Archduke Charles' Legion?

**Prince of Darkness** · June 04, 2010, 11:42 PM

Saw its screenshot in the coalition DLC, but never bought it.

I'm curious about this unit, because other units of the DLC are easy to find in the books, but the legion's information seem scarce.
I only read about it in the Napolun website, but it is only mentioned once: The Austrian light infantry consisted of 200 Tyrolean Jager Companies of 50-200 men each (many were hunters), Charles' Legion, Vienna Volunteers and Jagers.
It seem that it's a light infantry unit, can anyone provide information?

**Prince of Essling** · June 05, 2010, 12:05 PM

According to Osprey "Austrian army of the Napoleonic Wars (1): Infantry -

Under Freicorps entry is

"Erzherzog Carl Legion Nov 1800 to 1801 establishment of 22 battalions (? misprint), Bohemian & Moravian Jager Corps of 1,500 & 1,000 men respectively.

Hat with white feather, white band (gold for officers); dark brown coat faced red, white lace, blue hungarian breeches, black leather work."

**Clodius** · June 06, 2010, 09:38 AM

I believe it was indeed originally 22-bns strong - but was more a hurriedly raised militia force raised to garrison Austrian towns and release regular garrison units than a true Freikorps.

When the Archduke Karl created a real Landwehr to fill that role the best soldiers in the legion seem to have been formed into a smaller light infantry regiment of the same name - 2 battalions of which served at Wagram in 1809 in different brigades (see Austrian OOB).

For a supposedly 'elite' unit there is remarkably little information on it - illustrating that the Austrians didn't really do 'elites'.

**Prince of Essling** · June 07, 2010, 02:48 AM

Thanks Clodius - your comments made me reach back into my bookshelf and consult Bowden's & Tarbox's "Armies on the Danube 1809".

Page 17 says 6 battalions were raised in Bohemia, each battalion had 6 companies, 4 of which were armed with carbines and 2 armed with rifles.

The footnotes say the legion was uniformed in black, Tyrolean-style corsehut (turned up hat) with green plume and brass plaque; reddish brown coat with pink to red facings, collar and turnbacks. Cuffs and shoulderboards edged in facing colour. Light blue Hungarian style breeches with red stripes. Remainder of equipment as for line infantry.

Looking at the initial OoB section end of March 1809 the 1st & 3rd battalions were part of Moritz Furst Liechtenstein's brigade in Vukassovich's Division of Friederich Franz Furst von Hohenzollern-Hechingen's 3rd Armeekorps; 5th & 6th battalions were part of von Waldegg's brigade of Hannibal Graf Somariva's Division in Franz Furst von Rosenberg's 4th Armeekorps. As to the whereabouts of 2nd & 4th battalions the OoBs are silent.....

The 5th (644 men) & 6th (711 men) battalions fought at Ebelsberg, as did the 3rd (approx 540 men) though it had been moved into a Reserve Corps under the command of Dedovich.

The 4th battalion (960 men) fought at Apern-Essling where it formed part of Lutzel's brigade in Fresnel's Division of 1 Armeekorps.

For Wagram the 4th battalion (952 men) were in Moyzen's brigade of Fresnel's Division in 1 Armeekorps, 2nd battalion (961 men) in Siegenthall's Division of 2 Armeekorps, 3rd battalion (518 men) in Alder's brigade of Hohenfeld's Division in 6 Armeekorps, .

**Clodius** · June 07, 2010, 07:17 PM

Originally Posted by Prince of Essling

Looking at the initial OoB section end of March 1809 the 1st & 3rd battalions were part of Moritz Furst Liechtenstein's brigade in Vukassovich's Division of Friederich Franz Furst von Hohenzollern-Hechingen's 3rd Armeekorps; 5th & 6th battalions were part of von Waldegg's brigade of Hannibal Graf Somariva's Division in Franz Furst von Rosenberg's 4th Armeekorps. As to the whereabouts of 2nd & 4th battalions the OoBs are silent.....

This seems to imply that there were really two forces of that name - the legion raised in 1800-1 as garrison troops and the light infantry regiment that fought in 1809 - whether there was any true continuity (i.e. the 6 bns in 1809 were what was left after most of the 22 bns from 1801 were disbanded or re-organised as landwehr) is another question.

And well spotted - only saw 2 bns when I looked at the 1809 OoB myself.

**Prince of Essling** · June 08, 2010, 05:31 AM

I would concur with Clodius' conclusion that the 1800-01 Legion and the 1809 Legion were two separate Units.

According to Tarbox & Bowden the 1809 Legion formed part of the Freicorps and was only raised in 1809 so I suspect no continuity.

**Prince of Darkness** · June 08, 2010, 09:13 AM

What about the uniforms? Were the two types the same or different? Which one does CA's skins represent?

**Prince of Essling** · June 08, 2010, 04:13 PM

Originally Posted by Prince Francesca

What about the uniforms? Were the two types the same or different? Which one does CA's skins represent?

Having taken a long hard look at the DLC illustration & the in-game model - I would have to say neither! It looks just like a Grenzer uniform.

I found this interesting link http://www.freewebs.com/archiducchar...og-karl-legion

Also see this extract from http://www.napoleonicassociation.org...01798-1814.pdf

"2.6.7 Legion Erzherzog Karl

The six battalions were raised in Bohemia and each consisted of four normal companies armed with the musket and two jäger companies. The First Battalion, raised from students of the Prague University, wore the bicorn hat with national cockade and red-over-white plume, the jäger companies and the normal companies wearing the corsehut with yellow-and-black pompon. Coats were tobacco brown with scarlet collar, cuffs and turnbacks and piping and decorated with scarlet braid on the breast. Breeches were sky-blue and worn with black leather knee boots. All belting was black leather and as for the line infantry or jägers. Officers wore the schiffhut and coats of infantry officer pattern with facings and decoration as for the men. The officers of this Legion were permitted to wear the waist-sash."

The illustration in Hourtoulle's "Wagram The Apogee of the Empire" confirm the corsehut uniform.

In other words everything is as clear as mud on this topic......

**Prince of Darkness** · June 09, 2010, 04:44 AM

Love the blog, PoE, +rep.
So the supposed 'elite' regiment never saw action and was a depot unit?

**Clodius** · June 09, 2010, 07:55 AM

No - it was in the OOB for Wagram so definitely did see action there.

I can ask over at the napoleon-series.org forum where you get some very serious historians who've studied the German and French sources in detail whether it was in any other battles.

**Prince of Essling** · June 09, 2010, 05:23 PM

It also fought at Eckmuhl, Ebelsberg & Aspern Essling.....

**Prince of Essling** · June 13, 2010, 04:46 PM

Picture of Prague Students of Archduke Charles Legion and Mahrisch Volunteers battalion of the Legion from Hourtoulle's Wagram book can be found at http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=1...f0d6082f1c2cd0

**lupu ßabre** · October 19, 2010, 11:09 AM

I read somewhere online that because the legion was primarily Bohemian they would not have been wearing Hungarian blue pants. Explanation? Apparently artists at Osprey were copying some pictures from the Archduke's bio, and happened upon a picture of the legion. The pants were shaded so the artist thought they were supposed to be blue, but instead they were gray like Jaegers have. So brown coat and gray pants is what it should be. I've never come across a single reputable reference for them being Hungarian either.