From: mike@aloysius.equinox.gen.nz (Mike Campbell)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Napoleonic Troops:  Uniforms & Functions
Date: 24 Jan 93 16:06:36 GMT
Organization: Me?  Organized?


From Mike Campbell <mike@aloysius.equinox.gen.nz>

> From ntaib@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Iskandar Taib)
> 
> >In each battalion there was an elite company (Grenadiers in the line, 
> >Carabinier in the Light), one Voltigeur Company (the title was the 
> >same in line and light battalions), with the balance being Fusiliers 
> >in the line, or Chasseurs (Hunters I think it means, like Jaeger) in 
> >the light.
> 
> Were there any differences in uniforms within Light Infantry battalions?
> I remember that in a battalion of the Line the Fusiliers and Grenadier
> companies wore blue coats, white lapels and white trousers while the Vol-
> tiguers wore blue coats, lapels and trousers. The Grenadiers wore red 
> piping and crests, the Voltiguers yellow and green. 

Uniforms are not my forte, however yes there were differences, similar 
to those you have mentioned.  In 1804 the shakos were diferenced with 
the Carabiniers having red festoons (the cords etc which hang off it), 
and the collars were red for the carabiniers and chasseurs, yellow for 
the voltiguers.  

In 1812 carabiniers received a grenade on their turnbacks, the 
chasseurs a white hunting horn and the voltiguers a buff hunting horn.  
Epaulettes became scarlet piped with red for the carabiniers, blue 
piped with white for the chasseurs and buffed piped with blue for the 
voltiguers.  The collars were now red piped with blue for the 
carabiniers and chasseurs.

> 
> >As with the British army of the time, the title of the unit did not 
> >necessarily define the unit's role.  I have heard/read of all types of 
> >unit skirmishing (even Russian Musketeers (=line)), while the Term 
> >Fusiler used to mean someone armed with a short, light musket (the 
> >"Fusil") and capable of skirmishing.  
> 
> Hmmm.. I thought the British (at least in Spain) only had three 
> regiments of Light Infantry - the 43rd and 52nd, and the 95th 
> Rifles. They were regarded as being better than Line infantry for
> the most part, with distinctive uniforms. I suppose, of course, 
> that Line infantry might have skirmished too.

By 1809 another 4 regts had been trained as light infantry - 68th, 
71st (Highlanders), 85th and 90th.  The 5th Bn of the 60th (Royal 
Americans) was also trained as LI and equiped with the Baker Rifle.  
Regular infantry included a light company in each Bn for skirmishing.  
I have often read of these troops being supported by the Grenadier Co, 
both being well in advance of the main body of the Bn.  On some 
occaisions the Brits would brigade the light companies to form ad hoc 
light battalions.

As far as I am aware the only systematic (emphasis on the systematic) 
training given in light infantry tactics was that given to the British 
Regiments and to the French Grande Armee in its camps in Nth France in 
1805.  The French army of 1805 was probably the best Napoleon ever 
fielded, due to having spent a lot of time in training camps prior to 
the aborted invasion of England.

> >In Prussian Musketeer battalions post 1808 the entire third rank was 
> >supposed to be able to skirmish, with no distinct title being given to 
> >the troops involved.  This was on top of the Fusiler Battalions which 
> >made up 1 Bn in each regt of 3 (Note that Prussian Fusilers were light 
> >troops, while French (and British as well) were line!!).
> 
> Wasn't there a British regiment called the Royal Fusiliers who
> wore Dragoon type helmets? I remember that Bruce Quarry's tables
> gave them somewhat better ratings than regular Line Infantry. 
> (I thought it was strange that he'd have a seperate "Fusiliers"
> entry in his tables. That was the most widely xeroxed (i.e. pirated!) 

Nominally the Fusiliers were elite.  At Albuera they did very well, 
but to all intents they were just line infantry.  There were 2 regts 
of Fusiliers - 7th (Royal Fusiliers) and 23rd (Royal Welsh Fusiliers).  
Again the uniforms are not my speciality, but yes they seem to have 
worn a Bearskin akin to that worn by the Scots Greys (2nd (Royal North 
British) Dragoons).  Since Airfix used to make the Scots Greys I've no 
doubt your recollections below are quite correct -I remember splicing 
french cuirassier heads onto Scots Grey bodies to make ordinary 
Dragoons!!


> fix figurines - I think we cut the heads off Cuirassiers, glued
> them on Line Infantry bodies then modified the helmet crests. 
> (Then you'd want to find some unit of cavalry which wore british-
> style infantry shakos so you didn't waste parts! Sounds macabre 
> doesn't it..)

> >I have read some evidence of Young Guard units skirmishing, but this 
> >may just have been their flank companies, while I have none at all of 
> >the the Old Guard Chasseurs ever being used as light infantry, as 
> >their name would suggest.
> 
> This probably accounts for why the Old Guard were not allowed to 
> skirmish in wargames. We often did this with Young Guard units. In 
> fact, I was under the impression (until this thread got started) 
> that the Old Guard was composed entirely of Grenadiers. Also, why
> were Guard battalions smaller than the regular Line battalions?
> (I remember 16 figures vs. 24 - 600+ men vs. 900+).
> 
The Guard units had no Flank Companies - all troops in a battalion 
were Grenadiers, Chasseurs, etc.  So the Battalions were only 4 
companies strong each.
-- 
Mike Campbell, Christchurch, New Zealand
mike@aloysius.equinox.gen.nz 
Newsgroups: sci.military