the italians AT gross-beeren
(august 23, 1813)
 |
| The full 15th Division |
ACTUAL FORCES AND STRENGHTS
Italians were present at Leipzig as well as in the
battles of Gross-Beeren and Dennewitz. The 15th Division
(Fontanelli) of the French IV Corps (Bertrand) comprised three
infantry brigades and its strenght
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 '1st 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 5,290
(44)
Ligh Infantry 2,013
(16)
Milan Guard 537 (4)
Foot batteries 2
(2)
The Order of Battle at Gross Beeren was
(numbers between parenthesis are Napoleon's Battles
figures):
1st Brigade (Martel)
2/,3/,4/1st Italian Light Regiment (16)
1st Milan Guard Battalion (4)
2nd Brigade (Saint-Andrea)
3/,4/1st Italian Line Regiment (11)
2/,3/,4/4th Italian Line regiment (13)
3rd brigade (Moroni)
3/,4/6th Italin Line Regiment (10)
2/,3/,4/7th Italian Line Regiment (10)
Artillery
1/1st Italian Foot Battery (1 no necessary)
13/1st Italian Foot Battery (1 no necessary)
5th,6th Italian Train Companies
Sappers, Marine artisans...
UNIFORMS AND MINIATURES
There are not specifically designed Italian figures, so it becomes
necessary to find similar ones amongst the existent. At 1813, the
uniforms of the Kingdom of Italy followed the Regulations of 1812. These
uniforms can be seen at
HISTUNIF.
1) The basic color of Italian Line Infantry was the white.
They wore a white long-tailed coat similar to the pre-1812 French habit,
white breeches and black under-knees gaiters. The regimental
distinctions were carried in collar, lapels, cuffs, turnbacks and
piping. Voltigeurs and grenadiers had, respectively, green ad red
epauletes whereas fusiliers had white shoulder straps.
(See the excelent painting conversion of Adam Parson)
2) The uniform for Italian Light Infantry had a green
short-tailed habit with white turnbacks, green trousers and black
gaiters. Facings were carried at collar, cuffs and piping of green
lapels. Voltigeurs and carabiniers wore green and red epauletes
respectively, and center companies wore green shoulder straps.
3) The Guard of Milan wore a sky-blue long-tailed habit similar
to line infantry with red facings.
4) The Italian Foot Artillery wore a green long-tailed coat with
black, piped red, lapel and collar and red turnbacks and cuffs. Green
breeches and black shako and gaiters.
The
HISTUNIF site describes
the 1812 Regulations and color plates for all the uniforms.
Using the above information with the given in
The Plastic Soldier Review showing the actual posibilites (i.e.
miniatures in the market) I made the following choices:
44 Line Infantry
HAT 8095 1808-1812 French Line Infantry
16 Ligh Infantry
ESCI 227 French Line Infantry
4 Milan Guard HAT
8095 1808-1812 French Line Infantry
0 (+2) Foot batteries
ZVEZDA 8028 French Foot Artillery
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 | |
|
Italian Line Infantry |
HAT 8095 1808-1812 French Line Infantry |
    |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|||
 |
 |
|||
 |
||||
| Italian Light Infantry |
ESCI 227 French Line Infantry |
 |
 |
|
 |
||||
 |
 |
|||
 |
||||
| Guard of Milan |
HAT 8095 1808-1812 French Line Infantry |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
|||
| Italian Foot Artillery | ZVEZDA French Foot Artillery |
 |
 |
|
 |
||||
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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.