BATTLE OF TURIN 1706 - FRENCH REGIMENT CORDES

 

BATTLE OF TURIN 1706 - FRENCH REGIMENT SANZAY aka TESSE

Always on the lookout for the more elusive aspects of the campaign, I decided to tackle another apparent inconsistency between the French orders of battle and the available contemporary sources. Cross-checking the evidence—particularly by examining where each unit was operating—often makes it possible to identify the same regiment with confidence, even when its name changes over time.

This is an excellent example. In the French order of battle, within the siege park located between the Dora and the Po, a Sauzey Regiment is listed with two battalions. The first clue was its strength: a regiment fielding two battalions was almost certainly an established, long-serving unit rather than a newly raised formation.

However, no historical trace of a regiment named Sauzey could be found. The breakthrough came when I considered the possibility of a transcription error: in eighteenth-century cursive handwriting, the letters "u" and "n" are often virtually indistinguishable, while "e" and "a" can also be easily confused. Replacing these letters transforms Sauzey into Sanzay.

Further research eventually led me to identify the regiment. It was, in fact, the former Régiment de Tessé, which, in 1703, became the property of Lancelot de Turpin de Crissé, Comte de Sanzay, and was consequently renamed the Régiment de Sanzay. This neatly resolves the apparent discrepancy found in the French order of battle.

Further confirmation of this identification is provided by Charrié, who, in his work, transcribes the name as Sauzay rather than Sanzay.

This Regiment was the former Régiment de Tessé (1689–1703), which, on 17 October 1703, was transferred to Lancelot de Turpin de Crissé, Comte de Sanzay, and accordingly renamed the Régiment de Sanzay. During the War of the Spanish Succession, it joined the Army of Italy in 1704 and took part in the captures of Susa and Aosta that same year. In 1705, it participated in the Siege of Verrua and the Battle of Cassano, followed by the Siege and Battle of Turin in 1706 and the defence of Toulon in 1707. From 1708 to 1712, it served with the Army of Dauphiné, before being transferred to Spain, where it took part in the Siege of Girona in 1712 and the Siege of Barcelona in 1714. On 24 September 1716, when it was assigned to Charles-Paul Sigismond de Montmorency-Luxembourg, Duke of Olonne, it was renamed the Régiment d'Olonne.

Regiment Tessé/Sanzay Drapeau d'Ordonnance (1706)

(The circumstances surrounding the transfer of the regiment to its new proprietor  -  the Duke of Olonne - are both curious and historically fascinating. The circumstances surrounding the transfer of the regiment from Maréchal de Tessé to Lancelot de Turpin de Crissé, Comte de Sanzay, are particularly interesting because they also explain the origin of the regiment's colours and flags. Contemporary documentation preserved in the Fonds de la Moskowa records that, on 12 January 1717, M. Le Blanc reported that the Duc d'Olonne, who had acquired the regiment, wished to place his own coat of arms on its colours. The request was refused, and the Council consequently ordered that all existing infantry colours, together with their blazons, should be officially recorded in a register in order to prevent further unauthorised alterations.

The matter was reconsidered on 1 March 1717, when Le Blanc again informed the Council that the Duc d'Olonne wished either to place his arms on the regimental colours or, at the very least, to replace the white lozenges in the four cantons with yellow ones. His argument was that Comte de Sanzay had already altered the colours when he had taken over the regiment from the Maréchal de Tessé in 1703, adapting them to his own heraldic colours despite the long-established custom that regimental colours should remain unchanged following a change of proprietor.

Regiment Tessé/Sanzay Drapeau Colonel (1706)

The Council eventually agreed to a compromise, allowing the yellow colour to be introduced into the lozenges. A marginal note further records that the final approved design consisted of yellow lozenges with white bars. These documents therefore provide direct evidence not only that Sanzay modified the regimental colours after assuming command, but also that the French authorities were already attempting to regulate and restrict such personal alterations by formally recording the authorised designs of all infantry colours.

One further detail is equally intriguing. The same source notes that Sanzay apparently took the colours of his former regiment with him when he left it in 1703, a highly unusual action. .)

This unit was on 2 battalions and both partecipated to the siege of Turin in 1706.

Regiment Tessé/Sanzay Private (1706) 

Regiment Tessé/Sanzay Officer (1706) 

BATTLE OF TURIN 1706 - REGIMENT (BAVARIAN) BERTRAND AKA (FUTURE) ROYAL - BAVIERE

I’ve been going through some of the regiments listed in the complete French Order of Battle, looking for the most interesting ones. Among the units present during the siege, I came across one that immediately caught my attention. In Annales Sabaudiae, Vol. III, one of the besieging regiments is described as a Bavarian unit and is referred to as the Bertrand Regiment. 

My initial research into a Bavarian regiment called "Bertrand" produced no historical evidence or references whatsoever. My intuition was to investigate the history of the Royal-Bavière Regiment, founded in 1707, to see whether there might be a connection with this seemingly "phantom" regiment.

I am pleased to say that this approach proved successful. Not only did I find the missing link, but I also uncovered several very interesting historical details.

Kingdom of France - Regiment of Baviera "Beltrand" (1706) or Royal - Bavière (1707)

A (sort of Bavarian) regiment  was raised on 14 March 1706 in Italy by Brigadier Joseph de Saint-Jure, Chevalier de Mercy. It was initially formed from Bavarian prisoners of war, held in the prisons of Pavia, Cremona, and Alessandria that were set free when these towns fell under the controlo of the French. The regiment entered French service and pay, consisting of two battalions. By 26 June 1706, it already numbered 70 officers and 492 men. On 7 July, it was stationed at Asti, where it was preparing to march to Hungary. However, instead of being transferred, it fought at the Battle of Turin on 7 September 1706. Following the battle, its strength had been reduced to approximately 400 men. 

Kingdom of France - Regiment of Baviera "Beltrand" (1706) or Royal - Bavière (1707). Ufficiale

Drapeau Colonel

Drapeau Colonel - Variation

Drapeau d'Ordonnance

BATTLE OF TURIN 1706. THE TWO (FRENCH & SPANISH) LOUVIGNY REGIMENTS

 This post aims to clarify—and dispel the confusion surrounding—the participation of the Louvigny Regiment in the Battle of Turin and, before that, in the Siege of Turin. I felt it was necessary to write this post because I was initially confused myself, being unsure whether this regiment was Spanish or French.

In fact, two Louvigny Regiments took part in the Siege of Turin: one Spanish, consisting of two battalions, and one French, also consisting of two battalions.

Beginning with the Spanish Louvigny Regiment, it should be identified as a Walloon regiment, distinguished and famous by its rojas calzas, i.e. the trousers and sock in red. This was the characteristic of this elite unit. Its cockade was red, as was customary for Spanish regiments, while its buttons were silver. During the Battle of Turin, the regiment remained assigned to the siege forces and therefore did not take a direct part in the fighting. The zone of recruitement was the Low Countries of French speaking population, like some French.

The first battallion of this regiment fought on the Mincio river in 1705.

His colonel was (witt all evidence) Juan-Carlos Christian de Landas, Count of Louvigny at the service of the Kingdom of Spain, Gouverneur de Lleida (Catalogne), Maréchal de Camp of King Philippe V of Spain.

Kingdom of Spain 1706. Regiment Louvigny Private

Kingdom of Spain 1706. Regiment Louvigny Private

The Colonel's Colour was white, bearing the Royal Arms of the Spanish House of Bourbon at its centre, while the Ordnance Colour displayed the traditional Cross of Burgundy, with the coat of arms of the regiment's proprietary family in each of the four quarters formed by the cross.

Kingdom of Spain. Regiment Louvigny - Bandera Coronela

Kingdom of Spain. Regiment Louvigny - Bandera Sencilla

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The other regiment was the French Louvigny Regiment, formerly known as the Morangiès Regiment until 1705. At the time of the Battle of Turin the colonel - propertor was Luis-Antoine-Armand de Gramont, Duc de Louvigny

Unlike the Spanish Louvigny Regiment, this was a French line infantry regiment. It had a long and distinguished record in the Italian theatre before the Battle of Turin.

The 1st Battalion was sent to Italy in December 1700. It fought at Chiari (1701), took part in the capture of Luzzara and Borgoforte (1702), and participated in the 1703 campaign in South Tyrol, including the captures of Nago and Arco, as well as the Combat of Stradella.

The 2nd Battalion initially remained in Flanders as a garrison before joining the army in Italy in 1702, where it was stationed at Mantua.

From September 1703 onwards, the two battalions operated together. They distinguished themselves at Torbole, fought at Castelnuovo di Bormia in January 1704, and subsequently served during the sieges of Vercelli, Ivrea, and Verrua.

In 1705, the regiment took part in the assault on Fort de l'Isle at Verrua, the siege of Mirandola, the siege of Chivasso, where Colonel de Morangiès was mortally wounded, and finally the Battle of Cassano.

On 19 April 1706, the regiment fought at the Battle of Calcinato. It subsequently participated in both the Siege of Turin and the Battle of Turin, remaining with the French field army until its retreat across the Alps after the defeat of 7 September 1706.

After the Italian campaign, the regiment was transferred to Flanders, where it continued to distinguish itself during the remainder of the War of the Spanish Succession, fighting at Oudenarde (1708), Malplaquet (1709), Beuvrage (1712), and in the sieges of Douai, Le Quesnoy, Bouchain, Landau, and Freiburg.

Kingdom of France. Regiment Louvigny - Dreapeau d'Ordonnance

Kingdom of France. Regiment Louvigny - Dreapeau Colonel

Kingdom of France - Regiment Louvigny - Private

It is interesting to note how efforts were made to distinguish one regiment from another. In this case, as many regiments had red facings, the double vertical pockets with six buttons on each and the black neck stock made this uniform immediately distinctive and unique.

Kingdom of France - Regiment Louvigny Officer

In blue, on the hill sector, the position of the French Louvigny Regiment is shown. In yellow, within the main siege lines, the deployment of the Spanish Louvigny Regiment is indicated.

BATTLE OF TURIN 1706. MAP OF THE HILLSIDE SECTOR

 As surprising as it may seem, this is the first map showing the deployment of the troops around the Turin hill. It depicts the situation after De Muret had already led two battalions towards the fighting in front of Turin, while command of the sector remained in the hands of Albergotti, who failed to move in support of the main army, thereby condemning it to defeat.

Map - extended version

Below is a detailed view of the hilly sector. It is an area I know extremely well. The entire position is dominated by Monte dei Cappuccini, which is still clearly visible today and was, in all likelihood, occupied by the Fusiliers de Montagne, as it was—and still is—the highest point in that sector.

Extended Version

BATTLE OF TURIN 1706 - MAP OF THE FARMSTEADS AND CHURCHES AROUND TURIN

Further research led me to identify the location of the various farmsteads, farm buildings, and churches around the city of Turin. Some of these names have now become the names of Turin districts, such as La Crocetta — from where I am writing — San Salvario, and Madonna di Campagna, all now within central Turin. Likewise, where the Cascina La Molinetta once stood, there is now the enormous hospital complex — the second largest in Italy — which is called, precisely, Le Molinette.

Bigger version

BATTLE OF TURIN 1706. MAP OF THE LAST STANDING OF THE FRENCH ARMY - Part 1

The ultimate goal is to produce a book on the Battle of Turin 1706, bringing together all the information I have collected over the years. An important part of this work will consist of a series of maps.

In this case, I have sought to reconstruct the French defensive line as it stood at approximately 1.00 p.m. on 7 September 1706. The map also serves to illustrate the actual positions of the Troops of the Duchy of Monferrat—namely one battalion of the Gardes du Duc de Mantoue and one battalion of the Beltrambi Regiment.

Moreover, for the first time, it identifies the French and Spanish units that did not take a direct part in the Battle of Turin itself but were instead assigned to garrison the line of circumvallation.

As I will show later, although these troops were not directly engaged in the main battle, some of them—particularly the infantry units—ultimately sacrificed themselves to ensure the survival of the French army. Their conduct displayed a remarkable degree of courage and determination, one that, in my opinion, should lead to a reassessment of the commonly held view of the Monferrat troops (including that presented on Kronoskaf by my friend Richard).

By bringing together a wide range of information, supported by several illustrative maps, and through a careful reading, re-reading and interpretation of the available sources, I have been able to reconstruct the defensive deployment of de Muret's troops. These forces formed the final barrier against the Imperial army which, having broken through the initial entrenched line, poured onto the retreating Bourbon army while it was simultaneously caught in a pincer movement by the garrison of the City of Turin, which seized the opportunity to launch a sortie against its rear.

This therefore represents another episode of the famous battle, distinct from the one I have already examined concerning the assault on the Castle of Lucento. It sheds further light on the final stages of the Battle of Turin and on the crucial role played by the troops covering the French retreat.

complete map

Map with the rearguard troops.