Reserve Cavalry Corps (which one? The 5th company of the 1st Horse Artillery Regiment or the 4th company of the 3rd Horse Artillery Regiment?) and by the four companies of the Old Guard Horse Artilery.