#borodino

Bonus: a photo of the monument to the 27th Infantry Division opposite the grave of its commander, D.P. Neverovsky.

The inscription on the monument:

«To the Immortal Division of Neverovsky, the heroes of Shevardino and the Semenovsky flèches. Vilna Infantry Regiment. Chief and regimental commander: Colonel Gubert. Losses on August 24 and 26, 1812: 18 officers and 345 lower ranks.»

“At 6 a.m. a battery of one hundred French guns opened fire on the Russian centre. Davout launched his attack at 6.30, committing 22,000 superb infantry in three divisions under generals Louis Friant, Jean Compans and Joseph Dessaix deployed in brigade columns, with seventy guns in close support. Ney’s three divisions of 10,000 men followed them in, and 7,500 Westphalians were in reserve. This truly savage fight took all morning, during which Davout had a horse shot from under him and was himself wounded. The Russian soldiers showed their customary reluctance to cede ground in battle. By the end some 40,000 French infantry and 11,000 cavalry had to be committed to the struggle to take the flèches. Only when two of them had been captured by close-quarter bayonet fighting did the French discover the third, which then started pouring fire into the unprotected rear of the other two; that too had to be captured at great expense. The flèches were taken and retaken seven times – just the kind of attritional combat at which the Russians excelled and Napoleon, so far from home, needed to avoid. “

"Prince Bagration at Borodino. Last counterattack." 1812, by Alexander Averyanov.

By Antoine-Jean Gros

Armada / Borodino