Following my previous grenadiers figures, I went on to some researches on the headgear, and I decided to modify it a little, while I also increased the poses of the soldiers.
and again
Monday, February 22, 2021
Friday, February 19, 2021
BATTLE OF SANTA LUCIA - 1848. The Austrian Troops
I am going to present here the uniforms of the Regiments that partecipated to this Battle on 6th May 1848
Austria 1848. Infantry of the Regiment Baron Prohaska Nr. 7
(Copyright Michele L. SAVASTA FIORE)
Once I did this figure I had a look to a painting representing a moment of the Battle, i.e. when the heir to the throne, the future Emeperor Franz Josepj went on a ladder to have a look over the Battle of Santa Lucia.
The painting is this:
Hence I decided to reproduce my figures in the same way; this is the result:
Austria 1848. Infantry of the Regiment Baron Prohaska Nr. 7
(Copyright Michele L. SAVASTA FIORE)
BATTLE OF SANTA LUCIA - BATTAGLIA DI SANTA LUCIA: 6th MAY 1848 - Maps
As far as I know there is no precise map of the Battle of Santa Lucia, fought just in front of the walls of Verona on 6th May 1848 by Imperial Austrian troops and the Piedmontese Army.
I tried to paint the map, with the name of the Austrian unit deployed in defense of the town. It was a defensive circle of aroud 6 km, with some avant-poste to check the advancing coloumns.
The Battle was split in two different fightings: one for the conquest of the Village of Croce Bianca and another fighting - more intense - to conquer the Village of Santa Lucia.
For the moment, I decided to reproduce the entire map of the defense around Verona, while I will be preparing other maps indicating the Piedmontese attacking columns and the very Village of Santa Lucia and the famous defence of the graveyard.
The deployment of the Austrian Troops around the town of Verona
(Copyright Michele L. SAVASTA FIORE)
The arrival of the Piedmontese troops on the battlefield and the Austrian redplyement
(Copyright Michele L. SAVASTA FIORE)
LEGENDA:
1) The 10th Jaegerbattalion going back towards the Village of Santa Lucia
2) The III Battalion of the 45th Austrian Regiment (Erzherzog Sigismond) converging on Santa Lucia
3) The D'Anthon Grenadier Battalion converging on Santa Lucia
4) The Piedmontese line of attack with the Brigades Aosta and Guardie
4bis) The original line of attack of the Piedmontese Troops
So the part of the battlefield in between the villages of Santa Lucia and Trombetta:
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).
Thursday, February 18, 2021
FIRST ITALIAN WAR OF INDIPENDENCE - 1848 Austrian Husar - Regiment Radezky
My aim is to re-fight the Battle of Santa Lucia, in front of Verona in May 1848. The unique Austrian Cavarly unit present that day was the Radezky Hussar Regiment, whose I found the uniform and here I reproduce in the first plastic pose.
1848 -Radezky Hussar
(Copyright Michele L. SAVASTA FIORE)
In reality, the shako (above all in the period of interest) was not conic but more like a cylinder, in this changing a little from the Napoleonic period. Herewith the same Regiment with the correct shako.
1848 -Radezky Hussar (cylinder shako)
(Copyright Michele L. SAVASTA FIORE)
After some time from this post (today 30.6.2021) I finally added one Hussar of the Radezky Regiment (Nr. 5) in fighting pose.
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| Hussar of the 5 Radetzky Regiment (Copyright Michele L. SAVASTA FIORE) |
FIRST ITALIAN INDIPENDENCE WAR vs NAPOLEONIC WARS
I would like to share with you the way I am drawing my papersoldiers. Now I am falling in love with the uniforms and history of the First Italian Indipendence War. Hence I had the necessity to draw an Infantry Officer of the Piedmontese Army.
In order to do that, I did as always tons of researches on the uniforms of the Piedmontese Army in 1848 and from that research I did my draw of the Piedmontese officer of the Aosta Regiment. To draw him, I took as sample/draft a Russian Officer of the Malarossia Regiment in 1805, (Battle of Austerlitz) and I modified it.
Was it an easy task? Well it depends.The figure gives you an idea and a right sense of proportion. Than it's up to you to make the tunic, the shadows etc.
This is the result:
Lieutenant of the Aosta Brigade's 5th Regiment
(Copyright Michele L. SAVASTA FIORE)Tuesday, February 16, 2021
FIRST ITALIAN WAR OF INDIPENDENCE 1848 - 1849 - Piedmontese Army in 1848
I have to admit: I am proud of my Piedmontese roots and therefore I do like to reproduce the Piedmontese Army (that is called, Savoyard, Sabauda, Piedmontese, Sardinian,,,,) in the different periods of its glorious history.
So for a little I shifted my interest from the WSS to the 1848 First Italian War of Indipendence. The English source for this matter are quite reduced, and - I would add - not precise. I hope this little effort will make you know a quite harsh fighting that took place in Northern Italy in the years 1848 - 1849.
The Piedmontese Army was very well looking and some uniforms of that period are still used nowadays in parades (the Guardia Regiment, now become the Primo Reggimento Granatieri di Sardegna)
1848 - Piedmontese/Sardinian Army - Infantry Regiment "Piemonte"
1848 - Piedmontese/Sardinian Army - 1st Grenadier Regiment "Guardie"
1848 - Piedmontese/Sardinian Army - Infantry Regiment "Piemonte"
3rd "Granatieri" Company
The Piedmontese (Sardinian) Army started the war (1848) with 18 Infantry Regiments and 2 Guardie (Guards) Regiments. Every Regiment was on 4 Battalions, 800 men each. The first, and the second battalion of every regiment were on 3 fusiliers ("fucilieri") companies (about 200 men each) + 1 grenadiers company (200 men) each.
The third battalion of every regiment was on 4 companies of Chasseurs ("Cacciatori") , while the fourth battalion served as deposit battalion, i.e. for recruits and reinforceements during the campaign. (this latter just in case of war and on 4 Fusiliers companies).
The 2 Reggimenti della Guardia were on 2 battalions of greandiers each + 1 Chasseurs ("Cacciatori") battalion each. Every battalion on 4 companies of around 200 men.
There were then the famous (to be) Bersaglieri on 5 indipendent Battalions on 4 companies each.
1848 - Piedmontese/Sardinian Army - Infantry Regiment "Piemonte"
I & II Battallions Fucilieri
1848 - Piedmontese/Sardinian Army - Infantry Regiment "Piemonte"
III Battallions Cacciatori
1848 - Piedmontese/Sardinian Army - Infantry Regiment "Aosta"
I & II Battallions Fucilieri
The uniform distinction were on Brigade basis; so every Brigade was on 2 regiments, identical as uniform (exept the number); for instance the Brigade Piemonte was on the 3rd and 4th Regiments, while the Brigade Aosta was on the 5th and 6th Regiments; in fact the number of regiments were following so "Cuneo" Brigade had the 7th and 8th Regiment and so on.
The Birgades were:
SAVONA
ACQUI
One could wonder which is the difference between the uniforms of the Piemonte and Aosta Brigades. Well it was just that little tiny red line on the coat that the Piemonte Brigade had and Aosta birgade didn't. Please have a look!
1848 - Piedmontese/Sardinian Army - Infantry Regiment "La Regina"
I & II Battallions Fucilieri
1848 - Piedmontese/Sardinian Army - Infantry Regiment "Savoia"
I & II Battallions Fucilieri
1848 - Piedmontese/Sardinian Army - Infantry Regiment "Savoia"
3rd "Granatieri" Company
1848 - Piedmontese/Sardinian Army - Infantry Regiment "Aosta"
3rd Company "Granatieri"
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