Types of Military Forces in The Napoleonic Wars - Support Services

Support Services

Support services were all the multitude of troops that ensured the Combat Arms could manoeuvre and fight.

• Administrative staffs

The administrative staffs of the armies were largely responsible for the operational matters relating to the conduct of campaigns such as obtaining intelligence, transmitting orders, and ensuring the delivery of ammunition to troops.

• Quartermaster staffs

The quartermaster staffs during the period were largely responsible for ensuring the armies had adequate living quarters and provisions (water, food and clothing) for troops and animals to continue the campaign. They also often served in the intelligence gathering capacity as Quartermaster scouts due to their need to be located somewhat ahead of the marching troops when surveying the locations for suitable camp-sites or bivouacs.

• Engineers

Usually part of the artillery Arm, the military engineers were responsible for the building and destruction of field defences, conduct of sieges, and construction and demolition of bridges.

• Pontonniers

The pontonniers continued in their 18th century role of erecting the pontoons that were used to cross rivers where no bridge was available, or where one was destroyed by the enemy.

• Sappers

Sappers, also known as pioneers, were originally the troops that were used for digging trenches and fortifications during sieges. By the time of the Napoleonic Wars a detachment of sappers was usually serving with infantry and cavalry regiments to help with demolition of gates and fences to allow easier movement by these units. Sappers were chosen for their large size and physical strength. A distinctive piece of equipment of a sapper was the axe, usually a double-handed implement with a broad head.

• Miners

Less well known during the period, the military miners had a long history, and were used to mine the tunnels during sieges in which the explosive charges were emplaced to demolish parts of the fortification's wall, creating a breach.

• The army train

The Army train was the Service that ensured, with varying degree of efficiency during the period, of delivering to the troops everything they could not carry themselves. Often divided among the regimental and general trains, the French Service was considered the best in Europe during the period.

• Medical services

Although the military medical services ware rudimentary during the Wars, they existed, and the experience of military doctors and surgeons during the conflicts contributed significantly to advancement of medical science later in the century.