miscellaneous
The Chevaux-Legers de Berg trying to break a
Russian square without success (Battle
of Reichenbach)
chevaux-legers de berg (1813)
A Régiment de Chevau-Légers du Grand-Duc de Berg (or
Kleves-Berg) was raised by decree of 21 May 1807 from a cadre of
German-speaking officers and NCOs drawn from various French cavalry
regiments in France and Italy, and the first squadron received the title
of Garde du Corps of Murat. In the spring of 1808, the Garde du
Corps deployed to Spain, and when Murat became King of Naples on 1
August 1808, and relinquised his title of Grand Duc de Berg,
Napoleon took the Garde du Corps de Berg into his Imperial Guard.
After several reshufling and changes of denomination (including the
reception of lances in 1809), in 1812 there were two Regiments, known as
Régiments de Chevau-Légers de Berg, the 1st in Spain and the 2nd
with the Grande Armee in Russia.
In 1813, the survivors of the Russian campaign were augmented and
combined with the returned squadrons from Spain to form the Brigade
des Lanciers de Berg, brigaded with the Dutch lancers of the
Imperial Guard commanded by Général Pierre-David (Edouard) Colbert
de Chabanais.
The Chevau-Légers de Berg undergo several changes of
dressing during the Napoleonic era. In 1813 they wore a Polish-type
lancier uniform in dark green with pink (the official colour was
crimson but a more pale rose shading was used) facings in lapels,
collar, cuffs and lining of trousers. The lance pennons were
pink-over-white an the only difference between the two Regiments, was
the upper part of the czapska: pink for the 1st and green for the 2nd
regiment.
The more adequate figures are the ITALERI 6039 - 'Dutch-Polish
Lancers', first released as ESCI 218 - 'Polish Lancers French
Cavalry'. It's a very easy conversion, including the elimination of
the aiguillettes and the building of a hungarian-type white sheep-skin
shabraque trimmed in pink. For the colback- wearing elite company, I
have used of the elites from the ITALERI 6080 'French Light Cavalry'
set and one rider from the REVELL 02576 'French Mounted Guard
Chasseurs'. The lances are made from wire with the lance pennants
modelled with toilette tissue.
| UNIT | FIGURES | COLOR SCHEME | NOTES | PICTURES |
| Brigade des Lanciers de Berg |
ITALERI 6039 - 'Dutch-Polish Lancers' (plus ITALERI 6080 and REVELL 02576) |
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Napoleon's German Allies (1): Westfalia and Kleve-Berg (Men-At-Arms Series, 44) Osprey-Publishing |
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Links of interest:
Knötel (Lienhart & Humbert Tafel)
Histoire et Figurines
Napoleon's German Allies (1): Westfalia and Kleve-Berg (Men-At-Arms
Series, 44) , O. von Pivka and R. Scollins, Osprey.-Publishing
Chevau-Légers Lanciers du Grand-Duc de Berg, 1809 - 1813 (Military
Miniatures)