Sahagun 1808 refight

My friend Francesc and I refought the small batlle of Sahagun. We used Sharp Practice with 3 three groups of Elite British Hussars (the 15th) against two groups of average french dragoons (8th dragoons) and one group of poor chasseurs a cheval (the auxiliary chasseurs).

We supposed appaling weather conditions which basically allowed the british to get really close to the french.
The affaire was really close to the historical battle with the chasseurs fliing after the first charge and the halted dragoons shoting his carbines before receiving the charge.
At the end, a british victory (congratulations Francesc) but hard fought by the 8th dragoons.

NOTE: After watching frozen, my daughters put a troll in a balcony...lovelly ladies.

Italian artillery and Italian Guard artillery train 1808

The “Corps d’Observation des Pyrennés Orientales” under Duhesme which entered Catalonia on February 1808, included several Italian troops. De 11^th company of foot artillery (3 officers and 73 men) and a company of the Italian Guard artillery train (2 officers and 59 men) composed the Italian artillery, included in this corps within division Lechi. More artillery would follow under Saint-Cyr corps in 1809: 9^th company artillery on foot, 1^st company horse artillery, and 3^rd and 5^th artillery train companies. The Italian foot artillery fought in all the sieges that occurred in Catalonia: the three of Girona (1808-1809), Rosas (1808), Hostalric (1810), and Tarragona (1811) and in some battles as Molins de Rei (1808) or at the ambush of el Bruc (6/6/1808) were the 11^th company was present with a section of 2 4pdrs. During the withdrawal to Barcelona from El Bruc one of the 4pdr was lost in the Llobregat while crossing the river.

THE MINIATURES

There are eyewitness accounts of the Neapolitan troops in Catalonia wearing its 1807 uniforms so I think that the Italian artillery were, at the time of their arrival in Catalonia, still wearing the old uniforms. In addition, the line artillery train was not created until 1809 so at the time when Duhesme’s troops entered Catalonia the only artillery train available was that of the Royal Guard.

For the artillerymen, I used Eureka miniatures French revolutionary artillery in regulation uniforms (superb miniatures) and for the mounted soldier of the train; I made a conversion between a polish lancer and a British artillery train driver (Front Rank miniatures). I know that the troopers wore high boots but I am not so good making conversions and using green stuff.

The gun (a 12 pdr) and equipment are from Front Rank and as the Italian artillery were painted dark grey, they will be used for my Spanish army as well (the driver is not glued).

As allways, miniatures painted with Acrílicos Vallejo.

REFERENCES

-          Ilari, Virgilio; Le truppe Italiane in Sagna. I do not have more information about this paper that I found as a pdf in Internet.

-          Martinien A. Tableaux par Corps et par Batailles des Officiers Tués et Blessés pendant les Guerres de l'Empire 1805-1815 , Paris 1899.

-      A lot of information about the Italian troops in Napoleon’s service can be found in at Jean-Pierre Perconte web HISTUNIF: http://www.histunif.com/

 

 

 

29th regiment Worcestershire

The unit was founded in 1694 and fought at Ramillies, Saratoga, The Glourious First of June acting as marines on the HMS Brunswick and were among the responsibles of the Boston “massacre” earning the nickname “Vein Openers” for causing the first deaths of a war. The regimental hymn during the Napoleonic wars was “The Royal Windsor” (1791).

During the Peninsula War:

1808

August: Fights at Roliça (17/08) within Nightingale Brigade with 806-863 men. Its lieutenant Coronel, Lake dies in the battle. Then at Vimeiro (21/08) with 616 men.
October: Arrives at Badajoz (27/10).

1809

March: Marches from Cadiz to Lisboa (11/03).
April-May: At the river Tagus (22/04); the light company fights at Grijó (11/05) and the whole battalion (622 men) fights at Oporto, Div. Paget, Bg. Stewart forming the right wing of the army.
July: Force present: 598 men. Fights at Cerro Medellín (Talavera) in 2n Div. Hill, Stewart Bg. and taking 187 casualties.

1810

September-November: Present at Bussaco (27/09) with 461 men where suffers no casualties (Hill Dv. Inglis Bg.) and at Torres Vedras (01/11) within Houghton Bg.

1811

May: Battle of Albuera (16/05) Stewart Dv. Houghton Bg. were it fights with 507 men taking 336 casualties (66%). The remnants of the regiment sent back to England (25/05).

1812

Garrison duties in North America

1813

Sent back to Spain. Disembarks at Cadiz (21/03) remaining there until 1814.

CREDITS

24 Perry miniatures painted with Acrílicos Vallejo. Flags by GMB Designs.