A question about Command flag for Napoleonic wars

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Belg
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A question about Command flag for Napoleonic wars

Post by Belg » Sun Jun 28, 2015 2:27 pm

Someone, please, would be able to tell me if the Commands of Division and Brigade had their own flag?
And in the case of the French, the Commands of the Army Corps?
For example, the Field Artillery of the Imperial Guard had its own flag?
And the Dutch-Belgian Army at Waterloo, or the English Army of Wellington?
And, in general, the Army Command?

Many thanks

Sergio
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Friedrich August I.
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Re: A question about Command flag for Napoleonic wars

Post by Friedrich August I. » Sun Jun 28, 2015 7:26 pm

AFAIK there have been no commandflags for the French Brigade, Division or Corps Commands. Eagles and other Standards have been given to Line Infantry and Cavalry Regiments but not to the Artillery as those Regiments of Foot or Horse Artillery never fought as a unit but in single Batteries of different Regiments.
I don't believe that other nations in the Napoleonic Aera had such flags.

As a Saxon Army "Lover" I know that the Artillery Flag of the Saxon Artillery has been removed before the 1810 Reorganisation. It can still be found in the Fortress Koenigstein in Saxony.

Image

Hope that helps,

Günter
„Macht Euch Euren Dregg alleene“

"Sort your filth out by yourself!" The King of Saxony Friedrich August III., at his abdication 1918, referred to the quarrels in the parliament and the squabbling within the provisional government.
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Re: A question about Command flag for Napoleonic wars

Post by Belg » Mon Jun 29, 2015 8:52 am

Friedrich August I. wrote:AFAIK there have been no commandflags for the French Brigade, Division or Corps Commands. Eagles and other Standards have been given to Line Infantry and Cavalry Regiments but not to the Artillery as those Regiments of Foot or Horse Artillery never fought as a unit but in single Batteries of different Regiments.
I don't believe that other nations in the Napoleonic Aera had such flags.

As a Saxon Army "Lover" I know that the Artillery Flag of the Saxon Artillery has been removed before the 1810 Reorganisation. It can still be found in the Fortress Koenigstein in Saxony.


Hope that helps,

Günter
Many thanks Günter, for your reply.
The issue arose from the consideration that in the Orders of Battle of the French Army, Artillery is indicated as "reserve" it is allocated to the Divisions or Corps, not to individual Regiments. Ditto for the Guard.
The same holds for the British and the Prussians. Source: Osprey book dedicated to Waterloo.
But as you tell me that the Corps and Divisions do not have their own flag, then this could be for the "Reserve Artillery".
We will have to deploy our Artillery Commands without Standardbearer.
Do You behave in the same way?
Cheers,

Sergio
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Re: A question about Command flag for Napoleonic wars

Post by Friedrich August I. » Mon Jun 29, 2015 11:43 am

Hi Sergio,

In case of "Reserve Artillery" take into account that if you combine 4, 6 or 8 Batteries to form the Artillery Reserve or Corps Artillery they have been drawn from several different Artillery Regiments and were grouped together.

Commanding Officers may have been from the Imperial Staff - Imperial Aide de Camps - or from the Artillery Regimental Commands.

The Time when Artillery had its own Flags, i.e., SYW, was long gone or was to come again, i.e., American Civil War.

Even as the Saxons had only one Artillery Regiment of 16 Foot Batteries and 2 Horse Batteries they had several Artillery Commanders including the Colonnel who commanded the Regiment.

Best Wishes,
Günter
„Macht Euch Euren Dregg alleene“

"Sort your filth out by yourself!" The King of Saxony Friedrich August III., at his abdication 1918, referred to the quarrels in the parliament and the squabbling within the provisional government.
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Re: A question about Command flag for Napoleonic wars

Post by Belg » Mon Jun 29, 2015 1:47 pm

O.K., Günter, many thanks for the clarification.

Best regards,

Sergio
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