Sardinian Expeditionary Corps in the Crimean War
During the Crimean War between Russia and the alliance of France, the United Kingdom, the Ottoman Empire, and Sardinia, the latter sent an expeditionary force to the Crimean peninsula in the Black Sea.
The prime minister of the Kingdom of Sardinia Count Camillo di Cavour and the king Victor Emmanuel II decided to side with France and the United Kingdom to strengthen then French-Sardinian alliance. A total of 18,000 Sardinian troops under Lieutenant General Alfonso Ferrero La Marmora were committed to the Crimean Campaign. This was an attempt at gaining the favour of the French, regarding the issue of uniting Italy in a war against the Austrian Empire. The deployment of Italian troops to the Crimea, and the gallantry shown by them in the Battle of the Chernaya and in the siege of Sevastopol, allowed the Kingdom of Sardinia to be among the participants at the peace conference at the end of the war, where it could address the issue of the Risorgimento to other European powers.
Order of Battle of the Expeditionary Corps
A total of 18,061 men and 3,963 horses and mules embarked in April 1855 on British and Sardinian ships in the harbor of Genoa. While the infantry of the line and cavalry units were drawn from soldiers, who had volunteered for the expedition, the Bersaglieri, artillery and sapper troops were dispatched from their regular units. I.e. each of the army's 10 regular Bersaglieri battalions dispatched its first two companies for the expedition, while i.e. the 1st Battalion of the 2nd Provisional Regiment consisted of volunteers from the army's 3rd Line Infantry Regiment. The corps disembarked at Balaklava between 9 May and 14 May 1855.Staff
- Expeditionary Corps Commander in Chief: Lieutenant General Alfonso Ferrero La Marmora
- * Chief of Staff: Lieutenant Colonel Petiti Di Roreto
- * Staff Major: Major Govone
- * Artillery Staff Major: Major Della Rovere
- * Commander, Artillery: Colonel Valfre Di Bonzo
- * Commander, Engineers: Major Staglieno
- * Commander, Bersaglieri: Lieutenant Colonel De Saint Pierre
- * Commander, Support Services: Major General De Cavero
- * Commander, Medical Services: Dr. Comisetti
- * Garrison Commander Balaklava: Lieutenant Colonel Della Chiesa Della Torre
- * Garrison Commander Constantinople: Lieutenant Colonel Paolucci
- * British Liaison officer: Colonel George Cadogan
- * French Liaison officer: Capitaine le Duc de Dino Talleyrand-Périgord
Staff Units
- Provisional Light Cavalry Regiment
- * 1st Squadron with troops from the "Cavalleggeri di Novara" Regiment
- * 2nd Squadron with troops from the "Cavalleggeri di Aosta" Regiment
- * 3rd Squadron with troops from the "Cavalleggeri di Saluzzo" Regiment
- * 4th Squadron with troops from the "Cavalleggeri di Monferrato" Regiment
- * 5th Squadron with troops from the "Cavalleggeri di Alessandria" Regiment
- Provisional Fortress Artillery Battalion
- * 1st Fortress Artillery Battery from the 1st Fortress Artillery Brigade
- * 2nd Fortress Artillery Battery from the 1st Fortress Artillery Brigade
- * 7th Fortress Artillery Battery from the 2nd Fortress Artillery Brigade
- * 8th Fortress Artillery Battery from the 2nd Fortress Artillery Brigade
- Mixed Artillery Workers Company, providing maintenance support for the corps' artillery guns
- Provisional Sapper Battalion with troops from the Army's Sapper Regiment
- * 1st Sapper Company
- * 2nd Sapper Company
- * 6th Sapper Company
- * 7th Sapper Company
- Army Train, providing logistic support to the corps
- * 1st Army Train Company
- * 2nd Army Train Company
- Carabinieri Detachment, 50 men providing headquarters security
Combat Forces
- 1st Division
- * II Brigade
- ** 2nd Provisional Regiment
- *** 1st Battalion with troops from the 3rd Infantry Regiment, of the "Piemonte" Brigade
- *** 2nd Battalion with troops from the 4th Infantry Regiment, of the "Piemonte" Brigade
- *** 3rd Battalion with troops from the 5th Infantry Regiment, of the "Aosta" Brigade
- *** 4th Battalion with troops from the 6th Infantry Regiment, of the "Aosta" Brigade
- ** II Bersaglieri Battalion
- *** 9th Bersaglieri Company from the III Bersaglieri Battalion
- *** 10th Bersaglieri Company from the III Bersaglieri Battalion
- *** 13th Bersaglieri Company from the IV Bersaglieri Battalion
- *** 14th Bersaglieri Company from the IV Bersaglieri Battalion
- ** 7th Field Artillery Battery with 6x guns
- * III Brigade
- ** 3rd Provisional Regiment
- *** 1st Battalion with troops from the 7th Infantry Regiment, of the "Cuneo" Brigade
- *** 2nd Battalion with troops from the 8th Infantry Regiment, of the "Cuneo" Brigade
- *** 3rd Battalion with troops from the 13th Infantry Regiment, of the "Pinerolo" Brigade
- *** 4th Battalion with troops from the 14th Infantry Regiment, of the "Pinerolo" Brigade
- ** III Bersaglieri Battalion
- *** 17th Bersaglieri Company from the V Bersaglieri Battalion
- *** 18th Bersaglieri Company from the V Bersaglieri Battalion
- *** 21st Bersaglieri Company from the VI Bersaglieri Battalion
- *** 22nd Bersaglieri Company from the VI Bersaglieri Battalion
- ** 10th Field Artillery Battery with 6x guns
- 2nd Division
- * IV Brigade
- ** 4th Provisional Regiment
- *** 1st Battalion with troops from the 9th Infantry Regiment, of the "Regina" Brigade
- *** 2nd Battalion with troops from the 10th Infantry Regiment, of the "Regina" Brigade
- *** 3rd Battalion with troops from the 15th Infantry Regiment, of the "Savona" Brigade
- *** 4th Battalion with troops from the 16th Infantry Regiment, of the "Savona" Brigade
- ** IV Bersaglieri Battalion
- *** 25th Bersaglieri Company from the VII Bersaglieri Battalion
- *** 26th Bersaglieri Company from the VII Bersaglieri Battalion
- *** 29th Bersaglieri Company from the VIII Bersaglieri Battalion
- *** 30th Bersaglieri Company from the VIII Bersaglieri Battalion
- ** 13th Field Artillery Battery with 6x guns
- * V Brigade
- ** 5th Provisional Regiment
- *** 1st Battalion with troops from the 11th Infantry Regiment, of the "Casale" Brigade
- *** 2nd Battalion with troops from the 12th Infantry Regiment, of the "Casale" Brigade
- *** 3rd Battalion with troops from the 17th Infantry Regiment, of the "Acqui" Brigade
- *** 4th Battalion with troops from the 18th Infantry Regiment, of the "Acqui" Brigade
- ** V Bersaglieri Battalion
- *** 33rd Bersaglieri Company from the IX Bersaglieri Battalion
- *** 34th Bersaglieri Company from the IX Bersaglieri Battalion
- *** 37th Bersaglieri Company from the X Bersaglieri Battalion
- *** 38th Bersaglieri Company from the X Bersaglieri Battalion
- ** 16th Field Artillery Battery with 6x guns
Reserve Forces
- Reserve Brigade
- * 1st Provisional Regiment
- ** 1st Battalion with troops from the 1st Grenadier Regiment, of the "Granatieri di Sardegna" Brigade
- ** 2nd Battalion with troops from the 2nd Grenadier Regiment, of the "Granatieri di Sardegna" Brigade
- ** 3rd Battalion with troops from the 1st Infantry Regiment, of the "Savoia" Brigade
- ** 4th Battalion with troops from the 2nd Infantry Regiment, of the "Savoia" Brigade
- * I Bersaglieri Battalion
- ** 1st Bersaglieri Company from the I Bersaglieri Battalion
- ** 2nd Bersaglieri Company from the I Bersaglieri Battalion
- ** 5th Bersaglieri Company from the II Bersaglieri Battalion
- ** 6th Bersaglieri Company from the II Bersaglieri Battalion
- Reserve Artillery Brigade
- * 1st Field Artillery Battery with 6x guns
- * 4th Field Artillery Battery with 6x guns
Naval Division
Staff
- Naval Division Commander: 1st rank Ship-of-the-line Captain Orazio Di Negro
- * Chief of Staff: Corvette Captain Boyl di Putifigari
- * Flag Adjutant: 1st rank Ship-of-the-line Lieutenant Pagliacciu Suni
- * Harbour Commander Balaklava, 1st rank Ship-of-the-line Lieutenant Ferrero La Marmora,
- * Harbour Commander Constantinople Major De Rey
Combat ships
- ":it:Carlo Alberto |Carlo Alberto" steam frigate of the 1st rank and flagship
- ":it:Governolo |Governolo" steam frigate of the 2nd rank
- ":it:Costituzione |Costituzione" steam frigate of the 2nd rank
- ":it:Tripoli |Tripoli" steam corvette of the 2nd rank
- ":it:Monzambano |Monzambano" steam corvette of the 2nd rank
- ":it:Malfatano |Malfatano" steam corvette of the 2nd rank
- ":it:Authion |Authion" steam aviso
- ":it:Gulnara |Gulnara" steam avisio
- "Varo" armed transport ship
- "Dora" armed transport ship
- "Tanaro" armed transport ship
Transport ships
- "San Michele"
- "Beroldo"
- "De Geneys"
- "Euridice"
- "San Giovanni"
- "Aurora"
- "Azzardoso" transport brigantine