Al Amos wrote:
In an attempt to solve the stacking in line problem in the NAP engine, the H&R folks have created some converged bns for some rgts. This is not a good solution, imo.
Without historical evidence to back it up players will have an incorrect picture of the problems facing the historical commanders. For instance, in thier Borodino setup, I noticed a couple of the five bn French rgts having an additional two converged bns. This gives the players two additional basic units to work with unavailable to the historical commanders. If this was the historical practice, please provide supporting material. I'm aware new primary source material debunks some long held popular ideas, so I'm open to new ideas just want to see where they are being based on.
Al,
With my books getting more and more available... In advance guard vs rear guard actions the French used to support their cavalry with light infantry. This infantry could be in forms of whole batallions or ad hoc units consisting of several companies. These troops could be taken both from light and line infantry regiments. I was just reading Bogdanovich on the actions around Vitebsk and met a well known case illustrationg this fact. A chrestomathic example I would say.
This engraving is called "Les fils de Paris"
http://www.runivers.ru/images/date/2009_jule/26/b.jpg It depicts the action of two companies from 9th line regiment in the battle of Vitebsk. Two companies were sent in support of 16th chasseurs regiment across a creek. This force exposed its flank and received a strong counterattack from Leib cossacks and two squadrons of Soumy hussars. Chasseurs were disordered and driven into a steep ravine. The infantry was left to itself. They formed a kind of tiny squares and managed to hold on until 53th regiment saved them. After that they were questioned by Napoleon himself "What regiment is that?" and the answer was "9eme, et tous sont les fils de Paris". As I was explained at an exibition where this original engraving was displayed the answer meant that many of them were ragamuffins taken from the streets of Paris and raised at the cost of the state. Later they were enlisted into 9th regiment that by tradition was manned by parisians. So you can't say "Pics o it didna happen!"
There are quite a few similar cases where individual companies and ad hoc batallions were used. But usually Buonoparte was not present there and didn't say anything exceptional. Hence no pictures.
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Leib-Guard Cuirassiers Regiment's
General-Fieldmareshal Count Anton Kosyanenko
Commanding Astrakhan grenadiers regiment
2nd Grenadiers Division, Russian Contingent
NWC
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