Because von Peter himself is collecting the Saxons of the 1813 campaign it seemed sensible to base his French on the French order of battle of the same Corps - General de division Reynier’s VII Corps. And so we have the 32nd Division commanded by General de Division Pierre Francois Joseph Durutte as it stood in early August 1813.

The figures are from Calpe Miniatures and are the epitome of that fashionable campaign look. Calpe sculpt their figures as they would have looked in the field, not in theoretical parade ground attire. It is to be admitted that there are far more Frenchmen in the unpigmented figure pile than there are painted. Their time will come.

von Peter’s painting. Flags are sourced from GMB Designs.

Command

The current directive is that there be an overall commander for the French and their allies. And it is imperative that said commander speak with a French accent because that's the way le petite emperor likes it. Keeps the 'allies' from getting ideas above their station.

For now this role is being ably filled by the French pack F18 Regimental headquarters as supplied by Calpe Miniatures ...

          Four figure pack. Regimental headquarters. Mounted colonel, mounted major, adjutant NCO and fusilier standing to attention.

While a regimental command fills this role adequately for now it is anticipated that eventually some French general and supporting figures will be procured to fullfil this CinC role for the French and allies. This command stand will then move down the command structure to command a brigade or regiment of Frenchmen.

von Peter himself is well satisfied with the way these figures came out individually and work together as a group. The major's shako is a particular favourite with its combination of a silver and a gold band around the top.

The idea of posing them with the Russian buildings was unintentionally inspired as the colours seem to all come together nicely ... at least to the authors eyes.

1st Brigade: General de brigade Devaux

The 1st Brigade was constituted by ...

               ●︎ 1/35 Légère

               ●︎ a detachment from the 2/35 Légère

               ●︎ 4/35 Légère

               ●︎ 1/132 Ligne

               ●︎ a detachment from the 2/132 Ligne

               ●︎ 3/132 Ligne

               ●︎ 4/132 Ligne

The plan is recreate the complete brigade but the two detachments create a little conundrum. To model them or not? The current thinking is to model them as complete battalions so that they will be available for general gaming. The two extra battalions also make for improved gaming potential as their presence will mean that two "gaming" brigades/commands can be created - a three battalion command of the 35 Légère and a four battalion 132 Ligne command.

132 Ligne

During revolutionary France's existential crisis of 1794 the 132 demi-brigade de bataille was created and was in existence until 1796 when it was absorbed into the 108 demi-brigade d'Infanterie de Ligne. Does this constitute ancestry of the 132 Ligne? Rolling forward to 1811 and the 132e Regiment d'Infanterie de Ligne was created from conscripts no doubt with an eye on a potential conflict with Russia. The regimental war record reads as ...

1794: Clairfontaine, Fleurus, Merbaise, and Roer

1795: Limbourg and Costheim

1812: Wolkowisk

1813: Kalisch, Bautzen, Wittstock, Gross-Beeren, Dennewitz, Roslau, Leipzig, Freyburg, Hanau, Villach, Caldiero, and Ferrare

1814: Saint-Dizier, La Rothiere, Rosnay, Champaubert, Vauchamps, Meaux, May-en-Multien, Neuilly-Saint-Front, Laon, Berry-au-Bac, Fere-Champenois Mincio, and Paris.

This regiment is to be modelled in the main using the Calpe Route March French.

35 Légère

The 35e Regiment d'Infanterie Legere was formed in 1812 from the 1er Regiment de la Mediterrane which itself was formed in 1810. The regimental war record reads as ...

1813: Kalisch, Rawiez, Wurschen, Villach, Wolditz, Gross-Beeren, Juterbock, Santa-Hermajor, Zeth, Mulda, Leipzig, Freybourg, and Hanau

1814: Gardonne, Palmanova, Volta, and Aiguebelle.

Because von Peter himself has a predilection to model his light battalions as firing lines the battalions of this regiment are to be modelled using the Calpe Miniatures firing line French. Of course the Calpe Miniatures firing line French don't actually exist yet. Nor has their future existence been mentioned that von Peter himself can recall off hand but that they will exist at some point in the future seems like a fairly sure bet. The question is "when". Fortunately there are several battalions of French ligne infantry that can be pigmented while waiting.

4/132 Ligne

The first French battalion that von Peter himself has ever painted. He needs to paint more. And much quicker. There is photo of five painted companies of this battalion dated September 2013. The four figures of the final company - the second with their sky blue shako tufts and the battalion's blue fanion - were completed in early May ... 2020!! There really can be no excuse. Their blue fanion denotes them as the fourth battalion of the regiment.

2nd Bigade: General de brigade Jarry

As a stretch goal there is the 2nd Brigade. Given the output of von Peter himself this is the definition of long term planning! It may not even be required considering all the French allied troops available at Neu Schloss von Peter. But one must have one's dreams.

The 1st Brigade's order of battle ...

               ●︎ 1/36 Légère

               ●︎ a detachment from the 2/36 Légère

               ●︎ 4/36 Légère

               ●︎ 1/131 Ligne

               ●︎ 3/131 Ligne

               ●︎ 4/131 Ligne.

36 Légère

In 1812 the 36e Regiment d'Infanterie Legere was formed from the Regiment de Belle-Ile - itself formed in 1811. The regiment's war record was ...

1812: Wolkowisk

1813: Kalisch, Gorlitz, Gross-Beeren, Villach, Juterbock, Dessau, Roslow, Leipzig,Freybourg, and Hanau

1814: Coblentz and Parme.

As per the 35 Légère it is planned to use the not yet in existence Calpe Miniatures firing line French. See 35 Légère above for further details.

131 Ligne

Similarly to the 132 Ligne the original 131e demi-brigade de bataille was created in 1794 and disbanded in 1796 when it was amalgamated into the 1er demi-brigade d'Infanterie de Ligne. Also as per the 132 Ligne the 131e Regiment d'Infanterie de Ligne was formed from conscripts in 1811. The regiment's war record stands as ...

1795: Heidelberg and Wissembourg

1812: Beresina

1813: Lutzen, Bautzen, Reichenbach, Gross-Beeren, Denewitz, Leipzig, Hanau, and Saffnitz

1814: Metz and Mincio

The current plan is that the 131 Ligne will be recreated using Calpe Miniatures March Attack French.

3rd Brigade: General de brigade Menu

If the 1st and 2nd Brigades ever get completed then von Peter himself will be the proud commander of 13 French battalions. This will probably be plenty especially considering all the allied contingents available at Neu Schloss von Peter. But there is always that megalomaniac streak inherent in Napoleonic wargaming and von Peter himself does have a tendency as a completionist. So as a nod to that completionist thinking von Peter himself presents the 3rd Brigade ...

               ●︎ a detachment from the 2/133 Ligne

               ●︎ 3/133 Ligne

               ●︎ 4/133 Ligne

               ●︎ 1/Wurzburg Infantry Regiment

               ●︎ 2/Wurzburg Infantry Regiment.

Divisional Artillery

The 32nd Division had two 6 pounder foot artillery batteries attached ...

               ●︎ 12/1er Regiment d'Artillerie-á-Pied

               ●︎ 13/8e Regiment d'Artillerie-á-Pied.

Once again the services of Calpe Miniatures will be called upon to provision these batteries. The cannon have been available for a while now and are securely stored in the armoury of Neu Schloss von Peter but as yet there is no sign of the artillerymen to work them.

133 Ligne

The 133e Regiment d'Infanterie de Ligne was formed in 1812 from the 2e Regiment de la Mediterranee which had originally been formed in 1811. The regimental war record reads as ...

1812: Wolowisk

1813: Kalisch, Bautzen, Gross-Beeren, Dennewitz, Leipzig, and Hanau

1814: Modlin, Landau, and Torgau.