NAVY
At the beginning of 1848, the Royal Navy’s crews comprised eight ordinary companies of 128 men each, a depot of 339 men, and the Arsenal, where there were an additional 136 men. The main naval base was at Genoa. The vessels of the fleet comprised the following:
Sailing Vessels: Two frigates, two corvettes, three brigantines, one goletta, one sailing transport, and a cannon barque.
Steam vessels: Two steam corvettes, and four despatch boats
Royal Navy Infantry Battalion
Also a part of the navy was the infantry battalion ‘Royal Navy’, which was attached to the Army’s I Corps. The battalion was very weak on its departure from Genoa on March 23rd, only some 300 men in total, perhaps only 260 bayonets all told. The battalion subsequently was allowed to languish, receiving few replacements, whilst also providing a detachment for service on Lake Garda3.
KINGDOM OF THE TWO SICILIES (NAPLES)
ARMY4
Infantry
Royal guard
The Royal Guard comprised two regiments of Grenadiers and one of Cacciatori. A grenadier regiment, on a war footing, was composed of three battalions, of six companies apiece. A company consisted of four officers and 100 men. From 30th April, however, the number of men in a company was increased to 160, and the full regiment, from this date, was to consist of 97 officers, and 3,186 men. A Cacciatori battalion, also of six companies, numbered 38 officers, and 1,058 men.
Line Infantry
The Infantry of the Line numbered 13 regiments. On a war footing, each was composed of three battalions of six companies each. A battalion consisted of one grenadier company, one cacciatori company, and four fusilier companies. As with the Grenadier Regiments, a company initially had four officers and 100 men, but as from April 30th, the complement was raised to 160 men, giving a regiment 97 officers and 3,186 men. It should be noted that units in practice did not remotely approach these figures.
Swiss Infantry
The King employed four regiments of Swiss infantry, along with the Royal Guard, his best troops. The Swiss regiments comprised two battalions each, and theoretically numbered 1,556 officers and men. A battalion had six companies, one grenadier, one cacciatori, and four fusilier. Once again, these complements were not maintained. On May 15th, for example, the day of the heavy street fighting in Naples, the four regiments numbered less than 4,000 men.
Cavalry
The cavalry was composed of two regiments of the Royal Guard, three regiments of dragoons, and two regiments of lancers. All regiments were formed with four squadrons, and on a war footing, each numbered 36 officers and 947 men.
Artillery
The two artillery regiments, King and Queen, totalled 17 companies, one of which was the depot. Half of these were stationed in fortresses, and the remainder formed eight field artillery companies (batteries) of eight guns each. A further company of horse artillery comprised 186 men, and 110 horses. In addition, the artillery had one company of armieri, one of artificers, and two of pontoniers, all composed of 120 men each.
Engineers
This arm was composed of one battalion of engineers, and one of pioneers, both composed of six companies of 118 men each, and one company as depot.
NAVY
Like Sardinia, the Kingdom possessed a sizeable fleet. In 1848, it had the following vessels:
Sailing vessels: One ship of the line, two frigates, one corvette, one brigantine, and a goletta.
Steam vessels: Ten corvettes, six despatch boats, four tugs, and two Customs cutters.
THE PAPAL STATES
The Regular Army of the Papal States at the beginning of 1848 numbered approximately 18,000 men. These were greatly augmented at the beginning of the war by large numbers of volunteers and Civic Guard units.
Infantry
Indigenous Regiments
The Papal Indigenous infantry consisted of one two-battalion regiment of Grenadiers, a two-battalion regiment of Cacciatori, and five battalions of fusiliers. Of these, the Grenadiers, Cacciatori, and two of the fusilier battalions were to be involved in the campaign to come. All infantry battalions were composed of six companies. A company comprised one captain, one lieutenant, one second-lieutenant, one senior sergeant, four sergeants, one quartermaster, eight corporals, eight vice-corporals, two drummers, one cadet, 90 privates, and two ‘children of the troops’5. A grenadier company had two pioneers, and a fusilier company, one.
Foreign Regiments
Best amongst the Papal infantry were the two “Foreign” Regiments.6 Raised under a Swiss decree in December 1834, at the instigation of Pope Gregory XVI, both regiments were effectively, if not exclusively, Swiss, and were commonly referred to as such. Enlisted for a term of four years, the men were also liable for service at the Papal legations in Bologna, Ravenna, and Forli. The regiments each had two battalions, each of six companies, one of which was a grenadier company, one a cacciatori, and the other four, fusilier companies. The company establishment was one captain, one lieutenant, one second-lieutenant, one sergeant-major, 20 other NCOs, two drummers, 145 privates and one cadet. A colonel was in command of each regiment, with a lieutenant-colonel as second in command, and majors commanding the battalions. With the battalion and regimental staff, the total strength of each regiment was 2,125 officers and men.
Civic Guard
A Civic Guard (Guardia Civica) was authorised in the Papal States by published regulations dated July 30th, 1847. It was constituted on basis of one company to every Municipality. Battalions were to be composed of a variable number of companies, not to be less than four, or more than eight. The size of companies was also fluid. A battalion comprised the following:
Battalion Staff:
one lieutenant-colonel
one major
one captain, adjutant general
one lieutenant-quartermaster
one second-lieutenant, standard bearer
one major, as health-officer
one major, as surgeon
one second-lieutenant
one corporal drummer
one armourer
(Should the battalion be composed of more than 800 men, one additional major and one second-lieutenant are added to this complement).
Formation of a Company:
Volunteers
As with volunteer units throughout the Italian Peninsula, the composition of Papal volunteer units varied considerably. The Rome University Battalion will serve as an example of unit organisation.
Composition of the Roman University Battalion (Battaglione Universitario Romano), May 1848:
Battalion staff:
one lieutenant-colonel
one major two captains
one lieutenant
one military chaplain
one standard-bearer
one surgeon-major
one health-officer
Note:
1st Company, records dated May 31st
3rd Company, records dated April 30th
2nd, 4th and 5th Companies and Staff, records dated May 15th
Cavalry
Dragoons
The well appointed dragoons of the Papal army consisted of one regiment of eight companies, numbering 885 officers and men, on March 16th. These troops were the only members of the army to been used to any extent in what might be considered field operations.
Mounted Cacciatori
The Mounted Cacciatori Regiment, prior to hostilities was formed with two companies. Like most of the other troops, they had little field experience.
Roman Civic Cavalry
The mounted arm of the Civic Guard, this unit in the field was composed of only a troop of 20 men, attached to General Ferrari’s division.
Artillery
Indigenous
The Italian artillery battery consisted of eight guns, and 150 officers and men. In addition, there was one section (two guns) of Roman, and two sections of Bolognese artillery, both attached to the Volunteer Division of General Ferrari.
&n
bsp; Foreign
Like their infantry counterparts, the majority of the men in the “Foreign” Battery were Swiss, enlisted under the same terms as the infantry. The battery had a total of 147 officers and men, with 88 horses. Armament comprised two howitzers, and six cannon, with eight caissons, and two field forges.
GRAND DUCHY OF TUSCANY
At the beginning of 1848, the infantry of the small army of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany consisted of one four company battalion of grenadiers, and two line infantry regiments, of three battalions each. Each battalion was composed of six companies, the 1st Company being a grenadier company, the 6th the cacciatori company, and the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th companies, fusiliers. An infantry company was composed of one captain, one lieutenant, one second lieutenant, one sergeant-major, one quartermaster-corporal, four sergeants, eight corporals, four vice-corporals, two drummers, and 130 privates (wartime; 60 on a peace footing).
The cavalry was composed of one two-squadron regiment of Mounted Cacciatori, and the artillery of two batteries, and four companies of Coast Artillery. There was also a battalion of Carabinieri for police duties, and four battalions of ‘Volunteer Coast and Frontier Cacciatori’. The entire force numbered some 5,500.7
From June 1848, the infantry was reorganised. The four Line Regiments each had two battalions, each of six companies. The companies were numbered from one to 12, the 1st Company being the Grenadier Company of the regiment, and the 12th, the Cacciatori Company. The 2nd to 11th Companies were composed of Fusiliers. This change had no effect on the troops still at the front for the final weeks of the campaign.
AUSTRIAN EMPIRE
ARMY8
The Austrian Empire possessed one of the largest armies in Europe. Like the Empire itself, it was to be rocked to its foundations in the revolutionary years of 1848. Its survival was due to its multinational composition, which, ironically, was also its major drawback. Recruitment was by conscription. This, except in the Military Border areas, was by ballot, although in some areas, especially Hungary, local authorities would use the system to rid themselves of undesirable elements. The term of service was eight years. Transfers of units were frequent, to avoid prolonged acquaintance of troops with the local populace.
In March, 1848, the army comprised the following:
58 Regiments of the Line
20 Grenadier Battalions (administratively part of the above)
18 Regiments of Grenz Infantry
1 Battalion of Illyrian-Banat Grenz Infantry
1 Battalion of Tchaikisten
1 Regiment of Kaiser Jäger
12 Battalions of Feld-Jäger
8 Regiments of Cuirassiers
6 Regiments of Dragoons
7 Regiments of Chevaux-legers
12 Regiments of Hussars
4 Regiments of Uhlans
6 Garrison Battalions
5 Regiments of Field Artillery
Bombardier Corps
Rocket Corps
Corps of Artificers
Corps of Engineers
Corps of Miners Corps of Sappers
1 Battalion of Pontonniers
1 Regiment of Lombard Gendarmerie
Wagoner Corps
Of this mighty force, some 70,000 men were in Lombardy-Venetia (see Appendix II) in March 1848. This army was broken down into two Army Corps, five divisions, and 16 brigades. To control this sizable force was a remarkably small staff of 11, in addition to a number of allocated second-lieutenants. The former were one colonel, two majors, six captains, and two oberlieutenants.9 The main branches are as follows:
Jäger
Jäger units were first formed in the Imperial service in 1808, and were first on campaign the following year. After the Napoleonic Wars, the Tiroler Jäger Regiment was created as a separate entity to the existing Feld-Jäger Battalions. The first two ranks of jäger troops were armed with the M. 1842 kammerbüsche short rifle, and the third with older carbines.
Tiroler Jäger Regiment
The Tiroler Jäger Regiment, formed in 1816, comprised four battalions, each composed of six companies. Companies were numbered sequentially through the regiment, from 1 to 24. The regiment had a personal link to the Sovereign, and the troops were popularly known as Kaiser Jäger.
The regimental staff was composed of 58 officers and men. A company, on a war footing, commanded by a captain, comprised one oberlieutenant, two second-lieutenants, two Oberjägers, 12 unterjägers, 20 patrouilleführers, two trumpeters, one pioneer, 180 men, and four officer’s servants.
M. 1842 Kammerbusche Short Rifle
M. 1842 Augustin Tubelock Smoothbore Musket
Feld-Jäger Battalions
The 12 battalions of Feld-Jäger were independent units. The staff of a battalion numbered 24, and each of the six companies was organised in the same manner as in the Kaiser Jäger.
Infantry
Four different types of infantry existed in the Imperial/Royal Army. Each of these had slightly differing organisational details. The main weapon used by the infantry was the smoothbore Augustin modified tube-lock musket, in 17.6mm calibre, first adopted in 1842.
German Regiments
In wartime, the staff of a ‘German’ regiment consisted of 75 men. The regiment was composed of three field battalions, each of six companies of fusiliers. The companies were numbered within the regiment, sequentially from 1 to 18. Additionally, there were two Landwehr battalions, except in the eight Italian regiments. Each regiment also possessed two grenadier companies, which were grouped in separate grenadier battalions with those of other regiments.
Within a battalion, a fusilier company comprised one captain, one oberlieutenant, two second-lieutenants, two feldwebels, 12 corporals, 12 Gefreiters, two drummers, two pioneers, four officer’s servants, and 180-200 men, a total of 214-23410.
A grenadier company consisted of one captain, one oberlieutenant, one second-lieutenant, two feldwebels, 13 corporals, two drummers, two pioneers, and 150 men, a total of 17211.
Hungarian Regiments
In wartime, the staff of a Hungarian regiment consisted of 89 men. The regiment was composed of three field battalions, each of six companies of fusiliers. The companies were numbered within the regiment, sequentially from 1 to 18. Additionally, there were two Landwehr battalions. Each regiment also possessed two grenadier companies, which were grouped in separate grenadier battalions with those of other regiments. The organisation of fusilier and grenadier companies was identical with that of the ‘German’ regiments.
Grenzer Regiments
The Military Border (Militärgrenze) areas had a unique system of recruitment, in that the southern frontier areas of Hungary and Croatia were entirely militarised, and conscription universal. Grenz Regiments had two field battalions, of six companies each, and a reserve battalion. The staff of a regiment consisted of 48 officers and men. Company organisation was the same as for German/Hungarian regiments, except that 20 men in each company were designated and armed as sharpshooters, and, in addition, the third rank was equipped with the M. 1842 kammerbüsche short rifle. The regiment also possessed 50 artillerymen.
Garrison Battalions
The six garrison battalions each had six companies, with the exception of the 5th Battalion, which only possessed four. The battalion staff was composed of 10 officers and men, and each company, of 186 officers and men.
Cavalry
Heavy Cavalry
Cuirassier and Dragoon Regiments each had six squadrons. The regimental staff, in wartime, consisted of 40 officers and men, with 27 horses. A squadron comprised six officers, two wachtmeisters, one trumpeter, one saddler, one blacksmith, 12 corporals, 144 mounted men, six dismounted men, and six officer’s servants.
Light Cavalry
Hussar, Uhlan, and Chevauxleger Regiments possessed eight squadrons apiece. The regimental staff numbered 49 men and 35 horses. Each squadron had six officers, two wachtmeisters, one trumpeter, one blacksmith, 12 corporals, 174 mounted men, six dismounted men, and six o
fficers’ servants.
Artillery
The artillery arm of the Imperial-Royal Army consisted of the Corps of Bombardiers, the Artillery proper, and the Rocket Corps. These were all responsible to the Director-General and General Officers of the Artillery. The former was a Feldzeugmeister, and the latter, three FML’s and eight Major-Generals. The entire force numbered 95 companies, with over 200 batteries of various types. There was also a Garrison Artillery branch.
Bombardier Corps
The Corps of Bombardiers, considered the elite of the artillery, was composed of a Staff and five companies. The Colonel Commandant of the corps had a staff of 13 officers and 18 men. The five companies each comprised one captain, one oberlieutenant, two second-lieutenants, 24 chief artificers, 36 artificers, six cadets, two drummers, one quartermaster, one deputy quartermaster, 120 bombardiers, and three officer’s servants.
Artillery
Five field artillery regiments existed. Each regiment was composed of a staff and four battalions. The 1st Battalion of each had six companies, and the other three battalions, four companies apiece. The regimental staff, including the commanding officer, a colonel, numbered 55 (this includes the battalion staffs). Each company comprised one captain, two oberlieutenants, two second-lieutenants, one feldwebel, 12 corporals, two drummers, 100 senior gunners, 80 junior gunners, one deputy quartermaster, and four officer’s servants.
Rocket Corps
The 16 rocket batteries of the Rocket Corps were equipped with six rocket tubes each, which fired either six or 12 pound rockets. Personnel comprised on captain, two oberlieutenants, one second-lieutenant, three senior, and six junior gunners, 10 corporals two drummers, one deputy quartermaster, and three officer’s servants.
Engineers
Engineer Corps
The Corps of Engineers, which oversaw all aspects of military engineering, under the command of the General Engineer Director, was composed of three FML’s, seven major-generals, six colonels, nine lieutenant-colonels, 18 majors, 42 captains, 30 lieutenant-captains, 30 oberlieutenants, 30 second-lieutenants, and one auditor.
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