Part 2 Gaming The Russo Polish War/November Uprising 1830-1831

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Below is the orbat for the Russians at Debe Wielkie:


Infantry:

  Regts. 93 [Brzeski], 94 [Bialosotcki], 96 [Wilenski], 99 [Podolski], 100 [Zytomierski].

   Rifle regts. 47, 48, 49, 50


Cavalry:

   Uhlans: 23rd [Litewski], 24 [Wolynski]

   Mtd. Rifles: 1 regt.


The army commander was Rosen with Gejsmar commanding the units that fought at Debe Wielki. From the map I have, it looks like the area was covered with hills and forests but the fighting appears to have taken place in a fielded area.


On the right flank was 1 batt. of the 50th Rifles, along with the 48th Rifles and 4 guns; then 3 batts. of the Bialostock and 3 batts of Brzeski with 8 guns; then the Litewski uhlans, with the 3 sqs. of the Tyraspolski Mtd. Jagers on the far wing. Also, a batt. of Brzeski and 2 guns stood to the left of the village of Debe [basically guarding the road and acting as an advanced guard]. The Cossacks were at first placed on the left flank but when the action started 'dashed' across the battlefield to the right to attack the Polish infantry.


Gejsmar had about 8,000 infantry and around 2,000 cavalry.

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Additional maps , with Polish orbat to follow thanks to Eric in Poland

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Polish Orbat as promised;

General Skarzynski was commanding a force of 10 batts., 10 squadrons and 10 guns. The infantry consisted of:

the 4th and 8th infantry regiments and the 2nd Rifles.

The cavalry consisted of:

the 2nd mtd. jagers [rifles], the Carabiners, the 5th Uhlans and the Posnanska Horse. Gen. Skarzynski was in command of this force throughout the battle.

I have no information on the caliber of the guns but would guess that they followed typical Polish organization: 4-6 6 pdrs. or 8 pdrs. with 2 20 pdr. howitzers.


From what I've read the battle seemed to have developed like this:

General Skarzynski's force was marching down the road toward Debe Wielki. when at around 4 p.m. the 4th inf. regt. encountered the Russian jagers [the advanced guard] in the village of Hozowke.


The rest of the infantry [meaning the 8th inf. regiment] advanced in attack columns and attacked the Russians 4 times but each time they were repulsed by heavy cannon fire. The Poles brought up t2o guns to support their infantry. These guns were posted near the bridge that went over the stream.


 The 2nd rifles peeled off to the Polish left along a road that cut through the heavy woods to attack the Russian right flank, while Gen. Skarzynski sent all of his cavalry down the road to attack the Russians. The cavalry charge surprised the Russians and the Poles captured 7 position guns, 1 light gun, 23 officers and 1300 men.


Basically, the charge of the Polish cavalry cut through the lines that the Russian infantry had made and they got in behind  the Russians on the Russian left. On the Russian right, the 2nd Polish Rifles emerged from the woods and completely surprised the forces stationed on the Russian right, which forced the Russians to retire [according to the Russian account, according to the Poles, the Russians routed]. The Russian infantry retreated in a 'mass' and the Cossacks came in to attack the Poles and shore up the Russian lines. By that time, it was getting too dark to see and the Russians

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Georg Andreas von Rosen (from Wikipedia)

 (Russian: Григорий Владимирович Розен; 1782–1841) was a German military officer, a general of the Russian Imperial Army. A baron of Estonian German ancestry, he joined the army at the age of seven. He took part in the Napoleonic Wars, the Finnish War, fought at Borodino and served with Russian forces all the way to Paris. Promoted to Major General in 1809, he quickly rose through the ranks and in 1826 was promoted to a full general of infantry rank. Designated the commanding officer of the 6th Lithuanian Corps in 1827, he took part in the fights of the November Uprising. After that, he succeeded Ivan Paskevich as commander in chief of the Caucasus. He died in Moscow

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If you can gèt over the beards, then these Wargames Foundry Napoleonic Russian pikemen could be used as Polish Militia.

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http://www.deviantart.com/morelikethis/511375357?view_mode=2

Inspiration comes in many forms, this artwork undertaken by a young Pole is one such source, naive and almost comic book in form.

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The first actual 28mm green for The November Uprising sculpted by Steve Barber Models represents a Russian line Infantryman.The next figure to be worked on is a Polish soldier suitable for The 10th to The 24th Regiments of Infantry.

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Good illustrations of infantry of The Kurpie Battalion