174th ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF SANTA LUCIA 6th MAY 1848

 It is the anniversary of the Battle of Santa Lucia. I tried to lay down all the troops I prepared since I started this project. A lot is to be done, and I have very beautiful Kaiser Uhlans in the making; I also prepared the Piedmontese marching, to complete the poses of the troops; I think I will make of them immediatly around 150/170 papersoldiers.

My dream is for next year (175 anniversary) to have all the Aosta Infantry Brigade done at 1:1 ratio.

For the moment I post here the pictures of a first glance of the battle at 1:1 ratio. There are around 1000/1300 papersoldiers 

I added some trees and greenery.

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 Company, 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.

1848 SANTA LUCIA - KuK 5th Hussar Regiment "Radetzky"

Finally I can have a little glance how some units at 40mm tall can represent the scene of this Battle. I think the effect is good. I had to prepare a farm, in bricks, with land/mud around it and a sort of road passing by, where the Hussars of the 5th Regiment Radetzky are riding towards the (Piedmontese) enemy. 

In foreground the 5th Radetzky Regiment

I represented a Zug (4 Zuge = 2 Fluegel = 1 squadron) and so 24 horsemen, 3 Korporal, 2 NCO and 1 Lieutenant

Details: in foreground the Lieutenant; please note his ebroidery on trousers, pelisse and dolman

1848 AUSTRIAN ARMY: JAEGER - 10th Battalion "Koppal"

 The Jaeger Regiment were organized like the normal Infantry. They were supposed to fight like skirmishing, but at the very end they foight like Infantry. The defense of the cementry at the Battle of Santa Lucia (6th May 1848) gives you a very clear idea of it.

Coming back to my project (the Battle of Santa Lucia at 1:1 Ratio) I drew this time a Jaeger of the 10th Feldjaeger Battalion called "Koppal" from the Major that commanded it.

They were on 6 companies.

Each company had:

1 Kaptaen (captain)

1 Oberleutenenat (Lieutenant)

2 Unterleutenant (Second Leutenants)

2 Oberjaeger

12 Unterjaeger

20 Patrouillefuehrer

2 Trumpets

1 Pionieer

180 Soldiers

4 Aides for officers

Here I present a picture of their Corsican hat, with plumes, and the badge (a trumpet) of the 10th Battalion, i.e. "Koppal"Battalion

And here I present a figure of Jaeger with and without the coat around his shoulders.

10th Feldjaegerbattalion "Koppal"

Battle of Santa Lucia 6th May 1848

10th Feldjaegerbattalion "Koppal"

Battle of Santa Lucia 6th May 1848

- second version - 

This particular Corsican hat and above all the style of wearing feathers was adopted by the Bersaglieri Corp of the Piedmontese Army (funded 18.6.1833), because at the epoch the Piedmontese Army was still following the Austrian style.

Here a Bersagliere in 1848 uniform:

1848 Bersagliere

BATTLE OF SANTA LUCIA - BATTAGLIA SANTA LUCIA 1848. Austrian marching Officers

 Coming back to my favourite painting of the Battle of Santa Lucia, I saw the marching Unterleutenant:

So I went on painting my Unterleutemamt to be put in between the marching troops. To do that I started from a marching soldier, similar to that of the painting:

and I transformed it to an Unterleutenent in the Campagnerock as above:

Let's see how they will match together!