Napoleon, as an artilleryman, well knew the value of the support which that arm gave to an army. To quote his own words "C'est Fartillerie de ma garde qui decide la plupart des batailles, parce que l'ayant toujours sous la main, Je puis la porter partout ou il est necessaire" (11). "Great battles are won by artillery" wrote the emperor to Prince Eugene. In his correspondence he wrote "The artillerylike other arms, must be collected in mass if one wishes to obtain decisive results. (1)

Figures in brackets refer to the books in my data base of artillery quotes ( which are listed at the end of the article) from which the information came.

When first formed the Consular Guard on 2 December 1799 contained one mounted squadron which became a battery of Horse Artillery on 15 April 1806. (9) Initially the guns of this unit were 4 pounders. The 6 pounder was not taken into French service until 1803 as part of the so called "System XI". "In 1805 (16) Chef d'Escadron Boulart of the 3rd Regiment of Horse Artillery was ordered to form a division of artillery of 12 pieces to be attached to the Imperial Guard. To serve his division he was given two companies of his regiment".

The 4 pounders first saw action at Marengo supporting the Horse Grenadiers who attacked a "cloudful of cavalry in battle array" which was outflanking Murat and the dragoons of Champeaux.(9)

Indeed it was not until 17 April 1808 that a Foot Battery entered the rolls of the Guard, and the Emperor's "Cherished Daughters" (9), i.e. a dozen 12 pounders, were available to make their mark upon the enemy. Some accounts translate as "Beautiful Daughters".

The 12 pounder was a much more effective piece than the 6 or 8 pounders because of it's increased muzzle velocity which enabled it to plow through more ranks than the lighter guns and also gave it a longer range. It was particularly effective in a counter battery role, and in knocking down buildings, though it was not effective against town walls. Its main projectile was ball. Using this its maximum range, according to Wise (20), was 1800 yards, but he gives it's effective range as 900 yards.

This ties in with Gassendi's Artillery manual which quotes 800 900 metres; (9). It's effectiveness would depend on the state of the ground. On hard dry terrain it would ricochet and spread stone splinters. On soft ground it was likely to sink in at the point of first graze. Gasssendi gives 600 yards for cannister and each gun carried 20 such shells in the caisson, surprisingly not in the trail chest. Cannister projectiles were of two types. Large, for which Wise gives 46 balls and small with 112.

Whilst on the subject of hitting at the longer ranges we must take a look at visibility. (5) "The Artillerist's Manual and British Soldier's Companion" has the following to say "Good eyesight recognises masses of troops at 1700 yards... At 1300 yards infantry may be distinguished from cavalry.. A single individual detached from the rest of the corps may be seen at 1000 yards". Thus it can be realised that it is possible to see targets at the distances quoted, but smoke, weather, and physical features would severely limit the occasions on which such long ranges could be achieved and targets clearly seen.

The 12 pounder as featured in the Plan below at a scale of 1:120 (suitable for use with 15mm figures) ( insert plan here ) had an all up weight of 4364 English pounds, of which the barrel weighed 2172 pounds and had a length 91 inches. It required 8 specialists and 7 non specialists as a gun crew (1). "it took a full minute to fire a 12 pounder" It carried 73 rounds altogether with the guns and caisson. (9) The graph below opposite shows the number of hits it made in various trials carried out in the early 19th Century on a company sized screen. (4) + (18)

I have deliberately included a six pounder for comparison. One will see that the number of hits made by the 12 pounder are not much greater than the smaller gun, but because of it's remaining velocity it is likely to cause more casualties and to ricochet more. For the same reason it would probably be more accurate and have a longer range.

The Guard artillery was present at Ulm, but it's next engagement of importance was at Austerlitz 1805.(3 + 8). Lannes' Corps became separated from that of Soult. To plug the gap in the line 24 light pieces of Guard artillery raced up and held off the enemy divisions.

At Jena 1806 (16) Boulart was ordered up onto the plateau. He writes "But my leading vehicles had hardly entered the steep and sunken road which led to the plateau, when they were brought to a halt because the road was too narrow". The gunners with pickaxes hewed at the rocks to widen the road and just managed to get the divison up onto the plateau as the battle started. "An order arrived at midday to move forward immediately", but the guard never came into action because Murat's cavalry had broken the Prussians.

Friedland. (9) 14 June 1807. "He (Napoleon) halted on a mound and watched the battle unfold before him. The artillery of the Guard was set up on his right". I can find no reference of it actually firing a shot, but have an idea it carried out counter battery fire against the Russians on the East bank of the river Alle.

In 1808 (20) the Horse Artillery of the Guard was reduced to two squadrons of two companies each and remained at this strength until 1815. Each company had 97 personnel and was equipped with 6 pounders, usually captured pieces, or four 6 pounders and two 6 inch howitzers. vAspern. (9) 22 May 1809. " The Guard batteries supported the attack ( by Curial's divison on Essling) firing at top speed""Some of the gun crews were reduced to two men".

Wagram 1809. (11). Napoleon filled a gap on his left flank with with four Guard Horse artillery batteries, followed up with Guard Foot batteries including 12 pdrs, totalling 100 tubes, and stopped dead Bellegarde's attack from Aderklaa.

In February 1812 Napoleon directed Lariboisiere to increase the Guard Artillery to 72 guns with 60 caissons and a double ammunition supply. (9)

Borodino 7 September 1812. (9). "At six o'clock three shots from one of the batteries near the Emperor unleashed a fierce cannonade. One hundred and eighty guns, including sixty of the Guard, promptly went into action in front of Shevardino. At the first command, General Sorbier will prepare to detach all the Guard howitzers and mass them against one redoubt or the other', the Emperor ordered."

Poserna. 1813. (11). "The losses of the terrible expedition to Russia had reduced Napoleon's force of light troops and cavalry very much, and consequently in this campaign he had to move with great caution, not being able to feel for his enemy as he advanced. On the 1st May 1813, in crossing the defile of Gruenebach, near Luetzen, he encountered the Allies strongly posted, with six guns, on the heights of Poserna, to bar the great road which leads from Weissenfels to Luetzen and Leipzig. Being without due means of observation, the French infantry were moved forward in squares," " Such a formation naturally lead to heavy losses from the guns on the opposite heights, Bessieres was killed as he rode forward to reconnoitre the enemy's position, and 300 men fell without any advantage having been gained over the foe. Whilst matters were at this crisis twenty guns of the guard were sent for, and under their fire the squares were once more able to push forward. As they came on, supported by the guns, the enemy gave way before them, and left the path to the plain of Luetzen clear."

Luetzen, 1813. (4 & 11). "When Napoleon decided the battle was "ripe" Drouot deployed 15 Guard artillery pieces on the enemy flank, and gradually increased these to 80. The batteries had appeared from behind dead ground" "Then when their fire, which was served with a rapidity and precision such as their opponents could not match, had produced an effect, sixteen battalions of the Young Guard in four columns, and the whole of the reserve cavalry, were able to retake the villages of Rahna and Klein Goerschen, and bring the battle to a successful conclusion."

Leipzig 16 October 1813 (9). "Towards 10 a.m. 60 guns of the Guard and Drouot's reserve went into action before Wachau, pouring an effective crossfire into the enemy infantry and artillery."

Hanau, 1813, (3 & 11). For four hours the French could make no headway against a Russo Bavarian force that included 60 guns.Drouot then moved 15 guns from the Horse Artillery of the Guard onto the flank of the enemy battery, and, gradually reinforcing these to 50, overcame the enemy fire and two battalions of Guard then broke the enemy line. A counterattack by cavalry was smashed by this same artillery which was suddenly unmasked by the covering squadrons of French cavalry.

La Rothiere. 1st February 1814, (9) "Night fell. Rottembourg formed Marguet's brigade in three columns. Colbert's squadrons cleared a path for them by pushing back Olsufiev's infantry in disorder as the latter debouched from the village (La Rothiere). While the Young Guard's four guns pinned down the enemy in the first houses, Marguet's conscripts ran to the church and opened fire point blank at the Russians.

Craonne. 6th March 1814. (9) "On the right Ney climbed through the woods towards Ailles with Meunier's division, while on his left Curial advanced from the Abbey of Vauclerc towards the Maiden's Gap until he was pinned down by fire from the Russian artillery. and the Emperor had promised a frontal attack on those guns! It was promptly delivered by Drouot's four batteries posted near the Mill of Craonne. Swab and Arange finder in hand, the General went from gun to gun, coaching his green and ill clad gunners who were being pounded with shot by the enemy." (Author's query. I have never before come across a mention of range finders in the Napoleonic wars. Can any reader expand on this? A mistranslation?).

Paris, 30th March 1814. (9). "Major Pion des Loches' six batteries were commanded by the clothing officer, paymaster, bakery officer, etc. Their 20 guns were installed on the outskirts of La Villette and Pantin and near the Barriere du Combat." "The Guard batteries in La Viflette were firing continuously. They sent for more ammunition" "Some ammunition caissons eventually reached the Guard batteries which fired full speed until the Prussian Guard appeared in their rear. Then they hurled two guns into the canal and abandoned the other two as they retired before the advancing enemy. Meanwhile, the other two batteries enfiladed La Chapelle and the city gate."

8th April 1815. (9). "Napoleon decreed the organisation of the Guard". " The artillery was fixed at six Foot and four Horse companies, plus a company of articifers and eight train companies. The Corps was to have 72 guns, including 32 twelve pounders of the reserve. Bowden (25) gives the Reserve, commanded by General de Division Desvaux, as four companies. Each comprised six 12 pounders and two 6 inch howitzers total 24 twelve pounders and 8 six inch howitzers. The remaining Guard artillery was internal to Guard brigades supplemented by Line Artillery companies.

1 June 1815. (9). "The Guard artillery had not yet reached the strength desired by the Emperor, through no fault of it's officers who had been struggling since the 11th April to assemble gunners and material from all over France. Desvaux had to take whole batteries from the Line". "The Horse artillery was complete".

5 June 1815. (9) "General Desvaux reported he had sent off six Old Guard foot batteries with 48 guns; four foot batteries with 32 guns and a horse battery with 6 from the Line, attached to the Guard, making 110 pieces in all. A Young Guard battery of eight guns was to leave on the 12th, and a second would be ready by the 15th. A second Line horse battery was to join the Guard at Soissons. This tour de force, providing Napoleon with 124 guns of the Guard, had been accomplished in six weeks".

16 June 1815. Ligny. (9). "At the far end (of Fleurus) the four chasseur regiments with their battery halted near the mill. The two Young Guard brigades and their artillery took up a position on the left, behind the 3rd Corps, and the grenadiers formed with their battery on the right of the chasseurs". "Surrounded by the heavy cavalry and gendarmes, the artillery (authors note: presumably the reserve) halted behind the foot grenadiers"

"Towards four (p.m.) the 3rd and 4th Grenadiers were sent with their artillery to support Hulot's division of the 4th Corps, whose right flank was hard pressed by the Prussians. Then Michel led three chasseur regiments with their battery to relieve the Young Guard division in reserve when the latter was sent with Duhesme to rescue the 3rd Corps at St.Amand".

"At Fleurus the rest of the Foot Guard advanced with the artillery and cavalry. With Friant, Christiani and petit leading the 1st and 2nd Grenadiers, 2,000 fur bonnets moved forward in a single column, in close order by battalions. Lallemand and Duchand followed with the artillery, which rolled along with a thunderous roar and deployed in batteries."

"Seven o'clock struck in the steeple at Fleurus. The Emperor, reassured, placed himself at the head of the Guard. Desvaux saluted the Prussian with all his guns, pounding Ligny and it's outskirts and setting up a crossfire with the Young guard batteries opposite, north of St.Amand. The slopes around the Brye mill were literally deluged with balls and shells that pulverised the Prussian battalions."

Waterloo. 18 June 1815. (26) "To prepare the way for the attack on Wellington's left centre, the Emperor ordered into action a battery of 84 guns. This battery unlimbered along a spur about 250 yards from La Haye Sainte. It include the twenty 12 pounders of 11 and VI corps forty 8 pounders of the I Corps and twenty four 12 pounders from the Guard the Emperor's 'beautiful daughters"'. (9). "

Five times, supported by a Guard battery whose guns skidded out of position on the muddy slope and mowed down a whole file of lancers with their first shell, they tried without success to break this iron front". (refers to the Guard Lancers attacks on British squares).

"Marching to attack the centre of the British line, the two battalions of the 3rd Chasseurs, also without skirmishers, advanced in column under a heavy cannonade, but the terrain was easy and clear of obstacles. They knocked out a battery on their right. As General Michel marched at their head with Malet , Cardinal and Angelet, their battery poured cannister shot into the midst of the English 30th and 73rd Foot who recoiled".

One can see from the above that the Guard Artillery received the order "La Garde au feu" ("the Guard into action") more times than the rest of the Guard. It was indeed, as quoted above, used in mass under the hand of Napoleon to support both the Guard and the Line to decide a "ripe situation", or to assist in defence or retreat. They certainly earned their right to wear the Guard Uniform of Glory!

Reported results from 12 pounder roundshot trials in the early 1800's

Book List

Author Title Publisher

1. D. Chandler The Campaigns of Napoleon Weidenfeld 1967
2. C. Clery Minor Tactics Kegan Paul 1880
3. J.R.Elting Swords around a Throne Weidenfeld 1989
4. P.Griffith French Artillery Almark 1976
5. P.Haythornthwaite Weapons & Equipment of the Napoleonic Wars Blandford 1979
6. Wilkinson Latham Napoleon's Artillery Almark 1970
7. B.P.Hughes British Smoothbore Artillery A& A.P. 1969
8. B.P.Hughes Firepower. A & A.P. 1974
9. H.Lachouque The Anatomy of Glory A& A.P. 1978
10. C.Manceron Austerlitz. Allen & Unwin 1966
11. E.S.May The Achievements of Field Artillery Institution 1893
12. C.Oman Wellington's Army F.Edwards 1983
13 C.Oman A History of the Peninsular War (7 Volumes) Clarendon Press 1902
14. R.S.Quimby Background to Napoleonic Warfare Columbia University Press. 1957
15. R.Reilly The British at the Gates Cassell. 1976
16. Col. H.C.B.Rogers Napoleon's Army Ian Allen 1974
17. H.T.Siborne The Waterloo Letters A.& A.P. 1983
18. H.Straith Treatise on Fortification and Artillery W. Allen & Co. 1850
19. Tarbox & Bowden Armies on the Danube Empire Games 1980
20. T.Wise Artillery Equipments of the Napoleonic Wars Osprey 1979
21. J.Fortescue A History of the British Army (13 Vols.) Macmillan, 1910/30
22. C.Hibbert "The Wheatley Diary" Longmans 1964
23. James R.Arnold. "Crisis on the Danube"A& AP. 1990
24. Capt W Hay C.B. "Reminiscences 1808 1815 under Wellington" Simpkin Marshall 1901. p.126.
25 Scott Bowden "Armies at Waterloo"
26. Major A.F.Becke "Napoleon and Waterloo" Kegan Paul 1939