Retreat from Moscow - 25mm Baden Hussars

 

Back in May I painted up the Hessian Chevau Leger for my and Lee's Retreat from Moscow madness and I asked the question, "Do I paint up the Baden Hussars as well????" Both understrength regiments fought together to help defend the Crossing of the Berezina.....and of course the answer was yes to painting them up!!!

My Baden Hussars are made up from 3 packs of Perry Miniatures, Pack FN178, Cavalry Skirmishing, Pack FN189 French Light Cavalry and FN190 Hessian Chevau Legers, I painted the figures at least a 6 weeks ago, but with the move I just haven't had the time to post the pics.

These first proper set of photos, using my and Lee's snowy mat. I think the mat and the bases match in quite well.

Now for the history bit....

When Napoleon began his invasion of Russia he demanded around 6,700 men from Baden to fight. Apart from a battalion assigned to the imperial headquarters, the contingent under Major General William of Hochberg formed a brigade in Marshal Victor's IX Corps. The corps was assembled in Tilst and spent August 1812 there. Illnesses and the unusual weather with its rapid changes affected the soldiers and reduced the strength of the corps by around a sixth before they even left. The corps finally marched off on 30 August, via Wilna (8 September) and Minsk (15 September) reaching Smolensk on 28 September. On 31 October, the Baden Brigade fought in the Battle of Chashniki and lost 20 men killed and wounded. In the following days there were further skirmishes between the IX and II Corps of the French Army and the Russian Army under Wittgenstein, which tried to attack the rear of the main French army retreating from Moscow.

The corps then also retreated under rearguard action, and on 26 November it met the remnants of the army coming from Moscow near Borisov. The strength of the Baden Brigade at this time was still 2,240 men and thus around a third of the original force. On 28 November the Battle of Berezina took place, in which the IX Corps, east of the river, faced Wittgenstein's army. The Baden Brigade was west of the river at this point, but was ordered back to the corps early in the morning, great confusion occurring at the river crossings. The Baden Brigade then formed the right wing of the IX Corps, their position ran from the Berezina to Studyanka. In fierce fighting, the infantry succeeded in repelling the Russian attacks. Losses were very high, more than 1,100 men were killed or wounded, leaving the brigade with a strength of only 900 after fighting ended. The Baden Hussars, reinforced by Hessian Chevau-legers, broke up a column of Russian infantry and took 500 prisoners, but was then wiped out by Russian cuirassiers. It lost the majority of its officers and around 150 soldiers and was then only a few men strong. After this bloody rearguard action, the IX Corps crossed the Berezina on the morning of 29 November and destroyed the bridge behind it

In the years that followed, the Baden Brigade continued to function as the rear guard of the army. Further battles and above all the extreme cold claimed more and more lives. William of Hochberg later wrote:

7th December was the worst day of my life. At 3 o'clock in the morning the marshal ordered the march; the cold had sunk to its lowest point - when the signal was to be given, the last drum had frozen solid. So I now went round the individual soldiers and encouraged them to get up and collect themselves, but all efforts were in vain, I could hardly gather 50 men, the rest of 200-300 men lay dead or half-frozen on the ground.

William of Hochberg, Memoranda of General of Infantry, Margrave William of Baden

Indeed a sad fate.