Imperial Guard The
Imperial Guard (
Garde impériale) was one of the most elite military forces of its time, and grew out of the
Consular Guard (
Garde consulaire). It formed a single ''Corps d'Armée'' with infantry, cavalry and artillery units like other corps, but with unique identities and uniforms. Napoleon also wanted it to be an example for the entire army to follow, and a force that, since it had fought with him over several campaigns, was completely loyal. Although the infantry was rarely committed en masse, the Guard's cavalry was often thrown into battle as the killing blow and its artillery used to pound enemies prior to assaults.
Infantry of the Guard The Imperial Guard was divided into 2 sections: •
Old Guard (Vieille Garde): Composed of the longest serving veterans, the Old Guard was the elite of the elite guards regiments of the
Grande Armée. • '
Imperial Guard Foot Grenadiers (Grenadiers à Pied de la Garde Impériale
)': The Grenadiers of the Guard was the most senior regiment in the
Grande Armée. During the 1807 campaign in Poland, Napoleon gave the Grenadiers the nickname
Les Grognards (
The Grumblers). They were the most experienced and bravest infantrymen in the Guard, some veterans having served in over 20 campaigns. To join the Grenadiers, a recruit had to have served for at least 10 years, have received a citation for bravery, be literate, and be over 178 cm tall. The Old Guard were usually held in reserve for crucial moments on the battlefield, and unleashed to act as a hammer blow to a shaken enemy. For example, the
1er Régiment de Grenadiers à Pied saw heavy action at the
Battle of Eylau. By 1815, the Old Guard grenadiers numbered four regiments, the 3rd and 4th Grenadiers having been added in 1810 and 1815 respectively. The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Grenadiers were fully engaged at the
Battle of Ligny, but two days later were defeated by the British as they advanced to in an attempt to smash the weakened British line at Waterloo. The two battalions of the 1st Grenadiers formed squares and fended off allied attacks to protect the general retreat. The
Grenadiers à Pied wore a dark blue
habit long (coat with long tails) with red turnbacks, epaulettes, and white lapels. The most distinguishing feature of the Grenadiers was the tall
bearskin hat, decorated with an engraved gold plate, a red
plume, and white cords. • '
Imperial Guard Foot Chasseurs (Chasseurs à Pied de la Garde Impériale
)': The Chasseurs of the Guard were the second most senior regiment in the
Grande Armée. The 1st Chasseurs were the sister formation to the
1er Grenadiers à Pied. They had the same entry criteria, however accepted men who were 172 cm and taller. The Chasseurs were in action in several crucial battles. Following Napoleon's return in 1815, the Chasseurs was expanded to four regiments also, with the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th regiments being formed from recruits with only four years experience. These regiments also formed the assault of the Guard during the final phase of the Battle of Waterloo. The 2nd battalion of the 1st Chasseurs joined in the main attack of the Young Guard, but were repulsed, while the second guarded the emperor's headquarters. The
Chasseurs à Pied wore a dark blue
habit long with red turnbacks, red epaulettes fringed green, and white lapels. On campaign, the Chasseurs often wore dark blue trousers. As with the Grenadiers, the Chasseurs most distinguishing feature was the tall bearskin, decorated with a red over green plume and white cords. • '
Young Guard (Jeune Garde
)': Initially, the Young Guard was made up of veterans with at least one campaign under their belts, together with bright young officers and the best of the annual intake of
conscripts. Later its ranks would be filled almost entirely by select conscripts and volunteers. •
Fusiliers-Chasseurs: In 1806, the Fusiliers-Chasseurs was formed as a regiment of the Young Guard. All members of the Fusilier-Chasseurs were veterans of 2–3 campaigns and were commissioned as NCOs in the line regiments. One of the best infantry of the entire Guard, the Fusiliers-Chasseurs most often operated together with its sister formation, the Fusiliers-Grenadiers, as part of a Guard Fusilier-Brigade. The Fusilier-Chasseurs saw extensive action, proving their worth time and time again, until they were disbanded in 1814, following Napoleon's abdication. The Fusiliers-Chasseurs were not reformed in 1815 for the
Waterloo campaign. The Fusiliers-Chasseurs wore a dark blue
habit (or coat) with green epaulettes fringed red, red turnbacks and white lapels. Under this they wore a white waistcoat and either blue or brown trousers. The Fusiliers-Chasseurs
shako had white cords and a tall red over green plume. The Fusiliers-Chasseurs were armed with a
Charleville model 1777 musket, bayonet and a short sabre. •
Fusiliers-Grenadiers: Formed in 1807, the Fusiliers-Grenadiers was a regiment of Young Guard infantry. The Fusiliers-Grenadiers was organised in the same way as the Fusiliers-Chasseurs, being a slightly larger formation. The Fusiliers-Grenadiers most often operated together with its sister formation, the Fusiliers-Chasseurs, as a part of a Guard Fusilier-Brigade. The Fusilier-Grenadiers saw extensive action, proving their worth time and time again, until they were disbanded in 1814 following Napoleon's abdication. The Fusiliers-Grenadiers were not reformed in 1815. The Fusiliers-Grenadiers wore a dark blue
habit with red epaulettes, red turnbacks, and white lapels. Under this they wore a white waistcoat and white trousers. The Fusiliers-Grenadiers wore a shako with white cords and a tall red plume. The Fusiliers-Grenadiers were armed with a Charleville model 1777 musket, bayonet, and a short sabre. •
Tirailleurs-Grenadiers: In 1808, Napoleon ordered the most intelligent and strongest recruits to be formed into the first regiments of the Young Guard. The tallest of the recruits were inducted into the Tirailleurs-Grenadier regiments (renamed Tirailleurs in 1810). All officers of the Tirailleurs-Grenadiers were drawn from the Old Guard, and as such were entitled to wear bearskins. The NCOs were drawn from the Senior Young Guard Regiments. Having this leavening of hardened veterans helped to increase the morale and combat abilities of the Tirailleurs-Grenadiers, and its sister formations the Tirailleurs-Chasseurs. Tirailleurs-Grenadiers wore a dark blue
habit with red epaulettes, dark blue turnbacks, and lapels piped white. The Tirailleurs-Grenadiers' shako had red cords with a long red plume. •
Tirailleurs-Chasseurs: The shorter recruits of the Young Guard were inducted into the Tirailleurs-Chasseurs (renamed to Voltigeurs in 1810). The formation was identical to that of the Tirailleurs-Grenadiers, with all officers being drawn from the Old Guard, and NCOs coming from the Senior Young Guard Regiments. Tirailleurs-Grenadiers wore a dark blue
habit with red turnbacks and dark blue lapels piped white. This was further decorated by green epaulettes with red fringing. Their shako was decorated with a large plume which could be coloured either green or red over green. File:Grenadier-a-pied-de-la-Vieille-Garde.png|A
Grenadier à Pied, 1812 (Napoleon can be seen in the background) File:Grognard1813.jpg|A
Grognard of the Old Guard, 1813 File:YoungGuardTirailleur.jpg|A
Tirailleur of the
1er Régiment de Tirailleurs, Young Guard, 1811 File:FusGren-FusChass.jpg|Fusilier-Grenadiers and Fusilier-Chasseurs. 1806–1814
Sailors of the Guard The four regiments of marines of the
Ancien Régime disappeared on 28 January 1794. The
Marins (French spelling) of the
Grande Armée were divided into the
Bataillon des Marins de la Garde Impériale, also known eventually as the
Matelots de la Garde, formed on 17 September 1803, and
Matelots des Bataillons de la Marine Impériale of which some 32,000 served with the French Navy at its height of expansion by Napoleon. Units of the latter were created for service on land by conscripting naval personnel surplus to requirement of the navy. There was also the marine artillery, which were mostly naval gunners used for coastal batteries and fortresses called
bataillons de la Matelot du Haut-Bord (or
Les Equipages de Haut-Bord – marines of the High Shore) created by decree of Napoleon on 1 April 1808. The flag of the ''1er Régiment d'Artillerie de Marine'' survives today, and lists Lützen 1813 as one of its battle honours. Some 63 artillery batteries were manned (some numbers remaining vacant). Some examples include: • 22
ième Équipage de Haut-Bord from the ship
Donauwörth • Marine
Regiment de Rochefort included the 16
ième bataillon de marins • Marine
equipage de vasseux Admiral de Ruyter • Marine ''equipage de vasseux L'Hannibal
(serving with the Regiment de Rochefort 16ième bataillon'') • 4
ième Équipage de Haut-Bord de vasseux Friedland • 5
ième and 48
ième Équipage de Haut-Bord de vasseux La Licorne The
Marins de la Garde (transliterated as
Marines of the Guard, but more accurately
Sailors of the Guard) were organised into five
equipages (ship's company), each with five
escouades, with a total strength of 737 men, the unit having been created ostensibly for preparation of the invasion of Britain. The unit was almost entirely destroyed in the Spanish campaign of 1808 at
Bailén, but was rebuilt, and in 1810 the battalion was expanded to eight
equipages with a total of 1,136 men, but this was severely reduced during the Russian campaign, and only 350 officers and men remained in its ranks by 1813. With Napoleon's first abdication, an ensign and 21 marines accompanied him to Elba, and returned with him for the Hundred Days campaign when their strength was increased to an
equipage of 150 officers and men. The marines were distinct in several ways from other
Grande Armée units in that naval rather than army ranks were used, the uniform was based on that of those of the
hussars, and it was the only unit of the
Grande Armée in which the musicians used both the
drums and the
trumpets. The battalions of marine artillery were conscripted for the 1813 German Campaign, and included four regiments with the 1st regiment intended to have 8 battalions, 2nd regiment with 10 battalions, and the 3rd and 4th regiments with four battalions each, totalling 9,640 men in all serving with Marshal
Auguste de Marmont's
VI Corps. Combined with sailor battalions, these fought as part of the
Division de Marine at the battles of Lützen, Bautzen, Dresden, and won high praise at the Battle of Leipzig. The Marine Guard units were disbanded in 1815.
Cavalry of the Guard In 1804, the
Cavalry of the Guard consisted of two regiments, the
Chasseurs à Cheval and the
Grenadiers à Cheval, along with a small unit of elite
Gendarmes and a
squadron of
Mamelukes. A third regiment was added in 1806, the
Regiment de Dragons de la Garde Impériale (Later known as the ''Dragons de l'Imperatice
, the Empress Dragoons). Following the campaign in Poland in 1807, a regiment of Polish lancers, the Regiment de Chevau-Légers de la Garde Impériale Polonais
was added. The final addition was made in 1810, with another regiment of lancers, this time drawn from French and Dutch recruits, the 2e Regiment de Chevau-Légers Lanciers de la Garde Impériale'' or Red Lancers. The Cavalry of the Guard was involved in combat numerous times, and with few exceptions proved its worth in action. • '
Imperial Guard Horse Grenadiers (Grenadiers à Cheval de la Garde Impériale
)': Known as the
Gods or the
Giants, these troopers were the elite of Napoleon's Guard Cavalry and the mounted counterparts of the
Grognards. The Horse Grenadiers wore tall bearskin caps, dark blue coats and collars, white lapels, and tall boots. The entire formation was mounted on large black horses. A prospective recruit had to be over 176 cm tall, have accrued 10 years of service serving in a minimum of four campaigns, and have received a citation for bravery. The Grenadiers were effective at Austerlitz, where they defeated the Russian Guard cavalry, but their most powerful combat was at the Battle of Eylau. After standing under the fire of sixty Russian guns for a time, the troopers began to search for cover. Their commander, Colonel
Louis Lepic, ordered the troops, "Up with your heads gentlemen, those are only bullets, not turds". Soon after they joined Marshal Murat's charge into the Russian lines. The Horse Grenadiers, together with the Polish lancers, were the only Guard Cavalry units never beaten in battle. |292x292px • '
Imperial Guard Horse Chasseurs (Chasseurs à cheval de la Garde Impériale
)': Known as the
Favoured Children (connotations of
Spoiled Brats), the
Chasseurs à Cheval of the Guard were the light cavalry of the Guard, Napoleon's favourites, and one of the most recognisable units in the
Grande Armée. ::In 1796, during the Italian campaign, Napoleon ordered the formation of a bodyguard unit after he narrowly escaped an attack by Austrian light cavalry at
Borghetto while at lunch. This 200-man unit of Guides was the forerunner of the
Chasseurs à Cheval of the Guard. They usually provided the personal escort of the Emperor. Their close affiliation with the emperor was shown by the fact that he habitually wore the old-style uniform of a colonel of their regiment. The Chasseurs themselves wore flamboyant green, red, and gold hussar style uniforms. They first saw combat during the
Battle of Austerlitz, where they played a role in defeating the Russian Guard cavalry. During the
Peninsular War, the Chasseurs were ambushed by a large British cavalry force at
Benavente in 1808 and were defeated. They regained their reputation by showing extreme bravery during the
Battle of Waterloo. • '
Elite Gendarmes (Gendarmerie d'Elite
)': Nicknamed the
Immortals because they rarely saw combat, the Gendarmes nonetheless performed a vital role. Gendarmes were the
military police of the
Grande Armée. Along with maintaining security and order near the headquarters, the Gendarmes would provide honour guards for high-ranking visitors, interrogate prisoners, and protect the emperor's personal baggage. The Gendarmes wore dark blue coats with red lapels and tall boots, along with a bearskin cap slightly smaller than that of the Horse Grenadiers. After 1807, the Gendarmes began to see more combat, distinguishing themselves in guarding the Danube bridges at Aspern-Essling in 1809. • '
Squadron of Mamelukes (Escadron de Mamelouks
)': Fearsome desert warriors, whose loyalty Napoleon purchased during his Egyptian campaign. They combined superb horsemanship and swordsmanship with fanatical courage. Often romantically viewed as "authentic sons of the desert" or even "head-hunters", their officers were French, the NCOs and ranks comprising not only Egyptians and Turks, but also Greeks, Georgians, Syrians, and Cypriots as well, and even many of them were French. Originally they were an attached company (or "Half-Squadron") of the
Chasseurs a Cheval de la Garde. They distinguished themselves at Austerlitz in 1805, winning their own standard, a second trumpeter and promotion to full squadron. This unit eventually became part of the Old Guard, and served the emperor right up to Waterloo. In 1813, a second Mameluke company was raised and attached to the Young Guard. As with their predecessors, they were incorporated into the Chasseurs, and served alongside them during the Hundred Days in 1815. By this time, the personnel being almost exclusively Frenchmen. Their distinct and colourful uniforms consisted of a green (later red)
cahouk (hat), white turban, a loose shirt and a vest and red
saroual (baggy trousers), with yellow, red, or tan boots. Their weapons consisted of a long, curved
Scimitar, a brace of pistols, and a dagger. Their hats and weapons were inscribed with a crescent and star insignia of brass. • '
Lancers of the Guard (Chevau-Légers-Lanciers de la Garde Impériale
)': •
1st Light Horse Regiment (Polish): In 1807 Napoleon authorized the raising of a guard regiment of Polish light cavalry. They were to be given French instructors and training. But during their first review before the emperor, their ranks became so entangled that Napoleon quipped, "These people only know how to fight!" and dismissed their instructors on the spot. But he kept his Polish cavalrymen by his side and the following year at
Somosierra they would have another opportunity to prove themselves, on the battlefield instead of the parade ground. Napoleon ordered them to charge against a heavily fortified Spanish artillery position. Armed with only sabres and pistols, they overran four batteries, capturing over 20 cannons and decisively turned the tide. Following this, almost legendary, feat Napoleon proclaimed "Poles, You are worthy of my Old Guard I proclaim you my bravest cavalry!". Promoted to the Old Guard, they were then given lances, remained at the Emperor's side until Waterloo, and were never defeated by enemy cavalry. The 1st Regiment of the Guard developed a rivalry with their fellow Poles of the 1st Vistula Uhlans. This was not simply based on who was the better unit, but on deep political differences as well, with the lancers being fanatical Bonapartists, while many, if not most, of the uhlans held fiercely Republican sentiments. Such differences, political and otherwise, between units were not unusual and are well illustrated here. From being instructed by the French, they, along with their Vistula rivals, would go on to serve as instructors and models for the French and most other lancer regiments of the
Grande Armée, thus greatly multiplying their fearsome effectiveness. •
2nd Light Horse Regiment (French-Dutch): Formed in 1810 from a French and Dutch cadre. They were called
Les Lanciers Rouges (the Red Lancers) due to their distinctive uniforms. They too suffered heavily in Russia at the hands of the Cossacks and the hardships of the winter, with most of its men and all but a handful of the horses lost. The regiment was rebuilt in 1813 and it became a powerful unit with its first four squadrons of veterans in the Old Guard and the new recruits of 6 junior squadrons in the Young Guard. They would distinguish themselves in numerous engagements, including Waterloo. •
3rd Light Horse Regiment (Polish): Formed in 1812 as part of the Young Guard, its officers and NCOs were veterans, but its ranks were filled by enthusiastic yet inexperienced students and sons of Polish and Lithuanian landholders. With little training, they were thrown into the Russian campaign where they were surrounded and the entire regiment wiped out at
Slonim later that year by Cossacks and hussars. • '
Empress Dragoons (Dragons de l'Impératice
)': Formed in 1806 as the Imperial Guard Dragoon Regiment (
Regiment de Dragons de la Garde Impériale), it was renamed in honor of
Empress Joséphine the following year. Originally, candidates had to have at least 6 (later 10) years of service, participated in no fewer than 2 campaigns with citations for bravery, be literate, and at least 173 cm tall (slightly shorter than for the Horse Grenadier Guards). No more than 12 candidates from each of the 30 regular dragoon regiments were allowed to apply at any one call, this quota would later be reduced to 10. Volunteers from other guard regiments were also allowed to transfer. Since this was as much a ceremonial as a combat unit and was rarely committed in battle, billets in the Empress Dragoons were highly sought after positions. As with the Red Lancers, it had squadrons in both the Old and Young Guards and served with the emperor until the end. • '
Scouts of the Imperial Guard (Eclaireurs de la Garde Impériale
)': During the retreat from Moscow, Napoleon was highly impressed by the skills of many regiments of Cossacks. He used them as a model to create a new cavalry brigade, the Scouts, which were formed during the reorganisation of the Imperial Guard in December 1813. 3 regiments of a thousand men each were created and their squadrons attached to existing regiments: •
1st Regiment: scouts-grenadiers under Colonel-Major
Claude Testot-Ferry's command (wounded and titled Baron of the Empire by Napoleon himself on the battlefield of
Craonne on 7 March 1814) •
2nd Regiment: scouts-dragoons under Colonel Hoffmayer's command •
3rd Regiment: scouts-lanciers under Jean Kozietulski's command The scouts had only the time to distinguish themselves during the defence of France in 1814 and were dissolved by King
Louis XVIII upon the
restoration of the Bourbon monarchy.
Infantry While the
infantry was perhaps not the most glamorous arm of service in the Grande Armée, they bore the brunt of most of the fighting, and their performance resulted in victory or defeat. The infantry was divided up into two major types, the Infantry of the Line (
Infanterie de Ligne) and the Light Infantry (
Infanterie Légère).
Line Infantry The
line infantry made up the majority of the
Grande Armée. In 1803, Napoleon had reinstated the term "regiment", the revolutionary term "
demi-brigade" (due to the fact there were two per brigade and it lacked the royal connotations) was now only used for provisional troops and depot units. At the time of the formation of the
Grande Armée, the French Army had 133
Régiments de Ligne, a number which roughly corresponded with the number of
départements in France. There would eventually be 156
Ligne regiments. The
Régiments de Ligne varied in size throughout the Napoleonic Wars, but the basic building block of the Infantry of the Line was the
battalion. A line infantry battalion was numbered at about 840 men; however, this was the battalion's 'full strength' and few units ever reached this. A more typical strength for a battalion would be 400–600 men. From 1800 to 1803, a line infantry battalion had eight fusilier companies and one grenadier company. From 1804 to 1807, a line infantry battalion had seven fusilier companies, one grenadier company, and one voltigeur company. From 1808 to 1815, a line infantry battalion had four companies of fusiliers, one company of grenadiers, and one company of voltigeurs. According to the 1808 regulation, the staff of each company and the regiment HQ was the following: In total, there were supposed to be 3,970 men in a regiment (840 in each four main battalions, and 560 in the rear battalion), among them 108 officers and 3,862 noncommissioned officers and privates. There were two primary types of cavalry for different roles,
heavy and light. of the
Battle of Waterloo|235x235px
Heavy cavalry Carabiniers-à-Cheval (Horse Carabiners) The elite among all French heavy cavalry line formations, the two regiments of mounted carabiniers had a very similar appearance with the mounted grenadiers of the Imperial Guard; bearskins, long blue coats, etc. and were mounted exclusively on black horses prior to 1813. They were largely used in identical manner to the Cuirassiers, but being (initially) unarmored, they were less suited for close-quarters,
melee combat. Unarmored heavy cavalry was the norm in Europe during most of the Napoleonic Wars, with the French being the first to reintroduce the back-and-breastplate. In 1809, appalled by their mauling at the hands of Austrian uhlans, Napoleon ordered that they be given armour. The carabinier's refusal to copy the less elite cuirassiers resulted in them being given special armor, with their helmets and cuirasses being sheathed in bronze for added visual effect. But this did not prevent them from being defeated by Russian cuirassiers at Borodino in 1812, and panicking before Hungarian hussars at Leipzig the following year.
Cuirassiers The heavy cavalry, wearing a heavy
cuirass (breastplate) and helmets of brass and iron and armed with straight long sabers, pistols, and later
carbines. Like medieval knights, they served as mounted
shock troops. Because of the weight of their armour and weapons, both the trooper and the horse had to be big and strong, and could put a lot of force behind their charge. Though the
cuirass could not protect against direct musket fire, it could deflect ricochets and shots from long range, and offered some protection from pistol shots. More importantly, the breastplates protected against the swords and lances of opposing cavalry. Napoleon often combined all of his cuirassiers and carabiniers into a cavalry reserve, to be used at the decisive moment of the battle. In this manner, they proved to be an extremely potent force on the battlefield. The British, in particular, who mistakenly believed the cuirassiers were Napoleon's bodyguard, and would later come to adapt their distinctive helmets and breastplates for their own
Household Cavalry. There were originally 25 cuirassier regiments, reduced to 12 by Napoleon initially who later added three more. At the beginning of his rule, most of the cuirassier regiments were severely understrength, so Napoleon ordered the best men and horses to be allocated to the first 12 regiments, while the rest were reorganised into dragoons.
Medium cavalry Dragoons The medium-weight mainstays of the French cavalry, although considered heavy cavalry, who were used for battle, skirmishing, and scouting. They were highly versatile being armed not only with distinctive straight swords, but also muskets with bayonets enabling them to fight as infantry as well as mounted, though fighting on foot had become increasingly uncommon for dragoons of all armies in the decades preceding Napoleon. The versatility of a dual-purpose soldier came at the cost of their horsemanship and swordsmanship often not being up to the same standards as those of other cavalry. Finding enough large horses proved a challenge. Some infantry officers were even required to give up their mounts for the dragoons, creating resentment towards them from this branch as well. There were 25, later 30, dragoon regiments. In 1815, only 15 could be raised and mounted in time for the Waterloo campaign.
Light cavalry Hussars These fast, light cavalrymen were the eyes, ears, and egos of the Napoleonic armies. They regarded themselves as the best horsemen and swordsmen (
beau sabreurs) in the entire
Grande Armée. This opinion was not entirely unjustified and their flamboyant uniforms reflected their panache. Tactically, they were used for
reconnaissance, skirmishing, and screening for the army to keep their commanders informed of enemy movements while denying the enemy the same information and to pursue fleeing enemy troops. Armed only with curved sabres and pistols, they had reputations for reckless bravery to the point of being almost suicidal. It was said by their commander General
Antoine Lasalle that a hussar who lived to be 30 was truly an old guard and very fortunate. Lasalle was killed at the Battle of Wagram at age 34. There were 10 regiments in 1804, with an 11th added in 1810 and two more in 1813.
Chasseurs à Cheval (Mounted Hunters) These were light cavalry identical to hussars in arms and role. But, unlike the chasseurs of the Imperial Guard and their infantry counterparts, they were considered less prestigious or elite. Their uniforms were less colourful as well, consisting of infantry-style shakos (in contrast to the fur busby worn by some French hussars), green coats, green breeches, and short boots. They were, however, the most numerous of the light cavalry, with 31 regiments in 1811, 6 of which comprised Flemish, Swiss, Italians and Germans, was a cavalry composed of chasseurs but on the horse, they could ride into melee or shoot as light infantry
Lancers Some of the most feared cavalry in the
Grande Armée were the Polish lancers of the Vistula Uhlans. Nicknamed ''Hell's Picadors
or Los Diablos Polacos
(The Polish Devils) by the Spanish, these medium and light horse (Chevau-Légers Lanciers'') cavalry had near equal speed to the hussars, shock power almost as great as the cuirassiers, and were nearly as versatile as the dragoons. They were armed with, as their name indicates, lances along with sabres and pistols. Initially, French ministers of war insisted on arming all lancers identically. Real battlefield experience, however, proved that the Polish way of arming only the first line with lance while the second rank carried carbines instead was much more practical and thus was adopted. Lancers were the best cavalry for charging against infantry squares, where their lances could outreach the infantry's bayonets, (as was the case with Colborne's British brigade at
Albuera in 1811) and also in hunting down a routed enemy. Their ability to scour and finish off the wounded without ever stepping off their saddle created perfect scenes of horror for the enemy. They could be deadly against other types of cavalry as well, as demonstrated by the fate of
Sir William Ponsonby and his
Scots Greys at Waterloo. Excluding those of the Guard, there were 9 lancer regiments. Image:Napoleon Carabiner of 1812 by Bellange.jpg|A
Carabiniers-à-Cheval Image:Dragoon of the 21ér Regiment de Dragons.jpg|A dragoon officer of the
21ème Régiment de Dragons File:Edouard Detaille - Vive L'Empereur - Google Art Project.jpg|
French 4th Hussars at the
Battle of Friedland Image:Lancer.jpg|A lancer of the
Régiment de la Vistule Uhlans File:Hat of a soldier of the 17th Lithuanian Uhlan Regiment of the French Army with Lithuanian Vytis (Waykimas), 1812-1813.jpg|Hat of a soldier of the 17th
Lithuanian
Uhlan Regiment with
Vytis Artillery The emperor was a former
artillery officer, and reportedly said "God fights on the side with the best artillery." As such, French cannons were the backbone of the
Grande Armée, possessing the greatest firepower of the three arms and hence the ability to inflict the most casualties in the least amount of time. The French guns were often used in massed batteries (or
grandes batteries) to soften up enemy formations before being subjected to the closer attention of the infantry or cavalry. Superb gun-crew training allowed Napoleon to move the weapons at great speed to either bolster a weakening defensive position, or else hammer a potential break in enemy lines. Besides superior training, Napoleon's artillery was also greatly aided by the numerous technical improvements to French cannons by General
Jean Baptiste de Gribeauval which made them lighter, faster, and much easier to sight, as well as strengthened the carriages and introduced standard sized calibres. In general, French guns were 4-
pounders, 8-pounders, or 12-pounders and
howitzers with the lighter calibres being phased out and replaced by 6-pounders later in the Napoleonic Wars. French cannons had brass barrels and their carriages, wheels, and limbers were painted olive-green. Superb organisation fully integrated the artillery into the infantry and cavalry units it supported, yet also allowed it to operate independently if the need arose. There were two basic types,
Artillerie à pied (foot artillery) and
Artillerie à cheval (horse artillery).
Foot artillery As the name indicates, these gunners marched alongside their guns, which were, of course, pulled by horses when limbered (undeployed). Hence, they travelled at the infantry's pace or slower. In 1805, there were eight, later ten, regiments of foot artillery in the
Grande Armée plus two more in the Imperial Guard, but unlike cavalry and infantry regiments, these were administrative organisations. The main operational and tactical units were the batteries (or companies) of 120 men each, which were formed into brigades and assigned to the divisions and corps. • Divisional artillery: Every division had a brigade of three or four batteries of 8 guns (six cannons and two howitzers) each. • Corps artillery reserve: Each corps would also have its own artillery reserve, of one or more brigades, armed mostly with the larger, heavier calibre pieces. Battery personnel included not only gun crews, NCOs, and officers, but drummers, trumpeters, metal workers, woodworkers, ouvriers, furriers, and artificers. They would be responsible for fashioning spare parts, maintaining and repairing the guns, carriages, caissons and wagons, as well as tending the horses and storing munitions.
Horse artillery The cavalry were supported by the fast moving, fast firing light guns of the horse artillery. This arm was a hybrid of cavalry and artillery with their crews riding either on the horses or on the carriages into battle. Because they operated much closer to the front lines, the officers and crews were better armed and trained for close quarters combat, mounted or dismounted much as were the dragoons. Once in position, they were trained to quickly dismount, unlimber (deploy), and sight their guns, then fire rapid barrages at the enemy. They could then quickly limber (undeploy) the guns, remount, and move on to a new position. To accomplish this, they had to be the best trained and most elite of all artillerymen. The horse batteries of the Imperial Guard could go from riding at full gallop to firing their first shot in just under a minute. After witnessing such a performance, an astounded
Duke of Wellington remarked, "They move their cannon as if it were a pistol!" There were six administrative regiments of horse artillery plus
one in the Guard. In addition to the batteries assigned to the cavalry units, Napoleon would also assign at least one battery to each infantry corps or, if available, to each division. Their abilities came at a price, however, as horse batteries were very expensive to raise and maintain. Consequently, they were far fewer in number than their foot counterparts, typically constituting only one fifth of the artillery's strength. It was a boastful joke among their ranks that the emperor knew every horse gunner by name. Besides better training, horses, weapons, and equipment, they used far more ammunition. Horse batteries were given twice the ammo ration of the foot, three times that of the Guard.
Ammunition Of all the types of ammunition used in the Napoleonic Wars, the cast iron, spherical,
round shot was the staple of the gunner. Even at long range when the shot was travelling relatively slowly it could be deadly, though it might appear to be bouncing or rolling along the ground relatively gently. At short range, carnage could result. Round shots were undeniably inaccurate. This was because, despite their name, round shots were never perfectly spherical, nor did they fit their gun barrels exactly. Air acted on the irregular surface of the projectile. These irregularities invariably threw them off target to some degree. It is often also a matter of confusion as to why a 12-pdr shot was so much more effective than a 6-pdr shot. This is because the impact of a shot was not only related to its weight but also to its
velocity, which, with a heavier projectile, was much greater at the end of the trajectory. For longer-range anti-personnel work, the common
shell was also used. This was normally only fired from a
mortar or howitzer and was a hollow sphere filled with
gunpowder charge. The top of the shell had thinner walls than the bottom and had an orifice into which was forced a wooden
fuse normally made of
beech wood. The fuse was designed to be ignited by the discharge of the gun and had a central channel drilled through it and filled with a burning compound. Before firing, the fuse was cut to a certain length corresponding to the desired time of burning and hammered into the top of the shell by a mallet. When it arrived over the target, the fuse, if correctly prepared, exploded the main charge, breaking open the metal outer casing and forcing flying fragments in all directions. Although favoured for
siege work, the common shell was not always effective against infantry. The final type of projectile for the field artillery used by the French was the incendiary or
carcass (a name for an incendiary projectile). Initially, this device was composed of a metal frame, which was covered with a canvas cover and filled with a special recipe, typically 50
saltpetre parts, 25
sulfur parts, 8
rosin parts, 5
antimony parts, and 5
pitch parts. However, during the early 19th century, another form of carcass became common and this took the form of a common shell with two or three apertures in its exterior into which a similar composition was put. Carcass rounds were normally issued only to howitzers or mortars, the suggestion being they were intended to attack towns. This does not preclude them from being used on the field, but quite what their purpose would have been there is not clear. It is important to know that not all nations shared the same types of artillery projectiles. For example, the
Congreve rocket, inspired from the
Mysorean
rocket artillery, or the
shrapnel shell, which combined the killing effect of grapeshot with the ranges achieved by round shot, were used only by the
British Army. Prior to this, the French, like all other period armies, had employed contracted, civilian teamsters who would sometimes abandon the guns under fire, rendering them immobile, rather than risk their lives or their valuable teams of horses. Its personnel, unlike their civilian predecessors, were armed, trained, and uniformed as soldiers. Apart from making them look better on parade, this made them subject to military discipline and capable of fighting back if attacked. The drivers were armed with a carbine, a short sword of the same type used by the infantry, and a pistol. They needed little encouragement to use these weapons, earning surly reputations for gambling, brawling, and various forms of mischief. Their uniforms and coats of grey helped enhance their tough appearance. But their combativeness could prove useful as they often found themselves attacked by Cossacks and Spanish and Tyrolian guerillas. Each ''train d'artillerie'' battalion was originally composed of 5 companies. The first company was considered elite and assigned to a horse artillery battery; the three "centre" companies were assigned to the foot artillery batteries and "parks" (spare caissons, field forges, supply wagons, etc.); and one became a depot company for training recruits and remounts. Following the campaigns of 1800, the train was re-organised into eight battalions of six companies each. As Napoleon enlarged his artillery, additional battalions were created, rising to a total of fourteen in 1810. In 1809, 1812, and 1813 the first thirteen battalions were "doubled" to create 13 additional battalions. Additionally, after 1809 some battalions raised extra companies to handle the regimental guns attached to the infantry.
Foreign troops in the Grande Armée , a Polish general and prince of the
Duchy of Warsaw who served with the
Grande Armée from 1807 to 1813, and was later made a
Marshal of the Empire at the
Battle of Leipzig Many European armies recruited foreign troops, and France was no exception. Foreign troops played an important role and fought with distinction in the
Grande Armée during the Napoleonic Wars. Almost every continental European country was, at different stages, a part of the
Grande Armée. By the end of the conflict, tens-of-thousands had served. In 1805, 35,000 troops from France's allies were used to protect lines of communications and flanks of the main army. In 1806, 27,000 more troops were called up for similar purposes, plus 20,000 Saxon troops who were used for mopping up operations against the Prussians. In the winter of 1806–07, Germans, Poles, and Spaniards helped seize the Baltic ports of
Stralsund and
Danzig on the army's left flank. At the Battle of Friedland in 1807, Marshal Jean Lannes' corps was formed considerably from Poles, Saxons, and Dutch. For the first time, foreign troops had played a role in a major battle, and done so with distinction. During the War of the Fifth Coalition, as many as one-third of the
Grande Armée, were from the Confederation of the Rhine, and one-quarter of the Army in Italy was Italian. At the
Grande Armées peak in 1812, more than one-third of the troops that marched into Russia were non-French and represented 20 countries, including Austria and Prussia. General
Julius von Grawert initially led the Prussian detachment, but was replaced by General
Ludwig Yorck. ==Support services==