In 1812, the establishment strength of a French line battalion or legere battalion was 840 men, in six companies of 140 each. In discussing the strength of French line/legere battalions, NAO
says: "The French system of replacement was different than the British. Instead of sending the entire unit home for recruiting, the deficient battalions were broken up and the troops distributed to other battalions of the regiment and the dissolved unit's cadre only, were sent home. This allowed the French field units to be close to theoretical (sic) strength."
NAO then offers French line/legere war game battalions of six 6 figure stands, reflecting at 1:20; a field of strength of 720 or 81% of establishment.
In 1969, this writer questioned Fred (Vietmeyer) about this level of organization, pointing out Oman's reported strengths for French infantry in HPW (History of the Peninsular War), which were substantially lower. Fred's response was that Peninsular field strengths were not typical; that Spain was a side-show for Napoleon in 1812 and that he tended to ignore the needs of the Army there; that in 1812 most line regiments were in the Grand Army and had been raised to 100% + of establishment in preparation for the Russian campaign.
An examination of HPW and Emir Bukhari's French Napoleonic Line Infantry (FNLI) produces some interesting facts. FNLI contains mini-histories of all French Line Regiments for the period 1796-1815.
A study of these histories indicates that in 1812, the French Army had 111 Line regiments in existence. Of these 111 regiments, 63 (or 57% of the total) are listed as being in Spain in 1812, while 41 (or 37% of the total) are listed as being in the Grand Army on the Russian campaign.
In other words, in 1812 more than half of all available line regiments were stationed in Spain. Such a circumstance makes an examination of their reported field strengths realistic in approaching a determination of average field strengths of French line battalions in 1812.
Oman Strengths
One finds that in Volumes 5 and 6 of HPW, Oman has given us five separate strength reports for the year 1812 -- for the dates of March 1, March 15, July 15, August 1, and October 15. Two of these entries report strengths at Division or Brigade level, together with the number of battalions, so that one may make a mathematical calculation of the battalion averages.
The other three entries list field strengths at regimental and battalion levels. Two of these entries are particularly interesting. One gives the strength of the 22 Line and 6 Leger Regiments present at the battle of Salamanca (July 22, 1812) on July 15, 1812 and the other, the strengths of the same regiments on August 1, 1812, on pages 601 through 603 of Volume 5.
Mathematical averaging of the strengths reported by the regiment indicates that the average strength of the 72 battalions present was 569 before the battle and 437 after the battle. These entries provide a clear example of the kind of attrition sustained by a unit on active campaign. They also provide a clue as to the complex problem of ascertaining and representing "average field strengths."
The entries for 1812 other than those prior and subsequent to Salamanca are more general in scope and subsequently less supportive of accurate mathematical averaging. But an examination of all of Oman's reported field strengths for 1812 produces a result not too inconsistent with the strengths reported immediately prior to the battle of Salamanca. Averaging out to battalion strengths all of the strength entries for 1812 produces a battalion total of 545. That translates, at 1:20 ratio, to 27 figures or 9 less figures than NAO prescribes for the 1812 French infantry battalion.
Extending the Report
Extending Oman's reported field strengths in the Peninsula for French infantry units over the period of 1809 through 1814 yields an average infantry battalion strength for the whole period of 566 -- a figure amazingly close to the battalion average of 569 reported before Salamanca. It should be further noted that the largest average strength for the six year period is only 639, for the year of 1813.
It is this writer's conclusion that, the French replacement system not withstanding, if one is striving to represent a French infantry battalion at "average field strength" for the year 1812, or the entire period of 1809-1814; the proper number to represent would be 600. At 1:20 ratio that would be 30 figures, mounted on 6-five figure stands. That figure also represents 71.4% of establishment strength.
Cavalry
As previously mentioned, NAO organizes French cavalry squadron at 100% of their establishment strength of 200 men. This is true for both light and heavy cavalry. Exhaustive research by this writer has failed to uncover any extensive reporting of field strengths of French cavalry units, other than those contained in HPW. HPW contains several statements concerning attrition of horses during the Peninsular campaign and about the difficulty the French had in keeping their cavalry units mounted.
These same type of statements are contained in Oman's Studies in Napoleonic Warfare, which makes the assertion that French cavalry operated in the field at strengths much reduced from establishment. Averaging out reported strengths in HPW gives, over the period 1809 through 1814, the following figures: Hussar regiment -- 493; Chasseur a'Cheval regiment -- 432; Dragoon regiment -- 465; and 13th Cuirassier Regiment -- 507. For the year of 1812 itself, the figures are: Hussar regiment -- 366; Chasseur a'Cheval regiment -- 366; and Dragoon regiment -- 485.
This writer does not believe that there is a sufficient breadth of reported French cavalry strengths in the field to justify a suggestion as to organizational change. One thing is clear, however: NAO's recommended organization at 200 men per squadron cannot be supported by the information available.
An interesting possibility might be to apply the infantry "average field strength" to the establishment strength ratio to cavalry units. 71% (or 70% for facility) of the establishment strength for a squadron is 140. At 1:20, that produces a squadron of 7 figures. For ease of stand organization, use 8-figure stands for heavy cavalry, and 6-figure stands for light cavalry. More about such an approach later in this article.
More CLS
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