BATTLE OF TURIN 1706 - Régiment Dragons Bellabre . Standard

 Just to finish my uniform researches, here we have the verso and recto of the standard of this regiment, with the Coat of Arms of the Seigneur de Bellabre; as said, this regiment fought at the Battle of Turin on foot, so I represented it also on foot.

verso

front

BATTLE OF TURIN 1706 - Video (youtube) of the review of the Piedmontese Dragoni di Sua Maesta & II Battalion Monferrato Regiment

 

During lockdown I had some time to prepare this little video with 2 Piedmontese units: the complete Regiment of the Dragoni di Sua Maestà and the Second Battalion of the Monferrato Regiment. The music if from my military service in the Army, as officer, and called "Marcia degli Eroi", i.e. The March of the Hereos" (not of the period, but I do like it)

BATTLE OF TURIN 1706 - Régiment de Dragons Bellabre. The Officers

 As a continuation of my previous post, I would like to share here the uniforms of the mounted Officers of this regiment. I conceived:

1 Colonel

1 Lietenent - Colonel

3 Aides de Camps

3 Commander of the 3 squadrons.

Colonel Commander

Lieutenant Colonel

Aide de Camps

Captain Commander of Squadron

Only the Colonels wore the tricorne, while the rest wore the bonnet. The Officers commanding the units had also the white scarf, while the Aide de Camps are without, to distinguish them.

I am now trimming them (around 300 papersoldiers) to deploy in my (new) Castle of Lucento, that I personally went to visit and to take some pictures. It will be object of  some future posts.

BATTLE OF TURIN 1706 - Errata Corrige. Régiment Dragons Bellabre

In my previous post I drew the uniforms of all the French Dragons Regiments present at the defence of the Castle of Lucento, during the Battle of Turin in 1706.

I painted it in this way:

This uniform could be confused with that of other units in the same fight. So I did my researches and I found for this regiment an order of tissue where the lining where defined "quatre vingt aulnes de serge d'aumalle verde de mer pour les doubles ... et huit aulnes de drap verd de mer ... pour les paremens" (1701). So linings and facings of this regiment were not in normal green (dark green like here) but a sea-green that is totally different.

I modified than the facings and linings of this regiment and to make it more remarkable on the battlefield I also changed a little bit the colour of  belt. This is the result:

Régiment de Dragons Bellabre (correct uniform)

I also did a little change in its position on the battlefiled:

This unit was firstly arrayed - in my conjectures - in the back of the first line. I decided that had more sense to deploy it in the Castle of Lucento to defend it.

New map

Battle of Turin 1706 - Castle of Lucento - The big farm

 The Castle of Lucento was surrounded by 4 farms. 

I calculated that the entire surface of the Castle (buildings + yard) should be 110 cm X 46 cm.  HEnce I was able to calculate the length of the big farm (that in the blue circle) that has to be 57 cm long.

For this long farm I used a new system of bilding. Instead of paper building I used boxes of tea and then I covered them with paperwall. Much easier, much faster, much more precise.

Figure 1 - The first "stone"

Figure 2 - The box of tea covered with wallpaper. 

The Piedmontese farm was/are built usally in bricks ant hence I reproduced them 

Figure 3 - I glued the windows on the walls as well as the decorations on the edges.

Figure 4 - Adding one obx of tea to the others

Figure 5 - The barn

                                                                Figure 5 - Inside the barn

Figure 6 - The barn done; this type of structure of barns is still very common in Piedmont nowadays

Figure 7 - The big famr with the wall to the exterior

Figure 8 - The external walls of the farm, manned with Dragoons of the Caylus Regiment

BATTLE OF TURIN 1706 - French Dragoons

At the Battle of Turin, and precisely at the defense of the Caste of Lucento, there were 30 squadrons of French Dragoons on foot. 

I my previous post I already quoted their names and numbers, while here I wnat to point out their uniforms; here they are!

Régiment Dragons de Rannes
3 squadrons:  266 men

Régiment Dragons Bellabre 
3 squadrons: 279 men

 Régiment Dragons Bozelli 
2 squadrons: 171 men 

Régiment Dragons Bellisle
3 squadrons: 277 men

Régiment Dragons Caylus 
4 squadrons: 375 men

                                                        

Régiment Dragons Languedoc I
3 squadrons: 277 men

Régiment Dragons d'Hautefort
3 squadrons 264 men

Régiment Dragons du Heron
3 squadrons: 275 men  

Régiment Dragons Dauphin
3 squadrons: 281 men 

Régiment Dragons Firmacon
3 squadrons: 269 men

BATTLE OF TURIN 1706 - Grenadier of the Regiment Normandie

Here a Grenarier of the Regiment Normandie. at the Battle of Turin 1706. The Grenadiers in the French Army formed the 13th company of each battalion and could - as in other armies - put together to form single units.

They had an uniform similar to those of normal musketeers, with a fur wearcap and a bag for the granades.

BATTLE OF TURIN 1706 - Detailed Map of the fightings around the Castle of Lucento

 BATTLE OF TURIN 1706

Finally I was able to draw the French AND the attacking Allied/Imperial units. Considering that the Allied were of different Nations I put a colour on the regiment and in particular.

Red = Saxon

Grey =  Imperial

Brown = Wolfenbuttel

Azure = Palatine

BATTLE OF TURIN 1706 - Detailed Map of the fightings around the Castle of Lucento

BATTLE OF TURIN 7th September 1706 - Castle of Lucento

It was a hard work with researches on different and not matching sources. Finally I was able to remake the map of the French troops around the Castle of Lucento and its 4 farms. I also pointed out the names of the battallions of the Infrantry Regiment present at the fighting as well as the records of the Dragoons on foot Regiments defending the Castle. There is no other map on books or internet with these details.

Figure 1 - Details of the troops arrayed around the Castle of Lucento - Battle of Turin 1706

The Castle of Lucento was a fierce stronghold durign the Battle of Turin with the French defending it. I was able to find out the numbers and names of every single unit partecipating to this fighting inside the battlefield.

French Order of Battle - Left Wing

Commander

Jean François Ravend, MArquis de Saint Frémont

Infantry:

Regiment Piémont: 3 battalions - 1350 men (losses 531 men)

Regiment Normandie: 3 battalions 1310 men (losses 565 men)

Regiment Royal de Vaisseaux: 3 battalions - 1473 men (losses 885 men)

Regiment Lyonnais: 2 battalions - 875 men (losses 394 men)

Regiment Berry: 1 battalion - 470 men

Regiment Beauvoisis: 1 battalion 478 men

NB: under the Command of the Marquis de Saint Frémont there were also the Brigade Anjou (2 battalions of the Anjou Regiment and 1 battalion of the Dillon Regiment) and the Brigade Bretagne (1 battallion of the Bretagne Regiment and 2battalions of the Bourgogne Regiment) that were deployed in the center of the battlefield and hence did not partecipate to the defence of the Castle of Lucento.

Dragoons on foot

Regiment de Dragons Hautefort: 3 squadrons: 264 men

Regiment de Dragons Languedoc: 3 squadrons: 277 men

Regiment de Dragons Firmaçon: 3 squadrons: 269 men

Regiment de Dragons Caylus: 4 squadrons: 375 men

Regiment de Dragons Dauphin: 3 squadrons: 281 men

Regiment de Dragons de Rannes: 3 squadrons: 266 men

Regiment de Dragons Belle Isle: 3 squadrons: 277 men

Regiment de Dragons du Heron: 3 squadrons: 275 men

Regiment de Dragons Belabre: 3 squadrons: 279 men

Regiment de Dragons Bozelli: 2 squadrons: 171 men

BATTLE OF TURIN 1706 - Trooping the Colors: Dragoni di S.A.R. plus Monferrato Regimen - Savoy Arny

 Finally I was able to array together the Dragoons S.A.R and 1 Battallion of the Monferrato Regiment. All together we are speaking of about 1.300 papersoldiers (representing 1.300 real men).

BATTLE OF TURIN 1706 - REGIMENT DRAGONI DI SUA ALTEZZA REALE

Maybe, some of you, always wondered how did a Cavalry or Dragoon Regiment appear at the epoch  of la Guerre en Dentelle, i.e. during the XVIII Century.

I was curious too; an entire regiment at 1:1 ratio, arrayed for battle. So my choice fell upon the famous Reggimento Dragoni di Sua Altezza Reale, that so fiercly fought at the Battle of Turin in 1706 and that is still existing nowadays.

This Regiment partecipated to the Battle of Turin on 7th September 1706 with a total force of 4 squadrons, each on 2 companies, with a total strengh of abvout 430 men.

To cut the papersoldiers and the horses for this task was quite a challenge, but at the very end I was able to array a complete cavalry regiment at 1to1 ratio. I think it is not possible to have this view when you look at some wargames where this regiment is formed of about 40 or 20 figures.

Picture above: the 1st squadron reviewed by the Commander in chief of the Regiment 

Picture above: details of the Commander and his general staff. 

Picture above: the whole Reggimento Dragoni di Sua Altezza Reale at 1:1 ratio, for the first time after 300 years again together! 

 Picture above: 1 squadron at 1to1