Napoleon's Invasion of Russia
Page 42
In addition to this, Napoleon coerced the various departments and larger cities to offer an additional 15,000 to 20,000 armed, mounted, and equipped men. The Municipal Guard of Paris, totaling 1,050 men in two battalions, was sent to Erfurt to form the nucleus of another new regiment. The municipal guards of the other large cities were combined to form the 37th Légère Regiment.
The navy was not immune from Napoleon's scavenging either. There were twelve regiments of marine artillery in the various French ports. This force was divided into twenty-four battalions with a total of 16,000 men. These weak battalions were reinforced by the addition of 2,000 levies from the Classes of 1809-1812 and a further 2,000 from the Class of 1814.
On 3 April 1813 another Senatus Consultum authorized the drafting of a further 80,000 men from the Classes of 1807-1812 that belonged to the first “ban” or draft class of the National Guard. It drew a further 90,000 from the Class of 1814 and authorized the raising of 10,000 Gardes d'honneur. Though they were purportedly volunteers and had flashy uniforms, the Gardes d'honneur were little more than hostages to insure the loyalty of the French middle class.
These efforts should have theoretically provided Napoleon with a new army of 656,000 men. However, there were problems associated with the forces he had attempted to call up. The men drawn from the municipal guards were generally older, retired soldiers. The sailors were untrained in land maneuvers and warfare. The new recruits were totally untrained and needed time to be brought up to any proficiency. The National Guard were poorly officered, but the men forming the cohorts were well trained, sound, and capable soldiers. The marine artillery was also quite capable and was to prove a worthwhile addition to the Grande Armée.
Napoleon ordered the remains of the army in Germany to be redeployed and used as cadres or garrisons. Initially only the fourth battalions were sent to France, while the others remained in Germany. However, Napoleon later decided to send the third battalions as well. Each regiment was reorganized with 100-man companies led by three officers. These companies were organized into provisional battalions which were used as garrisons in the various cities. In this manner III Corps provided a single battalion of 600 men that became the garrison of Spandau.
The cadres of the third and fourth battalions were supplemented by cadets from the various military academies, and many of their older sergeants and corporals were promoted into the officer ranks to fill the numerous vacancies.
Napoleon decided that the thirty-six regiments that belonged to the first four corps of the Grande Armée would be rebuilt to a four-battalion strength. Napoleon set about sweeping up the various depot battalions that were in France. There were 100 field battalions in France from other regiments serving outside France that were also available. Napoleon filled these battalions out to full strength with new levies from the Class of 1813 and organized them into provisional regiments. Napoleon also transferred two old regiments, a total of nine battalions, from Italy to Germany.
With these forces Napoleon began organizing the Corps d'Observation de l'Elbe. It was to have three divisions and a total of forty-eight battalions. On 15 February it began organizing near Magdeburg. By 15 March it was complete and consisted of units that had been National Guard cohorts.
The First Corps d'Observation du Rhin was formed under Marshal Ney around Mainz in March. It was to have four divisions totaling sixty battalions.
The Second Corps d'Observation du Rhin formed under General Marmont. It was to have fifty battalions. It was to begin by forming three divisions around Mainz between late March and early April. A fourth division was not completed until late May.
The Corps d'Observation d'Italie was formed with four divisions and fifty-four battalions. The new I Corps was to be raised with four divisions and sixty-four battalions. The new II Corps was to have four divisions and forty-eight battalions. Druette's division and the two divisions of Saxons became the new VII Corps, and the Guard was reconstituted around the survivors of the Russian campaign and new drafts of veterans drawn from Spain.
On 6 January Napoleon had begun reorganizing his Guard. He started by forming two “bis” battalions of Guard Chasseurs and Grenadiers. He drew 3,000 veterans with eight-and-a-half years of service from 250 battalions serving in Spain and ordered that the five battalions serving with the navy provide six veterans per company. He drew 2,000 other veterans from the rest of the army, and with these 5,000 veterans he reformed his Guard.
He also formed two auxiliary fusilier battalions on 6 January, and on 10 January he ordered the forming of the 3™6th “bis” Voltigeurs. On 17 January he ordered the raising of the 3-6th “bis” Tirailleurs and began stripping the Pupilles de la Garde for his other Guard units.
Napoleon found reorganizing his cavalry more difficult. There were only a few Italian Gardes d'Honneur, a few Berg Lancers, and about 100 Italian Guard Dragoons with Eugene. To supplement them, Napoleon sent all available cadres to Paris and the depots in Fulda and Gotha. General Walther took 1,000 dismounted officers and men to Fulda, where he formed four squadrons with horses donated by the Rhinish princes.
About 9,000 or 10,000 dismounted cavalry had survived Russia. Napoleon supplemented them by drawing 3,000 officers and noncommissioned officers from the gendarmerie and further increased the numbers with drafts.
For political reasons, the troops provided from the territory around Paris were incorporated into the Guard Grenadiers à Cheval, Chasseurs à Cheval, Dragoons, and 2nd Lancer Regiment. They were, however, made into the newly formed Young Guard squadrons.
Napoleon intended to reconstitute and increase the Guard Cavalry beyond its 1812 strength and to reorganize fifty-two cavalry regiments in two line cavalry corps. The corps were to consist of three heavy and four light divisions. The newly reconstituted cavalry regiments were formed around cadres drawn from Spain. This ambitious plan was handicapped from the outset. The main horse-breeding areas were in eastern Prussia and central Germany. The military developments quickly pulled those two areas out of Napoleon's grasp, and he was forced to rely on the limited resources of western Europe.
The Guard Chasseurs à Cheval were raised to a strength of 2,411 officers and men, including five Young Guard squadrons. The Mamelukes were reformed and their ranks filled out with Frenchmen. The 2nd Guard Lancers had their Young Guard squadrons organized from the cavalry of the Paris Municipal Guard.
The Guard 1st Lancers were reorganized in Friedberg with a total of 1,500 men. The necessary horses were donated by the Rhinish princes, and 600 horses were bought in Hanover.
The Guard artillery began reforming with the organization of two horse and four foot batteries for the Old Guard. The Old Guard artillery was later raised to six horse and six foot batteries. There was a Young Guard artillery force raised, and it eventually consisted of fourteen foot and fourteen horse companies. The pontooniers were reconstituted from the line pontoonier units.
In February Napoleon directed that the Guard Infantry should consist of two grenadier à pied regiments, two chasseur à pied regiments, the fusilier-chasseur and fusilier-grenadier regiments, the flanker-chasseur and flanker-grenadier regiments, seven voltigeur and seven tirailleur regiments, and four bataillons of pupilles.
The four regiments of grenadiers and chasseurs were filled out with reinforcements drawn from France. The “bis” battalions of Guard raised in January were abolished in February and redesignated as the 1st Battalion of the newly forming regiments. Initially only the first battalion of the regiments was filled out, and once complete, the second battalions were filled out. The 2nd Grenadiers and 2nd Chasseurs were formed in Fulda and assigned to the Middle Guard. Only their officers and NCOs were designated as Old Guard. The 3rd Grenadier à Pied Regiment, the Dutch Grenadiers that had fought so bravely at Krasnoe, were disbanded, and the survivors were incorporated into the 1st Grenadier Regiment. The two battalions of the pupilles were transformed into the 7th Voltigeur Regiment, and the National Guard Regiment was transformed into the 7th Tirail
leur Regiment.
As drafts of veterans arrived from Spain, Napoleon found he had 6,000 additional men and chose to form them into the 8th Voltigeur and 8th Tirailleur Regiments. As levies continued to flow into the depots, Napoleon raised further voltigeur and tirailleur regiments until there were thirteen regiments of each.
The lack of horses affected his artillery as well. This was further complicated when Napoleon directed an increase in the normal complement of regimental artillery. He knew that his green conscripts needed the morale boost that these guns gave.
By 20 April 1813 Napoleon had a field army totaling 210,000, of whom 35,000 were allied forces. Of the 175,000 French, 75,000 were conscripts from the Class of 1813. The 1814 levies had not yet arrived, and there were problems developing in arming them. There were proposals for arming them with foreign equipment, but the problems would be quickly surmounted. Napoleon had rebuilt his army into a functional military force and was able to take to the field sooner than his enemies.
Though it was filled with conscripts, the core of the new French army was built on solid, well-trained cadres able to provide direction to their new comrades. The newly formed regiments fought in the 1813 campaign with the same skill and brilliance that their predecessors had shown in Napoleon's earlier campaigns. Napoleon's administrative genius had once again demonstrated itself, and from the remains of a shattered army, like a phoenix, there arose a powerful new force ready to take up the challenge.
Romanov
Poles
1. 1st Squadron 1st Polish Chasseurs
2. 2nd Squadron (in skirmish line)
3. 3rd Squadron
4. 4th Squadron
Russians
A. Kouteinikov Cossacks
B. Karpof Cossacks
C. Ataman Cossacks
D. Ilowaiski Cossacks
E. 5th Jagers
F. Akhtyrski Cossacks
G. Kiev Dragoons
H. Lithuanian Uhlans
Polotsk
1. 23rd Jaggers
2. 25th Jagers
3. 26th Jagers
4. Kalouga Infantry
5. Sewsk Infantry
6. Converged Infantry
7. Perm Infantry
8. Mohilew Infantry
9. Vlastof's Detachment
10. ½ Position Battery #28
11. Horse Battery #1
12. Position Battery #5
13. Light Battery #9
14. ½ Position Battery #28
15. Light Battery #26
16. Russian Reserve Infantry
17. Russian Cavalry
A. Wrede's Division
B. Deracy's Division
C. Legrand's Division
D. Verdier's Division
E. Doumerc's Cavalry Division
F. Brigade Corbineau
G. Brigade Castex
Mir
French
2. 2nd Polish Uhlans
3. 3rd Polish Uhlans
7. 7th Polish Uhlans
11. 11th Polish Uhlans
15. 15th Polish Uhlans
16. 16th Polish Uhlans
Russians
A. Perekopski Tartars
B. Syssoief #3 Cossacks
C. Uowaiski Cossacks
D. Uowaiski Cossacks
E. 5 Sotnias of Ataman Cossacks
G. Uowaiski Cossacks
H. Grekov #8 Cossacks
I. Kharitonov #7 Cossacks
J. Simferopolski Tartars
K. Kiev Dragoons
L. Akhtyra Hussars
Saltanovka
Russians
C. 12th Division marching to the attack
D. 26th Division
E. Cavalry
F. Cossacks
H. 12th Division in battle
J. 26th Division
K. Cavalry L. Cossacks
French
A. Infantry before the battle
B. Cavalry before the battle
C. Infantry in the battle
Ostrowono
Russians
A. Soum Hussars
B. Ingermanland Dragoons
11. 11th Division
23. 23rd Division
French
1. 4th Corps
2. 1st Reserve Cavalry Corps
a. 1st Cuirassier Division St. Germain
b. 1st Light Division Bruyeres
c. 5th Cuirassier Division 6th Paluhla Brigade
Jakobovo
The Battle of Jakobovo
19 July 1812
Between the French II Corps
Commanded by
Marechal Oudinot
&
The Russian 1st Corps
Commanded by
General Count Wittgenstein
Russians
1. Mohilev Infantry Regiment
2. Perm Infantry Regiment
3. Light Battery #27
4. 26th Jager Regiment
5. Kalouga Infantry Regiment
6. Sevesk Infantry Regiment
7. 2 Guns of Light Battery #9
8. Position Battery #5
9. 23rd Jager Regiment
10. 25th Jager Regiment
11. 24th Jager Regiment
12. Grodno Hussar Regiment
13. Horse Battery #1, Light Battery #14, 10 guns of Light Battery #9
14. 1st Corps Cavalry
15. 2nd Russian Line of Battle
French:
A. 26th Legere Regiment
B. 19th & 56th Line Regiment
C. 8th Division (Verdier) & 5th Light Cavalry Brigade (Castex)
D. 3rd Cuirassier Division (Doumerc)
E. 2nd French Position
F. 3rd French Position
The Battle of Valoutina—Gora or Loubino
7 August 1812
Between the French Grande Arraee
Commanded by
Emperor Napoleon I
Loubino
& The Russian Army Commanded by Marshal Barclay de Tolly
Russians:
1. Leib Grenadier Regiment
2. Count Arakcheyev Grenadier Regiment
3. Pavlov Grenadier Regiment
4. Tauride Grenadier Regiment
5. St. Petersburg Grenadier Regiment
6. Ekaterinoslav Grenadier Regiment
7. Mourmon Infantry Regiment
8. Revel Infantry Regiment
9. Czernigov Infantry Regiment
10. Koporie Infantry Regiment
11. 20th Jager Regiment
12. 21st Jager Regiment
13. Kexholm Infantry Regiment
14. Pernau Infantry Regiment
15. Polotsk Infantry Regiment
16. Jelets Infantry Regiment
17. Rylsk Infantry Regiment
18. Ekaterinburg Infantry Regiment
19. Converged Grenadier Battalion assigned to 3rd Division
20. 4th Division
21. 17th Division
22. Korff s Rearguard
23.-26. Elisabethgrad, Mariapol, Soumy & Isoum Hussar Regiment
27. Cossacks
28. 1st Reserve Corps
French:
U. 1st Division (Morand)
V. 10th Division (Ledru)
W. 25th Division (Marchand)
X. 9th & 10th Light Cavalry Brigades (Wollwrath)
Y. Murat's Reserve Cavalry
Z. VIII Corps (Junot)
S. 3rd Division (Gudin)
T. 11th Division (Razout)
Smolensk
The Battle of Smolensk &
7 August 1812 The Russian Army
Between the French Grande Armee Commanded by
Commanded by Marshal Barclay de Tolly
Emperor Napoleon I
Gorodetchna
The Battle of Gorodetchna &
12 August 1812 The Russian 3rd Army of the West
Between the Austro-Saxon Forces Commanded by
Commanded by General Tormassov
Feld-Marschal Schwarzenberg
<
br /> Austro-Saxon Forces
(Large Scale)
A. Saxon Positions 11 August
B. Austrian Positions 11 August
1. Trautenberg's Division 12 August
2. Frimont's Division 12 August
3. Hesse-Homberg's Division 12 August
4. Lilienberg's Brigade 12 August
5. Funcke's Brigade 12 August
6. Siegenthal's Division 12 August
7. Sahr's, Brigade 12 August
8. LeCoq's Division 12 August
9. Frohlich's Division 12 August
10. Saxon Advanced Guard 12 August
Russians
C. 19th Division 11 August
D. 9th Division 11 August
E. Corps Cavalry 11 August
11. 18th Division 12 August
12. 9th Division 12 August
13. Corps Cavalry 12 August
14. Pavlograd Hussar Regiment 12 August
Gorodetchna
Austro-Saxon Forces
(Detailed)
1. Saxon Grenadier Battalions von Anger & von Spiegel
2. Saxon 2nd Light Infantry Regiment
3. Funcke Brigade
4. Lilienberg Brigade
5. Sonntag Battery
6. Saxon 21st Division (LeCoq)
7. Austrian Frolich Brigade
8. Saxon von Branst Battery
9. Saxon 1st and 2nd Horse Batteries
10. Austrian Hohenzollern & O'Reilly Chevauxlegers
11. Saxon Polenz Chevauxlegers
12. Saxon Prinz Clemens Uhlans & Saxon Hussars
13. Austrian Hiller Infantry Regiment
14. Austrian Colloredo Infantry Regiment
15. Austrian Siegenthal Division
Russians:
20. Vladimir Infantry Regiment
21. Dnieper Infantry Regiment
22. Tambov Infantry Regiment
23. Kostroma Infantry Regiment
24. 28th Jager Regiment
25. Starodoub Dragoon Regiment
26. Tanganrok Dragoon Regiment