FAQ about Russian Army 1812-1815

This Article is collection of usual questions on the Napoleonic Wargamer asked by fellow wargamers, it more or less copy the same questions I had about Russian Army. This was originaly Facebook post I wrote traveling from home to office by excellent Prague Public Transport company using my cell phone. I believe it is worth of new publishing with friendlier format. 

Please note, that some of the „answers“ as this is FAQ are not entirely serious. If you have any additional questions, or if you are willing to update some wrong information feel free to comment! Let’s make it living document. 

GENERAL INFORMATION

Russians won the war of 1813-1814 with help of German and other allies including Brittain. Not Prussia with allies, well as this hobby is mostly British page, I will not tease more 😃

Russian army is not French army in green uniforms. Even though a lot of changes going from 1807 and 1812 follow French pattern, it was updated and improved for Russians need, because they did not face only heavy linear tactics of the French but irregular warfare in Balkan and Asia. There were very strong military intelligence in Russian Army working on new regulations and standards. A lot of people tend to use what we know on French on Russian. Well it did not apply to much. That’s what my research told me. 

Duffy, Wilson, Viskovatov, Rawkins, Zvegintzov, Nafziger are outdated yet full of excellent informations. For updated works in english follow Jonathan Gingerich both on Napoleon Series and his own "Russian Facings of Napoleonic Era", Dr. Alexander Mikeberadze, Yuri and Alexander Zhmodikov, Dr. Stephen Summerfield and Dominic Lieven

If Gingerich is not enough, try to google specific terms on TMP. There are tons of excellent informations from Russian scholars if you look and have enough time. I will cite some of the great informations in here

Check excellent videos by Tim Richardson on Napoleonic Wargaming Youtube Channel

Even that some, predominantly US, French and British evidence suggests otherwise Russian artillery arm was excellent. What westerners view as bad officer corps or bad artillery, or bad powder in comparison to French grand batteries, is in my point of view matter of different doctrine.

Russia military schools produced a lot of artillery officers, usually good students served in artillery arm. Graduated cadets filled 55% of the officer’s billets in 1812. If I am not wrong this is much better ratio then French. 

Unicorn is not an animal, until you are on recieving end of their antibattery fire from behind that bloody hill… than it is a beast!

Photo by Oleg Derbasov, Avanpost Miniatures

Even that some, predominantly French, German and British sources suggest otherwise, Russians do know how to shoot, their muskets and have quality tool. Both Tula 1808 and Brown Bess were of a good quality. Russians usually do not plunder French for muskets. They looked only for backpacks...and money...and food...and whatever they needed. But not muskets (yes there is exceptions of course, where some regiments were armed with old Austrians gewehr, they change it for Charleville. But get Russian Tula or British Brown Bess soon and discards them).  Altogether, there were 32 regiments armed with British Brown Bess, 49 regiments armed with new Russian Model 1808, 3 regiments armed with Austrian muskets and 1 jaeger regiment armed with captured Swedish muskets. Black Powder quality issue and poor musket quality as many others magical applied from 1807 to 1812 based upon sir Willson reviews. 

Majority of the War for Fatherland in 1812 was not fought on snow, including retreat from Moscow. Up to last week of November the weather was nice. After that was terrible (yet the weather is great for mining bitcoins!) 

There is only one true imperial guard - Leibgvardia - that French antikrist and self-appointed emperor of republic has no right to have Imperial Guard 😃 

LtoR: Ober-Oficer, Shtab-Oficer, General

OFFICERS

Usual presumption about Russian soldier and officer is that he is illiterate and drunked to stupor every day. Well no. They were not drunkyards. Officers were supposed to know how to read and write. Yet Platov at Guard Jager officer corps at Borodino was so drunk they were unable to serve properly. 

Regimental officers consist of ober-officers (lieutenant to captain) and stab-officers (major to colonel). You can identify them by colour of gorget and by shape of epaulets. 

Even Bagration was eastern barbarian according to I think De Segur. Well Bagration dated Alexander’s sister. I don’t think anyone so bright as her will date Georgian barbarian unable to read and write.  

ORGANISATION

Russian infantry and grenadier regiments are called heavy infantry! You can find a lot about organisation on this blog – search tag Russian Napoleonic. 

Light Infantry was strong with Russians, they had 1 light infantry regiment per 2 heavy infantry regiments. Thus you can field more jagers than anyone else. 

Elite soldiers in light infantry regiments are called grenadiers and not carabiniers. It's regulars who differs in their names - jager (jager battalion), musketeer (infantry battalions) and fusilier (grenadier battalion)

Combined grenadier battalions of 1812 are formed and served only in 1812. And were formed from elite companies of the 2nd reserve battalions and not from 4th replacement (depot) battalions. 2nd reserve battalions without elite companies formed new divisions, but at the end were used to replenish manpower before Borodino and at Tarutino. 

Combined combined grenadiers are formed of three and not four companies and by six and not eight platoons. Formed from two heavy and one jager company.

Regimental musicians are NCO, but company drummers are regular

Skirmish screen for regiments was provided by jager regiments usually. Sometimes heavy regiments were deployed in open order as well (including Pavlovsk grenadiers at Borodino). If there was need for skirmish screen provided battalion itself, there were several options - volunteers, third rankers, platoon flank files, but rarely whole marksmen platoon. And yes a lot of jager regiments were excellent in shooting. Those who wrote about how poor they shot, are those alive. The others had no chance to express their opinion.  

Horse artillery has been hold in reserve, heavy artillery was used to form larger batteries, light battery provided close support.  

Pompons (Repienok). Alexander Popov: RU - Armejskaya i garnizonnaya pehota Aleksandra pervogo - Polkovye uniformy

UNIFORMS AND FLAGS

In Pavlovsk grenadier regiment, stab and ober officers had grenadier kiwer. Grenadiers had grenadier mitres, marksmen and fusilier had fusilier mitre.

In Grenadier regiments all combat staff has grenadier shako (kiver) with plume (sultan)

Perry plastic infantry leaflet is wrong, it’s based upon Viskovatov work, yet modern scholars (Popov, Ulianov) suggest different colors see Jonathan Gingerich works as linked above. Especially

Yet refer to Viskovatov for proper flags - Russian regiments did not returned flags in exchange for new overall release. They received new flags only as reward or if four were lost – which never happens.  

Light Infantry – jager - regiments had drummer, hornists and no flags

Combined grenadier battalions had no flags yet they formed banner group

Three company battalions formed from second replacement battalions (as 2nd battalion of Pavlovsk Grenadiers with 1st detached corps) had flags and formed banner group.

Size of the flag is 143cm x 143 cm, flagpole has 320cm (in 1/56 it is 57mm)

Plumes on general hats are coloured according to arm - white is cavalry, black is infantry

Officer’s uniforms were strictly regulated. Alexander I took great care to pay attention to uniforms, which is why many uniform regulations are written in his original hand. Men like Kutuzov and Suvorov, of course, wore what they pleased. Brigade commanders, divisional commanders, and even corps commanders were very much under the watchful eyes of their immediate superiors as well as the suite of His Imperial Majesty. (ref. Theodore Kozlov)

G. Rava: Austerlitz

WARGAMER RULES

Staff rating of Russian generals are downrated in most Napoleonic rules. Again results of 1805-1807 magicaly applied for 1812+.  

General Kutaisov wrote in his General Rules for Artillery in a Field Battle that one should avoid placing batteries on very high or steep hills, to the contrary battery of unicorns can be placed with great advantage behind low hills. Remember that when you use national rules in Black Powder.