Pdguru's French and Allies: Uniforms, Artillery, Equipment and Sounds

[Steph]

Légion du Midi

[pietromicca1677]

Pdg, it's possible to have also the grenadiers? Or i'm asking too much?

[Pdguru]

Pdg, it's possible to have also the grenadiers? Or i'm asking too much?

Well, correct answers given above!

Pietromicca it's certainly very possible! But historically, I believe that due to poor recruting, these units never did not get to their intended regiment strength, so a combined unit of Grenadier companies would have been very small. Perhaps PoE might comment...?

[pietromicca1677]

you're right pdg, in Spain, the Legion was 546 men strong, if ever existed, the grenadier company sure was small.

[Pdguru]

you're right pdg, in Spain, the Legion was 546 men strong, if ever existed, the grenadier company sure was small.

But here they are...



And here is the Naples 8th Ligne Regiment

[lordargento]

Go on with this magnificent work!!!
I´m trying to find out an interesting cavalry unit not ever creater by other mods... but nothing good enough was found.

[Pdguru]

Thanks. I am having trouble with getting the packs to work (as usual) but still plan to have some of the new units posted tomorrow.

[Prince of Essling]

Well, correct answers given above!

Pietromicca it's certainly very possible! But historically, I believe that due to poor recruting, these units never did not get to their intended regiment strength, so a combined unit of Grenadier companies would have been very small. Perhaps PoE might comment...?

This is adapted from Guy C Dempsey Jr. “Napoleon’s Mercenaries”

1er Légion Piémontaise was raised on 18 May 1803 in the newly annexed mainland departments. It was one of 4 contemplated.

Each of the Legions was intended to have 3 line battalions, 2 light battalions, a staff of 32 personnel and a single company of artillery. Each battalion was to have 5 companies (4 fusilier & 1 grenadier in line battalions; 4 chasseur & 1 carabinier in light battalions). Each battalion was supposed to consist of 765 men; and each Legion 3,935 men.

Recruitment was slow. The first two line battalions were not completed until December 1803; the first light battalion & artillery company were not organised until early 1804. By June Napoleon realised his 4 legion idea would not be fulfilled so he scrapped the plan and on 30 June 1804 renamed the Legion “Légion du Midi” (Legion of the South). In 1804 one company in each battalion was converted to voltigeurs.

In January 1805 the 1st and 2nd battalions were sent to the Caribbean to assist the remaining French forces there. The 2nd battalion ended up in San Domingo and the 1st in Martinique. As numbers declined a cadre was returned to Europe and those remaing in the Caribbean were subsumed into other regiments.

The 3rd battalion was joined by a 4th battalion, built around the returned cadres. They were renumbered 1st and 2nd battalions – each had 9 companies, and were stationed along with artillery company on the bay of Biscay. On 3 September 1806 the Legion had 42 officers and 1,636 NCOs & privates.

In June 1807 the 1st battalion was incorporated into Androche Junot’s Corps of Observation of the Gironde. Junot’s Corps including the 1st battalion marched to Lisbon; the 2nd battalion was sent to Portugal in October only reaching there the next year. In line with French units the battalions were reorganised so that each consisted of 6 companies. The battalions were left near Lisbon when Junot took his troops to fight the British at Vimiero. Although the Legion was repatriated under the Cintra convention, Napoleon immediately sent it back to the Peninsular.

In November 1808 it was reduced to 1 battalion – 1 company of carabiniers, 1 of voltigeurs and 3 of chasseurs – of 776 men including 21 officers. It formed part of Marshal Soult’s Corps in early 1809. In 1810 it had 6 companies (the additional company was composed of chasseurs) – its strength in April was 21 officers and 689 NCOs & privates. It was part of Marshal Massena’s Army of Portugal and was decimated at Busaco (losing a staggering 317 killed & wounded out of 563 officers & men). It formed part of the rearguard when Massena evacuated Portugal. It fought at Fuentes de Oñoro – having 174 men left of the 350 who started).

On 11 August 1811 Napoleon dissolved the Legion – those in the Peninsular went into the 31st Legere & those away recruiting in Italy went to the 11th Legere.

[pietromicca1677]

Thank you Pdg for the grenadiers of the Legion du Midi! A really welcomed surprise +REP

[Pdguru]

This is adapted from Guy C Dempsey Jr. “Napoleon’s Mercenaries”

1er Légion Piémontaise was raised on 18 May 1803 in the newly annexed mainland departments. It was one of 4 contemplated.

Each of the Legions was intended to have 3 line battalions, 2 light battalions, a staff of 32 personnel and a single company of artillery. Each battalion was to have 5 companies (4 fusilier & 1 grenadier in line battalions; 4 chasseur & 1 carabinier in light battalions). Each battalion was supposed to consist of 765 men; and each Legion 3,935 men.

Recruitment was slow. The first two line battalions were not completed until December 1803; the first light battalion & artillery company were not organised until early 1804. By June Napoleon realised his 4 legion idea would not be fulfilled so he scrapped the plan and on 30 June 1804 renamed the Legion “Légion du Midi” (Legion of the South). In 1804 one company in each battalion was converted to voltigeurs.

In January 1805 the 1st and 2nd battalions were sent to the Caribbean to assist the remaining French forces there. The 2nd battalion ended up in San Domingo and the 1st in Martinique. As numbers declined a cadre was returned to Europe and those remaing in the Caribbean were subsumed into other regiments.

The 3rd battalion was joined by a 4th battalion, built around the returned cadres. They were renumbered 1st and 2nd battalions – each had 9 companies, and were stationed along with artillery company on the bay of Biscay. On 3 September 1806 the Legion had 42 officers and 1,636 NCOs & privates.

In June 1807 the 1st battalion was incorporated into Androche Junot’s Corps of Observation of the Gironde. Junot’s Corps including the 1st battalion marched to Lisbon; the 2nd battalion was sent to Portugal in October only reaching there the next year. In line with French units the battalions were reorganised so that each consisted of 6 companies. The battalions were left near Lisbon when Junot took his troops to fight the British at Vimiero. Although the Legion was repatriated under the Cintra convention, Napoleon immediately sent it back to the Peninsular.

In November 1808 it was reduced to 1 battalion – 1 company of carabiniers, 1 of voltigeurs and 3 of chasseurs – of 776 men including 21 officers. It formed part of Marshal Soult’s Corps in early 1809. In 1810 it had 6 companies (the additional company was composed of chasseurs) – its strength in April was 21 officers and 689 NCOs & privates. It was part of Marshal Massena’s Army of Portugal and was decimated at Busaco (losing a staggering 317 killed & wounded out of 563 officers & men). It formed part of the rearguard when Massena evacuated Portugal. It fought at Fuentes de Oñoro – having 174 men left of the 350 who started).

On 11 August 1811 Napoleon dissolved the Legion – those in the Peninsular went into the 31st Legere & those away recruiting in Italy went to the 11th Legere.

Great detail! I will make the Midi Grenadiers unit available but will set it to only 100 men. It will not have a standard bearer either, of course.

[Pdguru]

PRINCE OF ESSLING'S INSPIRATIONS (RELEASE)

Here are 8 units dedicated to the excellent expertise of The Prince of Essling and the guidance he has given many on this site on the uniforms of the period. This is to recognise his efforts so often assumed within the great mods of TWC.

Links in OP.

I HOPE THESE WORK OK FOR YOU FOLKS - AND FOR THOSE WHO USE THEM, FEEDBACK WOULD BE APPROPRIATE, DON'T YOU THINK?

NAPLES

Naples Velite-Chasseurs



Naples 3rd Regiment de Ligne



Naples Velite Voltigeurs



Naples Velites



Naples 8th Regiment de Ligne




SCHAUMBURG

Fusiliers




LEGION DE MIDI

Fusiliers



Grenadiers (100 men of merged Companies)

[Mr.Gorby]

Wowwww! Great news! Tnx

[Prince of Essling]

Great detail! I will make the Midi Grenadiers unit available but will set it to only 100 men. It will not have a standard bearer either, of course.

Apparently Pierre Charrie "Drapeaux et Etandards de la Revolution et de l'Empire" says that the Legion was issued with 3 eagles in 1805 of the 1804 model. No specific description of the colour attached has been found, but it would be reasonable to assume it followed those issued to units outside of the line.

P.S. Forgot to say - very many thanks for the beautiful units. As always very well done.

[Pdguru]

Apparently Pierre Charrie "Drapeaux et Etandards de la Revolution et de l'Empire" says that the Legion was issued with 3 eagles in 1805 of the 1804 model. No specific description of the colour attached has been found, but it would be reasonable to assume it followed those issued to units outside of the line.

P.S. Forgot to say - very many thanks for the beautiful units. As always very well done.

Thanks. Regarding the standard bearer for the grenadiers It's my beilief that the core line unit would keep it's eagle rather then let it go with a separated group. Also, with a larger regiment with several batallions (and flags) I'm not sure which of flags the unit would be given to a sub-unit, or if that sub unit would feel good about being under it, if it's not specifically their own (i.e. Grenadiers of the 1st being under the flag of the third batallion). For me, with a small sub-group like these grenadiers, it just feels right that they would not have an eagle for the duration of their assignment - just officers and NCOs, and drummers as assigned to communicate orders.

That said, respecting PoE's report above (and player preferences), I will issue an additonal optional version - with a standard bearer. The current version (no standard bearer) will also be amended to have two drummers instead of a flutist.

[EmperorBatman999]

Nice Legion du Midi. It's my favorite Legion.

[VENNONETES]

FANTASTIC! +REP


V.E.

[Pdguru]

Updated versions with LME-based .loc file for unit names now posted above.

Thank you EB and Vennonetes.

[daevidh]

great work! master pdguru, amazingg! + rep thanku

[Steph]

In theory, fusilier were supposed to stay on the center, with elite company on both side, voltigeur on the left, grenadier on the right.
I suppose it makes more sense to have the standard somewhere in the center of the batallion that on one of the flank, so it seems reasonnable to think it stayed with the fusilier

[lordargento]

Great Maester, these units are great.
I have been looking for an interesting cavalry unit for your artistic delight, and i found one that is not present in any of the existing mods (the only little problem is the lack of proper and accurate info about it): The "Ionian mounted chasseurs".
Here´s the only description found about their uniform (no image was found) : "A squadron of Chasseurs a cheval ioniens was created on the island of Corfu on 27 November 1807, but served on all the Ionian Islands. Its
provisional form was one squadron of cavalry, but it was reduced to a single company of 128 officers and men on 13 December 1808. The unit was recruited from the natives, but some men of the 25c Chasseurs a cheval also joined them from the Kingdom of Naples, and the hitter's
uniform was adopted by all personnel. It consisted of a green jacket with dark red (garance) facings but with buttons bearing the inscription 'Chasseurs Ioniens'. The unit was evacuated to France in 1814 with the rest of the French garrison of Corfu, and remnants were incorporated into
the 6e Fanciers at Lyon.
Perhaps our wise Prince of Essling can find some more specific information.