The aim of this thread is to provide an accessible note on the naval troops of Napoleon. It will cover ships' crews, naval artillery, costal artillery, & artificers.
Any errors are mine alone, and any corrections/clarifications are welcomed (& will be repped).
To produce the note I will draw on: John R Elting “Swords Around a Throne”; Rene Chartrand & Francis Back “Napoleon’s Sea Soldiers”; Delauney & Guittard “Historique de l’Artillerie de la Marine”; Otto von Pivka “Navies of the Napoleonic Era”; Paul Lecene “Les Marins de la Republique et de l’Empire, 1793-1815”; Eugene Pacini “La Marine”; Alain Pigeard “L’Artillerie de Marine sous le Premier Empire” (Tradition magazine); Vice-Amiral Krantz “Historique artillerie de la marine”; Leon Hennet "Les milices et les troupes provinciales"; J.R.M. Malaize “Essai Historique & Chronologique sur les Troupes de la Marine, Depuis leur origine jusqu’a nos jours..”; Philip J Haythornthwaite “The Napoleonic Source Book”; Correspondance de Napoleon avec le ministre de la marine”; “Correspondance de l’Empereur Napoleon Ier”; Charles Pauly “Etude sur l’inscription maritime”; & La Garde Chauvin website.
Entry for Ships’ Crews (Equipages)now posted below.
The French Napoleonic navy had no equivalent to the British marines. Regular infantry performed that function – for example the 2nd, 16th, 67th, 70th, 79th, & 93rd line Line infantry regiments had detachments serving with Villeneuve’s fleet at Trafalgar.