Last stand at Austerlitz (Part 2)
Dated: June 13, 2007.
Attached are nine photo's of the model I made of the last stand of the 4th Line at Austerlitz. This action was a last gasp victory on the part of the Russian Guard, commanded my Arch-Duke Constantine.
While attempting to lead the Guard in an organized retreat from what was already determined to be a disastrous defeat at the hands of Napoleon, Constantine's cavalry column caught the isolated 1st Battalion of the French 4th Regiment by surprise and closed to attack.
Major Bigarre, commanding the 4th, acted quickly and managed to hold off the first wave of the Russian Life Guards. The decisive blow came from a battery of Russian horse artillery which unlimbered behind the Life Guards and broke the square with grapeshot. When the Bigarre's formation was disordered the Horse Guards rode in, cut down the survivors, and captured the Eagle.
In my model the Russian artillery is represented by HaT Austrian gunners painted as Russian Line artillery, (I did this because no Russian horse artillery is currently available so I used what I had on hand). Also in the background the French 24th Light Infantry (HaT) can be seen, as well as the forward elements of Napoleon's H. Q. and Arch-Duke Constantine with some Russian staff officers. The 24th Light would be caught up in the route of the 4th Line and the retreating men would pass through the Emperor's H.Q. in their effort to escape.
It was this desperate moment which caused the Emperor to order his own Imperial Guard Cavalry on to the field. What followed was one of the largest cavalry clashes of all time, but that is another model… Hope you enjoy them,
S. M. Mannix
U. S. A.
Many thanks to Mr. Mannix.