Home Forums Horse and Musket Napoleonic Russian infantry in bicornes in 1805?

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  • #113797
    Avatar photoJoseph Lutz
    Participant

    Did any Russian musketeer and jäger regiments wear bicornes in 1805? (not just at Austerlitz, but at other operations or areas as well).

    I know that this question has been discussed many times before, but I think the answers have usually been too vague and inconclusive.

    In  principle it might seem reasonable to assume that some Russian regiments wore bicornes in 1805, given the delays in adopting new regulation dress that affected other armies too: French infantry bicornes still in 1808, British stovepipe shakos in 1813-1815, Austrian helmets in 1809, old Spanish uniforms (1802 regulation) in 1808, and many other examples. I think that Russian army was no exception.

    So I would like to know if some Russian musketeer and jäger regiments wore bicornes in 1805.

    Thanks.

    #113798
    Avatar photoBandit
    Participant

    My understanding is that other than some officers, the rank and file had converted to shakos by the Austerlitz campaign (for musketeers and jägers, grenadiers are another story), but Jonathan is the real expert here and may chime in.

    Cheers,

    The Bandit

    #113849
    Avatar photoJonathan Gingerich
    Participant

    Generally no, the shako was issued to the musketeers and jaegers a couple years earlier, so it would have been changed by then. However Popov says the Sevastopol, Saratov, Vologda, and 15th Jaeger, all in the Caucasus Inspection were issued bicornes due to a lack of shakos. Probably an exception that proves the rule. (Need to clean up this note a little on my page).
    JG

    #113945
    Avatar photoJoseph Lutz
    Participant

    As you stated in a previous post, the Izyum Hussars wore their old mirlitons in 1805 and not the regulation shako which was authorised in 1803. Considering that only nine hussar regiments existed in 1805 and even so the new shako was not universally adopted by them, I really doubt that the infantry shako replaced the bicorne in almost all Russian musketeer regiments in 1805, even more so when we consider that more than seventy infantry regiments existed in 1805. Such complete replacement could not be possible to achieve in just two years, especially if we take into account the logistical constraints at that time.

    That is the reason why I am asking this question.

    Thanks.

    #113956
    Avatar photoJonathan Gingerich
    Participant

    Fair point. The note about the Izyum Hussars is based on a single eyewitness illustration (as far as I know). I know of no similar evidence for the musketeers (and the grenadiers/fusiliers are shrouded in mystery). Which doesn’t mean there isn’t any.
    JG

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