The Army of the Kingdom of Naples was, by the time's standards, a relatively sizeable force. At its height in 1815, it numbered close to 95,000 men. This large formation was modelled heavily on the French Grande Armée, and although the success of its service in the Peninsular War is questionable, the Neapolitan Army is still remembered as one of the better-organised examples of armies from Napoleon'sclient states.
Below is a mostly complete (with a few obscure exceptions) list of various units serving in the Murrattian Neapolitan Army in the Napoleonic Wars. The units are listed by their respective army branches, i.e guard infantry and engineers. It must be noted that all of the regiments and units pertaining to the Guard had the phrase "della Guardia Reale" (Italian: 'of the Royal Guard') after their official name, to indicate their status.
Royal Guard
Guard Infantry
In 1815, the Guard Infantry Division totalled 57 companies organised into 4 regiments (9 battalions) and totalled 8,135 men.
English Name
Italian Name
Formation Date
Disbanded
Major Nationalities (other than Neapolitan) — if applicable
Notes
Regiment of Foot Grenadiers
Reggimento di Granatieri a Piedi
11 July 1806
20 May 1815
French, German and "other foreigners"
1st Regiment of Vélités of Foot
1° Reggimento di Veliti a Piedi
15 July 1811
May 1815
Originally formed as the Vélité Hunters converted 15 July 1811 as Foot Velites, thereby becoming the 1st Velites.
2nd Regiment of Vélités of Foot
2° Reggimento di Veliti a Piedi
15 July 1811
May 1815
Regiment of Vélité-Hunters
Reggimento Veliti Cacciatori
22 September 1808
15 July 1815
Originally formed as the Company of Chosen Civic Hunters in 1806, and expanded to a regiment in 1808 after their conversion. Became the 1st Regiment of Velites of Foot on 15 July 1811.
Disbanded in 1811 following the reorganisation of the guard. Re-raised in 1814, but the lineage wasn't transferred (see 12th Line below under Infantry and Voltigeur Regiment)
Regiment of Voltigeurs
Reggimento di Volteggiatori
29 September 1814
May 1815
Formed as the 12th Infantry Regiment, later converted to the Guard Voltigeurs. See 12th Infantry under "Line Infantry" for more information.
Company of Chosen Civilian Hunters
Compagnia Caccciatori Civici Scelti
1806
22 September 1808
Formed as a civilian unit, then transferred to the Guard, and finally expanded in 1808 into the Regiment of Velite Hunters.
English Name
Italian Name
Formation Date
Disbanded
Major Nationalities (other than Neapolitan) — if applicable
Redesignated back as the Honour Guards, soon reduced to a company and the remainder of the companies sent to the Guard Lancers Regiment.
Regiment of Lancers
Reggimento dei Lancieri
1 October 1814
May 1815
Formed from the three squadrons initially intended for the Honour Guards Regiment.
Regiment of Cuirassiers
Reggimento Corazzieri
18 March 1813
May 1815
Regiment of Chevaulegers
Reggimento Cavalleggeri
30 July 1806
10 July 1808
French
Raised as an early, impromptu cavalry regiment in Joseph's army in 1806 from French cavalrymen. Eventually disbanded in 1808.
Regiment of Chevaulegers
Reggimento Cavallegeri
6 September 1808
May 1815
Berg (German)
Raised as the Regiment of Berg Lancers, later transferred to the Neapolitan Guard. Not to be confused with the other Chevauleger regiment mentioned above; although these two bore the same name, they did not exist during the same time at once.
Regiment of Hussars
Reggimento Ussari
11 April 1813
May 1815
Raised from the Mounted Velites.
Regiment of Mounted Velites
Reggimento Veliti a Cavallo
22 September 1808
11 April 1813
Originally designated as a Corps rather than a regiment.
Company of Mounted Velites of Clary
Compagnia Veliti a Cavallo Clary
22 November 1806
September 1808
Raised as an independent bodyguard for Marie Julie Clary, King Joseph Bonaparte's wife. Later merged with the Tascher Cavalry to form the Corps of Mounted Velites.
Selected Squadron of Gendarmerie
Squadrone Gendarmeria Scelta
30 September 1806
18 March 1813
Initially raised as a Corps of Elite Gendarmerie. Only used for military police duty.
Formed from the "Corpo Reale Africano", a Negro unit from Saint-Domingue in French service
8th Regiment of the Line
8° Reggimento di Linea
14 October 1811
1814
"Principe Luciano"
Made up from the two Neapolitan battalions serving in Spain and the remnants of the 2nd Light Regiment at Saragossa
9th Regiment of the Line
8° Reggimento di Linea
28 June 1813
May 1815
Raised from the "Reggimento Provvisorio".
10th Regiment of the Line
10° Reggimento di Linea
8 March 1814
May 1815
11th Regiment of the Line
11° Reggimento di Linea
3 May 1814
May 1815
12th Regiment of the Line
12° Reggimento di Linea
29 June 1814
29 September 1814
"della Marca"
Brought into the Royal Guard in September 1814 as the Regiment of Voltiegeurs, later reformed out of Italian veterans.
Neuchatel Battalion
Battaglione Neuchatel
4 October 1808
19 May 1815
Formed in 4 October of Swiss Mercenaries who enlisted in Neapolitan Service.
MacDonald's Elite Regiment
Reggimento scelto MacDonald
12 January 1813
10 June 1813
Formed through the remnants of the Neapolitan troops in the Grande Armée for service in Germany under command of General Macdonald. It was formed from all of the elite companies of the Neapolitan regiments (5th, 6th and 7th line) serving in Germany and the Marines of the Guard.
Light Infantry
English Name
Italian Name
Formation Date
Disbanded
Major Nationality (other than Neapolitan) — if applicable
Notes
Royal Corsican Legion
Legione Real Corso
30 June 1806 (transferred from French service)
16 February 1813
Corsican
Formed from the French "Legion Corse".
1st Light Infantry Regiment
1° Reggimento Leggero
16 February 1813
May 1815
Corsican
Formed from the old Corsican regiment, designated as a formal light infantry regiment.
2nd Light Infantry Regiment
2° Reggimento Leggero
16 February 1806
May 1815
Originally the 1st Light Regiment - during the reorganisation of 1813, it was redesignated as the 2nd.
3rd Light Infantry Regiment
3° Reggimento Leggero
16 February 1806
May 1815
Originally the 2nd Light Regiment - during the reorganisation of 1813, it was redesignated as the 3rd.
4th Light Infantry Regiment
4° Reggimento Leggero
20 February 1812
May 1815
Originally a provisional light infantry regiment, reorganised into the 4th Light Regiment in 1813.
Smith, Digby (2018), Murat's Army: The Army of the Kingdom of Naples 1806-1815, Helion Limited, ISBN978-1-912-39009-0
Crociani, Pietro (2016), L'Esercito del Regno Napoletano: The Army of the Kingdom of Naples, 1806-1815, Soldiershop
Crociani, Piero (1987), L'Esercito Napoletano 1806/1815: Fanteria di Linea, Editrice Militare Italiana
V. Ilari, P. Crociani, G. Boeri, Storia Militare del Regno Murattiano 1806-15, Widerholdt Frères, Invorio, 2007, vol. I (Comando e Amministrazione), II (Armi e Corpi dell'Esercito), III (Gendarmeria, Legioni Provinciali, Marina, Indice biografico).
Virgilio Ilari, Piero Crociani e Ciro Paoletti, Storia militare dell'Italia giacobina (1796-1801), Roma, USSME, 2000, II ("La guerra Peninsulare": «Il nuovo esercito napoletano, 1799-1802», pp. 1131–1153; «I francesi sulle coste italiane, 1800-02», pp. 1155–1173).
Smith, Digby (1998). The Greenhill Napoleonic wars data book. London Mechanicsburg, PA: Greenhill Books Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-1-85367-276-7. OCLC 37616149.
Smith, Digby (2006). An illustrated encyclopedia of uniforms of the Napoleonic wars : an expert, in-depth reference to the officers and soldiers of the revolutionary and Napoleonic period, 1792-1815. London Lanham, Md: Lorenz North American agent/distributor, National Book Network. ISBN 978-0-7548-1571-6. OCLC 60320422.