5th Division: Major-General Bassecourt - Source Oman (Battalions)
1st Real Marina (Royal Marines), 1st Battalion
1st Real Marina (Royal Marines), 2nd Battalion
Africa Infantry Regiment, 3rd Battalion
Murcia Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion
Murcia Infantry Regiment, 3rd Battalion
Reyna Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion
Provincial de Siguenza (Militia)
The second battalion of the 1st Real Marina completes the second battalion in General Bassecourt's 5th Spanish Infantry Division and the regiment as a whole.
Details of the look of the Spanish Marines together with the colours they carried were covered in my first post about the first battalion (see the link above).
The six regiments of Marines were organised around two battalions, with the second battalion being issued with the Sencilla (Regimental Colour in British parlance) showing the Bourbon red cross with black anchors in each corner.
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| Sencilla (Regimental Colour with texturing courtesy of MS Foy) at Prometheus in Aspic blog see link below |
The role played by Bassecourt's troops during the afternoon attack by French Imperial troops was very much to pin the allied extreme left flank and saw them skirmishing with a strong screen of French light infantry among the lower slopes of the Sierra de Segurilla.
The effect of the Spanish troops severely threatened any serious attempt by Ruffin's and Villatte's infantry to turn the flank of the British occupying the Cerro de Medellin and allowed Wellesley to avoid denuding his centre of British infantry tasked with defeating the principle French attacks by Lapisse and Sebastiani.
The regiment as a whole will make a distinctive contrast in their naval blues to the standard white of the four Boubon line and one militia battalions that composed the rest of Bassecourt's division.
My 1st Real Marina are composed of figures from the AB range supplied by Fighting 15's.
Sources referred to in this post:
http://www.eborense.es/batalla_talavera1809_ejercito_espanol.htmlhttp://prometheusinaspic.blogspot.co.uk
The Armies of Spain and Portugal 1808-14 - G.F.Nafziger & M Gilbert
Spanish Army of the Napoleonic Wars (1) 1793-1808 - Rene Chartrand & Bill Younghusband
Next up the third battalion, Africa Regiment.
I'm particularly interested in your thoughts JJ as to the distribution of grenadier companies in Spanish line and guard regiments having also read and re-read the relevant paragraphs in Nafziger and Chartrand many times (although I would guess that the "correct" answer is "nobody knows", less cares).
ReplyDeleteGreat work as usual.
Hi Lawrence and thank you. Ok I won't refer to Spanish Guard as I have not researched those chaps, although I suspect they followed the line regulations. So according to both sources, under the 1802 regulations, Spanish line infantry regiments were authorised to have three battalions of four companies with the first battalion having two grenadier and two fusilier companies and the other battalions composed of just four fusilier companies.
DeleteI have deliberately indicated which battalions I am modelling so as to follow the regulations. thus when I get around to them the 1st battalion, Reyna regiment will have three bases of grenadiers and three bases of fusiliers and command figures to represent that 50:50 split. Hope that helps
JJ
Thanks JJ. That's exactly the way I went for my 28mm Spanish army and it feels "right" to me.
DeleteThe 15mm group I game with however put one company of grenadiers in each battalion, following Nafziger's reading of the 1803 regulations (page 18 of the Armies of Spain and Portugal) so I went that way for my 15mm project but have never been completely convinced. To me that's one of the "fun" things about the Spanish in that they are one of the more enigmatic Napoleonic armies.
Fantastic paintwork!
ReplyDeleteHey Colbourne, thanks very much mate.
DeleteJJ
Keep up the good work
ReplyDeleteCheers Rupert, much appreciated.
DeleteJJ
Great post and excellent job...as always!
ReplyDeleteLovely figures another great unit.
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
Thanks Chaps, glad you like them
ReplyDeleteJJ