QueriesIf you have a problem, if no-one else can help, and if you can flnd them, you can ask the A(ge) - Team. Q21.1 I am currently building an 1813-14 Prussian Army. During my research, l came across a reference to the Mansfeld Pioneer Battalion. As far as I can find out, this was a volunteer formation, made up from artisans, but I cannot find out what the uniform was. Was it the same as the regular engineer units, or was it classed as a Landwehr unit? I would also be grateful if somebody could say if what the TO&E was, whether it had heavy equipment, or whether it was used as combat engineers. --Andrew Finch RepliesQ20.1 John Cook has replied to this [Westphalian uniform guide] in detail elsewhere in the magazine. I would also like to thank Steven Walker, of Salem, Oregon for his information. Q20.2 The 1813-14 and 1815 campaigns in Italy are a rather neglected subject: With the Allied armies pressing upon the Grande Armee in Germany and later invading France to temporarily seal Napoleon's fate, in 1813 and 1814 Italy was rightly considered a secondary theatre of war. Nevertheless, from August to April, Northern Italy and the so-called Illyrian provinces (modern Slovenia and part of Croatia) saw a considerable amount of fighting between the Army of Inner Austria led by Hiller and later by Bellegarde, and the Army of Italy, led by the Viceroy of the Kingdom of Italy, Eugene de Beauharnais comprising French and Italian troops. Murat's Neapolitans, who had gone over to the Allied camp at the beginning of 1814 and some mixed British units also played a role in the operations against the Franco-ltalian army. There was only one large scale battle, on the Mincio near Mantua on 8 February 1814, as Eugene repulsed an Austrian attempt at crossing the river. However, the number and variety of minor engagements, including sieges, blockages, landings and mountain guerrillas make this an intriguing campaign. In 1815, Murat's risky attempt at reconquering North Italy and regaining Napoleon's favour was rudely interrupted by the Austrians at Tolentino. As far as I know, there is no English source that covers these campaigns and the role played by the Austrian army in detail. Rothenburg's Napoleon's Great Adversary: Archduke Charles and the Austrian Army 1792-1814 (Spellmount 1995) does contain some bits of information but on a very general level. George Nafziger and I are currently co-authoring a research project on the 1813-14 campaigns (not Tolentino). Many primary and secondary sources are available in French, German and Italian. Among these, at least five contain detailed information about the Army of Inner Austria. First of all, there is the monumental five volume work Le Prince Eugene et Murat by M.H.Weil (Paris 1902). It is in French, with many references to Austrian archival sources. In German, the following books are worth a look (even if you do not know the language, the orders of battle are usually readable): Sporschil, Feldzug der Oesterreicher in Illyrien und Italien in den Jahren 1813 and 1814, Braunschweig, 18144. von Welden, Der Krieg der Oesterreicher in Italien gegen die Franzosen in den Jahren 1813 und 1814, 1853 Holtz, Die Inneroesterreichische Armee, 1813- 14, Vienna, 1912 as Vol. 4 of Oesterreich in den Befreiungskriegen. Jerabek, Die Kampfe in Sukarnten 1813, Vienna, 1986, which has a large bibliography. There is also general information about preparations for the Italian campaign and the army in general in Befreiungskriege 1813-14, Vol. 2, 1913-14. There were a couple of short items in the original series of the Journal of the Napoleonic Association, which covered the small Anglo-Austrian expedition to the Po delta: Mario Zannoni, The Battle of Parma, Journal 8, pp 6-9. Per-Eric Janssen, The Campaign in Italy 1813-14: Operations in the River Po Delta October 1813, Journal 17, pp 27. Paolo Coturri, The Campaign in Italy 1813-14: Operations in the River Po Delta October 1813 - Further Notes, Journal 20, pp 31-36. Hopefully, it might be possible to reprint these as part of a larger item in the near future. The Order of Battle of the Army of Inner Austria at the outbreak of hostilities was: 12 August 1813Commander: FZM HillerBrigade: Generalmajor Stannissavlevich (under the direct command of FZM Hiller)
15th Grenzer (2nd Szeckler) Regiment,(1 battalion) (994) 9th Frimont Hussar Regiment, (2 squadrons) (300) Half 3pdr Brigade battery Division: FML MarschallBrigade: Generalmajor Eckhardt
15th Grenzer (2nd Szeckler) Regiment, (1 battalion) (1029) 9th Frimont Hussar Regiment, (4 squadrons) (509) Half 3pdr Brigade battery Brigade: Generalmajor Winzian (Colonel Volkmann, ad interim)
IR53 Jellacic Infantry, (2 battalions) (?) One 6pdr battery Division: FML FrimontBrigade: Generalmajor Vlasitz
9th Grenzer (Peterwardein) Regiment, (1 battalion) (934) 10th Stipsicz Hussar Regiment, (6 squadrons) (783) One 6pdr Cavalry battery Brigade: Generalmajor Pulsky (Colonel Gober ad interim)
One 6pdr Brigade battery Brigade: Generalmajor Vecsey
1st Merveldt Uhlan Regiment (6 squadrons) (796) Division: FML MarzianyBrigade: Generalmajor Mayer (Colonel Weigl ad interim)
IR27 Chasteler Infantry, (3 + 1 Landwehr battalions) (3761) One 6pdr battery Division: FML SommarivaBrigade: General major Wrede
5th Savoyen Dragoon Regiment, (6 squadrons) (573) Brigade: General major Stutterheim
Welsberg Grenadier Battalion (791) Chimany Grenadier Battalion (695) Faber Grenadier Battalion (442) One 6pdr battery Brigade: Generalmajor Folseis
IR16 Lusignan Infantry, (1+1 Landwehrbattalions)(2625) 5th Radetzky Hussar Regiment, (2 squadrons) (261) Division: FML RadivojevichBrigade: Generalmajor Csivich
6th Grenzer (Warasdiner-St Georg) Regiment, (1 battalion) (1194) IR52 Erzherzog Franz Karl Infantry, (1 battalion) (?) Brigade: Generalmajor Rebrovich
IR52 Erzherzog Franz Karl Infantry, (2 battalions) (1415) Brigade: Generalmajor Nugent
One 6pdr Position Battery Artillery Reserve:Number of guns unspecif fed (Holtz gives 72 guns) Pioneers: 2 Companies Pontoniers: 1 Equipage Total:34 battalions, 40 squadrons, 2 companies, 120 guns (36537 men and 6646 horses) The data on the artillery is incomplete. There is often no distinction between a brigade battery and a position battery. From: MH Weil, Le Prince Eugene et Murat, Vol. 1, pp 195-197, from Austrian archival sources, K.u.K. Kriegsarchiv Marco Gionnini & Dave Hollins The following work contains a narrative of the role of the Austrians in the Campaign of 1815 and detailed Orbats: Plotho, Carl von: Der Krieg in Europa gegen Frankreich im Jahre 1815, Berlin 1818 A copy may be available through library interloan, at the British Library, or through the Goethe Institute in London or Manchester. Q20.3 This book Hessisches Militaer, Ortenburg/Kersten, is probably still available from a specialist bookdealer. Try Klaus-Dieter Gerson, Bornweg 5a, D21509 Glinde, Germany. --Peter Hofschroer Back to Age of Napoleon No. 21 Table of Contents Back to Age of Napoleon List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master List of Magazines © Copyright 1997 by Partizan Press. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com |