1848 - AUSTRIA GUN CREW ARTILLERY

 It is time to think about a little scenario. For doing this I conceived the following idea: a rearguard of Austrian Troops, i.e. a complete Artillery Comapny, escorted by half squadron of Radetzky Hussars just after the battle of Santa Lucia; suddently a wheel of a ammunition casson broke. The General of Brigade decided to leave a little group behind: half artillery Company, the Hussars, and a company of Jaeger with 2 pelotons of Infatry (Ferdinand Erzherzog Regiment).

This is the idea also in order to try my wargame rules without dice.

But the problem immediatly rose, about uniforms and postures of the artillery. For the uniforms it was quite simple because the Austrian Artillery used in 1848 an uniform quite identical to that of the Napoloenic period, except the had that became the Corsican, like those of the Jaeger.

1848 - Private and NCO

1848 - Artillery and Sapper

So I had to make total new posture, at the best I could. I would like to show you some transormations:

and from this (First Legion miniature of the Russian SYW) ....

1848 Austria - Field Artillery - Loader

Copyright Michele L. SAVASTA FIORE

and again:

1848 Austria - Field Gunner/Private with stock to move the gun

Copyright Michele L. SAVASTA FIORE

Next to be done better:

1848 - Austria NCO/Corporal commander of the gun crew

Copyright Michele L. SAVASTA FIORE

1848 - Austria - Firer

Copyright Michele L. SAVASTA FIORE

1848 - Austria - Private

Next problem is: how many men were around 1 gun? As far as I can understand from info from Napoleonic period, there were 7 men around (NCO/Caporal, Aimer, Firer, Ventsmen, Gunner with rammer, Ammunition handler, Loader)+ 7 private (second class gunner) to be used to move the gun and to carry ammunitions from the caissons. So around 14 men for each gun. It is possible that the aimer was a corporal and that the numer of men rose or dimished according to need. Very often the crew was aided by some infantrimen.

According to Nafizger  "Imperial Bayonets) in 1792 the Austrian Artillery Crew was as follows

Guns	NCOs	Gunners	Handlagers	Horses
foot 12pdr cannon	1 NCO	5	10	6
foot 6pdr cannon	1/2 NCO *	5	8	4
horse 6pdr cannon	1/2 NCO *	6	-	6
foot 7pdr howitzer	1/2 NCO *	6	7	3
horse 7pdr howitzer	1/2 NCO *	5	-	4
reserve 10pdr howitzer	1 NCO	?	4	4

* one NCO for every 2 guns

For what concerns my scenario the Brigade of Generalmajor  Erzherzog Sigismund was on: l/Szluiner Grenz Regiment # l/,2/Hohenlohe Infantry Regiment l7 3/Haugwitz Infantry Regiment 38 l/Erzherzog Sigismund Infantry Regiment #45 6pdr Foot Battery  nr.9

So what I have to reproduce is a 1 cannon of a 6 pdr Foot Battery. Considering that it does not seem that the artillery system changed from Napoleonic period to 1848, I will use this cannon with 1 NCO (they left him to organize the fixing of the cannon) 5 gunners (Caporal/Aimer, Firer, Ventsmen, Gunner with rammer,  Loader) 8 second class gunners (Handlagers).

The 6 pdrs battery (8 guns) required 8 2-wheel ammunition wagons this means that every cannon had its 2-wheel ammunition wagon.

The ammunitions field depots (called in German "Protzen") did stay 10 "Schritte" (i.e. steps, around 8 meters) away from the guns; the pack animals (4 for each gun) did stay back another 10 Schritte in the rear of the depots; the wagons of the ordinary foot-batteries were 40 Schritte away from the guns.

I also found this plate figures of Austrian Artillery in 1848.

From the 5th figure from left, top row, I did this second rank gunner, pushing the gun

Copyright Michele L. SAVASTA FIORE

And then a NCO

Copyright Michele L. SAVASTA FIORE

From this pose (First Legion Figures - Russian Artillery 1757): 

I did this aimer - gunner:

Copyright Michele L. SAVASTA FIORE

I did search some more pictures of a train od artillery:

Still, some pictures of a gun crew even just from 1757:

In this pictures it is possible to see: 1 NCO +  4 gunners of 1st level + 4 gunners of 2nd level + 2 grenadiers for a total of 11 men

This picture gives the idea of the proportions of the guns in comparation with crew, where the top is the 12 pdr cannon, then the 6pdr, then the howitzer (in Russian "gaubiza") and on the bottom the 3 pdr cannon.

From this I did the template of a 6pdr gun.

1887 DOGALI - THE ROYAL ITALIAN FLAG

 I always have ben fascinated by the beauty of the Royal Standard of Italy (1848 - 1946)  (at the begininng as Flag o the Kingdom of Sardinia / Piedmont.

I have now the occasion to celebrate it. This is tha War flag, i.e. with the crown over the coat of arm of the Savoy Dinasty. I think this officer will defend it till the end.

Copyright Michele L. SAVASTA FIORE

RUSSIA 1805 - HUSSAR PAVLOGRAD REGIMENT OFFICER

 To complete the Regiment I also prepared an Offier. For him, I chose to keep the white trousers (they did like to flash even in battle) with all decors in gold)

Copyright Michele L. SAVASTA FIORE

and with sword in a different position

Copyright Michele L. SAVASTA FIORE

RUSSIA 1805 NCO HUSSAR PAVLOGRAD

I went on with my project. Now it is the time for a NCO of this regiment. In order to proceed I checked the pictures of NCO of Russian Hussars in 1805; what is sure is

a) the top of the plume was black (with an orange stripe inside)

b) the trim of pelisse was black

c) no changing in the saddle decorations

d) silver decoration over the sleeves

They are (left and right) NCO

This is NCO of the Hussars of the Garde. They have on the shako a golden band but also on sleeves, while normal Hussars seem not to have any particular decoration on the top of the shako.

I opted also to maintain for the NCO the brownish coevering of the trousers. The result of my researches and ideas is:

Russia 1805 - Hussar Regiment Pavlograd. NCO

Copyright Michele L. SAVASTA FIORE

RUSSIA 1805. BATTLE OF AUSTERLITZ - HUSSAR REGIMENT ELIZABETGRAD

Here we are, with the last Hussar Regiment (exept for the Hussars of the Guards) that partecipated to the Battle of Austerlitz, the Hussar Regiment Elizabetgrad. 

RUSSIA 1805 HUSSAR REGIMENT ELIZABETGRAD(Copyright Michele L. SAVASTA FIORE)

RUSSIA 1805 RUSSIAN HUSSAR REGIMENT MARIOUPOL

Having to make the correct colours of Hussars at the Battle of Austerlitz, I found this, that helps me.  

Russian Hussars 1805

Regiment	Dolman	Pelisse	Buttons Braid	Cuffs/ Collars	Sabre- tache	S’tach Orn.	Schab- raque	Shabr. teeth
Soum	Lt Yellow	Turqu-oise	White	Turqu-oise	Turquoise	White	White	White piped Turquoise
Pavlograd	Dk Green	Turqu-oise	Yellow	Turqu-oise	Dk Green	Yellow	Turquoise	Yellow piped Dk Green
Elizabeth-grad	Lt Yellow	Lt Yellow	White	White	Red	Yellow	Red	Yellow piped Yelllow
Marioupol	White	Dark Blue	Yellow	Yellow	White	Yellow	Dark Blue	Yellow piped Yellow
Alexandria #	Black	Black	White	Red	Black	White	Black	White piped White
Olivopol	Dk Green	Dk Green	White	Dk Green	Dk Green	White	Dk Green	White piped White
Isoum	Red	Dk Blue	White	Dk Blue	Yellow	Yellow	Dk Blue	Yellow piped Yellow
Akhtyrsk	Brown	Brown	Yellow	Yellow	Brown	Yellow	Brown	Yellow piped Yellow
White Russia	Dk Blue	Dk Blue	mixed Red & White	Red	Dk Blue	White	Dk Blue	Lt Blue piped White
Odessa*	Dk Blue	Dk Blue	Yellow	Red	Dk Blue	Yellow	Dk Blue	Lt Blue piped Yellow
Grodno**	Dk Blue	Dk Blue	mixed Red & White	Sky Blue	Dk Blue	White?	Dk Blue	Sky Blue piped White

For all regiments, pants were white for full dress, and grey otherwise.

I went on with my Russian Hussar Regiment Marioupol.

1805 Russia - Hussar Regiment Marioupol

RUSSIA 1805 BATTLE OF AUSTERLITZ HUSSAR REGIMENT PAVLOGRAD REVISITED

 I checked the uniform of this Regiment. I have to admit that the book "Austerlitz Le Soleil de l'Aigle - Histore et Collections" makes some mistekes in the uniforms (this is the second one I found); the pelisse of this regiment was azure and not white.

So I modify accordingly:

Russia 1805 - Hussar Regiment "Pavlograd"

Copyright Michele L. SAVASTA FIORE

RUSSIA 1805 - BATTLE OF AUSTERLITZ - HUSSAR REGIMENT PAVLOGRAD

 I am back with my researches on uniforms for the Battle of Austerlitz. This time, I would like to present here the Russian Hussar Regiments that partecipated to that battle.

As first, let me introduce a Hussar of the Pavlograd Regiment that fought in the Avant-Garde of the Russian Army under the command of Prince Bagration.

The unifor is in campaing battle i.e. with trousers covering and protecting the parade trousers. I did one with long trousers and another (he liked indeed the Hussar boots!) with short.

Russia 1805

Hussar Regiment "Pavlograd" - Long trousers

Copyright Michele L. SAVASTA FIORE

Russia 1805

Hussar Regiment "Pavlograd" - Long trousers

Copyright Michele L. SAVASTA FIORE

RUSSIA 1805 - DRAGOONS REGIMENT PARTECIPATING TO THE BATTLE OF AUSTERLITZ

 In my previous post I posted the first templates about the Russian Cavalry in 1805. To strong was the temptation to use those to prepare the uniforms of the Russian Dragoons that partecipated at the Battle of Austerlitz. I did some improvements to the uniforms and now they are good.

At the Battle of Austerlitz partecipated the following 4 Dragoons' units:

1) Regiment "Twer" in the Avant-Garde inder the General Lieutenant Prince Bagration

2) Regiment "Sankt Petersburg" in the Second Coloumn under Lieutenant Generarl del Langeron

3) Regiment "Kharkov" in the Fifth Coloumn under Princes Jan von Lichtenstein and Prince Von Hoheblohe

4) Regiment "Chernigov" in the Fifth Coloumn under Princes Jan von Lichtenstein and Prince Von Hoheblohe

Here the templates of these units:

1805 - 1812 THE EVOLUTION OF THE UNIFORMS OF RUSSIAN CUIRASSIER

 I don't know why, I came up with the idea of trasforming a 1848 Austrian Radetzky Hussar into a Russian Curarassier of the Napoleonic Period. I went on to point out the differences in uniforms between 1805 (Battle of Austerlitz) and 1812 (Battle of Borodino.

Russia 1805 - Cuirassier of the Empress

Copyright Michele L. SAVASTA FIORE

Russia 1812 - Curassier

Copyright Michele L. SAVASTA FIORE

This 2 pictures are from this one, just transformed:

Austria 1848 - Radetzky Regiment 

Copyright Michele L. SAVASTA FIORE

1887 DOGALI BERSAGLIERE OFFICER & INFANTRY OFFICER

 Coming back to this project and planning to spend some time on the white flashing Italian beaches, I prepared a fitting troops for the sand. So I went on with the project of the Italian Army that fought at the Battle of Dogali.

It was missing just the Infantry Officer. So I prepared a Lieutenant of Infantry, on foot, shooting with his duty pistol and holding in the other the sword to repell the Abyssianian enemy. 

The blue - Savoy sash is the symbol of the tradition of the Italian Army, of the National Team (Euro 2020 huraaaa!) and I carried and still have at home - as my father before me - this sash. Honour and pride of a tradition.

1887 - Dogali. Italian Army
Infantry Lieutenent 
(Copyright Michele L. SAVASTA FIORE)

From this figure it was quite easy to transform it into a Bersagliere Lieutenent to honour my father, Captain of the 3rd Regiment Bersaglieri "Majora Virisbus Audere"

                                                    1887 - Dogali. Italian Army
                                                            Bersagliere Lieutenent 
                                                                                        (Copyright Michele L. SAVASTA FIORE)

I do find this uniform very beautiful. To note that the Officers - just to be better visible by the enemies! but it was still a romantic way of warfare - wore a blue-Savoy sash around the colonial helmet. Note also the ranks insigna: a golden knot on the sleeves, with a golden arrow with black line inside (Second Leutenant had just one golden arrow)

And finally me with the blue-Savoy sash, Gala Uniform. 

Italian Army 

Gala Uniform - Second Lieutenant