Napoleon's Balkan Tro ps
CONTENTS THE FRENCH EMPIRE IN THE BALKANS
VlADIMIR BRNAIlOIC WIlS zag~b In U173. Arte, graduallng fTom In. UnlYef'dty of zagreb wfIh s History degnte, he trained iIS • jou~lIst. He h.8s a kHfl intel"ftt In In. history of c.n1,.1 end Enlem Europe.n military org.niNUom., npe<::ielly during th
DALMATIA & ISTRIA • • • • • • •
5
Dalmatian Uatwlions Rm'll Dalmatian Legion Rm'll Dalmatian Regimcllt Ro\.ll Istrian B.'l.IIalion Dalm.uian Pandour'i Albanian l'andolll"S IIIn-ian !-1otilla
ILLYRIA • • • • • • •
12
111\ rian Chasscllr~ Field ~l"\-ice: lhe Croatian Prm-i.sional Regimenls lII\Tian Regimcnt Croatian Ilw&lr Regiment Croatian Pioneers ScrCl~lnel"li
1\alional Guard
IONIAN/SEVEN ISLANDS CORPS
OAllKO PAVLOVIC we. bom In 19s1iland cUlTenlly IIv•• • nd wont. In Zev,eb, Croetla. A tr.lned .rchlttlCt, he now workS.S. lull.l1m. Illustrator .nd writer, Spechlllsing In mlllt.rlil. Danto ha. Illustrlll.d • number of books for Osprey lind h•••110 wrItten end Illustrated titi•• lor the Men-lIt.Arms series on the Austrian llrmy of the 19th century.
3
• France's struggle for the SLnllcgic Adriatic coastlinc against Venice, Russia. Austria, Turke}' and the Royal Na\'" • The Ionian Islands (Sept ill'S) • 'The Illp-iiln Prm1nct:s': !stria, Dalmatia, I'\a)' of Catt:lroRepublic of Ragusa - Carniola. Carinthia - Civil & !\lilit;ll"\ Crmllia
37
• Albanian Regiment • Septinsular Battalion • Ionian :\Iollnled Chasseurs
FOREIGN TROOPS IN THE ILLYRIAN PROVINCES
40
• Orielltal Mounted Chasseurs • French and Italian units
BIBLIOGRAPHY & FURTHER READING
42
THE PLATES
43
INDEX
48
Men-at-Arms· 410
OSPREY PUBLISHING
Napoleon's Balkan Troops •
Vladimir Brnardic . Illustrated by Darko Pavlovic Ser,es tIMor Man,n W,ndrow
fIr1,t pWIiIhtId ... Grut
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Dedication
en. Ccun. CnIII* WIl1. Bot!ey. 0K10f
~-'>Ing,com
To my wife Teoden and daughter Helena, and my GfIlf\llJI" ancestors 01 the 4th Szluin Regiment
. ....., &om -..y I... lIMIng lor II'oe llU'IlOM 01 private stucfy. crIt>cIIrn 01 _ . . . ~ """" II'oe Co9YfIOht, l:lMIgrlIlnd Pat.u Act, 1l18l1. no l*'l 01 _ pubIocatlan!MY t..~, lIlorild In • -1'fS*'!, 01 _ l i d In 11"1' Iorm 01 tIy -..y ....... -.:tronoc. 1iIdrlcII, _ , "'ICfIInoCII, 0l)laII. • .....-dong 01 _ _,
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wrthouIlI'oe prIOr -nw. ~ oIlI'oe DllJ¥IlIhl _ t..-...cl roll'oe~.
~
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Acknowledgements Many people have helped me to prepaN this book. I should like to thank Dave HellOS and o.rtto PavloVIC lor their 1MMee, Dave lor l\SSIStanee with the text. and Dw1l0 for the plat.; Madame Ver1l MhaliC. my host while I was -m.ng in PBris. and Luc Oreskow;:; TOITlISlay Aralica, who aIowed me to chw upon 00th his eoIection (pICtI.ft a.:lia, NaIical and ovtstane*lg knowledge; AIfr«l Umhey, for his help WIth bn!lOllS from the Sanvnlung AItred u, RoIarId Umhey teredi\$. lJmheyl; Dr F1lInC8SCO Smoncn, for his help Wtth the ftbaI research; ArserI 0uplanl:aC, of the Iibfary of !he ArchaeologIeal Musam In Spit teredltS, AMS); Marnl Engoyac-Pisk and Jlwlko.Jelin6C, <:lntors of the Croe!lan
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FOfl '" CoI.u.L.OGUE Of AU. BOOKS PU8USHED BY OSPREY MIJtNW" ~ I'I..EASE CONTACT, Tho - . . . . " , - - , ~ DiNct UK, PO eo.. 1-.0 ."._...... 0Ugh, ~ HIoII7I'1l., EmIiI: ~"O.O.....,dit.ct.CO"'"
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C\ntor 01 the Samobor Mt-.n fa'-ltt&, SM); Mme Orouon, 01 !hit lnterrWll10IIal Musam of Hussar&. T8ItIeI1cndits. MIHl). Also to !he directCQ and ,tat! 01 the MiIi\aIY HIStory M..-.n. VierV\a (cnldrts, MHMV); the SerYice HISlorique de l'Armee de Teml. and Bibliothtque NatlonIle de FI'lW'lCe. Pan. (cqdil5. BNFp). NotwrthstandWlg d ItlIS V.aued any tnlStakes I$TIiWI
the anhor'a~, I shoukl also like to thank my ~, broItw". SISter-in-law and parents-in-law, but I am the most grateful 10 my wife Teodoril for her love. suppor'\, tlIIp and lRlerstandIng.
Author's Note ThIS book may be read In conjl.Inctlon WI!tl: MAA 16. Napoleon's HussIn; MAA 88, NspoIson's halian and Net!poIitM Troop$: MAA 146. Napoleon's I.ighIlnfantry. MAA 176, Austnan Atmy oIlhe NapoIf)onic Wars (lJ: /nf/llllry. MAA 299, Auslrian Awlliwy Troop$ 1192-1816; MAA 314, ArmIes of the Ottoman Empire 111~1820: and MAA 335. Ermpr8 & FCX8ifJfI Troops in BritWl Service (IS02-IS).
Artist's Note Readera may care to note that the original paintings lrom which too colour plates in this book were prepared are available lor private sale. All reproduction copyr;ght whatsoever 15 retained by the PUbllsr.ers, All enquiries should be addressed to: Darllo PavlovIC, Modecova 3, Zagreb, 10090, Croatia
The Publishers regret thalll1ey can eoter Into no correspoodeoce upon thi' matter,
NAPOLEON'S BALKAN TROOPS 1797-1815
THE FRENCH EMPIRE IN THE BALKANS IlF P[RIODS OF FIU.. M":H RU£ O\l'r Ihe Ionian Islands (1797-99 and
..
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• Marshal August. de M.rmont,
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by T,Jonnson .tt.r
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1807-14), Dalmatia and Isuia (180'>-11), and finalh the IIlnian Prminces (1809-14) were rclali\ch ..hon. lIow('ver. lhe\ left a lasting mark on .he histo.... of 1003\'S Slmcnia. Croalia. Albania and Greece - largeh for the beller, althollgh this ....
lSl. OflCll called Ilept::tnesm (the Sen~n Islands. Fr. &-pt itl'f). This ronner Vl'nelian possc\Sion of str,ltegicalh located islands, guarding the entmncc to the Adriatic Sea. W,IS ceded to France under the Treal\ of Campo FOllnio on 17 October 1797_ In 1799 the Russians captured the islands and established an imponam base for their .\lcdileITillle.m Flee!. In .\Iarch 1800 the Scplinsular Republic was created, at first under Turkish sO\ereignty. and thcn as a Russian protectOrillC_ The Russians 'lI1e1 French resumed their comest (0 control both the islands and the Adliatic dliling 1806: blH a rear I.lter the Tsar had to retum them to the French Empire under the 1807 Treat) of rilsit. Two veal"5 later, they were amalgamatcd with Francc's mainland territories to form thc Ilhrian l'rO\;ncc~; bm in late 1809 the British locil.cd fivc of the seven Ionian Islands, lcaving only Corfu and Paxos under French control, The tcrm 'llI)'ria' (Lal. /{/),l'iflllll} had been llsed for the ea~tern coast of the Adriatic since Roman limes, but hy the 18th Cl'ntlll)' it rt'ferrcd to thc territories inhabited br Slavic peoples. Tht; coa~t had becn mainly Linder Venelian rule ulltil 1797, when Austria added the defullct republic's PUloloclosions to iu, .\mall coastal pro\-ince. FoI!O\\'ing the disaster of Austcrlitz in 1805, Austria ceded the fonTler Venetian prO\-inces of btJ"i.. , Dalmatia and the Ba\ of Canaro to Napoleon. II0WI::\'cl', the FrancoRussian struggle for Adriatic domination was spreading along thc B.llkall coast throughollt 1806-07, drawing in tht' ~Iontenegrins. 1\110 sided with thc Tsar. rhe Frcnch expanded their ncw tcrritorics with the sdlllre of the independent Republic of Ragusa (Dubromik) in
3
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AUSTRIAN EMPIRE
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OCCUPIED II!I08
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REGIMENTAL AREAS OF
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KINGDOM OF ITALY
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1 • 1~ Regl. (u.u:c.r- GIR I) 2-2nd Reg!. (.,.~ GlR No 21 3· 3rd Regl ( u ~ GlR No 3) • - 41h Reg! (.. GlR No 4) 5·5111 Regl (..-1S1 a.n.l GlR No 10) 6 -1IIIl Reg!. (a-2nd 8MIoI GIR No 11)
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REGIMENTAL HEADQUARTERS
BOSNIA
OTTOMAN EMPIRE SM_
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D'lm'"e and the lIIyna" Provlneea, 1809-14, with •• rlle,
8cqul,ltlona ,inca 1805. In that Y'" the French took the t.rritone. which had originally H.n undar V.nallan rule until 1787, when tMy tlad brleny p. .aed to Auetrla uncler the peace treaty '"dins! the War of the Fin' C_litlon.
4
1806. These territories were initially incorporated inlo Ihc Kingdom of lraly. il satellite kingdom uncler Napoleon's personal rule as king since 1804. Another defeat in 1809 cost Austria more territory, including her small coastline: the reSl of Istria. Trieste. parts of Carinthia and Camiola. and Croalia somh of the Sava River. including the Croat and Banal districlS of the region designated as the Ausman ~Iilitar}' Border (Mditiirgrnnt'). Napoleon's intention ....·as to CUI the Austrian Empirc off fro III thc sea. and to seal ofT the last southern access for Crcat BI;lain to European markclS. At thc So"\I1lC time, he wanted to secure French control of the Alpine passes between {;cnual Europe and the Adriatic. in order to open land rolltcs for French lr.lde ....;th thc Middle E.."\St to replace the maritime rOlltCS no..... blocked b}' the RO\'al Nan'. Ilis 1809 gains \\'erejoincd to Dalmatia and Istria on 25 December 1809. to form the III)'rian I'rm;nces (Us P'fwbl{''5 IllJrimtl'5 - imuking the ancient name) as a dircct dependcllcy of the Frcllch Empire.
c.nblnlers of the Ao~el o.l",etlan leillon p.8fedlng bel_ Nepoleon 'n Venice on 21 November t807. The green uniform has rwd laclne- end dlstlnctlon.. and Is wom ova, s wtllte we'stc_t, with black 1leIf-g"ters, anod French -.qulprnenl Including the eabIwbrique'. The shako pompon Is eppa.-nlty halved rwd Oftf
green. tzanonl, court. .~ U"'.... yJ
The combined provinces covered an area of about 21.500 square miles with a population of around 1,500.000. The}' wcre di\idcd into six chil distriCL~: Carniola; Carinthia with Vilbch and Lim.; Isuia with Trieste and Gorizia; Ci\il Croatia, Dalmatia \\iI11 the Bar of Canaro; thc territol)' of the fanner Republic of Ragu5.."1; and Milil:lI)' Croatia (La Crootil' militairt'). TI1C adminisuro\"inces took part in the 1812 invasion of Russia.
DALMATIA & 1ST RIA Dalmatians had a reputation as good soldiers and sailors, so Napoleon follo\\'ed the previoLls Venetian traditions in cmploying them. The Frcnch raised onc b."1ualion from Istria, together with t"wo banal ions and one Legion from Dalmatia, all of which wcre pan or the Ro)'al Italian Ann)' (even after thc Illyrian Pl'o\'inces were cstablished in 1809). These Dalmatian troops were later merged iTllo one regimenl. while sailors wcre also recruited from both tCITitOlies for thc Roral Italian Na\)', 1st & 2nd Dalmatian Battalions
Following the 1805 Treat)' of Pressburg, the rcmnants of Austria's three Dalmatian ballalions \,'cre u-ansfcrred to the ann}' of the Kingdom of Ital}' as the lsI and 2nd Dalmatian BatlaliollS (Bnllagiio", Dalmnta) on 17 February 1806, They were under the comlll:md of a ch~f tU bataillorl "ith an adjutant-major and a quartermaster, Fonncd frOIll the first twO Austrian HnilS, 1st Battalion had 27 officers. 968 NCOs and men in one
5
TNs IIh.,tntlon of • c ....blnler of tIM Roy81 O.llNItI.n Regl,,",nt i. from regul.tlon. pub+l,hed In MIl.n in tBOt. Note tIM IWd 8P8ule«. . .nd ....... 0 coni, 1Wd. OOIef'iI~ pompon, .nd whlt8 ,word knot with IWd b,. .I. The inscription 'RRO' .nd tM crown of Lomban:ty on tIM dl.mondsh8p8d ,ellow .............0 pl.t. .... shown . , bleck. lUmtteri
•
grenadier and seven fllsilier companies. each COllimanded by a captain, a lieutenant and a second-lieutenant. It was Slationcd first at I\tantua and then at Ci\ita\'ecchia in northern Italy. The 2nd llattalion (formed from the third Ausman unit) \\'::LS based in Venice and attached 10 the Na\)'. Both battalions adopted the six-compan\' establishmcnt ofthe Frcnch light infanu1' by an order of 18 June 1806. \\ith a lIl:"tfT expanded by the addition of an adjutant NCO, a surgeon. a corporal-dnllnmer. an armourer, a tailor and a shoemaker, A month later the 1st llatlalion, 882 strong, was reorgani7ed: e
Reale Oalll1(1((I}. Its now four baualions were numbered by their previous seniorily. but wert: spread OUI across the region: the lSI Bn was stationed in [talv, lhe 2nd with the N,\\y in Venice, and the last 1,,'0 ganisoncd the ports of ladar. DubrO\'lIik and C;maro (Kolor) in Dalmatia. The men of the first two battalions were experienced in mountain warfare and were initially deployed againsl the 1809 pro-Austrian rebellion in the Tyrol. Both lhen joined Vkero}' Eugene's army. and the 1st I}n fought well in Cen Se\'eroli's di\ision at the b
.....
Dalmatian uniforms
The lst and 2nd Dalmatian BattaJjons retained their Ausu'ian-$I),le uniforms but added epaulcltes, rank and senice stripes in lhc French style. The uniform consisted of a grcen single-breasted tunic buttoned down to the \\-aist. \\ith a rcd collar. pointed cuffs and short turn-backs. and grey Il1Ingarian-srrle trousers with black or grC}' gaiters. Their black leather helmet was replaced by a black c~hut - a high-crowned round hat \\ith a broad brim. its left side of exaggerated size and turned lip
For1hoffe." .a.her ""ltlIe recon.tructlon of I.trl.n Ch u.., 1807-og. The eh eur (right) w..... g.ey laekat In the Austrian .tyl. In.t..d of g•••n, with .ky-blue 'aelng., over. gre.n wal.teoat. His leather aceoutrements are blaek. The grfly trou.... have light blue .dglng to the front flap, .nd the black eo,..ehuf • light blue pompon. Th. ear.blnl.r (left) from 1808 wea.. an odd new Ihako with • g...n pompon Itrlped and tufted ..-d, .nd ..-d apaulatt" with glWfil ereacents. Hlljacket II oth'fWl.. like th.t of the eh....ur, but hll walltcoat II red. HII g...n trou.... h• ..,. sky·blue lide .trlpel.nd thl9h knots; the white pit. . . .re trimmed .ky-blue with red m ...l.. (UmMyJ
7
.,. MorlIIk fTom lhe Knl" a ..a'. dressed In • rfil cap deco...tM wtttt yellow; • 100. . whit. Iohlrt, decorated red .."lstc_1, green ~k.t trimmed with brown fur, blu. bNeches, multk:oIourecl gal1an and Opank. ~ .. ThnIst under
h"
broad brown
...u... btllt ..... pistol and Ions .l'at-sl''''n.
Hote the typically of the decorated "intlock gun. ICHMj
Ion;
8
b.~
beside the crown; the carabiniers \\'cre 1m exception, ha\'ing a fllr bonnet, red cpaulcncs and sword knot The buttons were plain lin. By another order of I September 1806, the 2nd Btl uniform was to be essentially the sallle as that of I..he 1st (then at Bcrbramo), only differing by the stamped 'Secondo Baltaglionc Dalmata' on the buuons, and sky-blue trousers. The July 1807 Reglcmcm included dcmilcd descriptions of new uniforms for the entire Royal h..'llian Arm\'. 1-I00\'c\'cr. Lhc Dalmatians' unifOllns were only altered by the change to sk}-bluc trousers and by ne..... distinclions on the w:'listCo:.lt, greatco
RO}~II
Dalmatian Regimellt received an Italian 1808 paUem Slandard with all Eagle: the flag was \dlite in the ceillral lozenge, cdgcd by alternate grecn and rcd comers. The motto on the rc\'crse was in Italian, probabl\": ',\'(I/)QII'OI/' Im/)('1"(llou (/, Frnllcni RI' d'ltalia al/o !Vggiml'llto Hml, /)allllflto'. On thc obvcrsc was the Italian cagle in golel under lhe imperial crown: 011 iLS breast \\~-tS a red shield with the Iron CrO\\'n of Lomhard\'. Royal I.trla" aattallon This IJattaglimu d'lstria. raised for co.·mal gan;son dut}'. was established on 31 ~la" 1806 ,,;th the S<"l.me organi ...ation as the Dalmatian unilS. The ballalion. \\'hich had a nominal strength of 723 officer~, NCOs and men. was commanded 1)\ a rh,j d, bala/llon \\;th a staff comprising an adjutanHnajor, an adjuwl1t :\'CO. a quartcrmastcr, a corpoml-dnllnmer and thrce craftsmen, The plan was to conscl;pt670 recnliLS in Istria on Ihe S<"l.me basis as in Dalmatia. but thc recnliting alllhorities faced lhc samc kind of respon.sc.·, and four months latcr the h."malion had juSt 5·10 officcrs and mcn. Statioll(.'d at Kopar. the battalion nC"er reachcd full sU'cngth (the highest figurc achievcd was 688 at thc end of !\l;n 1807), and its rcliabilil\ was so suspcn th;1t it was ordered disbanded in spring 1809. with the rcmnanLS being sem to the 1st ,md 2nd Italian Light Infant.... RegimenLS. Ilowcvcr. war \\ith Austria produced a sta\ of esecution. and the battalion SOl'" anion ill the Thol. After the war ended the disbandment order "'as implemented in early 1810, and the men \\'cre sent to the recently fanned 3rd haliall Light Infantr}' Regiment. Article 12 of the 30 June 1806 decree specified the uniform: a short. single-breasted green habit-ViS" with sc\'en buttons: sky-blue collar, pointed ClifT", lUrn-backs and piping: whitc waistcoal: stccl'gTe} lilingarian trousers with skyblue knots, black ankle boots and gaiters: black Cors,JllIt Wilh a grcen pompolJ for chasscuf"S, red for carabiniers and yellow for voltigeurs; and a slcd-gre)' forage cap piped ~k}'-bille, A month later the bllllons were ordered to be stamped with a hunting" hom surrounded by 'Bauaglione d'!stria'. The 1807 reglllation cOllfirllled the style, with the addition of a steel-gre)' grealcoat wilh a skr-blllC collar. The sword knot \\".\.S red for the cal~lbinicrs, grecn for \"ulligcurs and while for chasSCllrs: cat
'An Inhabitant 01 the Imotakl area'; both thl. IIluatr-'lon and the MOrlak deplct the local co.tu..... worn by the Pandoul' belore French kit waa Introduced. Hla red cap i. wrapped wIth a white turban de<:onllled with line red linea. Hla red wai.tcoat I. partl)l daeoratlld with white checkering, The g...... Jaeket haa at lea.t til vlaibM bllttonholea grouped in fours; ae.anet tum· bKka .t the Of.ltalda of the cUffa; and plnk or purple piping -' the front edge and ahouldel' . .ama. The wIda wnlte t ~ are aecured below the knee with taaWlflf red Un..... cama. two platola and a y.ttag#Nln batw_ diff_t la)l.... 01 hia wide -.thef" waia' belt, e - . d with red '.tbrie or worn under a red .......; and hn a ~ted brown bag aklng on hia hip. Nota 'Not he hokfa hla long pipe and a tobac:c:o bag. (CHM)
•
2
shako. The front bore an It.alian tricolour cockade above a rellow-metal diamond plate, bearing 'BRI' for Ballagliollc Reale d'lstrla under the Iron Crown of Lombardy. Like lIalian light infantry regiments. the cords and pompons were red for carabiniers and green for \'olligcurs: the chasscurs wore while cords with grecn-ovcr-whilC pompons. The Istrian Batl.~lion should ha\'c had one standard and (wo Jalliolls. Pandours
10
PandOllrs - a \\idcly used name for B.'\lkan irregulars - originated in troops raised in 161.11 century Dalmau::1 under Venetian mle, who in 1748 were organized into a police unit lO guard the border with Turkish IlcrLCgmina. The French retained this force and its organi7..ation when Da,lmatia was acquired ill 1805. The Pandours ",'cre initially deplored in suppressing pro-Russian rebellions and engaging the Ts.,r·s troops in 1806, before scning as the escort to :\Iarshal ~lannont'S baggage during the 1809 war. and later joining the forces of the Ill~Tian Pro,ince~, To impro"e their atp'-lbilitics, the corps was fonnalh organized as the Pandours of Dubro"nik (PalldtJllrJ de Rnguse) , or Dalmatian Pandours (Palldoun de Dalmalie) by a decree of I i March 1810. Utter they were also known as the Regimenl or Corps of Dalmatian Pandours, The Pandours were recnlitcd exclusin::h' from amongst men in the age bracket 20-30 who li\'ed inland. since those on the coast and islands \,'ere drafted for the nan'. Royal Dalmatian Regiment or National Guard. 11lt:: Pandours were stationed both in the main towns - including Zadar. Benko,,:!c. Sinj. Vrgorac and Imotski - and in small nlral g-.If1;sons, Their main tasks \,'cre guarding the north-east border against the Turks and assorted brig<mds; escorting couriers and caravans coming from Bosnia: and nomlal police duties in their distJ;cts, Exempt from peasant labour obligations. the Pandours were cncour:lgcd to perform dl;11 and shooting practice e,"cry Sunday after ~la~s. The whole corps was under the direction of a colond stationed at Z
disunnions and wore hUssilr-st)'le boots, although when off duty they wcrc allowcd to wear blue French-stylc jackcts \\ilh red facings. red brecches anrl sih'cl' epauleues, FidTc adds thai regulatioll drt"ss was latcr changed to a blue dolman and red cloak with a French shako, Pando\l1' \\'eaponrv was a collenion of variotls Balkan muskets, pistols and large )'atllglulII knives, Obtained locall\', the muskets \\'ere either of Dalmatian tn>c or of regional stYles such as the ramjlija, i:ibllklija, miak 01' !mmgrm; the same was true for the smallcr wcapons (sec page 34), Funhcr south, after sl'curing the Ba\' of C..ut:.tro, thc French SCt up a similar unit on 1June 1810 as Ii'll' Pandours of Cattaro, to guard against Montenegrin raids. This b.:"\lIalion was supposed to be di\idcd i11l0 six companies of 50 men cach, but the total never exceeded 200. 011 8 :--:O\'ember 1811 it was expal'tded 10 eight companies and its name changed to lhe Albanian Battalion (&taiLJo" Albatlais) , and laler to the Albanian Pandours (Pa"doIlN d'Alballais) or Corps of Albanian Pandours (Corps de Pm.dOIlTf':lI de /'Alba1lie). They were mosth engaged againsl irregular inCIll1iions from neighbouring Monlenegro, and in the defence of Dalmalia ag::tinst Austriall im';:tsion in 1813, The unit suffered high le\'e1s of d<.'SCnion, and b\' the end of 18 I3 it had c\'aporated. The uniform Wits \'en similar 10 that of the Dalmauan Pandoul1i. but the weapons \\ere of characll'ri~tic loe;ll OIi brin: the Ikllkan muskets ",'ere oflong. thin ta"bca Ivpe. IaraJliJa from C,maro, anlalltkll, rogu, raJnk or paragllrr; the pistols (tnhmu, uatke and iilfr) and \~.ltaghans were usu:llh richl} decorated with silver. brass or e\en gold (see pages 38 & 46). Officers and :--:COs \\cre pcnnitlcd 10 carry cither Turkish sabres or Albanian swords, md.,ed in the \\~Iisl belt on the left side. The long Dahn;ltian/lllrri"lll coastline required a naval force. The initial plan was to usc the ships abandoned br the Russians in 1807 (ship of the line S,dd~/-8ahr. taken from the Turks early in 1807; frigate L)'ogfriy. conellc Viomer£); bUl all lhese vessels were unst:aworth}. Accordingl)', in 1810 the
StoH·po.-t...lt of Second-lieuten-nt B.rae of the Corps of D.lm.tJ... p...oou,.., .It Ljubljana on 31 M.,. t.10, with.n NCO. The of1lc« 101•• ,.. the ~ul.tion P.nckwr uniform, which 101.' -""II., to the F~h Cha....u"' • c......... p;1lttem, In 6iIrtl blue fac:.c .nd pfped wlth scarlet, wltto whit. 'met.I', .nd red bl'H'ChQ with thigh knota -
Antonio
not. the o"....k".. riding boota. Hh; ub... h.ng. In •• teel scabNnl from • red w.lst belt .nd tla•• -.l1".r lac. knot. The -".br1lque Is d.rtl blue wIth .I red line, .nd the ".Ill.. I. red. The NCO,. uniform I•• mlxtu.. of ~ul.llon Items .nd n.tlve d..... See PI.I., Cl & C2. (AMS)
Illyrian
Flotilla (HOl/illt' d'IIlJrie) ....-::ts formed from
vessels pre\'iOllsly in the defunct Auslrian Navy: lWO gallcrs. two brigs, lcn gunboats, and ten 10 20 small barques. The flolilla was divided into lhrce groups for coaslal defence, harbour ddt:lH;c, and con\'O}ing merchant shipping to proleci il from British primleel's. The crews conlinued to wear lhe dark blue Austrian naval uniform, since its st}le .....a s similar to the French: a black round hat; a single-breasted jackel (Paklot) \\'ith a standing collar which bore light blue
11
patches; a white, double-breasted waistcoat; wide sailors' trousers; 10\\', buckled black shoes. and black leatherwork. The NCOs worc a tailcoaL The French officers wore their French N;l\l' uniforms. which comprised a single-breasted tailcoat with a scarlet collar and cufTs, gold epaulcucs and buttons. A few fonner Austrian officers. who had not transferred to the Italian Kingdom's navy, joined the flotilla and initiallv \·..ore their old llllifonns lIntil lhe)' could acquire the French version: a gold-edged bicorn, a double-breasted t'lil-eoat with a ligtll-bluc collar, round cuffs, and tum-backs; Iight·bluc brceches, and black boots, The ships' gunners seem to ha\'e cominued in their Ausu'ian unifonns; a black felt corseh,d \\ith the brim tumed up on the left side; a single-breasted, pikc-gre}' jacket ,,;th a red collar, round cuffs and tUI'n-backs, \'e11ow buuons: wl}ite breeches and black gaiters,
ILLYRIA (\.att & c:.ntN) Au.tria" O,.nzer tn)c)p1I In u.. UN plitt.... whit, fl.ekl MrYk:, Jack,.. end ally-blue Hungari,n trouR,.: end (right) ,n lllyMn Ch....ur, 1810, In the __ d,"" blue uniform Pf'8Kribed by M,rmonl, which rebined the Austn," atyte
• .ltc:ept lor the FAflCh ,hallo. (LM,'npi_)
12
The core of the llIyl;an troops were six fonner Ausman Gtl'7IZ regiments ";th more than 18.000 soldiers, who had their homes in the part of the Milil
a commission to investigate the ullusual !lorder arrangements. When hc receivcd their report. Napoleon summoned a delegation of local officers to Paris in the summer of 1810. With the anive support of the gO\·cmor·general Marshal Mannont (who had cngagcd Crcnzers in his 1809 campaign in Dalmatia), they persuadcd thc emperor to retain lhe traditional syslcm to pro\'ide substantial numbers of troops for both bordcr dcfencc and campaign se....ice. Renamed the U1ynan Chasseur Regiments (Rigiments de ChllSYlIrs d'llJ)',ie) , these former Crenzer regimcllts ,,'ere usually referred to simpl)' as the 'Croat regiments' (Rigimtmts croates). TIle Ausuian numbering was largelv retained: I. Licc". 2. Onocac. 3. Ogutin. 'I. Szluin, 10. (lsI !lanaI) and II. (2nd llomal) Regts becamc 1st to 6th 1lI}'1ian Regts respenively. The Border districts \\'crc placCd under Cen Delzons, the commandcr of ~Iilitar}' Cro;.ll..ia, holSCd;1I 1'.;l.rlSlach (KarlO\'lc). A decree of 12 Februal''t'' 1810 grouped the six rcgiments into IWO dhisions: 1st. comprising the 3rd to 6th RegIS. \\;th headquarters at Ljubljana. and 2nd. combining the 1st and 2nd RegIS \\;th the Dalmatian Ilandoul1i Regt and ha\;ng its headquancrs at bdar. As all !lle senior commanders had emigraled to Austria tJlcir positions WCI'C initially filled by French officers. Although some local officers were promoted during French rule, the Chasseur regimental commanding officers remained French apan from Col Slji't"aric of the lSi Reg!. foml(~rh' a Ill.yor in the Austrian sc....;ce. The regimenlS reClined their Austrian organization. A peacetime eslablishment. comprising t\\·o batt;:lIiolls of six companies plus a rese....·e
llI)'rian Ch....un otflc.... and ~"'lnlslntly••t.rr, 1810 unHorm. (l.n to right! Staff c.p"ln In wtl.1t. trouHf'S end "",el.tcoat, "",ith gold colle, Ieee; com",I...',.. InfP8Ct.ur In the renk of ~ ~ l . w1th IJIYer lee• •",broldery et coUa' and cuff; captain. 3rd Re;t.
y.11ow feeing. and lirtlng;
colonel, 11th Regt, g~ feel"il' and Ilnl"il- both !\ey. black huuar boots with .Ily., tri",;
and '"il'''''' cite, de Ntal/lorl In French enol".., .....!form. lLMalaspfnel
.-
13
(lett) Se'lleent, 5th Regt of IIlyri.n Ch....urs. 11t 1, we. ring • formerly brown !Kket dyed 'd.rIo; blue' (KtU.lly • dirty blac"'), fKed, lined .nd plp.ed ....y·blue. HI' tn.ko, H.u.montur white trou ..,.. .n
14
division (twO companies), was expanded to as many as four battalions in \\'artimc. The staff consisted of 17 oniccrs: a colonel. a lieutenant colonel, two Ill:yors, an adjutant-major. an adminisll-dtive captain and second-lieutenant. three audilOrs, two aCCDlIlllal1lS, a l'egimclll.:.ll adjutant. a regimcllml surgeon, ' .....0 b.:1.ualion surgeons and an accoulltant, plus 31 NCOs and soldiers: six cadets, three qu.u'tCI'maslcrs. six administrati\·c quancrmastcrs. a drum-major. six st.'lndardbearers, eiglll musicians. a pro\'OSI and eight officers' servants. Each n~giment should ha,'c fielded 2.507 officers. NCOs and men. The regiment's administnllive staff (Extm-PtTlOllnl'l) also included chilians: Catholic pl;eslS, teachers. forest r.mgcrs. postmen. CllSlOms officers. a ,·ctennan.lIl. a mid"ifc, and clock repailmen. Laking the toLaI regimental personnel to 2.680. Each comp'lIl) was under the command of four officers: a captain, a lieutenalll. a second· lielilenant and an ensign (the French Am1\' did nOt ha\'e a rank equivalent LO Fahnrich. so all these ensigns "'ere promoted to secondlieutenant), The former ranl..s of Feld\\·ebel. Korporal and Gcfrcitcr \\'cre redesignated as 'I French serge;\IltS m.yor. sergeantS and c011>Ordls respectively: c;:lch compan\ had a sergealll major. six sergeantS, eight corporals and twO dnmuncrs, t",o pioneers, 20 sharpshooters and 160 soldiers with fOllr sen'lIltS. The famous IJopfNl.5lutz.n1 (double-barrelled rifle/musketS) had been spilited aW;:I)' to Ausman depotS, so the sharpshooter deladuncnL'i were <;()()n abolished, but the regimentS retained the 50-strong anil1el)' detachmentS with their light pieces. Each company's adJl1ilti~l1,ltivc Slaff included a mililary componcnt ofa sccond-lieuten
cxpt:diljOIl of twO French and foul' Croatian baltaliOl1s with 800 horses and 20 guns against them. Defcaled. thc Turks were inaCti,'c for the next thrt:e ycars. In 1813. after French defeat in Russia, thcy auacked again towards Cetill. but although most of the lIl)'lian line units were abscnt they were checked bv resen'c battalions and 220 hussars from Ihe newl)' formed Croatian Ilussar Regimcnt. In 1812. each rcgimclll expanded its reserve division into a full 3rd Bn of less able-bodied men. Aside from a field battalioll each from the 3rd and 4th RegIS. Ihese units were the onl), Illyrian Chasscurs remaining in Ihe lIlyri;m Pro,inces when Austria declared \\'ar in August 1813. The Austrian ann) scm Crenzer units from the resl of the ~Iilila,,' Border to r~cup' the prminces: this quick..!\' persuaded the Chasscurs to retulll to their histolic allegiance \\iLll almOSt no resiSL."lnce. B)' earl)' 1814 the 11I\1;an Chasscurs had ccased 10 exist. Uniforms
Initialh the IIhTian Chasscurs continued 10 wear their old Auslrian dress - a mixture of the 1i98 paltcm campaign scnice F~ldrnOlltuf (\\hite jacket and lIunbrarian blue trousers). and Ihe Border sen'ice /la/Wllml/llf (brown jackets and white trouscrs). The white singlebreasted jacket had faciub'S 011 a slanding collar. on pointed cufTs with whilc 'bear's cia....·· (Biimltalz,m) lace decor.llions. and on the lum-b."lcks: thc brown Ilausmolllur jackct had plain Cliffs \\;thout B;iremauen. Mannolll's ordcl' of 28 Dccember 1809 required the remm~dl of all Austrian fcalllrcs - Ihc \cl1ow-black pompon. shako rosclle and trouSCr decordlion - and Iheir rcplaccment bv French cockomewhat dim.:renl. The headgear was usually a tall. peakless C)'lindrical felt hat (Klolmk); the trousers sometimcs lacked the usual black-)'ellow braiding, or were simply replaced with homemade
S91rtt~
little d,.wln.g. of •
dnlmmer, ch....ur In 1I,..tc_t, .nd Ajl4)er 01 Croati.n ,"",,,,,.son.1 Aeglments., t Bt 2_13. Hote that the c"-ueurs .,. wlttI<M.st AbAla. The tlrst ch....ur wears • g~ coat, wi'llte w.l.tc_t .nd .,.llow_ .triped llreen trou..rs. Th
*
*
15
~
only known pk:tOli.I
lor •
C~tJ.n ~i .... nt
unlfonn I' thl' .... tf
-.n::.
lor> g ...."
"'ln~tu~
portrait of an 0111(:... 01 (probably) the 3n1 Pro¥l'ionIol Regiment. Hi' yellow plu.... and oddly·drllwn ambo.Mel huntlnt hom on the wnlt.....1.1 .hako pl.t••ugg•• t th.1 he I. prob.bly • c.pt.ln of voltlg....,.. The..- ,. . . . .g .... lndk:.tlon of • l.ee top band on the shako; ~ eO(:hde .,
.hown aa white-blue-red from the out.lde Inw.rd•• The unllorm
I. entirely green, with y.lIow facings, piping, and .paul.tt. bride.; the .paulett. and contreap.ulatt••re .hown aa hellyily worlled .lIver I.c•• TI•• dllrll lin. above the c:oll.r I' nol piping,
but an ,Imo,t hidden ,tock. (Umh'YI
,.
while trousers. The troops also preferred the soft leather Opankc shoes and high. multicoloured woollen socks to boots and gaiters. All leatherwork was to be black from 1809. but the previolls Allsu;an white belts did not dis..1.ppear completcl)'; and a simple haversack was often c;uTied in place of the regulation knapsack, The Rescn'e Gren1.ers, who stared in the ( Military Bordel'lO perform frontier service. used mostl), local BalkalloStyle muskets. so the IIIrrian Chasscur'S field banalions .....ere all isslled ..,ith French 01' captured Austrian and Venetian weapons. Napoleon's unease about their ultimate lo...a hies meant that onl... Bosnian raids and the appeals of Marshal ~Iannont brought a stead.. strcam of ncw \'capons. ~apoleon \,<15 also reluctant to spend mone\ on unifonning 18.000 mcn who would usualh be on border guard sen'icc and alrcad\ had homemade unifonns for that role, ~e\crt..hcless, on 22 ~Iay 1810 :"Iannont prescribed a new unifonn: a French shako, a blue single-breasted jacket with a collar. pointed cufTs. tumbacks and lapels faced in regimental colour; pewter buttons bearing the regimental Ilumber; a white waiSlcoat; blue breeches: short black Ilungarian-stYle ankle boots or short black g-diter'S \,ith the upper edge CUI to rescmble Ilussar boots; and a beige greatcoat. The buttons. decoration, epauletles and sword knots for oflicer~ \\'ere silver, The continued use of the Austrian style mean that the uniform could bc introduced quickl), and cheapl)' b), dyeing old Austrian jackets: howe\'er. the result was more black thall blue, especiallv when tre,lling dark brown tLlnics, The regulations wcre quick.!), adjusted to permit black lllllics and plain white trousers until blue material could be obtained. although the Ilungarian blue trousers were also still in lise. The results were probably better with the old white Austrian field sen'ice Feldmolltur. The facing colours were as follows: Old Aus/dan IIIIi/orlll Nrw Frrllc!l IIniform 1st Regt Violet Red 2nd Reg. Violet Crimson 3rd Regt Orange-yelluw Yellow 'Ilh Regt Orange-yellow Violet (frol11 June. (/lII'Orr) 5th Regt Crimson Sk)"-.blue 6th Regt Crimson Green RlltlOIlS were yellow metal for the odd-numbered and white metal for the e\'en-Ilumbcred regiments. Aside from the black leather cartridgc box and scabbard, all leatherwork remained \"hite. By another decree of 17 June 1810 :"Iannont prescribed ne\" uniforms for lhe administrati\"e staff: a dark blue single-breasted jackct \,ith nine buttons. dark blue or \·..hite trou~ers and waistcoat. distinguished by different facings. piping, buttons, gaiters. epaulettes and sword knot. Ilowe\"er, onl\' the onicers would have becn able 10 purchase lhe dark blue cloth for their ne\\' uniforms. and some colonels mao,' have prodded new unifonns for slandard-bcarers and drummers.
The change started in Lhe SUI1l11lt.:r. but soon ~lOpped wlwn Ihe Pari~ Oluthorilies decided 011 a grecn llniform for the l1I)'riall Chas.'Icurs. :\larlllonl strongl\' oppoM.'d the idea in a letter 10 the 1\linistt~r of \\'ar Oil 26 October 1810: ' ... I\}' mcan" of the Crnmian oniccrs who are in Paris, C.t'IH'I~11 Andreos~}' ordered any challge of uniform 10 be stopped, becau'it.' a new org:miz,uion, ncw uniforms, etc., will be instiltlted ... General Andrco'\.S\ canllot C\'en imagine thai a simplc qllcslion of uniform, Idlich mcans nothing an\1dlcrc else, is \'en' imporl'lll! here. becau.'tC it is a question of imposing an extra burdcn on tJ1C familie!> ..... ho prmidc the ltOldicrs' uniforms: if the unifonns werc prescribed in the ....' ;1\ tJml the families cannot make thcm thcmselvcs. i.e. Ihat the: families have to bur tJ1cm. lhis single order ....·ould cause a n·\·ohll.ion and the emigration of a largc numbcr of those. I\ho ....ould be unable 1.0 comph ....ith this dem.md. ' Thc illlroduction of a ncw uniform was immediatch sllspended and was in fact ne\er impicmellled in Ihe I'ro\inccs, bUl also had the CffCCI of slopping the introdUCIion of Ihe blue unifonns. Thus lhe lroops SClit to Gcrmam and hah in 1813 apparcntJ\ wore '-drialions of Ihe b1'0"'11 AUSlrian uniforms. Although the organiLUioll:11 tables lisl six standard-bearers. tJlCre is no c\idcncc lhat the IIhTi;lI1s were c\cr gil'cn Eagles. Just onc \\hitc fanion of Ihe 3rd (Ogulin) Kcgimcllt's lsi HanaHon has suni\'cd, and presumabh the other battalions al~ carried llll:m.
Field service: the Croatian Provisional Regiments Conlinuing Austrian CrclIl.er pmclice, the IIInian Chas~ellrs 11(.,\·cr scl"\·t'd on campaign as complete rebtimcms, but operated as independem bau.•"llions. The high casualties sustaincd by lhe Crenzers o\'cr thc pre\'iolls 20 rears iniliall) made it difiicuh for each regilllelll to prmidc morc than one hallalion for field scnice. so these baualions ,,'ere paired into four Croatian Provisional Regiments (Rigilll,mts prolli.wires croates) of two batlaliolls each. The first to be read}' \\';15 tJ1C 3l'd Provisional Regiment, organizcd from the 1st Bns of 5th and 6th RegIS of 1II)'l'ian Ch;lSsellrs (formcrly 1st and 2nd Banal KcglS) on 21 September 1811.
w_
-
-
. ...",
A ..nlor otf1e.r, drum.m./or, and two o"lell" 01 Croatian Pro... lalonal Reglmenta, 1812-13. All th,... o"le... hava green eoatl, y.lIow faelng. with red eollar .oglng and p.teh.., allver 'metal', and g,...n b,...eh.. or lrounrl with y.lIow stripes. Th. right hand flgu,.. Is probably from a earablnl.r eompany, gl....n his dant brown fur busby with red pompon and bag, and red walsteoll. Th. greateoals a.. earrl.o roll.o o....r the right should.r, th... a,.. shown .s light brown. 1M e...blnl.r's as grey. Tha "mbou,..majot' has YIIIl_·striped g..y ~MrS; his lac... sllv.r. Inc:litdlng <:ollar .Itd eutl edging altd a conu.. ep,wl.tf•• (R.Forthotfer,
eovrl.etly UmlMoy)
17
RIGHT Second end Third El1Ile·beerera of the 3rd CroIItlen Provisional R~t, 1812-13; thl, ~Jm.nt c'rbIlnt~ hId In Eagle erKI th4l tmillone' th~ M.re,.. (lett) Sheko with r.cI plum., whit. IKe Isll.... r7) edged m,
bra.. ehln KI"'. Blue,shatted tul1bercl with trlc:Olour pen_. Yellow-piped g ...n lKk,t, yellow coller, IWd ~ end p.IItch. ,ellow eu"'; c:hlf"ronlon r9d bKkl"9;
,11"'8'
bnlss se."
~u"tt
c:reacenw, red fri
ltoter white
m.t.l button... O,..n brt4oe..... no stripe; black 8'11," eut like hu , boots, yellow trim end 18 II. e,....-fum.."-d whit, croaatMlta; bnlu-Nmlan.ct blaek lingle pntol hoI,ten at wIIst. (Right) SIMI helmet, blaek fur tuman, red I'OKh. bnl.. chin .c.1es. Bl.....shaned pi.... tricolour pennon. Qreen }Kkl" ~Iow 'Kings; red chevron_ . ~ aflver-on-Nd reok cheVf'ona; red apeulett,., .,...... c-.nta. Yellow-striped g.-..n brMcMs. pit.,.. •• ottHtr fit",... S",u'fuml,tted white croubelt.; bt"•••• fuml.hed blKk double pl'tol hol,t,r ,. w,l,.; white . .b,.. knot, r9d ts,-,.
_rvic.
(R.Forthotfer, coyrt.., Umherl FAR RIGHT DlVmmers of ero"I'n Provl.lonal Reelmenb, 1812-13. (Left) Note the Imperl,l livery, probably u.ed by the dlVmmers 013rd and 1,t R81iIt,; yellow fKlnfl" plplnfl, ,tripe. ,nd 'swallow"-n"I,' on hi, green unltonn; and hi. yellow w,lstcoat. The .hsko h.. e yellow-tufted dllrk blue pompon end white metal eagle pl,te. (Rlflht) The glltnadler drummer 0' the 51h (1) h.. s red-Iuml.hed .hllko; II ,kyo bluejacket with yellow 'King. and soma kind 01 tricolour lIv,ry I,e.; a white waistcoat; gllt,n b_MS; and yellow-trimmed hu...r-cut glllt,rs with red lasMl•• IR.Forthofler, courlesy Umhay)
,.
'nle lsI I'ro\isional Regiment. formed from the lsI HIlS of Ihe lsI and 2nd lIlyrian Chasseurs (Licea and Onocae) follO\\ed on 26 OClOber. TIle 2nd Prmisional Regiment. fanned from lht.· 2nd I\n of Ihe ~rd and lsi Un of the 4th Chasseur RCbrts (Ogulin and 5/Iuin). \\~dS onh read} some lime afler 25 February 1813: and tht' 'lth. formed of the 2nd I~ns of the 5th and 6th Regts, not before AUgtlSI 1813. L'pon these mergers. the hallalions adopted the French light illfallll)' org;.lIli7..: ttion of a cambinier. a volt..igeur and fOllr chasseur COIllI);lIlies. The 1.860 men of 3rd Croatian I'roloisional Regc were assembled in ~lay 1811 at Ljubljana to !f'lrrisoll the cit\'. ullder Etielille Jol),. colonel of thc 5th Illynan Chasscllrs. This 3rd Regl \,':IS sellt to DUon. bUI due to some desertions Napoleon ordered it to Paris, where he re\'icwed it in penoon 011 8 December 1811 alllid~t an oflf-'Ilized display offraternit)' b), the Imperial Guard, and officers were invited to dine with the marshals. The regiment recei\'ed new grecn lIniforms, arm~ and equipment and I\~I.S allocated a com pan)' of artillery. It drilled frequcntly and took part in a few parades. Some soldiers :"Ind I ~ olliccl's, mostly Orthodox by lilith, were scm home heC;l1lSl' of their possible sYlllpathies wilh Ol'lhodox Russia, and replaced wit.h Frcnchmcn. Before Icavillg Paris. 3rd Provisional Regl reeeh'ed an Eagle per..onall)' li'om Napolt:on on " February 1812. Two dars later it W;L~ sent e;L~1 to join the Grande Annce for its Russian calnpaign. At \\'irballell all 18.1UllC it \\~tS reinforced with 100 soldiers sent from the ~Iilitary Border, so that at the beginning of campaign the regiment's strength stood at 41 ollicers. 1.582 J'\COs and men, together with 33 horses for artiller)' and lI'ain \\ith 17 for officers. Brigrulcd \\1th the 41h 5\\1SS Regt under Gcn Amcy ill the 9th Division (~Ierlc) ofOudillot's II (;oq)s. the 3rd Regt fought with distinction at both battles of Polotsk. I laving lost tWO officers and 50 men in skinnishes north of the citv on 27 Jul), and 3 August, the regimclll I\~I.S cited in Gell Merle's relXlrt on the fil~l battle of PololSk on 18 Augusl for distillbruishing itself b\ repulsing a Russian charge; this action cost the regiment 200 casualties, but it was compcns:.lted witll six crosses of the Lcbrion of IIOllour.
The 31'0 Rt'gt was th~n brig:uled under Cen C_'llldr'L'i \\'ith the 1st and 2nd Swbs Regtso and conc~rn for national honour 'lllickl}' grew into rivalry. In the second baule ofPolotsk (18--20 OClOber) the French were on the d~fensi\e. but th~~e regiments sought to surpass each other in a fel'Ociuu.lo cOlillter-attilck. Facing till' t'ntire RlIS~j;Ul I Corps llml. l' COllllt \\'ingellStein. the charge \\~lS can·ied too far and all three regimellts suffered he:"ih when the Russians s~nt in their re"Crves. Although it \\'as rewarded with ~ix lllor~ crosse~ of the Lt.'gion. the 3rd Croatian Regt had suffered its hea\ie!'>t lo""e~ in a single action: 387 men killed ur Glptured. one officer killed and nine wounCparatc unit. Once the SlJ'.lgglers had caught up. appl'Oximatcl\' 300 men of the 3rd PrmisiOllil1 Regt \\cre g-.It1H.'red at Marienburg in Januan 1813. A de.....dunelll of three officers and 116 men stayed in the cit\. \\'hile others \\·ere sent to Magdeburg and three office~ and 116 men were left in [rfurt. &'\en officers and 64 lIIen arrived OIL Ingolsl..adt on 8 Ap'i\. \\'here on 15 Juh 1813 thev ,\'ere joined lw 1.200 men (200 from each Illpi:m Chasseur regiment). to fonn a nc\\ 2nd 811 of the 1st Prmisional Regiment. This b.."\ualion retllnled to Magdeburg. but tlte han.h winter and slIpph failures had already prompted 400 to desert before the rest smTendcred to tilt' Allks on 23 J\lar 1814. These 25 ollicers and 59;\ men refused LO march 10 Metz and opted to relllrn 10 Austrian sen1ce. The 3rd Croatian Provisional RegimcllI thlls ceascd to exist. ;llthough it \\~I..s nevcr formally disbanded, since the detachment at Marienbul'g retained the title and then joined the g:lITison ofK(lstrin. which surrendered on 20 March 1814. The Erfurt detachment was lIlet by Napoleon while he \\'as pas~ing throllgh the cit}' in late April 1813. Relln:mbcring the regiment's outstanding sc....,ice 011 the Bere~ina. he decOl~lted one ollicer with the Legion cross and incorpor:lted the detachment in the Young Guard 'to guard the Emperor's own field bagbrage·. In this capacity lhe)' served at Lcip7ig. where the}' lost 40 men, but there \\'erc still 152 men .1tL."l.chcd to Imperial \ Head'luanel's (although that figure might include a few additions) when the}' were released from sc,...icc on 17 April 1814 at Fon .....inebleau.
(Len) onice•• lit Croatlen Prolll.lonal Regt. battle of W1teb.k. 1812. Green coat with facing. and lapet plplng ,eilow. SUII• • • paulett.: whIte wei.tcoat. ,ellow-striped g,,"n breeches, tlIv....trim...-c:! hus. .r boots. Not. ttlat the onl, shako decoratlon I. a F..nch cockade artd tliller top bartd _ thef'8 i. no plat•. (Right) Offlc:er. 3rd Croatian ProvJslonat Regt, battle of PcMotH. His ....ko hat an .Ia~te silver top bartd of Interilnked rlnsJa. artd a whit. ....... eagle pl.at•. Hts coat ts a g ....... ..,ttOWf _ the F.-nc:h onk;er"s urtd ...... tlngle--breasted, long-tailed _ t ; a~h "'uall)' In a tingle cotour. thb _ Is piped ~Iow. wl1h ~Iow cuff', artd a yellow coItar with a sky-blue patch with long uPfler uten.lon. Hb ""aistcoat Is g : twa straight. 100M trou _m to hall' a sl"iv9r sid•• tripe. (R.FOrttloner. court. ., Umttey)
,.
Grenectler .nd . .~ 01 CrNt18n Pto'tialon81 A.,I_ts. 1812. TM gffllectlwa pr0b8b1y _ _ _Ived th8 hlr
bon"".
.hown IMre with red .mlHtllI.hments. TlMo cnt I. IHtig8 with • red coIl.r P8tch, the .p.ul.tt. red wfttl • whit. creK.nt. the Nt"iIc• • nd renk clMvTon. red .nd whit. re.pectl...ly. The ..pper of th. lith (1) w...... hu...r bu.by with red plum•• nd
yellow b.g; hi, uy-bh~. coet I, f.ced end piped yellow with red epaulell. end badg., but I' worn with yeUow·.trlped green breeche" tucked Into hu,....cut g.lt Th. tepper from the ht w th. gren.dl.r bonn.r wllh • red plum••nd whit. cord: hi, all'lI... n uniform I. f.cR. plp.d and .Irlped yellow, with red coll.r patch end edging, red ch...ron••nd .peulett... end white .1 badg., Th..e Imo.t cer1.lnly Imeg repretent th. Ideel r"her then the reellly, (R,For1hoff.r, court..y Umh'YI
,1_...
20
The 1st Croatian Provisional Regimellt was formed up and rc-equipped in Trieste and Verona under Col ~Iarko Slji"'lric, fonner commandcr of 1st l1l)'rian Chassclll'S. In Verona it \\~lS brigaded with the French 8e Leger and 84e de Ligne in the 13th Dh'ision (Dcll.Ons) of Vicero)' Eugene's Italian IV Corps. At the beginning of the 1812 COllllp,rian ChassCllrs. 10 form a ncw lSI Hn of the 1st Croalian Provisional Regiment. The unit served with distinClion during lhe first blockade ofGlogau from I ~larch to 31 ~la)' 1813. and during the summer it was combirll'd with a hallation from the 2nd Provisional Regt to forlll a 'Ikigade of Croat.s·. After the second blockade on 17 August lLlflled into a .siege their morale fell quickl)'; desertions increased and the remainder Ix'came mutinous. The commander of the g;:uTisOli ""lilted to rdca:.e them from senice, but the\ refused to leave before recei\ing their due \\'ages. After they were paid for two months, they left on 26 Janua!) 181 I. Shorth after being formed at Tlieste in 1813 the 2nd Croatian Provisional Regiment. \\ilh a slrcngth of aoom 1.800 men. was sent 10 Gcnnam. where iljoined tIll' 12th Di\ision (~Iorand) ofGen (krlJ
[V Corps. The regimen1 was led br Col Roben de Gordon, furmel commander of the 2nd Illvrlan Chas~eHrs, and I;Her b}' Col .Josef Mamula. lnitiall}' as~iglled to guard supplr tmins against Pru~sian raid~, the regiment then panicip,ued in Benr;:lI'1d's successful assault on the Allied centre dlirillR the ..('cond da\' of lhl' bailie of Bautzen (21 ~Iav), caming livc Cl'o!>Se~ of the Legion of Honour. The regimelll lost 1\\0 officers killed and nine wounded. and was reduced to less than 650 eITeni\'cs. While Col ~Iamul" and a cadre from the 2nd Bll retul"lwd to Croatia to r.li.sc more recruiLS, the undel'-strength lSI Bu. under thl' command of O"f d, oolm!JfJl/ \'inisch, joined the 1st BI1 of the 1st Pro\'isional Regt in Glogall (sec abo\·e). where both remained 1I1llilthcir deparlllre in Januar, 1814. The 4th Croatian Pro\isio'nal Regiment was formed at !\IOIuechiaro in hah :lIld \\-.lS auached to Vicerm Eugene's ;lnll\, but apparellth neH.'r ~'1\\' action. Considered unreliable, the regiment \\Has sent to Corsica in Z"o\'ember 1813 to be di\Olnlled and cOlwerled to Pioneers. The regiment I\';ts formalh dish:'llded ;It Ajaccio 011 23Janua.... 1814, and its officers and men incorporaH.·d illlo the 2nd Colonial Battalion: but the\ were repatriated in ~I;". Uniforms
The 3rd Croatian Pro\isional Regt had arri\'ed in Paris and p.'1r.Jded before the emperor ·... in old AU:Mi'lIl uniforms. the onh change being that the Ausui'lIl cockade w;ts replaced with the French one.' An unhapp\ Napol(>()n ordered the Minister of War to design a new uniform for the I'rO\;-loional regiments. and Ihe old proposal of introducing a green unifol'lll was relived. This consisted ofa green jacket and trouscrs, \\;Ih crimson facings in the light infalllry pattern. white hllllOlH and a \\,;,istcoaL ~apolcoll made a minor alteration in changing the facings to yellow, and to incre.tse production rates he sent six Imperial Guard tailors to each h:'ttaliOlI. Just a month later, in earh Januan- 1812. thc Croats \\en: i~IlCd with their nc\\' grcen unifonn. Thejacket was of the old lighl infant!")· stde, upen from the chest dowllwards, with }'ello\\' facings on the collar and pointed CIIITS, and rellow piping on the turn-backs, lapels and shoulder loops. The cam· billiers wore rcd epalllclles, the cha~seurs fed with yellow fringes and the mltigellrs b'Teen with \ellow fringes. The breeches were deCOl':lled 011 the seam in yellow, and the shon black braiters had a "ellow, tasselled hussar-st\le tOp edge. On field sen'ice long trousers \\ith vellow
.."
OffIcen, dnlmmer .nd c:h.e5M'U'
of 2nd Cl"Htlen Pro.... fional A"llt In o.nn.n»" 1813. They .....11 w ••rt. . the brown vnlfonn with
yellow fkl.... the omc:en ha.... wtlft. 'metal' .nd wtlit. b<'..c:"-s; the omc:.r on the left hae • w.tet'p.-I c:over over hla blc:om, .nd 'jo<:k.,.' boota wIth Ioope .nd tan tum.gven. The dnlmmer w , ....t_t. The c:h
b
ura
tro\>M.... re dKorated with the ... Ilow .lde .tri~, .I~h hie unlfonYI Ie ele.t1)r Auetri.n neept for the Frenc:h eoc:ka6e,
' ....n pompon end ' ....n 'Peulett.. with red e","ents.
(A.Forthoffe., eourte,», Umhe»,1
21
Trooper of
C~lI."
Hu..., Regt,
1813, In the .-gulatlon uniform: 1810 pII«am black tnako wtth elite compen, reel pompon, coc~, and whit. diamond plate; atIy-blue dolman with buff fKIng&; white and crimson barrel·ush; 1""'"1l1"eY pef.... trimmed Wack; all cord and lace trim white; lron"",NY bNeches wtth whl1_ det;ontm knots from u.. ectve- of the front nap.
sadd_
cow... Ma buff 'wolf toottl' edging. ILMalasplnel
1lMI black fINe.
22
side-stripcs were worn, with white gaiters in lhe Munmer. The w,-listcoat \~·.lS \\'hile, and the greatco<Jl of smooth beige cloth. A while metal cagle plaLC on the shako was stamped \\11h the regimental number in the loop ofa hUlHing horn, The GU'lbiniers' shakos were distinguished by a red upper edge band. side chevrons. pompon and plume; the mlligcurs by a yellow upper band and sidc-chc\TOllS, a red pompon and rcd plume with a ,dIm..' lip. though plain yellow plumes and pompons were apparclIlh also worn. TIle chasseurs uscd a flat. conical tuned pompon in cOIllI),'HH colour. "nle leather....o'Ork and armament were of the French light infalltn style. and French r.mk insignia included a gorget for the officers. The carabiniers had a red and voltigeurs a \ello..... "word knOL Orullllllers wore the recenth' introduced green 'Imperial Liven". alt,tlOugh some Illa\ sull have wom the light blue uniform. Napoleon sent his ADC Cell ~IOlItOn 10 inspeci the new llnifonn, \\11en he reported on 19 janllal'). he rechs and carbinc-straps; there is also a need of strong belLS for the l-:::Igle-bearers and lace for the clll....Tons for the 2nd and 3rd f";lgk"bc'lI·ers.· The last of Ihe Auslrian muskets were replaced \\ilh new' French \\eapons. bUI .....hen the rebrimclll \\'en~ supposed 10 leave Paris I..hl.-...· sull lacked much of ulcir l.-'quipmcllL A disS:llisfied Napoleon wrOtC on 31 januarv 10 the ~liniSler-Director of War Admini"tration, CoIIIll Cessac: 'The CroalS in Paris have just olle shin. one pair of shoes and they do nOI have neck-stocks: \our firsl lask is nOI complcted and U1Cr will stav in Paris until e'·er......hing is completcd. It is incOlwenient that Iheir llnifonn is not of lle\\ model. nldr sh•• kos are poor qualit\'.· On the l,lSl inspection b)' Marshal Benhier on 3 February before their dcpanurc cach man reccived two pairs of new shoes. They still lacked lealher bellS and anlls for the Eagk"bearers. as well as arms and can ridge boxes for the ~appcl'S. ~Illch of this did catch lip with the regiment once it \\~IS in Germany. and c,·el1wally the 3rd Croatian Provisional Regt was better equipped than man}' French regiments. Ilaving received little new equipment in Austrian se.... ~ce, and delighted by their reception in Paris, the Croats lived up to their former rcpul:.ltioll in French service and fought valiantly for the emperor. The 1st Croatian Provisional Regt was equipped at Trieste in December 1811. Before departure on 22janual)' 1812 each soldier had one pair of old and twO pairs of new shoes. trousers and grev braiters. :-..'e'·ertheless..... U1C Croal regiment of 13th Dhisiol1 arrived in \'erona in a poor state: aside from regulation unifonns. the\ needed a 101 of things like shoes. backpacks. muskets. ~ train wagon and militan hospital...·
Re-eqllipmcnt proccc'dcd :.Iowl)', so the regiment was the b ..., 10 1 c , / \ . e Verona and only rcjoil1l:d II.'. di\'i.. ion at Glogall. On par~adc. Ihe uniforms and weapons wert.' discon:red to be of poor quality. and 700 replacement TT1u~kcts had 10 be requested. The 2nd and 4th Croatian PrO\isional Regts never received the new greCTlllllifonns, so Ihc)'joincd the Grande Armel' in their old Awnrian-st\lc Ulli(UfIllS. Contemporary sources suggest that these wc,'c entirel\' b"OI\'11 with vcllow or red facinf,'S. the only French fe:uurcs being the cockade, pompon and cpaulcltcs. On I\' ..he 3rd Crwtian Pro\;sional Reb'" definitely recci\'t~d an Eagle Standard. presellted by Napoleon himself and probabh ofthc new 1812 pancrn. The Icucringoll thcolYfCrsc \\':.15 prob:lbl\': 'Lcmpiffllf ,\'afJo/ifm flU krIll! Rigimml Provisoi" Croat,: but the rC\'el"SC was blank. '111e 1st PI'O\;sional Regt ma\ alro have rt."Cehed an E.'lgle. Inn the other IWO did not.
IIlyrlan Regiment Llrh' in 1810. :"1apolcon \\;lIl1cd 10 raise a l"egimelll from Ihe people in the non-Frolllicr p..n1.S of the IIlp;an PrO\inces: O\il CrQ.'ltia. Rijeka (Fiume), fonner Austrian Istria, the prO\;nces of Camiola :md C.'lrilllhia, plus Gorizia \\ith Trieste, Crealed b\' a decree of 16 :"1o\cmbcr 1810 and fonned b" the end of the \ear.1t Ljubljana, the lIl"rian Regimcnt (Rigimerll d'fll)'rie) was raised around a rese..... e comp,-ul\ formed b, Marshal ~lalTllont in carl\' 1810 from omcer~ and soldiers of dislxlllded Austrian regiments pre\'ioush re
.. ...
Tn.am.,.ter of Crown in the sky-blue dolmen, end en lron-g,..,y .,.ns.. with ImpeMI livery lacing. Note his hlnlNlr busby with red-ove,..whlte_,.. blue plu...., .nd grey trousers with. long .tnlP under hi. boot. In this sketch the bvtf f.clngs .,.., .nown .. yellow. ioeludlng the busby "g. (R.Forthotler, courtesy Umhey)
23
H.,..mN of Se,euMrs In Croau., d Hd In e grNn COlt rlc:hly deeorsled with .I~, ,Ir....; I red W.llleNt deeorsled to resemb4e I hu..., dolmln; bh» trou..,., ' - - In the thigh Ind tJ.ght... under the k _ ; colourful ttome mlCM gilt.,., Ind soft "11h
After marching to ~'loscO\\', the regimellt fought during the retreat at Kraslloi on 18 November. sulTering further heavy losses: on just one day nine officers \\'ere killed and 23 wounded. The survivors participated in the battle of the Beresina, but \\'ere no longer a cohesive 1I11it. The other part of the regiment, which had stared in the rcar of the Grande Annee, look pari in fighting during the retreat from Smorgom to Vilna from 3 to II December, in which it sulTcrcd badly: 23 officers \\ere casualties, and just a handful of men re:lched safel). The depot b:lttalion was espanded and aW:lched to Marshal Oudinot'1> COlps in Cenn:lnv in 1813 as part of Cen de VillercI's division, wilh which it fought at Gross-Bcercn and Denne\\il7 in Ihe laiC summer (losing eight officers in the latter action). Also weakened b\ desertion, the .1:Kltl.tlion fought at the battle of Leipzig in the 13th Di\ision (Guillemont) of Cen Re\TIier's VII Corps: five officers including Ch'.! d, baJmllon Aubert were wounded. 111e wrt..-ckage of the bmtOllion retreated into France, where the IlInian Regt w.iS fOl'ln:llh disbanded on 17 Xovcmber 1813: the SUni\'01'S were $Cnt to COl""iica to join the 2nd Colonial Banalion. Marshal MannOIll had propo~-d that the uniform and equipmem should he the S<'lme as those of French lighl infalll'''', \\'hich "·ould be a mark of honour and would help assimilate the 1II\"lian Regt into thc French Anm. Napoleon refused, wishing 10 a\'oid am confusion between French and foreign units, lie ordered thai the IIIvti:ms be easilv distinguishable b\ 's"~dllow's nest' shoulder \\'ings on Ihe French light infanu...· pattern blul'j:ackel, facc..-d sc:arlet on the collar and poillled culTs, This 'swallow's nest' was probably red (although there arc suggeslions that il was blue), and "'<,1> definitely piped "hite, as wcre the collar. cuffs and tum-backs, The while bUllons were inscribed 'Em/m.,. !rfH/cois' surrounding '/ligim(,111 ri'lll)",ie. Thc regimcnt is said to have been ill mgs by November 1813, most men lacking shoes and unable 10 march. There is no e\idence lliat the lll)'rian Rcgt ever received an Eagle or any othcr Slandard. Croatian Hussar Regiment
24
After suOcring the almOSt complete destruction of his Ci.I\<,lry in the J{us~ian campaign, Napoleon \\'elc011led Govcrnor-Geneml Bertrand's proposal of 15 Febrllan· 1813 to rc\;ve the fonner 18th century Grenl.er hussar unilS in the Ill}'rian PrO\;nces. Ikrtr.md belicved (correClly) that the Croats' long cxperiencc of ~m:lll-scale frontier warfare made thcm good riders who could be organiled and tr;lined quickh. Each of the Frontier Regiments was to finance and suppl)' a troop of 100 huss:lI's and their horses \\'hich - together with omcen, :\'COs and U1.lInpeu.'rs Iron/mUM on pogr JJ)
'80&-
ILlYAIAN CHASSEURS 1810-13 1: Cha.HIK, "ttl Regiment 2: Sergeant porte-fanion, 1.1 Bn, 3rd Rltglmenl 3: Chef de
blJ,"/IofI, 6th Regiment
4: AdmlmalTlltift .taff c:.p~n
B
TURKISH BORDER & TYAOL CAMPAIGN 1: NCO, Dalmatlan Pan
,
•
3
-
c
,
CROATIAN PROVISIONAL REGIMENTS, )8121: Carablnle,.r3fd Croatian Provi.kln81 Regl, Parts 2: Captain, Voltigeura. 3f'd Croatian Pl'ovl~" R~ Pan. 3: Sef'geant mal«, VoItIgeUB, 111 Croatl." ProvIsional R89.
D
"'~;.,'"
RUSSIA, 1812 1: Sergeant major, C...ablnler', Royal Dalmatltn Regt 2: Drummer, Cha,..ul'1l, 11\ Cro'lian Pro'il al Reg! 3: Voltigeur, 3rd Croatllln Pro"~lI' RlIgI 4: lJe\Illlnllnt, VoItIgelKS, llIyr1.n R-sl1
E
CROATIAN HUSSARS & PIONEERS 1: Sergeanl, Croatian Hu..ar Aegl; Kll1ovac, 1813 2: Caplaln, Croatian Hussar Aegl; Iialy, 1813 3: PionHr, Croillen ~ I On; Bourgel, F~nca, 1814
2
G
IONIAN ISLANDS 1: Prlv"e, Albanian Ragt, 1806-14 Offiear, Albanian Ragl, 1806-14 3: eM...ur', Saptinl\l"r Bn, 1806-12 2;
•
,
..
••
would be consolidated into a regiment organiled in Ihree squadrons of two troops each, The horses had 10 be delivcrcd with full equipmem, and each rider bad to be pl'O\~d('d \\~th stable dress and full kit for caring for his hur!>c. All the citilens and 100I"IlS of Ihe IIl'Tian PrO\'inccs werc ordered to di~pla\' Ihcir lo\'all, Iw contributing moncy or horscs and equipment: Bertnllld himself prO\ided 50 fullv equippcd horses, All \'oluntary contributions weill lowards the cost of 500 francs for a full> equipped honoe ,md 2.000 francs for a full\' equipped rider. Napoleon'1> decree of23 Fcbhmrv 1813 created the Croatian l-IuSSM Regimclll (Regime"t de hu.ssards crooter), ,,'hich was assembled Oil 5 ~'arch al KarlO\'3c undel' Bcrtmnd's AOC. LIC.ollkmard Prues, So mam men volullteered thai a week later. instcad of fonning a second regimclll as Uenrand ad\ised, ~apo1oon amcnded his oliginal decree 10 expand tJ1e I'egimem to six squadrom organized on the Iisual French hussar model. 111e slaff of 21 comprised a colonel, twO 1ielllcn:lIlt<010ncls, six lhl'js dmadron, three adjutant-m:yors, a quartennaSter. (\\'0 accountants. a surgeon.m;Yor. (wo surgeoll~ and three surgeon's assistants. plus 15 :'\COS (six dismounted): three NCO adjutants. II \eterina'1 and (wo assislants, three regimental tnJlJ1peters, a lailor, a s:uldlcr, three anllourers and a cobbler, All the men and compallv oflicep; came from the rCb>imellts of lIIyrian Chasscll1's (1'>I'."e abo\'e), \\'hile the slllA' wcre primaril}' ca\,IIf\,nen from mam' moull!ed units. \\'110 \\'ere promou.-d . 011 lr:msfcr. Bertrand himself \''as rewarded \Iith command of IV COIVS of the Grande Anncc. \\'hich the Croatian 1-!U5S.,r Regl was ordered lojoin in Germany in Aplil 1813: bUI il never did, since il \\'as not ret full} equipped, Ne\'enheless. lo~elher \\;th 1.000 soldiers of the 4th 1l1p;an Chasseurs. some 220 of the Ilus.sars succe1'>Sflllly repulsed a cross-border Isars used whatcver was availablc - all kinds of local sabres, pistols. llluskets. and even ,lIlCienl halbcrds which gave some of them t.hc appearance of Il1cdic\~,1 mercenaries. They wcre also short of a number of olTicel's, riding instructors. veterinaries and tnlmpeters. They performed well, hO\\'c\'cr, despite their patchy knowledge of somc b:l~ic manOell\Tes. \"hcn the Minister of \\'ar permitted all native Frenchmt'll in lhe I1Irrian Cha~CLlI'S rcgilllenl~ to join the Hussar regimclll, til(' oflicial eSlablishmCI1l - 69 olTiccrs, 1.515 NCOs and men with 1,509 horses - was quickly I'cached on 2 AuguSL Howe\1~r. Austria's declaration of \\,11" rendered lhe Cro;lI c1elTlentunrcliable and prone to desertion. The regimenl was scm first lO Italy, wherc 500 of the most reliablc men formed a provisional ad\'ance guard. and look pan in the alllllmn campaign with the Am1) of Italy, The rest were sent LO Lyon in Fmnce for additional training; and a prodsional detachment fought III the "'\Tol. suITe ring one officer casualt\' in skinnishing on 15 August. At the cnd of September 200 Hussarsjoined 50 Chasscu1"S oftJle 19th Regt
Two s.ruane.. ff'Om the Cl1WItl.n MlIlu.... BonIer. d.........:l In white ....In. with IooH ~es lnote zlg-Ull red upper b.nds); richly Oeconted red w.lstcoeu; red NSheS with "ellow dec:oretlon; Iighl blue breeo::.... lnole ....r det.ll. len); eoloul'f1.ll g.lter/socks end Ie.ther Openken, One reel cep hes .n embroidered decor.tlve bend; the m.n .t len seems to heve usecl his .s • sc.rf, Their long musk.ts .... shown with br...cove..o butte; pIstols and y.legllens .re tucked Into the sash et Ihe front; .. sm.1I knlf. .nd two mel.I c.rtrldge bons .re belted .t Ihe beck, In the background Is • lerge Ch.rdak guardhouse,
33
o a long-nlllge reconnaissance ncar Gan"ets. sustaining a fcw casuahics and losing 20 prisoncrs: but during thc night of 4 Cktober thcl' descrlcd ell masse. The remains of thc unit were lhen disbanded and scm home, or to Lyon. where tht:', anivcd in October. 111is rcmnant was now just 657 suung. so local Frenchmen ....·ere recmiled lO bring thc unit IXld up to full cstablishmcnL A fcw wecks later, howc\'er, a dl."'Crec of 25 Nm'ember 1813 ordered lhc disbandmcnt of all foreign rCbriments. The very nCXl day Cen Corbineau arri'"ed with Napolcon's order to dis.'lnn the 1,276 men of lhc rcgiment. Thc Ilussars \,'crc stlipped of lIIuch of tllt:ir e.. furniture were officially of thc Frcnch pattern. General Bertnmd's order of II February 1813 described its fealUres. which remained largely unchanged throughout the Croatian ,llussan;' bricf existence. I-Ic ordered thc purchase of 657 sets of horsc fUrlliulrt: including saddle CO\"crs; and 657 uniforms comprising a pair of hussar boots with steel spurs, iron-grcy o\"eralls \\;lh leather reinforcements. sky-blue dolmans wilh light bull' (chamoi5t') collar and cull's, pclisscs. black neck stocks, irongrcy on::rcoats. haversacks and undrcss caps. The black felt shakos had white meL'll chin scales: a lozenge plate bearing eilher lhe words 'Inllijrimmt d'Jllwaffls Crootfi' or simply 'I'; and a compam-colour pompon. Napoleon's quick rejection of a proposal for a second Cro.'ltian hussar regiment suggests that the rcgiment-'ll number also disappeared. Bertrand's decree is silelH about the colour of the pelissc. but he had alJ"ead\ ordered 657 in iron-gre}'. When :'\apoleon prescribed a sky-blue III
, The... were m.ny v.neUe. 01 B.lken gun....11 d.eo..-tltd, .nd
... eu..lly with long D8fTtll. of .....11 c.Ub.... which (I..... Slood accuracy. They .IW differentiated
by the .hepe or deco,.tlv••tyl. of the .tock. W R'bk, produced In Bo.nl. and Harz.govine from the end of the 18th to the mld·l 8th
century, end oft,n m.ntloned In .plc folk.ong •• (8) TlInl!/ca,
,rnaufll. 0' krol.lln"e, produced In Ko.ovo, Serplllnlne, w•• te,n Mac'donl. and northern Alb.nla, mid-18th century to 1870., and ..ported to other perts of the
borda, region. end Ottom.n Empire. (e) Trpe of tantle. produced in Boh Kotorsk.
IC.l'.ro) and termed "~I/J' bee.u.. of the decor.tl". '....r1bbllng'. (OJ Lilla. scMuz, .mIde up from part. of old military or hunting w ••
pon._
both .mooth bora .nd r1flltd arM! only mod.,tly decor,ted. (£) Trpleel O.lm.II," gun mltd.
34
up, .Iocked and a.eOf".t.cl by 100;:,1 c:... n.men lrom Imported IUIl_" b_,,.I. _net lock•. (CHM)
pelisse. there waS a brief period of confusion: Col Prucs suggesll'd Ih:11 the grc)' pelisscs which had alread), been ma e\er rece:i\ed :I Sl::mdard. Pioneer. A battalion of PiOllllien Croates, composed of five companies, was created from the remaining Cro::ltian personnel of the disbanded Croatian Ilussal" Regt- one of\"ariolls Foreign Pioneer BalLalions r~aiscd in hlte 1813, After the) wcre n.o..equipped at Nc\"crs on 31 December, thc batlalioll was sent to I~ourges in France under Cluj (l'e.{wdrOlI Pa\"lica. After Napoleon's alxlicmion ill April 1814 the banalion was disbanded and the rt:nll1anlS were repatriated to their Frontier homes, Whcn the)' arrivcd in Bourges, this battalion were killed out from the SLOres of the PiOllllirl's blmus, another foreign corps of the French Army, hut mosl of the fonner I hlssan. retained their old uniforms. Serezaner. The $crCLanen h...d been l';.liscd by the Austrians from Bosnian refugees in the I 790s, when ulIiL'I of 200 II1Cll I\'cre attached to each of the six Grenzer regiments. Theil' main functions were to act as scouts in wartime ::md to provide additional patrols and cross-border raiding parties along the Fromier. a... well as sCl'\ing as couriers, when 1hey often rode small ponies, When the French took o\"er these regimenlS tht:y cominued to e111p10y the Scrc7.aners in the same way, under direction of the colonel and da)'-to-day command of their own NCOs. who retained their old llosnian titles: obnbass{/ or hammhassa (sergeant major). IInlnVtt..ufl (sel'geant) and ViCmtlSSa (corporal), The Sere7":lllerS did not wear a uniform, but retained u'adilionallOC'dl costume: loose blue or white shirts and blue or red waistco.,ts. decOI'aled
(btl to ri;ht) SdIll1l101Y bnNtdswonl, .s Pf'O(luced iMd used In D.lm8tl. from the 16th century, this _ being "tt8d with the tn.... _lNir styl. 01 b.sket hilt s. .n In the 18th1UHh centurl.... D.lm.tI.n sabre, • 1oc.1 version of tlwl Austrilln hUU8r .. b~, used In tM 18th century by D,Im8I1.n mercen.rles, Infentry officers .nd mCH.lnt8d troops In Venetl.n ..rvlce; .nd en "Ib.nl.n" D.lm.tI.n sword, used mostly by "Ibllnilln mercenllrles In Venetl,n ..rvlee, lind III person.1 we.pon, throuUhout Dllimalill lind "Ib,nl, from the 161h 10 the esrty 1 ~th century, (Ar,lIc_)
35
&
£----
with silver rings and bUtlOllS; small rcd caps worn in SUl111ller were replaced in cold weather by a larger paillled red hat with a colourful embroidered while band around it. Their trousers were usually dark blue, while or browll in the loose Croatian style (benevmk~): light blue
Hung-driall and .....ide Turkish.S(yle trousers were also .....orn. all usually tied JUSt below the knees. al~\'c local soft leather shoes or Opal/Nt s.."lndals, with colourful embroidered woollen home-made gailers. O...er the shirt and waistcoat they might wear a brO\\11, blue or grccnjad:.cl or longer coat (gunjar) , orten trimmed in red. The,' .....ere most rccognis."Ible by their hooded red cIlXlks, made famous by the 181h (Cnllll')' Balkan irregulars. Their :lnllament included \-anous types of rich I}' decorated Balkan pistols, swords and kni\"es, the fonner carried in the pockCLS of a wide brown or red It;ather \\~distbclt (bnuilah), which was llsualh decor:.ucd \\;th small lead balls. Guns, which wcrc orten slung across the b:lck, \\'e,'e sometimes of the shan-barrelled B:.t.lkan t}"]X'S like thc liJuuschtu.: (carbine), but more usually had a long barrel in the sl}les known as nbllkll)a. paragun and $h~ha"a. "COS also carned s..'lbl'es of Turkish lui') 01' Polish kmalN/a lypes. A lasl essential piece of equipment was the long \\'00<1('11 pipe imd smoking seL National Guard
3.
The firsl Garde "a!iQI/ale unit was raised by Cen LaU1;slon from the inhabitanLS of DubrO\1lik in 1806, to help him defend the cil\' from the Russians and ~IOlllenegrins, In 1809 there were four battalions of National Guard, localed at Z.'ldar, Dubromik (n,'o banalions), and KOlOr to strengthen the defence of these towns and their harbours after lhe French troops had left for the campaign abrain'll Austria, In the fol1o\,'ing years the Guard \\':'IS considcl';lbl)' cll:panded, especially after the French l.I'OOpS in the Provinces wel'c reduced 10 one division, and in 1811 il numbered around 10,000 men. It I\'as formed in all the IOwns ,md porlS on the Adriatit: t:oast and islands. individual companies being raised froUl local populations under the command of prominent citizens, The ports. which had gun baneries, raised coastal guard artillery companies (Compagl/ia di ((l/"IQIIlf'ri glumla (osta) under the command of French instructors, to I'CSiSl thc regular raids by Brilish
Tn. _en Ionl.ln l$!.lndS of Corlu, Puos. S.nhl·M.u..., Ithaca, C.ph.lonla. Z8nt. and c.rigo,
AlthoYgh 01 a latar date, tnlt TUrltl.t> jtnltt.ry e-pUlln from Janina, t 83t, I. d.... Md In the _lyle prete"" by <:Ian <:hleb .nd hlgh....nklng omc:_ of Albanltn tnd Ionian Itlandt IInltt eartler In the eentury. The rkhly de<:oratad a<:artat walttc:oat and jal::kat tra worn IlnOat' a blue doak aOgad red. Hit w.. ponry It tM IItllal pair of anti,...,. de<:oraled pltto+. wtth _traJght butU, whk:h . . . . o:an1ed In t red waltt~ hit main tUltua aymbolla the long )'a~. Hota tM gokt ambf'ol6afy on hit a<:artat turban; and tM de<:orated mllUllleg prolactlon. (Umhey}
vessels. Howe\'er, they were only permitted to tire on tlie Brilish if they were ll)"ing LO land or rob the boats in the harbour. It seems thaI the N;"ttional Guard \\'as \'CI)' poplllal' Wilh lhe inhabitants: Marshal "lannOIll noted that sen'ice was regarded as an honour and Illany enlisled willingly- he had never seen a hCller Nalional Guard an)'Where. Their military prowess did not lh'e tip to his hopes, hO\\'C\"cr; although some British raids were repelled. more often the Guard 1I11iLS broke up and scattered. These Guardsmen were pro\"ided only with \\'capons and food on active duty and were onl)' paid when awar from their homc lowns. The wealth\' paid for their uniforms themsel\"es.....·hile a fund was organized in each company to purchase unifonns for the I>oorer men. The French· stylc unifonn ....dS similar to that of line infanu)'. but the costs meant that mOSt men wore local ci\ilian COSlume. Some di.stncls in ISlna managed to purchase unifonns fOI' Iheir units in Ihe lJm;uian light infantry st\'le, consisting of a green jackel ....ilh black collar, green breeches and black gailers; cuffs and piping werc ycllow, as was the shako pompon alxwc the French cockade. As a dislinction the National Guard of Kop
IONIAN/SEVEN ISLANDS CORPS !.Lj t'OulJa SqJtill.sufairl' wcrc composed mostly of the nativc
population, a mix of Grecks, Albanians and Italians; these were augmented by 'Jllrrians', mosl of whom were Dalmatians enlisted when these lIniL'i were garrisoncd on the mainland coasl. They were led by a mixture of French onicers and l':COs wgdhcr with assorted ad\"enturers from various nations. All \\'cre disbandcd in 1814. Albanian Regiment
The Regimel/' afhal/ais ha~l ilS origins in a Venetian regiment transferred into French service in 1797. together with an Albanian militia raised by the Russians in 1799, which passed to the French when they reco\'ered thc Ionian Islands in 1807. On 12 October that rear Napoleon appro\"cd the recruitment of about 3,000 Albanians. mosl of \\'horn wel'c refugees from the harsh nile of the local Olloman go,"emor of the Albanian coast, Ali-pasha of Janina. The combined force was organized as the Albanian Regiment 011 12 December 1807. \\ith three battalions each comprising a S1aff and nine companies. Despite additional rCCnlitmenl among local Greeks, Italians and Dalmatian communities. il ne,"cl" reached itS official est3blishment of 3,254. A b,1.tt.llion of Greek Foot Cha.sseurs
37
The top two pl.tol. . . . Dalmatian, from the 18thl1~h .....t... ry: ltopl thhl ttal. 17th or 18th e.ntury ltall'n bII~ and ........Mel 8 .. IcK:k; lHeond) thl, ha•• a _ I , b.~1 altd mechanl,m, whkh I, f"M'"
1<:'.
engra"'ed 'London', ,ine. London-mMie ......pon. wa.. highly pfll.ed the ......tem Bfllkans. The lower ttl,...
'n
....e.pon. a..: (third) • '''''''all' pl.tol Or fll/a, ....idel, uMd In Dalmalla, Al~nl., OrefICe and Bulgaria, thl, I,.amp" being
typlc.1 of Kon,vla, Hanego",'"' and Ko.ovo; (tourth) • pl,tol characterl.tlc of MJ,..I part, 0' Military Croatia and north,." Calmatia, Incorporating f•• ture. ,"opted from Au.trlan w•• pon. ,uch la the ClIp clna, with the muu.le band mbllng the 1798 paltern pl,lol; Rnd (bottom) • high quality pl.tol from 80.nl. and Hanego",lna aa produced In Sarajevo and Fob - precl.lon.
made, but not aa decoratively ornamented a. many lumpla•. !ArIIli.. _,
38
(Chcweun if pied Crer:s). also known as Pandours de Albanie was l"aised by the French under an order of 10 J\larch 1808 from Albanian and Greek refugees discovcred on the Ionian Islands after "iiiil!!!;;';;;;'" the trealy of Tilsit. Its 951 men were di\'idcd into eight companies. three being designated as elite, The 1"'0 units \I'ere combined inlo a single Albanian Regiment on I juh 1809. organi/ed on the French model inlO six battalions. totalling 160 officers and 2.931 men. Each battalion was composed of one elite and fi\e fusilicr companies. The regiment \\~.lS scallered in \'arious g-.m;sons across tilt' Ionian Islands. As all the men were \'olunleers and could le,He when the\' wished. discipline W,iS more relaxed - even officers \\ould rcglliarh trowel 10 the mainland to deal with feuding relali\es or to rustle sheep for the me~ lable. Blood feuds pla)cd a cCllIrdl part in Alb.'lIlian culture. and imer-famih and ethnic hoslilin' made for poor unit cohesion ami fighting spil;t. which resulted in \o\\'. a long red wool sash with gold tassels. and a thick goatskin cloak that is impenncable to l
)~It.aghan
was of characteristic 'Greek' ('Ep)'ri' 'Crelan') style, The muskcts, which were often also richly decorated, were known as anlwllkfl, Jflmjlijll, mIak and rogfl (see page 34).
Septlnsular Battalion The 'Sc"en Islands Bawilion' (Batailloll Septi1lSlIlaire) "~dS a six-compan)' light infantry unit raised on 13 September 1807 from the men of a fonner Venetian regiment, who had then been in Russian pa),. Each company's strength stood at about 150 men. who were to be recruited exclush'el)' from the Ionian Islands population. In Janual)' 1808 the banal ion was reorgani7ed into nine companies and the number of soldiers reduced to 100 per com pan)', Ne\'erthcless, !.he oollalion had constalH problems with recntiting enough men, and resol"led to filling its ranks with Austrian prisoners of "<\1' in 1809, and later with Dalmatians, Italians and ~eapolit:lI1s while it \o<1S briefl)' stationed in Dalmatia. Another propos."l.IIO t.\ke in Sp.'\nish prisoners "W.l,S rejected b\' Kapoleon. The b."l.ltalion was deplo)'ed in the defence of the Ionian Islands, blll after the det.tchment under Col Pieris on Cephalonia surrendered to !.he British ,,'ithout filing a shot in 1809. Napoleon tool.. the \;ew th:u the\ did not justify their cost and the Scptinsular B..'Htalion was disbanded in 1812; the remnants were incorporated into the Sa/J'Urs loninu.
The uniform was in French light infant~' strle, complising a shako with a brass plate, plume alld cords, a dark blue jacket (with cp:ltllcncs for elite companies), waistcoat and trousers, together with shon black gaitcrs, The jacket was also lined in dark blue, al!.hough faced \,;th
LEFT Albanian officer dressed In 11_ jacket and Karlel wallteoat, embnHdered with gold; hIs long while shift hang, like. kitl over his wide 1\u1tkh-.tyta Karlel lrOu"", tied lust below the knee"
IUm"'" RIGHT Al.bllnlan soldier in a IIlmple whtle shirt and 5'-t offwhite }acta! bottl .... broIdered In red, and , ttllt::lt go.Wli" <:!oak. ",. French lound the Albanian halnty.. - the hoNd ...... ved .. Aslatl<: style, "'~ng only a long sc:alploc:k - qulta Inllmldatlng,
IUm"'"
3.
sky-blue on the collar and cufls with the same colour piping. (However. FonhofTcr claims the)' had rcd facings.) Officers wore gold epaulcllcs and shako cords. Ionian Mounted Chasseurs
A squadron of ChaSSf!'lIr$ ii cheval iOllit!11S W;lS created on lhe island of Co,'fll on 27 November 1807, but sc,....cd on all the Ionian Islands. hs pro\;sional fonn was one squadron of c:walq·. but il was reduced to a single com pan}' of 128 onicers and mell on 13 December 1808. The unit was recnlited from the natives. but some men of the 25e Chasscurs :"1 cheval abo joined them from the Kingdom of ;'\Iaples, and the lauer's uniform ....'as adopted by all personnel. It consisted of a green jacket with dar);. rcd (garanu) facinw; but \\;th bllnons beal;ng the inscription 'OI(l,jjt1lrs Joninu·. The unil was c\.lcuat(..d to France in 1814 with the rest of the French g'dnison of Corfu. and rellln:ult~ ....ere incorporated into the 6c L:mciers at Lyon. The other Ionian units were tWO com panics of Septinsular Artillen' (Artillerie Septi,uulain) raised on 1J:lIIuan' 1808: a compam of Sapeurs lo"inu fonned on 7 August 1812 I}\' combining the fonner 9th Company of White Pioneers (P,o"",t'rS IJImuJ) ....·ilh the remnants of the Scptinsular Baualion: the Gn,dan"erie Septinsulai~, probabh one company strong: and the Vitinms Septi,ulliaire/lo"iens. All appear to have been organized and equipped in the same \\'a\ as their French counterpans, but were prob:lbly dressed in national costume. All sen·ed sporadicall)' on the Dalmatian coast as well as the islands, and all were disbanded in 1814.
FOREIGN TROOPS IN THE ILLYRIAN PROVINCES
Thl. carablnl.r 01 the 'aplln,ul,r Battalion wlars a d.11l. blue .lnlll.·b~. .I.d Jacket with akvblua collar; the dar1l: blue cuff. and skY-blue three-button cuff nap. a,.. pipe
.hako embelll.hmant .-.d. E.Fle", lIlu.t•• t . . ttll, type o'ltOldl.r with .ky-blu. cuff.
and flaps, dart! blue .11.leoat, undeco,..ted trou..,. .nd whit. g.ltars, and .nows an .J1.~ Hbre knot. (Alatian M,nuKript, court. .y Umhey)
40
The Oriental Chasseurs (Cllassellrs d'OrifmJ) originated in the local volunteer units raised b)' the French from the Creeks. Turks. Copts and Srrians in the Middle East during Napoleon's 1798-99 campaign. These troops wert: shipped back to Marseille after Eb"Ypt W;,IS (."\.Ieuated in 180 I, alld organized into a light ullit b)' all order of 7January 1802. The eight companies, including one each of car.tbiniers and anillcqmen, totalled just 339 men. Despite a stead)' strcarll of desertions. an order of 10 September 1802 directed the batt.alion to be expanded to \,000 men organized into a staff and ten companies, but it never numbered more thall 400. Nevertheless. when ;lSsigned to Cell ~lolitor's expeditiun to relieve Cen Lallliston besieged in Dllbrovnik in 1806 by the Russians and '\\olllenegrins, lhe lInit distinguished them~el\'es and eamed three crosses of the Legion of Honour: but the price was he;I\Y. LOlal st.rcngth being reduced (0 17 onicers and 60 men by 20 November 1806. After sen'ice in southern France and Itah. (he battalion was tr'lI1sferred in 1809 to garrisons in Dalmatia and lhen Corfu. where it was auached to the Albanian Regimen!. Despite additional local recruiting (an 1812 list includes 18 French, four Italians. one Neapolitan. one Gennan, one Pole. one Ilungarian. 17 Dalmatians. 14 Archipelago Creeks. 30 Ionian Creeks. one Serb and 15 EK''Ptians). the banalion's strength fell from 293 in 1810 to 96 in February 1813, when
french gunne.. inltructing Greeks of the Septinlular Artlnery. Although thl. unit is uld to hille worn the lame uniforms II fren.ch line foot IrtUlery, the.. Grnh Ire .hown In their nalllle cottume, which i. more Ukely. (P.WIgner, courte.y Umheyl
the unil "'as shipped from Corfu to Ancona in h.·t1\,. It continued to fight alollhrside the Frel1ch ulltil 1814, when it \\'as again transfen'ed 10 ~larseil1e, All non-French wcrc sent 10 a refugee depol. and the battalion was officialh disbanded on 24 September 1814 at L~'on. The uniform, e(luipmcnt ,lIId :mnamelll of the ~Iiddle Eastelll Ch:u..seun. "ere the sa.me as those of the French light infalllry,
• • •
Scver.ll French and Italian units sen cd in Il1vria from 1806 10 1813. 111(.' first wcrc thc French.:>c, 23c, 79c and 81c de Ligne from Cell ~Iolitor's division, which occupied the terrilories acquired under the 'Ii·eaty of Pn..'SSburg e d'artitlerie :i pied. two companies of Pioneers, two battalions of the Italian RO\,;JI Guard. two Italian artillery companies, and the Ikr:;aglieri di Brescia. For the campaign of 1809 against Austria, a so-called 'Ann)' of Dalmatia' under ~lanllom's command \\'as lormcd from these troops, \\'hich foughl its ""Iy throllgh Croatia 10 join Napoleon's main forces al Vienna. The army was composed of two divisions accompanied by 12 guns; the division of Cell Montril.:hard comprised the 18e Leger and the 5e, 7ge, and Ble de Ugnc, and lhal orCen Clause! the 8e Leger, lie and 23e de Ligne, and 24e Chasscurs:i dlC\".l1.. The 60c de Ligne, the lSI Bn oflhe 3rd Italian Lightlnfanlry (fonner Bcrsaglied di Brescia), the Pioneers, and the resl of the gunners remail1ed garrisoned in Dalmatia. Afler the campaign this ann}' returned 10 the now eXlended French possessions, bUI \V"dS reduced to one division in 1811, Ilartly for financial reasons, but more because Napoleon needed the French u·oops elsewhere, lhe Be and IBe LCger and the.:>c, 60c and 81e de Ligne lert for Spain. Later lhe Be and IBe Leger and 24e
fren.ch b.... drum, with peinted white dllmonds lround the red wooden hoops. The number 'I' is e"i!r'\led Into thl bra•• bracket holding the tensIoning hook. (MS)
41
Of, 28 Oc:tober UtlMl, .t ~ IMt., H.tIon.l de. ,,,.,,lId•• In P.n., • ...-mori.l p1aq honoYrlng 'II CroIIti.n sold In french ..rvka during UNo H.pol_nlc W.......... un¥eiled .nd dedlc.ted by UNo Frenc:h VO"'.mmenl. The IflKription ...0.: 'In memory of u.. Cro-t R.,iment. 'tJttllch, '"",hUng} under the French nag, lIh.red 'n the glory of the FrerK:h Army',
42
Chasscuni a cheval wcre sent to Russia in 1812, together ,....ilh lsi Bn, 31'(1 halian Light Infantry The lie and 23c de Lignc joined tbe ::lfIny in Germany in 1813, so that only four French ooualions (apparclllly of the 7ge de Lignc), a few hundred French and Italian gunners and French gcndanncs were left in the Provinces when the Ausuians im'ildcd. Two French units augmented the Ionian Islands ga'Tisons - ..he 14e Leger and 6c de Lignc - together with a fc\\' platoons from the 25c Chasscurs :1 Che\;ll. Finally. even the British mised a Croatian IxuL.'1.lion. Fomled on the island of Vis (liss.'l) in 1812 from desertcrs and prisoncrs, il P.-uticip:.lted in thc capture of thc soulh Dalmatian pons of Siano. Hcrceg-Ncni. Cavtat. and SIOIl b)' tJ1C RO\
BIBLIOGRAPHY & FURTHER READING On Iv a few general su ....·e\ books ill English refer 10 this theatre of :\'apoleon's wars: Elting, Swords Annmd a ThTrm~ (1988), espedall)' Chapter },.'"\'111; Rothcnberg. Th~ Milito')' &rd" m Crootj(l 1740-1881 (1966), Three books ((l\'cr thc organi/.mion, history and unifonns of some Balkan uniLS: Dempsc)', Napokoll i Mmnllm,s, Forng'll L'mts HI Ih, Frf'llch Ann)' Under 1M Gmsltlal, ami Empm·, 1799 10 1814 (2002); Chartrand, .\'apowm i A nny (1996); and Naf7iger. IYgfml'11ts I hm d, Lipu (FornJ,'7l 1lq,l'jm"lts), Volume 5 of '17" F"nch Ann)', /lO)'ld, RrpllbljC1II1, Imperial, 1792-1815 (l99i), Sen'ral works in French, German and Italian co\'cr this subjcct: Ficffe. Hisloirt' lies troupes ilnlllgen (Ill sen,;u dt' Frallu (IryJllis Il'lIr OrigilU! jll~qll'{/ 'lOS jOllrs (185'1) is a gcncral stud)' of all Frcnch foreign unilS through history; MhllO;r,s rill lillC df' Ilnglls, dp 1792,; 1832 (1857) -the memoirs of Marshal Marmo11l., first go\'cl'llor of thc 1ll)'l'ian Provinces; Vanieck, SIH'cialgt'SchirMf' riff Militiirgrrllu (1875) covcrs thc organization of thc Mililary Ilorder under Austrian rule; noppc, Paul, La Croolif' Mi/il"ire 1809-1813 (1900) deals with the part of thc Military Border (1\Hitary Croatia) and its uniLS undcl' French rule, L'lllvalide, 'Lcs llussards Croates
THE PLATES A1: Voltigeur, Royallstrlan Battalion; Koper,
1807 The black corsehut, With the eolarged left brim turned up, was popular among central European light infantry at this tJlM. The unilOflTl consists of a single-breasted green jacket With sky-blue lacings and green epaulettes. The Iealhelwor1<
A3: Chassellr, Royal Dalmatian Legion; Dalmatia, 1806-08 The Dalmatian Legion's uniforms differed from those of the Dalmatian battalions only by the white waistcoat and green breeches. The chasseurs Initially wore soft leather Opanke shoes and colourful woollen socks/gaiters. which Wefe replaced later by regulation French black shoes and gaiters.
was white, but some reconstructions show it as black. A2: Carabinier, 2nd DalmaUan Batlalion; Venice,
1806 The corsehuf which replaced the Austrian leather helmet IS decorated only WIth the Italian tricolour cockade fastened WIth a white loop. The carabinier company were distll'lgUlshed by their red pompon!/, epaulenes and swotd knots. The 2nd Battalion, often refemKl to as the Dalmatian Manne Battalion (Ba/aDion dalmate de Ia Marine) because of Its regular seMCe on 1taIl3n Navy vessels, was dlstlOQUlshed from the 1st only by sky-blue breeches. Both battalions had green single-breasted Jackels WIth red faCings, and a Walstcoat cut In the Austnan style.
Although the c ....blnl... of
lh4l Dalm,tI.n Regt ('an, I. COtTeCtly Illustrated I" • g,"n uniform with r.cl facIngs and decoratlona and a white waistcoat, the c'nllblnler {cent..., - ,uppo..dly from the let Illyrlan R.gt _ w...... White uniform which , . .me to be' Imaginal')'. Th••oldler {rlght}_ euppo..dly from the 2nd IIlyrl.n Regl - I, probebly an lIlyrlan, d......d In the regular F nch light Infantry uniform. Th w.. only one 'lIIyrl.n Regt', .nd the utl'l h.. p....um.bly conf\>1Md It with the ,Ix reglm.nta of IIlyrl.n CNI...u.... The I.rge, whlt.-plped, K.net ehoulder etnlpe .... prob.bly me.nt to be' the 'ew.llow's neeta' wtllch the Chle..u", aetWllly WON on the ehoulder .e • dletlnctlon from F...nch .-.glmeflta. (A.de V.lmont, Cllc~ BNFp)
81: Chasseur, 4th Regiment of lIIyrian Chasseurs, 1810-13 An unsuccessful attempt to dye the Austnan brown jacket blue has turned it almost black; it was permitted to be worn until new uniforms could be produced, but WIth new facing colours (orange for the 4lh Regiment). The white Hausmonwr trousers and black Hunganan boots also remcuned In use, along WIth a peaked KJobuk WIth the French cockade aoded. Although light troops, lItynan Chasseurs never rec8lYed the standard light infantry sabres. so they contlOUed to carry just a bayonet scabbarcI on the white leather bell over the right
_.
The aun+tlng fanion of the 11t Bn, 3rd Regt ollllyria" CM".~", ( _ Plat. B) wn m~. 01 wool, ..... aurlne tOhl00t;m (4b38inl, artd wal flown on I "ather-co_recI ItltI 281.5<;m (tf'I til") long. The whit. nag bears the dll!9O"lll"Kriptlon '3em•• lIlyrien. , ..... 80" [Batalllon)'. (MHMV)
44
B2: Sergeant porle-fan/on, 1st Battalion, 3rd Regiment of lIIyrian Chasseurs, 1810-13 This NCO wears the fonner Austrian white pre-l808 infantry jacket (FekImonturJ dyed blue, which produced a better result than attempts to dye brown jackets; he has Hungarian·style light blue breeches. and short black gaiters cut to resemble hussar boots with white tape edging and small tassels. The seroeanl's chevron on his forearms is in silver lace. As well as his musket he is armed with an infantry sabre with a white sword knot. The white fanion was prescribed by regulations for regimental 1st Banelions. 63: Chaf de batail/on, 6th Regiment of Illyrian Chesseurs, 1810-13 Officers were expected 10 purchase their own uniforms and were probably the only troops 10 have the regulation uniform. The 'national blue' uniform is an Interesting mixture of a basic Austrian-style Jackel or sometimes a French-style surtouf with additions of French origin such as epaulettes and a gorget. The officer has a new 1810 model shako with red plume as prescribed for hiS rank, and a tricolour cockade worn instead of a shako plate. Note the popular style of green waist belt and sabre frog laced with silver: hussarstyle boots reinforce the light cavalry appearance greatly appreciated by the Croat regiments. B4: Administrative Itaff captain, lIlyrian Chasseurs, 1810-13 The staff officers were the only administrative officers of IIlyrian regiments who WOI"e whrte trousers and a waistcoat. together wrth the usual blue habit, With collar. cuffs and tum-backs of the same colour. Epaulettes, sword furniture. sword knot and hat decofatoo were gold. as were the buttons bearing the imperial eagle. The distinctions of the staff offlCBf were the same as in the French Army.
C1: NCO, Dalmatian Pandours, 1810-14 His dress is a mixture of uniform and native dress based on both infantry and cavalry styles: a hussar-style blue dolman with white buttons and decoration, With a red collar, cuffs and epaulettes: tight blue breeches with white stripes and knots; a wide red belt holding a pistol and a yataghan: and soft leather Opanke shoes With home made wool gaiters. The regulation shako Is black With a decorated top band. a red pompon and a cockade. C2: Second·lleutenant, Dalmatian Pandours, 1810-14 ThIs officer's ulllform COI\SIsts of a black cocked hat wrth a tricolour cockade attached by a silver loop, and a tall red plume. His blue habrt, faced red at collar. cutis and tumbacks. has $ltv« buttons; the epaulette on the left shoulder and contre-epaulene on the right are of silver bullion. The ttght red breeches have silver lace side slopes and thlQh knots. C3: Corporal of Vo"igeurs, Royal Dalmatian Regiment; TyrOl, 1809 The soldiers of the Royal Dalmatian Regunent adopted the uniform of the former Royal Dalmatian LegIOO, but replaced the COfSBhut wrth a French-style shako. On the yellow metal diamond-shaped plate the If'IllJalS bek>w the Iron Crown of Lombardy were ct\arIgBd from 'LRD' to 'RRD'. VoItJgeurs were diStinguished by yeDow shako COfds and pompon, together wrth green epauletles and sword knot. C4: Carabinier, Royal Istrlan Battalion; Tyrol, 1809 The new French-style shako had red COfds and pompon for the carabinier company, with 'BRI' below the Lombard crown on a brass diamond plate. Another dlstinctoo for the carabiniers was a red sword knot. although thiS man is still dressed in an Austrian uniform WIth French distinctions. D1: Carabinier, 3rd Croatian Provisional Regiment; Paris, 1812 During their stay in Paris soldiers of the 3rd Regt were dressed in a new green uniform, but cut in Ihe old fight infantry style. The jacket had a yellow collar and pointed cuffs and piped lapels. and they probably wore green grenades on the turn-backs. They also had a characteristic OPPOSITE Pandour and S.,..un.r equipment. (Top to bottom:) Cartrldljlll bOllel: the IIrst thl'1la, trom wettern BOlnla and Ravni Kotarl _ Ih' hlnt.rland of l.adar - are made of leather decorated with Imlll I.ad 'Iudl, while the other two are made 01 bra.. Ind com. trom Inland Dalmatia lZagora): ("lOw) the rlc'hly omamentlloCl .lIv.r box II ot Turkllh orillln; the two Imall bra.. boll.1 to ftalefl al'1l lor .nimal fat and "rap metll for w.apon mllntenance. Some chl.-.ct.rI,tlc Imall knlv.l: that betw. .n lh. cartrld8e bollel, from SlnJ, hal I bra.. grip deeor.tlloCl with. Inak. Ituck In a hone.. man., a flv<wrlt. Iymbol In Balkan .plc son81. (Below leftl two Imall fOldl"'ll knlv.1 (brltul.J, and (right) a typical BOlnlan blc~. (Bottom right) Bllon plltoll usually lacklloCl lh.lr _n ramrod, so the ...... n c.rrled a multi· purpose rod lueh al these two, known •• ArbUa, of mixed ....tal artd wood conslrvcllon. PI~_klnll was widely enJo~, artd the kit Included flint, a 11. .1Itrlk.r artd tinder as well al the amalt IOCk.ted plp.e bowl (bottom left). ~Ik:.)
yellow side-stripe down their trouser seams. The collar probably did I10t have the additional piping and patch suggested in some recoostructions (e.g. page 15). The shako has a red plume above the pompon and red side chevrons, which together with the red epaulettes and sword kr'lOt were the distInctions for carabiniers. 02: Captain of Voltigeurs, 3rd Croatian Provisional Regiment; Paris, 1812 The officers also received new green unifOllTls. but they sometIrT~ changed the colour of the waistcoat to yellow or green as shown het9. Although the shako usually bore a white metal eagle pIale displaying the regImental number. thiS officer has a diamond-shaped plate wrth a hunlJng hom motif: together WIth hIS yellow plume. this indicates that he is the captain of the voItlg8Ur company - nole also hiS light infantry sabre. 03: Sergeant major of Voltigeurs, 1st Croatian Provisional Regiment; Germany, 1812 The soIOIers of the 1st Reg! pmbabty atso recerved the new green uniforms when they arTived in Germany on their way to the RUSSIan campaign. As dlsbnctlOl"lS voIttgeUrS had a yellow-upped red plume and a yellow pompon. top band and side cIlevron5, together wllh a yellow sword knot and yellow epaulettes fnnged ~. When a change of the
weapon was requested the vOltigeurs probably received the An IX/XIII Ofagoon musket. widely used by the light infantry instead of the longer. heavier infantry model. Note the silver double rank chevrons above his cuffs. E1: Sergeant major of Carabiniers, Royal Dalmatian Regiment; Russia, 1812 This sergeant major of the ehte company displays the standard campaign eqUipment; he is weanng long white overall trousers instead of breeches, and a linen shako cover wllh a separate pompon cover. His plume also has its own linen cover. and is bed to hiS sabre scabbard by the shako cords. as was common on campaign. E2: Drummer of Chasseurs, 1st Croatian Provisional Regiment, Russia, 1812 ThIS tambour IS shown weanng a pokalem forage cap. although the Pl'OVlsiooal RegIments may equally have been rssoed wrth the older bonnet de poIke pattern. Both patterns were earned roDed and strapped under the cartndge box when not in use - see E 1. At the front it bears the number not of the Provisional Regt but of hIS parent regIment of
Chasseurs HIynens; a red grenade was subslJluted lor carablnl&l'S and a yellow hom for voIt'9!M'S. Note the dislJnctJve wtute summer trousers WIth a yellow Slde-slnpe. and the lmpenal L.ivery lace If) ahemate green and yeDow
45
•
•
•
segments. the latter decorated alternately with an eagle and
a
CfOWI'led 'N'
in green. Having r'IO previous elaborate
drumm6f uniforms. the Croat units could incorporate this new style more quickly than their French counterparts.
E3: Voltfgour, 3rd Croatian Provisional Regiment; Russia, 1812 For his comfort in the summer heat this light company soldier has rolled his trouser cuffs. revealing their white
lining. The flap of his cartridge box Is covered with white labile. which probably had a painted black horn and regi-
mental, battalion or company symbols. His shako is
.6
enclosed in a black oilskin, with the pompon left uncovered. The collar Is shown with the sky-blue edging and patch fecooslructed In Forthoffer's drawings. During the retreat 01 II Corps from Poiolsk a whole company of voltigeurs was lost when the bridges were blown up too early. E4: Lieutenant of VO/ligeurs, IIlyrlan Regiment; Russia, 1812 This officer wears a b1corn and a slngl&-breasted surtout WIth a scarlet collar, both these items being preferTed on actIVe seMce. White or blue long trousers, or even overalls olltght cavalry style, were common on campaign instead of the breeches worn here. The btcom, WIth the yellow vo/tJgeur
pompon, was usually covered with oilskin or linen. On his waist belt he carries a curved sabre, in place of the regulation epee and shoulder belt, to emulate the light cavalry style. F1: Harambassa of Serezaners: Military Croatia, 1812 In addition to the main weapon, a short musket (Schtuz), the serezaners carried a pair of Balkan pistols. and a long Turllisl1 knife (yafaghalt) with a white or black bone grip. A shorter bichaj knife was also tucked In the waist belt, together with the pistol ramrod. F2: Chasseur, llIyrlan Regiment, 1813 Although in the unifOfrTl of French light Infantry with scarlet facings, thiS chasseur is distingUished from hiS French col· leagues by the scarlet 'swallow's nest' shoulder wings piped in white. Napoleon had specifICally ord8fed this feature to ensure that French and foreign regiments could be Instantly distinguIshed from one another, F3: Carabinier, 2nd Croatian Provisional Regiment; Germany, 1813 The shortage 01 new uniforms led to the 2nd Croaban ProVisiorlal Regt betng sent to the Grande Arm(le In thelr old
OPPOSITE A .elKtlon Of yategh.n knlve.: (Top) Produced In Sar-Je\/O, late 18th c:entury, for a Tund.h '.nl••ary b.8. . . (NCO), thl. h. . . pommel of mammoth Ivory, an Ar.blc: Inac:rlpllon, .nd • ac:.bb.rd dec:or.led with .Uver Iludded with red .tonel, (Second) An ordinary s.oldler'l weapon, c:.1814-15, with. bllc:k pommel of Wlter buff.lo hom. (Third) TyplC:Il Crelln or Aegeln yat~h.n, c:.1795, I. used by the Inhlblllnll 01 the G.... k 1.I.nd•• nd the _ . .I, II wen I. sallorl. (Fourth) 80snlln welpelf! from the e.riy 19th c:entury, ob'o/+ou.ly produc:ed for the tntde with Chri.tl." Mlllllry C~II••nd Oalmllll, .Inc:e It hi. no I.llmle .ymbol.; the porn.... 1 I. 01 wIl"". IvCKY. (Bottom) Ollmlllin yat.lflhen wlth a .tralilht blMle, early 19th c:enlury; rough bra.. porn....l cover decorated wllh lollale motifs, I. produced In Inland ,_nl IU OI/er Ollmltll. (o\nIllc:.II)
RIGHT sabre~he of the 1It Cl"lNItlln Husur Regt, 1813, bek>nglng to CIte'd'eac:Hron Plvllel. The Inltili. 'IHC'
(1er Husurd, Cl"lNIte,).,. plc:.kecl out In IIlver ~w I .1........ crowned Impertal MIg" on the ptlln blKk lelthe, . .bre~he - _ Plate O. (MUff)
Austnan Hausmontu, uniforms laced yellow. WIth new localiy-made brown trousers. The 1806 pattern shako IS Austnan. The only French features are the red pompon and epaulenes of carabiniers, and the tricolou, cockade. G1: Se,geant, C,oatian Hussar Regiment; Ka,lovac, 1813 This NCO wear5 campaign dress, whICh consisted of the iron-grey pelisse trimmed With black lambskin, worn over his sky-blue dolman with right buff facings, and overall trousers. The inSide and cuffs of both the dolman and pelisse were reinforced with black leather, as are the overalls. His rank is displayed by two white chevrons on the lower sleeves. Above the shako cockade is a pompon In company colours: the plate cypher' l' is a reminder that at one time the raising of a second regiment was envisaged. Over his left shoulder he wears the doubled white leather crossbelVsling for the cartridge pouch and carbine. G2: Captain, C,oatian Hussar Regiment; Italy, 1813 This officer wears hiS regulation full dress uniform, comprising a sky-blue dolman faced with 'buff' - in fact y~low and trimmed with silver, an Iron-grey palisse and breeches. His rank is Indicated by the red plume and the silver lace top band on his shako, and four silver chevrons on the cuffs of the dolman and palisse. His breeches are also decorated WIth four silver laceS, and lace on the side seams. HIS black cartridge box sling has silver mountings, while his sabretache is plain black leather wrth a Sliver imperial eagle ovef 'tHC'. G3: Pioneer, Croatian Pioneer. Battalion; Bourges, 1814 These former hussars sent to France retained many pieces of their prevIOUS uniforms, especially the shako and grey or
green cavalry cloak/greatcoat (manteau) shown here. The ptoneel' is eqUipped WIth a sapper axe, whICh he carries In a black leather case on a white leather batt. Instead of boots he IS wearing black shoes With black gaiters. H1: Private, Albanian Regiment, 1808-14 The costume of these troops was of local origin, comprising a loose white 'Greek' shirt With a wide cloth waist sash, a sleev~ess waistcoat often matching red or blue breeches, stockings or leggings, soft leather shoes, a cloak of coarse cloth used as a greatcoat or part of a tBnt, and either a red fez with a drooping black horsehair plume or a low cap with or without a turban on top. Note his shaven head and long scalpiock. The armament comprised pistols, a 'Cretan' yataghan knife and a long flintlock gun. H2: Officer, Albanian RegIment, 1808-14 The dress of officers and NCOs was of batter quality and more richly ornamented: and note the archaic leg armour. Aside from a pair of pistols With the charactenstlc straight buns. armament often InCluded a longer and more riChly decorated yataghan, a sabre, or - as shown here - an antique Albanian sword. H3: Chllsseur, Septlnsula, Batlallon, 1808-12 These chasseurs wore French light Infantry uniform and eqUipment: the faCings and Piping were officially light blue, but faded to grey In the island sunshine, The battalion was allocated to the Italian Royal Army, so the shako cockade was red, whIte and green; a brass dJamondshaped shako plate was stamped '8S' for 'Battaghone SBptinsulalre'.
47
INDEX kwal"of
""""''''''B
12.1~.16
- ,,.
0\11,,,,,,.,,1'_,,
11,'7~
Alb....."
'7-11
1l<J...... n,
w"f""", 1!>-17 II"'""" FIool1.o 11 ""'f"....,, 11_12
......
011I<" "
~
- . , . '-'l.
7
"""PO
~.
It. It
J'Of>'.'l.olioo>
~
r",.... h nil< 01 ~ &rX. tnd , .............., \.n....10 II 11....1.....-. C",nnooll_ _
6, t. N. II
......... oI!O
_d. l T T T
~;andl
w .. ,~ ~. II
ol'
L>.h,..
I~ (~
.. 31
tnd ( . _ .......--... ~ f tnd I ~ _ A%,'"
~bo kol:. n 1_ _.......N1"
~
~'U
2~
, _ !olt
11_ - . , . -
... '"
n, n. r3. 24. ,'-\
\0'1"" of " -...tw 47 wuIo<_ 14-,
~nl>
~_.
_n'
1.". .,.I.... l~.16,11.
e.--n,.; )1'-' '...-
t--l>rl
and ,u--n Pandou" '" 1l>Ju.. fo.-'n3<' pobn .. and C 11_ ~ ' ",:H ;and h " _ luhan II and 1110., Rqtm..n' n and " - - , ,
»
_!t<.->"'" I)alnt.f.u-
l~ 6 bouallo.. "l ~ I" 12~1'. 16 l<.aU
and and
''''''P'
"""""-'flA1""'t""U
......._\...., ..... "'IbIm-an~
~punruw
"'""I' .... ""If"""
III>
~ .1,11 _ , bdI1_It<-pn...-.' U-H
....,.. ,
I,,(,_"""~~f
n.
otr r ..
,-,
1~.4'
I)
ID....,,~.,(............ I'l,.((; I~ AS,~' 1I;o,~, ltxuan hl...do
....::allWm.o"'"
....pu.....w
lIS. '17 ..."""""I·".. 4..-1""',I .. I\.I'l'>i""'3n:l11Io...... .2, I~ \WI (-"f'IoU" 11-1.14 (;,-,..., r............... Il<1tJ""'nu IS.Ill.M.!I.!I--3 oIf' Lt, 11, " 1).1"",,,,,, f"~"" 7_lf
1l.<1l".... n'
II"..."
1"1"."'-("""""
lul"...........ll.ln.I 4.'
',."d, ,.,"'I'd ,,""'.. f"n"
>1~
r .......-h ",Io-,~ , lulm..,.." I\.lo, , " _<11.0 11.".-.1 [101m"".,, lqcion Ro.-.l llolm " R<-J;m"n'
....l~"h,,'.,,'
.Hl
r••,..
)"",10- <~ ~4 I...., 41
Dut"'Mlik ~.
("'"....1
i..
R.n'"
""
..-oo,'" Mil•..,... IMI2)
:l6 bonle. 01 1M, I"
~,7.
12.
Il\-~'O.
21-4
".,... for ..... 11
Go... ~ .... C.>k~ 1 Jl,~ ... " d.. 21 (Onnd..,\nn 7, Ill, 19," c..""~ I~". "" r-.ncI<..." d.. Ill..." ... (;,-«~ I",,g :It ( ....""'. """I'" "" I ......... , ......ltIu........ t..-_s...,..... boll"'''' ~ I
"no<
48
n. 1...... 17.
",'~
!>-I.'
.....hI"I>""'''' 6 "",for".. Iltn-:ol IW"..u.u1 Il""'''' 1>-7 "",I""", i. ~ 11.0.. :>11.. ,,,,,, l\.:>'uOOn 9 ",,>fonna 9-10 1lt.-o-:ol1t:l4>n Arm> ,
'.8
-_.
IttJ>1J "." '1.~. 11. -">-7.• ~ R.-. ~ F...IKI> ""'-'f! u(1111!, ~. 7. I!. I/I-~, U-I
-'"
I.,"
.-.....blbl>-.-.,
1......
1~
10'''''' 111.0,,<1>
ll~. i7
....01 CI. II
11"",,,,,,,, ILll"'"
11.0..-:011....... ''''' ~
II" 1:~'7 1Il>, a.-ur, _174-1 lo.-
(D"bromi~l
" It.II~""" GI. ~I
1',,,,,.... 11.o""lio". b.uc< I:). 17 I',i.,... ,\Ih.n;." Il.-'I,,"rll'. Ion i." 1>1.,,<1> H. H ....1"i"",I., 1I>,,,,I~m '9-10 I',,,tlr... C" .."."
1).1",."." r.,,,I1,,," "" 1'.."11,,,..
Ii ..... "" '7 1on,1.." ..11<,1 :1-1
'I'
II>I> G!,'1I
", n, U. 'l-I-'
.... '1~."', Cfo;>U.fl 1l' " Il.-'.".... ", 21 , ~",.I r~w,( " ()l'k~ •• Albi<,u.n M••""..",.
.....,V' '" 1l.1",."." 1'."<1<",,, II 1•• 1",.,.. " l'.n,II'"'' 2",11,.. u~" ..", C!. II
I·, ....b"'g.T..... '>of ',.~I I·".n. I';"",.. ..",,,, Colonel 11oo"..,,1 Il>.>h. '.. nl. of 7 ~ Il
Ito'p""',,,
u-mlWl II".... Il<w
1',,,<10<,,,
I()..ll <1. Albon ... '7-<1
1·"lou~.
'.:Ib. W
I ,,~<', ... \"".. ,,)y ot 1",1_ "" 1Ic."lo:"".i" ~_(JlI"n. <1<0, \'kcr... ,of 1,..1,
p,,'ol. ............
'I'
1',,,<10<,,,
P.lm."." r.rnl'n'" ..... r.,,'~n". ~'l
1',,,,1<,,,,, ,I..,•• ll. 9. 10...12. II. !l8-9
"'1"'1""'"'' "'M.",,,,,,,m
",..10,"" 74
l)<,,,,<~,,, ..
(111'. ...,. ,III ",.. Il<w"'.... f. 1"".." I...."d. 1I!.-17 O'''',,,al Cha " 43-L
U.~
. . .,'
~
0.
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D'. I',
Men-at-Arms· 4 I0 The uniforms. equipment, history and organisation of the world's military forces, past and present
Napoleon's Balkan Troops South-east Europe is one
of the most neglected fronts of the Napoleonic Wars; yet on the coast of the Adriatic Sea - broadly, modern Yugoslavia and the Ionian IslandsFrance struggled to hold a vital strategic outpost dominating Austrian and Russian access to the Mediterranean. Here she took Into Imperial service former Austrian frontier
regiments, which fought with
Full colour artwc:rl.
distinction in Russia in 1812;
and raised irregulars from
among the exotic warrior
populations to guard the Turkish frontier inland,
and the coasts and islands from British naval raids. This detailed review of all such troops is iIlust-rated with rare prints and meticulous Unrivalled detail
Pholographs
colour plates.
ISBN 1-84176-700-X
OSPREY PUBLISHING
www.ospreYI."bllshlng.com
9
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