Once more I feel incompetent to write an article on Austrian sappers and related troops. I am very far to be an Austrian army expert. However, it is my feeling that we have to start somewhere and I hope that someone more knowledgeable than me will pick the ball, correct my mistakes if any, and complete the information given here. At first glance, the Austrian "engineer function" was quite elaborate, with some similarity, to a certain extent, with the French organization. We find the sappers, the miners, the engineers, the pioneers, the bombardiers and the pontoneers. Perhaps we should also include the Handlangers of the artillery since they not only were laborers on gun sights but also apparently included Bomb carpenters and more specialized workers. In 1805, the Austrian army included the following: 4 companies of miners 3 companies of sappers 1 battalion of pontoneers 6 companies strong 2 companies of bombardiers 1 company of engineers Reference Ray Johnson NAPOLEONIC ORGANIZATION volume III, page 16. According to the booklet published by the Man-at-Arms series, the AUSTRIA) ARMY, a certain overlapping of duties existed between the sappers, the miners, the engineers and the pioneers. The pioneers and the pontonieri had been raised later than the other 3 engineer corps and until 1809 the pioneers were under the direction of the general staff (Generalquartiermeister) and not the Director-General of Engineers. Because of that they had green and not cherry-red facings. The pioneers performed many of the task performed by the sappers and their employment covered the construction of earthworks, fortifications, roads, storm assaults, demolition, bridging, obstacles, flotation, construction of accommodations and field-ovens, and so forth, and they owed to Radetzky, who had once served in a pioneer troop, that they maintained an existence almost in opposition to the sappers. Another reason, too, which enabled the pioneers to remain in being, was that it was a Czecho- Slovack preserve, about 50% of the recruits were Bohemians, 35% Moravians, and only 15% German. Its ranks being almost entirely tradesmen or specialists, carpenters, masons, millers, ditchers, and gravediggers. The pontoniers had a strength of 6 companies, but were on the same technical level as the pioneers on whom they relied for assistance in bridge building. Apparently their only training was in elementary watermanship. Both sappers and miners were trained for siege duties and could carry a protective steel helmet and cuirasse when ever necessary. In addition, it appears that the sappers were trained for assault duties since they were usually armed with muskets and bayonet and also a short-toothed sword. The miners had a pistol and sabre and also a heavy entrenchment spade in a leather case. The pontoniers, the engineers and the pontoniers had a musket with bayonet with a short artillery sabre. The duties of the engineers appeared to be broader than that of the sappers. As stated before a certain overlapping of duties existed, yet both were separate and distinct departments within the same corps, however officers and other ranks maintained on their own lists and establishments. They took command of each other according to rank and seniority. A sapper officer could not transfer to the engineers without taking a special examination or having served as an instructor in the Engineer Academy. Sapper and miner officers could fill engineer vacancies, but this could be done only as a temporary measure when engineer officers were not available. Before 1800, the sappers received the anfit or the unwanted from the infantry. From 1801 onwards new regulations required that the new recruits, directly recruited from civilian life, to be young and strong bachelors, at least 5 feet 4 inches in height, and able to read and write German. I don't have any data on the 2 companies of bombardiers. As a matter of fact I don't even have anything on regimental sappers in the Austrian army. I don't even know if they existed! To be complete we should cover the Handlangers of the artillery, since, although not part of the Engineer Corps they were artillery workers and to a certain extent some kind of pioneers to work on artillery sites. Although not artillerists they were capable of acting as gun crews in emergencies. Any additional information on Austrian sappers and the like would be appreciated to complete our evaluation. As a matter of fact it is very important to know as much as possible on the sappers and related soldiers to fully evaluate their full capabilities including the ones that were capable of firing guns. I am reminding here that all the information must be backed by a reliable and authoritative source or reference. All that may appears futile at first glance, but the question of the British sappers capabilities was raised by our friend Dick Ponsini in NJN # 18, page 46. Let as remind here that Dick contested the capability of the British sappers to fire guns with the exception of the officers. All that should provide good questions for all our friends especially Mike Embree and Ray Johnson. To illustrate the difficulties in finding data on the training of sappers and other troops, allow me to say that to-date the only reference I have found on the training of French Engineer Corps sappers (not the regimental sappers) is in CANNONADE page 157; "Regiments of the Royal Corps of Artillery were composed of companies of artisans, of miners, and of cannoneers, bombardiers and sappers, functions of the last three comprising gunnery, maneuvers ammunition supply and construction of battery emplacements. Siege were the sappers' specialty etc." Well gentlemen, let us see what you can come up with. It should be most interesting. Back to Empire, Eagles, & Lions Table of Contents Vol. 1 No. 18 Back to EEL List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1977 by Emperor's Headquarters This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com