the saxons AT gross-beeren
(august 23, 1813)
 |
| The Saxon cavalry |
ACTUAL FORCES AND
STRENGHTS
The 24th (Lecoq) and 25th (von Sahr) Infantry Divisions and the 26th (von
Lindenau) Light Cavalry Brigade composed from Saxons, formed the core of
the of the French VII Corps (Reynier).
The strenght of the
Saxons at Gross-Beeren time has been estimated by combinating
the numbers given by Nafziger and Zucker in their respective books
(see below) which are based on the '15 August state' and taking into
account the attrition (1% per day).
Some rounding up and down was necessary to acomplish the
requeriments of Napoleon's Battles and, at last, I arrived to the following numbers
(items
between parenthesis are Napoleon's Battles figures):
Line Infantry 5,800 (48)
Light Infantry 2,400 (20)
Grenadiers 1,260 (10)
Leib Grenadier Guards 680 (6)
Foot batteries 5 (4+1)
Hussars 670 (6)
Lancers 750 (6)
Horse batteries 2 (2)
The Order of Battle at Gross Beeren was
(numbers
between parenthesis are Napoleon's Battles figures):
24th Division (Lecoq)
1st Brigade (von Brause)
1/Saxon Guard Grenadier Battalion
(6)
1/,2/1st Saxon Light Regiment (9)
1/Maximilian Infantry regiment (4)
2/von Rechter Infantry Regiment
(4)
1st Jager Company (1)
2nd Brigade (Mellentin)
Converged Saxon Grenadier Battalion
Spiegel (5)
1/,2/Frederich August Infantry
Regiment (7)
1/,2/ Steindel Infantry regiment
(8)
Artillery
1st Saxon Foot Battery (1 no
necessary)
2nd Saxon Foot Battery (1 no
necessary)
Saxon Train detachment
25th Division (von Sahr)
1st Brigade (von Bosch)
Converged Saxon Grenadier Battalion
Kleist (5)
1/,2/2nd Saxon Light Regiment (10)
2/König Infantry regiment (5)
1/Niesemeuschel Infantry Regiment
(4)
2nd Brigade (von Rissel)
1/,2/Löw Infantry Regiment (8)
1/,2/ Anton Infantry regiment (8)
Artillery
3rd Saxon Foot Battery (1 no
necessary)
4th Saxon Foot Battery (1 no
necessary)
Saxon Train detachment
26th Light Cavalry Brigade (von Lindenau)
1-8/Saxon Hussar regiment (6)
1-5/Prinz Clemens Lancer Regiment
(6)
Artillery
1st Saxon Horse Battery (1)
2nd Saxon Horse Battery (1)
Reserve and Grand Park
1st Saxon 12pdr Foot Battery (1)
1 Saxon Sapper Company
Saxon Train Detachment
UNIFORMS AND MINIATURES
There
are not specifically designed Saxon 1813 figures, so it becomes
necessary to find similar ones amongst the existent. At that time Saxon
followed, in general, the French style for military uniforms. The
following information has been gathered at several sources, mainly
HISTOFIG and
NAPOLEON-SERIES.
1) The basic color of Saxon Line Infantry was the white.
They wore a white short-tailed coat very similar to the Bardin 1812 French habit,
white breeches and black under-knees gaiters with two white crossbelts
(1812 French carried only one). The regimental facings were shown in collar, lapels, cuffs
(and piping?).
The 1813 facings were
| Regiment | Facings | Buttons |
| König | 1813: Red | Brass |
| Niesemeuschel | 1813: Red | White Metal |
| Prinz Anton | Blue | Brass |
| Von Low | Blue | White Metal |
| Prinz Maximilian | Yellow | Brass |
| Rechten | Yellow | White Metal |
| Prinz Friedrich August | Green | Brass |
| Prinz Clemens | Green | White Metal |
2) The uniform for Saxon Light Infantry and Jagers was
similar to the one for Line but green with green lapels, black collar
and cuffs and red piping. Black crossbelts and green (Light Infantry) or
white (Jagers) shako cords.
3) Grenadiers wore same uniform than Line Infantry with red shako
plume and cords. Leib Grenadier Guards wore a red habit with
yellow facings (collar, lapels and cuffs). They also wore a bearskin
with brass plate altohugh in campaign, shakos were carried instead.
4) The Saxon Foot Artillery had a green uniform in the same
style than above. with red facings (collar, lapels, cuffs and
turnbacks) and red plume and shako cords.
5) Saxon Hussar Regiment wore a typical hussar costume with light
blue dolman, breeches and pelisse, black pelisse facings and furs, red
and white sash, white leather and lace.cords. Black shako with
white plume and cords.
6) Prinz Clemens Uhlans was a Saxon Chevau Legers Regiment
(red habit with light-green facings) receiving lances in 1811. After 1813 their uniform became the traditional
Polish in light blue with black facings piped red.
7) Horse Artillery wore a uniform similar to that of Chevaux-Legers
in green with red facings (collar, lapels, cuffs and turnbacks),
red plume and shako cords.
After several requests in the
HAT Forum
and a search in
The Plastic Soldier Review
I arrived to the following choices:
48 Line Infantry HAT 8042
French Light Infantry/Italeri
6066 French Line Infantry
20 Ligh Infantry ditto
10 Converged Grenadier ditto
6 Grenadier ditto
with French Guard Grenadier heads (or not?)
3 (+4) Artillery ZVEZDA 8028
French Foot Artillery
6 Hussars ITALERI 6008
French Hussars. I run short of these set so at last, I used REVELL
02575 Prussian Hussars with heads from ESCI 227
French Line Infantry
6 Lancers ITALERI 6080 - French Light Cavalry
The guns are from
Newline
Designs painted following the Thierry Melchior's table found
at
Soldats du Premier Empire site. The flags were form
Warflag.
See a scheme of my choices and my painted miniatures
| UNIT | FIGURES | COLOR SCHEME | PICTURES | |
| Leib Grenadiers | ITALERI 6066 French Line Infantry |
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| Converged Grenadiers |
HAT 8042 French Light Infantry |
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| Line Infantry |
HAT 8042 and ITALERI 6066 |
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| Light Infantry and Jagers |
HAT 8042 French Light Infantry |
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| Foot Artillery | ZVEZDA French Foot Artillery |
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| Hussars | REVELL 02575 Prussian Hussars with heads from ESCI 227 French Line Infantry |
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| Lancers | ITALERI 6080 French Light Cavalry |
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| Horse Artillery | ZVEZDA French Foot Artillery |
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Armies of the Napoleonic Era
Otto Von Pivka (i.e. Digby Smith)
David & Charles Ltd., Devon, 1979
Napoleon at Dresden. The Battles of August 1813
George Nafziger
The Emperor Press , Chicago, 1994
1813: The Year that Doomed the Empire.
Special Study Nr.1
Operational Studies Group.