Russian Army 1812-1814-EN: Regular Infantry

Alexander Yuryevitch Averyanov: Prince Bagration at Borodino

Infantry is the queen of battles, so let's start the factual part of this series of articles with it. After all, it was the most numerous of all troops, and as the saying goes, a territory is not conquered until a soldier's foot sets foot there. However, in this article we will only be looking at the regular infantry, which is divided into heavy and light infantry. The irregular infantry, such as the Cossack infantry sotnyas, or the various militias (opolchenye) we will save for another time. As well as the Imperial guard. What I'll leave out are the garrison and interior guard regiments, which interfered even less in the war than the militia. I can't leave out the enlisted grenadier regiments either, about which there is a great deal of confusion among wargamers, but that's for another installment. We'll save the article on regimental standards for a future part of the series as well.

Russian heavy infantry includes grenadier and infantry regiments, while the light infantry category covers jager regiments. A regiment of regular infantry was from December 1810 onwards and in subsequent reorganizations formed from three battalions of one grenadier and three “center” companies. Only the first and third battalions were designated for field service (действующи батальонЬ – Deystvuyuschtchi batalyon - active battalion), the second, reserve battalion (запасны батальонЬ - zapasniy bataljon) remained on quarters.

The grenadier regiment consists of three battalions, each containing a grenadier company (Рота, rota) and three fusilier companies

An infantry regiment(1) consists of three battalions, each containing a grenadier company and three musketeer companies

A hunting regiment consists of three battalions, each comprising a grenadier company and three jager companies(2)

In November 1811, a fourth battalion, called the reserve or recruiting battalions (Резервный, рекрутский батальонЬ – rezervniy, rekrutskiy), is then formed from the three recruiting companies.

So the infantry regiment looks like this:

1st Shef's battalion(3)

-- 1st Grenadier company: composed of a Grenadier platoon and a Strelkov (or Marksmen) platoon

-- 1st Musketeer company: composed of 2 Musketeer platoons

-- 2nd Musketeer company: composed of 2 Musketeer platoons

-- 3rd Musketeer company: composed of 2 Musketeer platoons

2nd Replacement battalion

-- 4th Musketeer company: composed of 2 Musketeer platoons

-- 5th Musketeer company: composed of 2 Musketeer platoons

-- 6th Musketeer company: composed of 2 Musketeer platoons

3rd Commander's battalion

-- 3rd Grenadier company: composed of a Grenadier platoon and a Strelkov or Marksmen platoon

-- 7th Musketeer company: composed of 2 Musketeer platoons

-- 8th Musketeer company: composed of 2 Musketeer platoons

-- 9th Musketeer company: composed of 2 Musketeer platoons

4th Reserve

-- 1st Recruit company: composed of 2 Recruit platoons

-- 2nd Recruit company: composed of 2 Recruit platoons

-- 3rd Recruit company: composed of 2 Recruit platoons

The battalion is thus divided into four companies (Рота - Rota), each company is then divided into two platoons (Взводъ, Взвод - Vzvod).

The tactical elements are far more complex, starting with the half-battalion (Полубаталіонъ, Полубаталон - polubatalyon), which consists of two divizions (Дивизионъ, Дивизион - divizyon - not to be confused with division), which again contain two platoons, further subdivided into half-platoons (Полувзводъ, Полувзвод - poluvzvod, but also a unit of distance for spacing when forming a column the width of a platoon), sections (Отдѣленіе, Отделение - Otdyeleniye)(5), and hosts (Рядъ, Ряд - ryad, or line, but let's stick with the commonly used file.

The 1811 regulation also makes a distinction in the text between peloton (Плутонгъ, Плутонг - plutong, from Polish pluton and French peloton) and vzvod, but in the vast majority of cases they are one and the same administrative and tactical unit, i.e. vzvod.

Battle Formation

The difference between a company and a divizion is in the battle formation (Боевой порядокъ, Боевой порядок, Bayevoy paryadok, i.e. a battalion formed in a line of three lines of troops). Looking at the infantry battalion from the rear sphere (the battalion's back is to us), there is a grenadier company on the right side of the battle formation and the first musketeer platoon on the left. These two platoons form the first divizion. While the grenadier company is formed by the grenadier and sharpshooter platoons, and even though they are flanking platoons, that is, the 1st and 8th battalions in the battle formation. The attached picture will tell you more.

1st Battalion in Battle Formation

That was the easier part. During evolution from a battle formation to some of the many types of columns used by the Russian infantry (following the French one), in this case a column formed on a centre, two platoons wide, the grenadier company is at the head (or conversely at the very end of the column) and the battalion is formed by companies. Respectively, it is much simpler and also tactically more correct to say that all evolutions are done by platoons, as required in a given situation.

The chief's battalion of the infantry regiment deployed in the battle formation on the right will look like this (platoon number in brackets):

Mar/1Gren(8) - junior/1Mus(7) - junior/2Mus(6) - junior/3Mus(5) - senior/3Mus(4) - senior/2Mus(3) - senior/1Mus(2) - Gran/1Gren(1)

Where 1Gren is short for Grenadier Company, 1-3Mus is short for Musketeer Companies.

We could also designate them by "vzvod"/platoon numbers as follows: 8th - 7th - 6th - 5th - 4th - 3rd - 2nd - 1st.

Or we could also designate them by division as follows: 4th - 3rd - 2nd - 1st.

So, for example, a junior platoon of the 3rd Musketeer Company would be the 5th platoon of a formed battalion. It would also be a right flank platoon of the 3rd Division.

Fusiliers of the Pavlovsk Grenadir Regiment. Note ober-officer with shako (kiwer in Russian)

Battalion Strength

A platoon in battle formation should contain a maximum of 25 files, but the usual number was 24 (576 rank-and-file soldiers in the battalion).(6) When casualty limit us to 12 files (288 rank-and-file soldiers), the battalion is ordered to be withdrawn and sent for reorganization, first to at least 18 files, and then to full battle strength, i.e. 24 files.

The strength of the regiment in men is thus:

1st Shef's battalion = 700 men and 24 drummers and musicians.

2nd Reserve battalion = 700 men and 15 drummers and musicians

3rd Commander's Battalion = 700 men and 15 drummers and musicians

Sources differ slightly as to whether the battalion has 209 or 208 files in total. It will always be 192 files with muskets (24*8), 7 files of colour guard and 8-9 NCOs or officers. Jager regiment has 4 fewer files (without muskets), because it has a colour guard (3 files, even though it doesn't have colour itself), but it doesn't have the 4 flag files that augment the colour guard in heavy infantry battalions (of 3 files). However, the flag files are armed with muskets, no halberds,

The spacing between the hosts was allowed to be 1 arshin, that is 71cm (28 English inches). The spacing between ranks was calculated between the back or backpack of the soldier in the first rank and the chest of the soldier in the second rank, and measured half the distance of the spacing - i.e. 35.5cm, ½ arshin, or 14 inches, as you like. Arshin (arшинъ - pace) represents a standardized pace length.

A simple calculation leads to the conclusion that a Russian battalion in battle formation theoretically occupies 143 meters, which is less than French or British battalions. But then comes the general battle mess and it's different. Russian officers preferred that regiments maintain width of front rather than depth, so they tended to leave gaps in the third rank (perhaps a third, maybe half of it) rather than taking from the flanks of the platoons.

If you want the exact organizational structure, I refer you to Jonathan Gingerich's site for more detailed information on the Russian Army.

(1) On February 22, 1811, all musketeer regiments were renamed infantry regiments, but retained musketeer companies and platoons

(2) A common mistake in wargaming rules is to refer to jager grenadiers as carbineers after the French model. This is not the case

(3) One cannot modernly associate a chief with the English term Commander in Chief (CIC), for this the Russian (and also the Czech) use the term "Natchelnik"

(4) The 2nd Grenadier Company is brought out in the Combined Grenadier Battalions, more about them next time.

(5) For wargamers, a section includes 4-6 files, since a battalion is formed in three ranks it means that each section has 12-18 soldiers. A number of wargaming games work with a similar number

(6) soldier (Солдатъ, Солдат - soldat) is a general term for a man, differing from conscript in that he is in uniform and assigned to a regiment. The term рядовой - ryadovoj represents the men who fill the ranks. Probably best translated as private. Because otherwise soldiers are referred to by their functional assignment: гренадер, стрелок, егерь, фузелер, ушкетер - grenadier, marksmen, jager, fusilier and musketeer.

Heavy Infantry Regiments by Seniority

(1) Azovskii Regiment - Chef (white) flag of the M1803, coloured 3 flags of the M1803 (all 1803 flags had white flagpole) and 2 flags of the M1797 with straw flagpole

(2) Vyrogskii Regiment - Chef (white) flag of the M1797, coloured 3 flags of the M1797 and 2 flags of the M1803

(4) Dnieprovskii Regiment - Chef (white) flag of the M1797, coloured 3 flags of the M1797 and 2 flags of the M1803

(5) Kostromskiii Regiment had only one flag of 1803 pattern, all others was lost at 1807 during battle of Gofa

(6) Litovskii Musketeer Regiment was reformed to 33rd Jager Regiment on 1810. Litovskii Infantry Regiment was formed from garrison regiments and battalions on 1811 and recieved musketeer pattern flag M1803 of paternal Sveaborg Garrison Regiment

(3) Narvskii Infantry Regiment - Chef (white) flag of 1803, coloured 4 flags of 1803 and 1 flag of 1797

Flags of the Reformed Garrison Regiments

Voronezhskii Musketeer Regiment was reformed to 37th Jager Regiment on 1810. Voronezhskii Infantry Regiment was formed from garrison regiments and battalions on 1811 and recieved garrison pattern 1800 Finland Inspectorate Flag, Coffee flagpole

Podoskii Musketeer Regiment was reformed to 36th Jager Regiment on 1810. Podolskii Infantry Regiment was formed from garrison regiments and battalions on 1811 and recieved garrison pattern 1800 Finland Inspectorate Flag, Coffee flagpole

Bryanskii Musketeer Regiment was reformed to 39th Jager Regiment on 1810. BryanskiiInfantry Regiment was formed from garrison regiments and battalions on 1811 and recieved flags from Aland Garrison Regiment and GaygudskiiGarrison Battalion of 1800 Garrison Pattern

Estlandskii Musketeer Regiment was reformed to 42nd Jager Regiment on 1810. Estlandskii Infantry Regiment was formed from garrison regiments and battalions on 1811 and recieved flags of Pernau, Revel and Narva Garrison Regiment of 1800 Garrison pattern

Orlovskii Musketeer Regiment was reformed to 41st Jager Regiment on 1810. Orlovskii Infantry Regiment was formed from garrison regiments and battalions on 1811 and recieved flags of 1800 Garrison pattern Ukraine inspectorate flag

Velikolutski Musketeer Regiment was reformed to 44th Jager Regiment on 1810. Velikolutski Infantry Regiment was formed from garrison regiments and battalions on 1811 and recieved flags of Dimitrievskii, Taganrogskii and Kerch-Yenikalskii Garrison Regiments of 1800 Garrison pattern

Saratovskii Musketeer Regiment was reformed to 46th Jager Regiment on 1810. Saratovskii Infantry Regiment was formed from garrison regiments and battalions on 1811 and recieved flags of Khotyn, Voronezh, Perm and Bender Garrison Regiments of 1800 Garrison pattern

Galitskii Musketeer Regiment was reformed to 38th Jager Regiment on 1810. Galitskii Infantry Regiment was formed from garrison regiments and battalions on 1811 and recieved flags of Tambov, Tsaritsyno, Baku and Poti Garrison Regiments and battalions of 1800 Garrison pattern

Penzenskii Musketeer Regiment was reformed to 45th Jager Regiment on 1810. Penzenskii Infantry Regiment was formed from garrison regiments and battalions on 1811 and recieved flags from Vilna, Dinaburg (formerly Mitau), Kymengorod (formerly Grodno) and Bobruiskii(formerly Minsk) of 1800 Garrison Pattern

Jager Regiments by Seniority

I don't have informations about webbing of all regiments reformed from Musketeer Regiments in 1810 (see above). In the table I presume they shall be black as per regulation, but most likely there will be white. 

Marine Regiments