Hello to one and all ,
The Crimean Wars involved many nations amongst them the Sardinians in support of the British campaign.
Model Cellar have released recently another bust in their 120mm range depicting a very disinctive uniform
..thats what we will be sharing together
..........so sit up straight at the back of the class
and lets have some background on these troop types first:On 26 January 1855, the united Kingdom of Piedmont – Sardinia joined the British, French, and Turkish allies in fighting the Russians in the Crimean War. Its motive was largely political. The Sardinian prime minister, Count Cavour, was eager to have his country represented at a peace conference following the war. At this conference, Piedmont – Sardinia would effectively be speaking on behalf of other states in the still disunited Italy.
The Sardinian Army totaled 45,000 men in peacetime, a figure increased to 85,000 in time of war. It consisted of infantry, rifles, cavalry, artillery, engineers, a wagon train , and gendarmes. Sardinian soldiers were conscripted, and infantrymen were required to serve eight years on active service with eight years in the reserve.
The Sardinian contingent in the Crimea War consisted of 15,000 soldiers under the command of forty-year- old General Alfonso de la Marmora. The Sardinians, organized in provisional regiments, arrived in the Crimea in May 1855 and were attached to the British force. They made an impression on the war- weary veterans already in the Crimea, wearing “bandit-looking hats with large plume of black cocks’ feathers” Within a month of their arrival, however, 5 percent of the Sardinian advance party had succumbed to cholera.
The Sardinians served in the trenches before Sevastopol and distinguished themselves at the Battle of Chernaya (16 August 1855) and in the attack on the Malakov (8 September 1855). The Sardinians, called the “Sardines” by the admiring British, and their commander “General Marmalade” redeployed to Genoa during the last week of April 1856
The Sardinian contingent in the Crimea was composed of provisional regiments of 2 battalions each ; these were formed by detailing a company from every battalion of the infantry, and composed 2 divisions of 4 regiments, and a reserve brigade. Two companies of every battalion of bersaglieri were present, forming 5 provisional battalions
.
The tactics and instruction of the Sardinian infantry differ but little from that of the French, from which they are derived.
Basic uniform details:
Hemispherical hat with a round, broad brim and a plume of capon feathers hanging down on the right side, dark-blue wool tunic, crimson collar and trim, dark-blue wool jacket, dark-blue cloak, dark-blue pants, green wool cords.
The frock-coat is dark blue.
The pants and overcoats are of a somewhat more grayish hue.
The overcoat alone was worn in the Crimea, the frock-coat being left at home; the overcoat has a large rolling collar, but no cape. Shoes and gaiters are used.
The knapsack is of black leather, and is 15" X 12" X 3"; it is not
attached to the waist-belt, but has straps after the Austrian fashion.
The knapsack contained 1 linen coat, 1 pair of linen pants, 1 woolen
shirt, 1 linen shirt, 1 pair of drawers, 1 pair of shoes, 1 pair of leather
gaiters, 1 stock or scarf, and the brushes ; a plaid blanket is strapped to
the top and sides of the knapsack ; the shelter tent is attached to the
front of the knapsack.
The forage cap is of wool, and something between the Greek cap and
the Turkish fez ; it is what is known as the Italian fisherman's cap, and
has no visor.
The hat of the bersaglieri is of felt, with a flat rim 3" broad ; the rim
is stiff, and covered with oiled linen; the crown is round; there is a
plume of black cocks' feathers.
Their pants are dark blue, as well as their overcoats.
ARMS AND ACCOUTREMENTS.
Twenty men in each company of infantry^ have the bersaglieri rifle,
the rest have the ordinary percussion musket, using the Nessler ball.
The bersaglieri rifle has a 30" barrel, and is quite heavy; it has 8
grooves, an elevating hausse, and sword bayonet. The beak of the butt-
plate has a spiked projection some 5" or 6" long, to assist the men in
climbing hills, &c.
The range of this rifle is about 600 metres.
The infantry cartridge-box contains 30 rounds, and is attached to the waist-belt by a loop of sheet iron; the bayonet-scabbard is also attached to the waist-belt; the infantry wear no sabre.
The box of the bersaglieri contains only balls and cleaning-utensils, neither cartridges nor patches being used; the powder is carried in a rough, wooden powder-horn, suspended by a green cord, and thrust into a pocket of the coat.
There is a separate waist-belt for the sword bayonet of the bersaglieri
The Bersaglieri were formed in provincial units details below with their commanders:
Corpo dei Bersaglieri; comandante del corpo Col. cavaliere Giuseppe Savant; headquarters in Cuneo.
1o Battaglione - Maj. cavaliere Vincenzo Radicati di Primeglio.
2o Battaglione - Maj. Luigi Vincenzo Galli.
3o Battaglione - also Maj. Galli.
4o Battaglione - Maj. Giovanni Morand.
All four of the first battalions were headquartered in Cuneo. Six companies were detached: one at Fossano, one at Alba, one at Saranza, one at Saluzzo, another at Mondovl, and one at Oneglia.
5o Battaglione - Maj. cavaliere Augusto Bertaldi; Genova.
6o Battaglione - Maj. cavaliere Giovanni Balegno di Carpenetto; Ozieri (with two companies at Nuoro).
7o Battaglione - Maj. cavaliere Camillo Chiesa della Torre; Savona.
8o Battaglione - Maj. cavaliere Luigi Biglione di Viariggi; Torino.
9o Battaglione - Maj. Luigi Beretta; Chambéry.
10o Battaglione - Maj. Francesco Cassinis; Genova.
Compagnia di Deposito (Depot Company) - Lt. Giuseppe Silvestro Vayra.
Continued in next post:
Nap
