Several times during the Napoleonic period the prestigeous Oudinot's grenadiers were raised as an independent corps to participate in specific campaigns. Perhaps, after 1809, with the considerable development of the Imperial Guard with the ever increasing number of new units in the Young and Middle Guard, the need for a reserve corps type of unit was not as necessary. We are going to try to bring up some interesting points on that units for the campaigns of 1805, 1806-1807 and finally 1809. It may come as a surprise to some of you to find out the great difference between the value of Oudinot's grenadiers in 1805 and 1809.
1. CAMPAIGN OF 1805
Oudinot's grenadiers were raised or more exactly assembled in the environs of Arras by General Junot to participate to the invasion of England. They were first known for that reason as the united grenadiers of Arras. In 1804, they were a division strong consisting of grenadiers companies picked from the regiments which were not destined to take part to expedition against England, and also from some of the depot and third battalions.
According to Thiers HISTOIRE DU CONSULAT ET DE L'EMPIRE volume I, page 617 (called Thiers for short thereafter)"There was not a finer corps, for the choice and beauty of men. It far surpassed even the Imperial Guard." Perhaps Thiers exagerated a little ... but the point is that it was a fine elite corps. They were organized in 10 battalions of about 800 men each. The total division strength was about 8000 men.
It may be of interest to note here that with these grenadiers started the reform of the military head-dress in the French Army. They wore shakos instead of hats or bearskins, and short hair instead of the former long powdered hair, which was unclean and inconvenient.
We have seen in the previous issue of this magazine, pages 4 etc. that Napoleon planned to use them as avant-garde for the invasion of England. For that reason they were trained to man the pinnaces of the Boulogne flotilla and fire the small howitzers and 4-pounders that armed such vessels. The morale and the spirit of the Oudinot's grenadiers was very high as the campaign of 1805 against Austria was going to show. For that campaign they were part of the Lannes' fifth Corps 18000 strong when including the Gazan and Suchet divisions.
They were involved in several actions in that campaign. The first one appears to have taken place at Wertingen, on October 8, 1805, when the French troops collided with an Austrian force commanded by General Von Auffenberg and composed of 6 battalions of grenadiers and 3 of fusiliers, with 2 squadrons of Duke's Albert cuirassiers and 2 squadrons of the famous Latour's light horses. In this encounter according to Thiers volume 2, pages 32-33, some 2000 prisonners, several artillery pieces and colors were taken by the French.
An other combat took place on November 5,1805 at Amstetten where the Russians decided to make a rear-guard action apparently to save their baggage train. During that affair, after a cavalry action at the advantage of the French, Oudinot's grenadiers received the task to break the Russian infantry backed upon the fir woods.
After an extremely brisk fire of musketry, they advanced with bayonets fixed upon the Russians. The latter displayed extraordinary bravery, fough hand to hand, took advantage for a long time of the tickness of the wood toresist. The grenadiers at last forced them out of their position. (Ref. Thiers, volume 2, page 73)
Oudinot's grenadiers were also with Murat during the same campaign, when a bridge on the Danube was taken over by the French by plain simple trickery. (ref. Thiers vol. 2, page 77)
The next operation in which they were involved was Austerlitz, where, Oudinot's grenadiers formed the reserve with the Imperial Guard. It is only very late in the battle when practically the game was over that they were commited to reenforce Marshal Davout, who had his hand full in trying to prevent the Russians from crossing over the Goldbach. As Davout was making the last effort, the sudden appearance of the grenadiers on the flank of the Russians, i.e. Pribyschewski's entire column and half of Langeron's left before Sokelnitz, tilted the balance in favor of the French. The Russian found themselves almost surrounded with almost any hope of escape and the two columns dispersed. The rest is well known. (ref. Thiers vol.2, page 93, Manceron AUSTERLITZ etc.)
2. CAMPAIGN OF 1806
After the battle of Austerlitz, several of the grenadiers companies of the Oudinot's grenadiers division were sent back to their corps. In september 1806, Napoleon gave orders for joining the voltigeurs and the grenadiers of the depots and regiments stationed in the 25th and 26th military divisions i.e. that is the country comprised between the Rhine, Meuse and Sambre, with the remaining of the Oudinot's grenadiers.
They were organized in battalions of 6 companies and dispatched from Mainz. Altogether, they formed a new corps or division of some 7000 men, which combined with the Imperial Guard would make a reserve of 14000 men. The new Oudinot's grenadiers were not part of Lannes' fifth Corps like for the campaign of 1805.
It is intersting to note that the new Oudinot's division included now some voltigeurs. The new voltigeurs companies of the line regiments were the new elite companies introduced in the French Army at the end of 1805, by training one of the fusiliers company of each battalion to the light infantry function. The veteran soldiers that because of their small size could not qualify for the grenadiers companies were also segregated in this new elite light companies. Obviously part of the Oudinot's division had lost or at least had a lesser ability to handle guns and especially howitzers than the Oudinot's grenadiers of 1804-1805.
Apparently, Oudinot's grenadiers were not engaged in any significant action during the campaign of 1806. We find them at posen in November 1806 with the Imperial Guard. They also spent a great deal of time during the winter of 1806-1807 around Warsaw. At that time, they numbered about 6000. They did not participate at the battle of Eylau. After Eylau, Oudinot's division was dispatched to Osterode to act as reserve for the army.
In March they participated in an operation on the Narew under Murat with some 6000 cavalry and some of Zayoncheck's Poles. (ref. Petre, NAPOLEON CAMPAIGN IN POLAND 1806-1807)
In May Oudinot's grenadiers became part of Lannes 6th Corps.. On May 15, 1807, an attack against the French on the Nehrung led by the Russians to relieve Dantzig was repulsed with the help of four battalions of grenadiers from Oudinot's division. (ref. Thiers, vol.2, page 295)
Finally at Friedland Oudinot's grenadiers were to play a major role at the beginning of the battle. They were for the first few hours of the battle almost the only French infantry available. After the skirmishes of the first day June 13, 1807 between the cavalry of Lannes' Corps and the Russians, Oudinot's grenadiers debouched in the Friedland plain between 2 and 3 a.m. and began to advance against the Russian cavalry. Oudinot sent two battalions of grenadiers in the Sortlack wood and held his main body in front of Posthenen.
They were met by Russian skirmishers from the Russian Guard infantry. Later on, Albert's brigade also part of Oudinot's division, after the successful charges of Grouchy, Nansouty etc. established themselves in the village of Heinrichdorf.
Around 9 a.m. the fight in Scortlach wood had oscillated backward and forward. At one moment, the Russian Guard Jagers had driven the French out of it, to be pushed back again by the French grenadiers and so on. At that time, Dupas division began to appear on the scene and reached Heinrichdorf just in time to relieve the 3 battalions of grenadiers that were still holding it. The grenadiers returned to their own' division on the right and the division was latter withdrawn upon the arrival of new Frenhh reenforcements.
Lannes at Friedland held until the arrival of the French main forces against vastly superior Russian forces. He made the best possible use of his small forces. He had only 9000 infantry of which 7000 belonged to Oudinot's division. He covered his front with an unusually dense line of skirmishers from Oudinot's division. The troops behind them were able to give the impression to the Russians of alarge number of troops, owing to the detached group of trees, high crops etc. (ref. Petre pages 315-316)
Almost everybody agree that at Friedland Oudinot's grenadiers fought with great skill and bravery. They advantage of all accident of grounds. They were dispersed as skirmishers, or exposed in mass when need arised. Of course Oudinot and Lannes were skillful generals and the French cavalry was very numerous, but the role of our friends must underlined.
The article on Oudinot's grenadiers to be continued in our next issue.
NOTES ON OUDINOT'S GRENADIERS
It would be appreciated if someone could come up with the organizations of the Oudinot's grenadiers in 180S and 1806. For instance in 1805, the Fifth Regiment of Oudinot's grenadiers was formed from the elite battalion of the 12th Light Infantry and the elite battalion of the 15th Light Infantry.
Each battalion was formed of three Carabinier companies and three Voltigeurs companies. The regiment's commander was Colonel Desailly of the 15th. ref. The COURIER VI-6, page 10.
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© Copyright 1978 by Jean Lochet
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