AUSTRIA 1848 - Grenadier Battalion D'Anthon

The Austrian organization of the Army in 1848 provided that every Regiment should provide 2 companies (called "divisions") to form a Grenadier Battalion. All Grenadiers Battalion of the KuK Army were on 6 companies (i.e. 3 divisions) except 2 battalions with just 4 companies.

I am focusing now on the Battle of Santa Lucia in May 1848 where the Grenadier Battallion - called "D'Anthon" (from its commander Johann D'Anthon, Major of the Regiment Geppert, Nr. 43) - partedipated to that battle.

The D'Anthon Grenadier Battalion was formed by the following divisions (2 companies)

1) two companies from the KuK Infanterieregiment Graf Haugwitz - Nr. 38

2) two companies from the KuK Infanterieregiment Baron Geppert - Nr. 43

3) two companies from the JKuK Infanterieregiment Erzherzog Sigismond - Nr. 45

It is very curious to note that the Austrian Regiment nr. 43 and 45 were based only on Lombard and Venetian men, that means that at the Battle of Santa Lucia fought mainly North-Italians one against the others. This is quite in contrast with the Risorgimento's propaganda, where the Italians were all for the unification. I would say, it was the opposite. In fact. when some Piedomtese units asked to the Grenadiers of this Battalion to desert and join the Italian cause, the answer was a unanimous shooting against the Piedmontese.

This Italian troops, under the Kaiser command, fought with extreme courage in defense of the Empire; even Radezky and the Emperor later acknoledged the bravery of this troops. So - as often happens - the Italians fought each other, under different colours, but the History will tell us that it was a fighting between Austrian and Piedmontese.

This said, let's have here the uniforms of the 3 divisions of this Battalion. 

Austria 1848 - Reg. Graf Haugwitz Nr. 38. Grenadier

(Copyright Michele L. SAVASTA FIORE)

Austria 1848 - Reg. Baron Geppert Nr. 43. Grenadier

Austria 1848 - Reg. Erzherzog Sigismond Nr. 45. Grenadier

(Copyright Michele L. SAVASTA FIORE)

I would like also to point out that the general outlooking of the Austrian Grenadiers, looked still very similar to those that fought in the Napoleonic war (above all compared to Hungarian Grenadier in 1805 - 1815):

Austria - 1805/1815 Grenadier of a Hungarian Regiment

(Copyright Michele L. SAVASTA FIORE)

What I had to change was the shape of the headgear (called in German Baerenmuetze), that was suppressed in 1852 and the trousers (but here the difference is because one unit is German and the other Hungarian).