Regiment of foreign infantry
DE PORTES
1703 - 1798
The 27 october 1703 the Duke Victor
Amadeus II makes a convention with colonel Ludovic De Portes
to raise a regiment of infantry with foreign men, German,
Swiss, protestant French, Holland and British, with a force
of two battalion.
Service during the Polish
Succession War
De Portes in 1733 campains in Lombardy.
In the spring of 1734 De Portes' flag waves at the battle of
Parma (29 june) and, three months later, at the battle of
Guastalla (19 august) In 1735 the Regiment marches up the
Adige Valley. In september it joins the Piedmontese Army on
the West side of lake of Garda supporting the french action
on the East side. At the end of the year, the 8 november, De
Portes with the whole Army takes winter quarters in the
country around Cremona and Brescia.
The 10 march 1739 it becomes regiment
Audibert.
Service during the Austrian
Succession War
In 1742 only 1st Audibert's battalion is
campaigning in north-east Italy in the Po plains. In
September Audibert's 1st and 2nd battallions marches on the
Alps; the 1st from the camp of Novalesa in Susa Valley able
to climb the Mount Cenis while the 2nd is inside the new
giant fortress of Fenestrelle ready to reach Modane from Val
du Roue to undertake a campaign in Savoy against an invading
Spanish army. In jenuary 1743 after a cold winter campaign
Savoy is abandoned and Audibert returns again in Piedmont.
The regiment stays ready on the alpine front since the
summer of 1743, when it is sent in varaita Valley. Posted
over the village of Chateau, Audibert fights to succesful to
stop the spanish autumn offensive. The west front reamains
the focus of the war for the year 1744 and again Varaita
Valley is the centre of the struggle. The 1st battalion of
Audibert fights inside the redoubt of Mount Cavallo (17 july
1744). At the evening the battalion has lost 139 men.
Audibert is attached to the main Army to break the Cuneo's
siege. The two battalions are present at Madonna dell'Olmo
(30 september 1744), situated in the centre, second line. In
1745 Maillebois' offensive achieves its acme at the battle
of Bassignana (27 september). Audibert is in the right of
Sardinian line, defending the plain before the village of
Pietramarazzi.. The follow year Audibert is present in the
Leutrum's Army. In april there is a new colonel, Jean du
Monfort de Varache, and the units is renamed in Monfort.
Then the two battalions are separated. The 1st battalion
fight in the south-west in the mediterranean theatre during
the offensive in Provence (30 november 1746-3 february
1747). While the operation in the ligurian front are
concentrated around the battered walls of Genoa, a french
offensive is lauched in the Susa Valley. Immediately two
battalions of Montfort have to march to the Alps. The 1st
battalion controls the Fattières and finestre gaps in
order to support the units entrenched at the Assietta ridge
(19 july 1747).
At the end of the war, in 1752 Monfort
has a new capitulation and the possibility to enlist italian
men. In 1769 there are no more allowed protestant soldiers.
In 1769 it becomes De Sury.
Commanders of Regiment Fusiliers
under Charles Emmanuel
III
Lodovic De Portes
|
4-11-1703
|
Pierre Audibert
|
10- 3-1739
|
Jean du Monfort de
Varache
|
6- 4-1746
|
Eugene Alexander de
Sury
|
16-11-1769
|
Uniforms
1730-1750: Grey-white coat, green
lining, cuffs, waistcoat and breeches. White gaiters for
fusilier, black for grenadiers. Six tinned buttons in ranks
of two on each side of the coat, three on the cuffs.
Horizontal pockets. Tricorne with dark blue cockade on the
left brim and white hem for fusiliers, bearskin cap for
grenadiers.
1750-1773 (only principal
differences from the previous issue): Dark blue coat, cuff,
waistcoat and breeches; red lapels, lining and collar. Seven
brassed buttons on lapels, one on the top and three ranks of
two. Tricorne with white hem and yellow, black and red
pompon. Bearskin cap with red tail, yellow hem, yellow and
red pompon.
Colours
Colonel's
Colour: Blue with black eagle in the
centre decorated with the Savoy's cross and overhanged by
royal crown.
Regimental
Colour:
De Portes: four quarters separated
by a white cross. 1st and 3rd quarters have red flame over
blue with a red decorated hem separated by yellow line. 2nd
and 4th quarters have these colours inverted.
Audibert - Monfort: White cross
over red. Three green flames from the center and black
corner near the cross.
De Sury: as De Portes.
Jean Cerino Badone
|