As ponderous as an Austrian army corps on campaign, this series is finally trudging to it’s destination and the loyal camp followers can finally… do whatever it is that camp followers do…
For this last instalment I’m looking at the Grenadier Battalions of the Austrian Army of 1809. Again, all models are by AB Figures and the flags are by Fighting 15s.
In peacetime, each Austrian infantry regiment would raise two companies of Grenadiers, which in wartime would be split off and combined with the grenadiers of one or two other regiments to form a Grenadier Battalion. Most battalions were formed from three regiments and comprised six grenadier companies. A few however, were only formed of two contingents, with a total strength of four companies. Grenadier Battalions normally stayed together for the duration of a campaign before being split up again at the end of hostilities. They were known by the name of their commanding officer.
Here is the list of Grenadier Battalions for 1809. The name of the battalion would change in line with new commanding officers, so the name changes are marked (e.g. ‘Hohenlohe/Hromada’ means that the battalion started the campaign as Grenadier Battalion ‘Hohenlohe’ but ended the campaign as Grenadier Battalion ‘Hromada’). The regimental contingents making up the battalion are listed in brackets. Regiments marked ‘(H)’ are Hungarian:
Grenadier Battalions Serving With the Main Army in the Danube Valley
Nissel/Berger (#15 ‘Zach’, #28 ‘Frelich’, #57 ‘Joseph Colloredo’)
Bissingen (#3 ‘Archduke Charles’, #50 ‘Stain’, #58 ‘Beaulieu’)
Brzeczinksy (#24 ‘Strauch’, #30 ‘De Ligne’, #41 ‘Kottulinsky’)
Cappy/Oklopsia (#12 ‘Manfredini’, #20 ‘Kaunitz’, #23 ‘Würzburg’)
Stark/Demontant (#7 ‘Schröder’, #18 ‘Stuart’, #21 ‘Rohan’)
Hohenlohe/Hromada (#1 ‘Kaiser’, #29 ‘Lindenau’, 38 ‘Württemberg’)
Peccaduc/Legrand (#9 ‘Czartorysky’, #55 ‘Reuss-Greitz’, #56 ‘Wenzel Colloredo’)
Wieniowsky/Frisch (#10 ‘Mittrowsky’, #11 ‘Rainer’, #47 ‘Vogelsang’)
Georgy (#17 ‘Reuss-Plauen’, #36 ‘Kollowrath’, #42 ‘Erbach’)
Hauger/Portner (#40 Joseph Mittrowsky’, #44 ‘Bellegarde’, #46 ‘Chasteler’)
Puteani/Jambline (#14 ‘Klebek’, #45 ‘Devaux’, #49 ‘Jordis’)
Leiningen (#25 ‘Zedtwitz’, #35 ‘Argentau’, #54 ‘Froon’)
Mayblümel/Trenck/Locher (#8 ‘Archduke Ludwig’, #22 ‘Koburg’, #60(H) ‘Gyulai’)
Scovaud (#4 ‘Hoch-und-Deutschmeister’, #49 ‘Kerpen’, #63 ‘Baillet-Merlemont’)
Hahn/Habinay (#2(H) ‘Hiller’, #33(H) ‘Sztarray’, #39(H) ‘Duka’)
Kirchenbetter (#34(H) ‘Davidovich’, #37(H) ‘Weidenfeld’, #48(H) ‘Vukassovich’)
Scharlach/Purcell (#31(H) ‘Benjowsky’, #32(H) ‘Esterházy’, #51(H) ‘Splényi’)
Grenadier Battalions Serving In Italy & Hungary
Albeck/Chimany (#13 ‘Reisky’, #43 ‘Simbschen’)
Salomon/Welsperg (#16 ‘Lusignan’. #26 ‘Hohenlohe-Bartenstein’, #27 ‘Strassoldo’)
Janusch/Gersanich (#19(H) ‘Alvinczy’, #52(H) Franz Karl, #61(H) ‘St. Julien’)
Mühlen/Zedtlar (#53(H) ‘Johann Jellachich’, #62(H) ‘Franz Jellachich’)
Above: Grenadier Battalion ‘Bissingen’. This battalion was made up of grenadiers from Infantry Regiments #3 ‘Archduke Charles’ (sky blue facings), #50 ‘Stain (violet facings) and #58 ‘Beaulieu’ (black facings). As each of my units represents an entire brigade, I have chosen this battalion to represent Hammer’s Grenadier Brigade of D’Aspré’s Division.
I have to admit that I wasn’t over-enamoured with these charging poses and there was no suitable standard-bearer, so I had to convert one of the rank-and-file for the job. After painting this unit I bought marching poses for the remaining three brigades.
Above: Grenadier Battalion ‘Brzeczinsky’. This battalion represents Merville’s Grenadier Brigade of D’Aspré’s Division and was made up of contingents from Infantry Regiments #24 ‘Strauch’ (dark blue facings), #30 ‘De Ligne’ (light pike grey facings) and #41 ‘Kottulinsky’ (sulphur yellow facings).
Note that each combined grenadier battalion would be issued with a spare Ordinährfahne flag for the duration of its existence in wartime. As discussed in Part 1 of this series, Grenadier battalions only carried a white Leibfahne during a very brief period from 1805-1806 (i.e. the Austerlitz Campaign), when they briefly became the 1st (Leib) Battalion of each infantry regiment. These reorganisations were cancelled in 1806 and the Grenadiers reverted to their earlier status. AB Figures don’t make a marching German Grenadier standard-bearer figure, so I simply use the Hungarian Grenadier standard-bearer figure and paint on white breeches and black gaiters instead of sky-blue pantaloons – easy. 🙂
Above: Grenadier Battalion ‘Frisch’. This battalion represents Melgum’s Grenadier Brigade of Prochaszka’s Division. The battalion comprised contingents from Infantry Regiments #10 ‘Mittrowsky’ (parrot/poplar green facings), #11 ‘Rainer’ (rose pink facings) and #47 ‘Vogelsang’ (steel green facings).
Above: Grenadier Battalion ‘Hahn’. This battalion represents Steyrer’s Grenadier Brigade from Prochaszka’s Division. The battalion was made up of grenadiers from Infantry Regiments #2 ‘Hiller’ (Emperor yellow facings), #33 ‘Sztarray’ (dark blue facings) and #39 ‘Duka’ (poppy red facings). These were all Hungarian regiments, so the troops are wearing their tight sky-blue Hungarian pantaloons, have pointed Hungarian cuffs and the battalion has a Hungarian-pattern Ordinärfahne, with the Arms of Hungary at the centre.
Right that’s it for now! There will be more Austrians later this week, in my report from our weekend refight of Massena’s counter-Attack at Wagram. In the meantime, here’s another Hungarian general I painted yesterday; I had a sudden brainwave and used the AB Figures ‘Prussian Hussar ADC’ figure, as his panache-style feather plume looked just the job! I decided to paint him wearing the campaign-dress pike-grey pelisse and I have to say that I’m very pleased with how he came out (sorry for the poor lighting).