Armies of the Waterloo Campaign

The French Army

by Kerry Hanscom


Strength figures given by Siborne for the French army are also more highly aggregated than those given for the allies; with the exception of specialist troops like marines, headcounts for units are averaged (mean) from corps (for line and light infantry and reserve cavalry), division (for line cavalry), or brigade (for Imperial Guard) strengths. One result of this aggregation is an army composed of homogeneous units; for variety some players may wish to build units which are larger or smaller than the "average" units given below; in any case the total number of figures in each corps, division or brigade should remain unchanged.

All French units listed below are organized as follows unless otherwise indicated

CHART III

French Infantry Bn. = 12
French Cavalry Sqdn. = 6

Type of Battery and Composition
Divisional 1 6" how. 3 8-pdr.
Reserve 4 12-pdr.
Horse 3 6-pdr.: or possibly 4-pdr.
Guard Foot 4 12-pdr.
Guard Horse 3 6-pdr.

Imperial Guard

Marshal Mortier

Old Guard Bde., Lt-Gen. Friant [18]
1 Grenadiers (2/15)
2 Grenadiers (2/15)

Old Guard Bde., Lt-Gen. Morand
1 Chasseurs (2/15)
2 Chasseurs (2/15)

Middle Guard Bde., Lt-Gen. Roguet
3 Grenadiers (2/15)
4 Grenadiers (1/15)

Middle Guard Bde., Lt-Gen. Michel
3 Chasseurs (2)
4 Chasseurs (2)

Young Guard Bde., Lt-Gen. Duhesme
1 Tirailleurs (2)
3 Tirailleurs (2)

Young Guard Bde., Lt-Gen. Barrois
1 Voltigeurs (2)
3 Voltigeurs (2)

Cavalry Bde., Lt-Gen. Lefebvre-Desnouettes (19)
Guard Lancers
Guard Chasseurs a Cheval

Cavalry Bde., Lt-Gen. Guyot (13)
Guard Dragoons
Guard Grenadiers a Cheval

Artillery, Lt-Gen. Desvaux
9 Bty.
4 Horse Bty.

Marines of the Guard (1/3)

I Corps

Lt-Gen. d'Erlon

1st Division Lt-Gen. Alix

1st Bde., Brig-Gen. Quiot
54 Line (2)
55 Line (2)

2nd Bde., Brig-Gen. Bourgeois
28 Line (2)
105 Line (2)

2nd Division Lt-Gen. Donzelot (9)

1st Bde., Brig-Gen. Schmitz
13 Light
17 Line

2nd Bde., Brig-Gen. Aulard
18 Line
61 Line

3rd Division Lt-Gen. Marcognet

1st Bde., Brig-Gen. Nogues
21 Line (2)
46 Line (2)

2nd Bde., Brig-Gen. Grenier
25 Line (2)
45 Line (2)

4th Division Lt-Gen. Durutte

1st Bde., Brig-Gen. Pegot
8 Line (2)
29 Line (2)

2nd Bde., Brig-Gen. Brue
85 Line (2)
95 Line (2)

1st Cavalry Division Lt-Gen. Jaquinot

1st Bde., Brig-Gen. Brune
3 Chasseurs (3)
7 Chasseurs (3)

2nd Bde., Brig-Gen. Gobrecht (5)
3 Lancers
4 Lancers

Artillery . [19]
4 Divisional Bty.
1 Reserve Bty.
1 Horse Bty.

II Corps

Lt-Gen. Reille

5th Division Lt-Gen. Bachelu (11)

1st Bde., Brig-Gen. Husson
2 Light
61 Line

2nd Bde., Brig-Gen. Campi
72 Line
108 Line

6th Division Lt-Gen. Prince Jerome (11)

1st Bde., Brig-Gen. Baudouin
1 Light
3 Line [20]

2nd Bde., Brig-Gen. Soye
1 Line
2 Line

7th Division Lt-Gen. Girard (8)

1st Bde., Brig-Gen. Louis
11 Light
82 Line

2nd Bde., Brig-Gen. Piat
12 Light [21]

9th Division Lt-Gen. Foy (10)

1st Bde., Brig-Gen. Gauthier
92 Line
93 Line

2nd Bde., Brig-Gen. Jamin
4 Light
100 Line

2nd Cavalry Division Lt-Gen. Pire

1st Bde., Brig-Gen. Hubert
1 Chasseurs (4)
6 Chasseurs (4)

2nd Bde., Brig-Gen. Wathiez (7)
5 Lancers
6 Lancers

Artillery
4 Divisional Ely.
1 Reserve Bty.
1 Horse Bty.

III Corps

Lt-Gen. Vandamme

8th Division Lt-Gen. Lefol (11)

1st Bde., Brig-Gen. Billiard
15 Light
23 Line

2nd Bde., Brig-Gen. Corsin
37 Line
64 Line

10th Division Lt-Gen. Habert

1st Bde., Brig-Gen. Gengoult
34 Line (3)
88 Line (3)

2nd Bde., Brig-Gen. Dupeyroux
22 Line (3)
70 Line (3)
2 Swiss Bn. (1)

11th Division Lt-Gen. Berthezene

1st Bde., Brig-Gen. Dufour
12 Line (2)
56 Line (2)

2nd Bde., Brig-Gen. Legrade
33 Line (2)
86 Line (2)

3rd Cavalry Division Lt-Gen. Domont

1st Bde., Brig-Gen. Dommanget (5)
4 Chasseurs
9 Chasseurs

2nd Bde., Brig-Gen. Vinot
12 Chasseurs (4)

Artillery
3 Divisional Bty.
1 Reserve Bty.
1 Horse Bty.

IV Corps

Lt-Gen. Gerard

12th Division Lt-Gen. Pecheux (10)

1st Bde., Brig-Gen. Romme
30 Line
96 Line

2nd Bde., Brig-Gen. Schoeffer
63 Line [22]

13th Division Lt-Gen. Vichery

1st Bde., Brig-Gen. Le Capitaine
59 Line (2)
76 Line (2)

2nd Bde., Brig-Gen. Desprez [23]
48 Line (2)
69 Line (2)

14th Division Lt-Gen. Hulot [24]

1st Bde., Brig-Gen.
9 Light (2)
111 Line (2)

2nd Bde., Brig-Gen. Toussaint
44 Line (2)
50 Line (2)

7th Cavalry Division Lt-Gen. Maurin

1st Bde., Brig-Gen. Vallin
6 Hussars (3)
8 Chasseurs (3)

2nd Bde., Brig-Gen. Berruyer
6 Dragoons (4)
16 Dragoons (4)

Artillery
3 Divisional Bty.
1 Reserve Bty.
1 Horse Bty.

VI Corps

Lt-Gen. Lobau

19th Division Lt-Gen. Simmer

1st Bde., Brig-Gen. de Bellair
5 Line (2)
11 Line (3)

2nd Bde., Brig-Gen. Jamin
27 Line (2)
84 Line (2)

20th Division Lt-Gen. Jeannin

1st Bde., Brig-Gen. Bony
5 Light (2)
16 Line (2)

2nd Bde., Brig-Gen. Boudin
107 Line (2)

21st Division Lt-Gen. Teste (5)

1st Bde., Brig-Gen. Lafitte
8 Light

2nd Bde., Brig-Gen. Penne
65 Line
75 Line

Artillery
3 Divisional Bty.
1 Reserve Bty.
1 Horse Bty.

I Cavalry Corps

Lt-Gen. Pajol

4th Cavalry Division Lt-Gen. Soult

1st Bde., Brig-Gen. Houssin
1 Hussars (4)
4 Hussars (4)

2nd Bde., Brig-Gen. Ameil
5 Hussars (4)

5th Cavalry Division Lt-Gen. Subervie

1st Bde., Brig-Gen. de Colbert
1 Lancers (4)
2 Lancers (4)

2nd Bde., Brig-Gen. Merlin
11 Chasseurs (4)

Artillery
2 Horse Bty.

II Cavalry Corps

Lt-Gen. Excelmans

9th Cavalry Division Lt-Gen. Strolz

1st Bde., Brig-Gen. Burthe
5 Dragoons (4)
13 Dragoons (4)

2nd Bde., Brig-Gen. Vincent
15 Dragoons (4)
20 Dragoons (4)

10th Cavalry Division Lt-Gen. Chastel (15)

1st Bde., Brig-Gen. Bennemains
4 Dragoons
12 Dragoons

2nd Bde., Brig-Gen. Berton
14 Dragoons
17 Dragoons

Artillery
2 Horse Bty.

III Cavalry Corps

Lt-Gen. Kellermann

11th Cavalry Division Lt-Gen. l'Heritier

1st Bde., Brig-Gen. Picquet (7)
2 Dragoons
7 Dragoons

2nd Bde., Brig-Gen. Guiton (5)
8 Cuirassiers
11 Cuirassiers

12th Cavalry Division Lt-Gen. Roussel

1st Bde., Brig-Gen. Blanchard
1 Carabiniers (3)
2 Carabiniers (3)

2nd Bde., Brig-Gen. Donop
2 Cuirassiers (3)
3 Cuirassiers (3)

Artillery
2 Horse Bty.

V Cavalry Corps

Lt-Gen. Milhaud

13th Cavalry Division Lt-Gen. Wathier (11)

1st Bde., Brig-Gen. Dubois
1 Cuirassiers
4 Cuirassiers

2nd Bde., Brig-Gen. Travers
7 Cuirassiers
12 Cuirassiers

14th Cavalry Division Lt-Gen. Delort (13)

1st Bde., Brig-Gen. Vial
5 Cuirassiers
10 Cuirassiers

2nd Bde., Brig-Gen. Farine
6 Cuirassiers
9 Cuirassiers

Artillery
2 Horse Bty.

Notes

[1] All British field batteries were normally organized with 5 9-pdr. guns and 1 24-pdr. howitzer. The best way to simulate this unusual organization is as follows:

    1st-Mark one gun section in each battery of three model guns with an "H" or other identifying mark, preferably on the upper surface of the gun stand. This represents the section containing the howitzer.

    2nd-In fire fights this section operates like any other, but separate die rolls "to hit" are made for the 9-pdr. and the howitzer represented by the single stand.

    3rd-If hits are scored against the target by gun or howitzer fire from this stand, the value of these hits is halved.

I have no data on the 24-pdr. howitzer used here, but it (and the Prussian 24-pdr. mentioned later) is probably similar in effect to the ACW 24-pdr. howitzer described in Grand Army. Horse artillery batteries were probably organized similarly, a 51/2" howitzer being used in 6-pdr. batteries and an 8" howitzer being used in 9-pdr. batteries.

[2] KGL light regiments are armed with Baker rifles; these units then have a maximum fire range of 9".

[3] Hanoverian Field Battalions Luneburg and Grubenhagen are light infantry units.

[4] Although trained to fight normally in a 3-rank line, Netherlandish infantry adopted the 2-rank line when Wellington took command of the Allied army. For this reason all Netherlandish units should be mounted with 3/8" front per figure. Other Allied infantry units probably used the 2-rank line as well.

[5] All Netherlandish guns were of 6-pdr. calibre; N )rth indicates that the Belgians did have one battery of 12-pdr., but these apparently did not take part actively in the campaign. Though no mention is made of howitzers by any of the sources, a typical battery of this period would have a section of light howitzers which could replace one of the 6-pdr. sections.

[6] Battalion strengths for units in this division are averaged (mean) from brigade strength figures.

[7] The Flankers are apparently a converged "battalion;"

[8] The Reserve was a corps-sized unit though not organized as such. It was under the direct control of the commander-in-chief.

[9] I have no ballistic data on the 18-pdr. At the time their employment was something of an experiment in the use of "super-heavy" guns. Since Siborne does no more than mention their presence on the campaign they couldn't have been unusually successful. The following data are based on some very rough extrapolations from data given in Grand Army for smaller calibre guns. If one is willing to spend the time, a proper linear regression should give more accurate results (assuming that the range of the piece as a function of shot weight is linear!), but these will serve until more accurate information is available:

    Effective Range = 33"
    Cannister:
    Close range (71/2) = 27
    Med. range (15") = 18
    Long range (221/z) = 9

    High Trajectory Fire:
    5 1/2=1 27 1/2" = 5 49 1/2" = 9
    11"=2 33"=6 55"=10
    16 1/2"=3 38 1/2"=7 60 1/2"=11
    22"=4 44"=8 66"=12

[10] Battalion strengths for units in the Hanoverian Reserve are averaged (mean) from aggregate Hanoverian Reserve Corps strength figures.

[11] I have no idea how many launchers were actually available. Siborne states that several "troops" were present, but as Vietmeyer gives the normal complement of a rocket troop as 24 launchers, Siborne probably mistakenly confused "troop" and "section" (or its equivalent).

[12] Ideally the Brunswick Cavalry was part of the Advance Guard of the Brunswick Corps. When attached to the Cavalry Corps this ad hoc brigade would be commanded by the senior cavalry officer (name unknown); players may wish not to use a command figure to recreate the "feel" of command problems which plague a multi-national army like this one.

[13] 28 squadrons of Netherlandish cavalry were available for the campaign. North writes that the 5th Lt. Dragoons had 2 squadrons and the 6th Hussars had 3, but gives no information for other regiments. Siborne's battle maps show the Netherlandish cavalry with homogeneous regiments of 4 squadrons each.

[14] Young gives variations on the organizations of the Reserve Cavalry and Reserve Artillery of this corps.

[15] Same as above.

[16] Siborne puts the 36th Line in the 9th Brigade in place of the 30th Line. This is apparently a misprint as the 36th was not organized until after the Waterloo campaign. Young also gives alternate organizations for the Reserve Cavalry and Reserve Artillery of this corps.

[17] Same as Note 15.

[18] Toward the end of the Napoleonic wars guard infantry in the French army often used a 2-rank formation; gamers who wish to experiment with this should mount figures with 3/8" frontage.

[19] Corps Reserve batteries did not have the usual section of howitzers; horse batteries used 4- or 6-pdrs. and had no howitzer section.

[20] North designates the 3rd as a light regiment.

[21] North puts the 4th Line regiment in the 2nd Bde., 7th Div. in addition to the 12th Light regiment.

[22] North puts the 6th Light regiment in this brigade in addition to the 63rd Line regiment.

[23] North gives the brigade composition as 48th and 60th regiments of the line.

[24] Hulot was originally commander of the 1st Bde., 14th Div. He replaced de Bourmont as divisional commander when the latter deserted early in the campaign. I do not know the name of the officer who succeeded to command of the 1st Bde. of this division.

ADDENDUM

French Guard Horse Grenadiers may have been composed of 7 squadrons; Guard Dragoons may have been composed of 6 squadrons. Since Easton's suggested organization for Guard Light Cavalry regiments is very suspect (e.g., the 3rd Guard Lancers is listed in the OoB, though this regiment may never have existed except on paper, and it was certainly non-existent by 1815) it might be wise to accept heavy cavalry organizations with a grain of salt.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chandler, David. Campaigns of Napoleon, The MacMillan Co. (New York: 1966).
Easton, Roy. "Waterloo," The Spartan, Issue No. 10.
North, Rene. Regiments at Waterloo, Almark Publishing, Ltd. (London: 1971).
Siborne, William. The Waterloo Campaign, Archibald Constable and Co. (Westminster: 1895).
Vietmeyer, Fred. Napoleonic Organization, Scruby Military Miniatures (1965).
Vietmeyer, Fred. "Balanced Napoleonic Armies," Table Top Talk, January 1967.
Young, Peter. Blucher's Army: 1813-1815, Osprey Publishing, Ltd. (Reading: 1972).

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