1812 French Cav. Corps Arty + Officers??

[Blathergut]

The French 1812 Infantry Corps allows artillery units to have officers.
The French 1812 Guard Corps allows artillery units to have officers.

Can the French 1812 Cav. Reserve Corps artillery units have officers attached? If not, is there a particular reason???

[MDH]

Mainly because their artillery is horse artillery and I have yet to read of a field officer(key) commanding horse artillery batteries in action( plural key) as part of a cavalry formation( also key). In some ways it would be more historically accurate not to allow a cavalry division to have any artillery units at all in FOG(N) but only artillery attachments or to allow single base units for them. But this is where "game" has to trump " anally obsessive simulation " ( important I got the spelling right there ).

But if someone thinks that have evidence...

That said other than in a big game or historical refight I cannot see much advantage to having officers attached to divisional field artillery given other choices for their use. I can see that would be an advantage in a cavalry division, sparing some CPs of course for movement .

The allowance for an attached specialist artillery field officer in some later lists is to reflect the greater and more developed and greater sophistication of the artillery arm of service in some armies by the end of the period- mainly French and Russian- certainly not British or Prussian and probably not Austrian. For a big game with a " grand battery " absolutely of course. Indeed for that perhaps it ought to be compulsory.

Actually I think I would treat a grand battery of 3 units /6 bases of more as a Division in its own right for C3 purposes.

[Blathergut]

Thanks for the explanation. I had thought of sticking officers with the imported infantry division horse arty and the imported gd horse arty.

[KeefM]

Interesting ...

I've been a regular user of officer attachments with artillery and find them incredibly useful for manuever (a 'free' CP and passing CMTs on 4+ for eg).

Incidentally, the current Russian and French 1812 Infantry lists allow officer attachments for their integral horse artillery units !

[Blathergut]

Had planned on using that! (But they might have been thinking mostly foot when they put that in the list points!) And the French Guard also allow it. In particular, it's the better movement (CMT) that really helps out.

[MDH]

Had planned on using that! (But they might have been thinking mostly foot when they put that in the list points!) And the French Guard also allow it. In particular, it's the better movement (CMT) that really helps out.

That is true but of course the Russians had 12 gun batteries so that treating them the same as field artillery in an infantry Corps is more defensible even if slightly anomalous all the same .

But then when one thinks about it the only real difference between field and horse artillery was that the latter were more mobile and that is of comparatively less benefit when working as part of infantry formations- they can prolong no more easily than equivalently gunned field. In addition horse artillery were sometimes treated as a mobile artillery reserve .

I think this issue of attaching an officer is an artefact of having defined a small unit of two bases as 12-19 guns which is a mini grand battery of course and which makes attaching a field officer seem a reasonable idea for armies that had substantial artillery arms and where one can find evidence of their having designated artillery officers who operated in the front line as opposed to being de facto specialist quartermasters . Maybe the anomaly is in allowing an officer attachment for small artillery units at all ?

It is when with cavalry that their faster movement comes in handy and for most nations that meant single or even part batteries not groupings of 12-19 guns under a field officer .

[KeefM]

It is possible to use a Divisional General to brigade group artillery (inc horse) units with other units to gain double moves on 4+.

The main benefit of an attached officer to an artillery unit is the 'free' CP for 4+ prolonging. The additional bonus is in being able to operate that unit away from its own Division and always have a rally attempt.

To my mind, an officer is even better with large units (with or without an artillery attachment).

Indeed, I think the best representation of a grand battery is a large artillery unit with attached artillery and an officer . Very potent, and also a tad clumsy to use effectively . But looks great !!

[deadtorius]

It is possible to use a Divisional General to brigade group artillery (inc horse) units with other units to gain double moves on 4+.

Yes for a second move no to prolong as all units in a brigade have to make the same move and foot can't prolong. I think only moves you can CMT are second move and retire directly away something like that. You can't join a divisional or corps commander to an artillery unit so you won't be able to prolong with a 4+ unless you have an attached officer.