28th demi brigade, 1796 to 1800

28e demi-brigade d’Infantrerie de Ligne

This is the third regiment completed belonging to Watrin's Division, of Lanne's Corps.

• Corps: Général de division Lannes

• Division: Général de division Watrin

• Brigade: Général de brigade Malher
•  6th Demi-brigade (3)(1l14) 
• 40th Demi-brigade (3)(1716)

• Brigade:Général de brigade Gency 
• 22nd Demi-brigade (3)(1255)

• Brigade: Général de brigade Mainony 
• 28th Demi-brigade (3)(998)

28e demi-brigade d’Infantrerie de Ligne was created in 1775 from two batallions of the Regiment de Lyonnais.  In 1791it was reconstituted the 28e Regiment d’Infanterie.  

In 1794 it was redesignated the 28e demi-brigade de bataille by combining the 2e bataillon 14e Regiment d'Infanterie, 6e and 10e bataillons Volontaires de la Marne.

In 1796 the 28e demi-brigade d’Infanterie de Ligne was reformed by combining the:

• 183e demi-brigade de bataille (1er Bat 104e Regt d'Inf., 1er Bat Vol de l'Oise and 3e Bat Vol des Reserve)
• 1er bataillon 6e Regiment d'Infanterie
• 4e bataillon Volontaires de la Meuse
• 1er bataillon Volontaires de la Manche
• 6e bataillon Volontaires de Soissons
• 9e bataillon Volontaires de la Reserve
• 4e bataillon Volontaires de Lot-et-Garonn

During the Marengo campaign the 28^th was led by Jean-Marie-Melon Roger Valhubert.  Valhubert would rise to General of Brigade in 1803, win the Legion d’Honneur in 1804, but suffer mortal wounds at the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805.

The 28^th Demi-Brigade had an active role in the 1800 Marengo Campaign.  As part of Watrin’s division of Lannes’s Corps, the 28^th saw action at Aosta, Chatillion in mid May.  The 28^th saw further action at Ivrea and Romano Chiusella in late May.  In the later battle the 28^th helped to rally Watrin’s division after an assault by Austrian dragoons threatened to destabilize the French attack. 

By June 9^th, the regiment saw extensive action at the battle of Casteggio-Montebello. Lanne’s Corp began the battle as a minor skirmish which slowly evolved into a significant battle  against ever increasing Austrian reinforcements.  Only the timely arrival of troops French reinforcements from Victor’s Corps by the end of the day helped stave off a defeat.  The 28^th saw further action in the Battle of Marengo.  As the third Austrian break through took place against Lannes’s position, he used the 28^th DB to form a square to the eastern most part of his position.  As Austrian pressure mounted this formation was forced to fall back until French reinforcements arrived to help turn what appeared to be a major Austrian victory into an Austrian rout.

Regimental war record (Battles and Combats)

1793: Moulinet, Braons, Perus, Raous, Sospello, Gillette, Utelle and Castel-Gineste

1794: Boulou, Siege of Collioure, Montagne, Siege of Rosas and Flavia

1799: Visp and Bedretto

1800: Stradella, Montebello, Marengo, Gotto, Pozzolo

1805: Capture of Memmingen, Hollarbrunn,Austerlitz

1806: Jena, Capture of Lubeck

1807: Bergfried, Eylau, Wolfsdorf, Heilsberg,Koenigsberg

1808: Durango, Guenes,

1809: Talevera de la Reina, Vol-de-Moro, Tolede, Almonacid, Alverez

1810: Berneck,Siege of Astorga, Sobral

1811: Campo-Mayor

1813: Vitoria, Col-de-Mayo, Col-de-Vera

1813: Dolma, Raknitz, Dresden, Cassel and Coutrai

1814: Acis-sur-Aube, Saint-Dizier

1815: Waterloo

Battle Honours

Marengo 1800, Austerlitz 1805 and Eylau 1807

These are Baccus figures and were very easy to paint.

I am halfway through finishing my final regiment for Watrin's Division, the 40th DB.  With the completion of this unit I will have Lannes's Corps ready to roll and it will be on to quick paint up of some French artillery.  That completed its then on to painting my Austrian forces.

Sources:  I had previously researched what I could find on Watrin's division and included aspects of that in this post.

apwargames.blogspot.com/2016/03/22nd-demi-brigade-1796-to-1800.html

http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_marengo.html

http://www.napoleon-series.org/military/organization/c_frenchinf3.html