XIII Corps (Grande Armée)

The XIII Corps of the Grande Armée was a French military unit that existed during the Napoleonic Wars. The corps was formed in the spring of 1813 and Marshal Louis-Nicolas Davout was appointed as its commander. The corps included three French infantry divisions and attached cavalry. During the German campaign, the XIII Corps was assigned to defend northern Germany. Accordingly, Davout seized Hamburg and prepared to defend it against the Allies. In September 1813, one brigade was defeated at the Battle of the Göhrde. After Emperor Napoleon I's decisive defeat at the Battle of Leipzig in October, the XIII Corps became isolated in Hamburg. An Allied army under Russian General Count von Bennigsen initiated the Siege of Hamburg in December. Under Davout's leadership, the corps repelled three attacks in February 1814 and a fourth attack in April. Davout was only persuaded to surrender in mid-May by direct orders from the new French government following Napoleon's abdication. Thanks to the iron discipline of Davout, the behavior of the troops of the XIII Corps toward the citizens of Hamburg was exemplary, compared to the usual rough treatment non-combatants often received from French soldiers of the era.

XIII Corps
Active	1813–1814
Country	First French Empire
Branch	Army
Type	Corps
Engagements	War of the Sixth Coalition
Commanders
Notable commanders	Louis-Nicolas Davout

Order of battle

Hamburg, 1814

XIII Corps: Marshal Louis-Nicolas Davout (40,000)

• 3rd Division: General of Division Louis Henri Loison
  • 15th Light Infantry Regiment
  • 44th Line Infantry Regiment
  • 48th Line Infantry Regiment
  • 108th Line Infantry Regiment
• 40th Division: General of Division Marc Nicolas Louis Pécheux
  • 33rd Light Infantry Regiment (2 battalions)
  • 30th Line Infantry Regiment (2 battalions)
  • 61st Line Infantry Regiment (2 battalions)
  • 111th Line Infantry Regiment (2 battalions)
• 50th. Division: General of Division Paul Thiébault
  • 24th Light Infantry Regiment (2 battalions)
  • 3rd Line Infantry Regiment (2 battalions)
  • 29th Line Infantry Regiment (2 battalions)
  • 105th Line Infantry Regiment (2 battalions)
• Cavalry Brigade:
  • 28th Chasseurs-à-Cheval Regiment
  • 17th Lithuanian Chevau-léger Lancers
• Other infantry elements:
  • 26th Light, 18th Line, 93rd Line, and 155th Line Infantry Regiments
• Other cavalry elements:
  • 4th, 8th, and 15th Cuirassier and 13th and 20th Dragoon Regiments
  • 5th Hussar and 2nd and 25th Chasseurs-à-Cheval Regiments

Source: Smith, Digby (1998). The Napoleonic Wars Data Book. London: Greenhill. p. 526. ISBN 1-85367-276-9.

References

• Bruce, Robert B.; Dickie, Iain; Kiley, Kevin; Pavkovic, Michael F.; Schneid, Frederick C. (2008). Fighting Techniques of the Napoleonic Age. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press. pp. 208–211. ISBN 0-312-37587-5. Retrieved 12 October 2013.
• Chandler, David G. (1966). The Campaigns of Napoleon. New York, NY: Macmillan.
• Petre, F. Loraine (1912). Napoleon's Last Campaign in Germany, 1813. New York: John Lane Company.
• Smith, Digby (1998). The Napoleonic Wars Data Book. London: Greenhill. ISBN 1-85367-276-9.