"SYW British battalion organisation" Topic

I've got some British Seven Years War figures. I've got some in tricorne, mitres and command.

Can anyone tell me how many companies there are in a SYW British regiment/battalion?

How do wargamers depict the the grenadier company in a 24 fig regiment/battalion?

Thanks

There were 8 hat companies and one grenadier company. The grens were usually placed in a converged battalion though. Lights were added in N. America around 1758/9, but I am not sure if they had them in Europe or not.

I am looking forward to answers to this question myself. I recall asking about 18 months ago, and heard that each battalion could have its own organization. Allegedly, some "regiments" had two grenadier companies, and perhaps only 4 to 6 "center" companies.

GdeP

The standard was 8 hat, and one gren. There were some exceptions, but this was the standard.

The usual/customary four divisions was also true for the British. That said, there is a lot of first person corespondence about detachments to go on wood cutting parties, digging, raids; that sort of thing. How big was a detachment? Any size. 300 men for example. We are so accustimed to thinking in terms of companies for combat. Not so during the era.
Votre Serviteur,
Bill

Actually, at the start of the war, a lot of regiments were down at six (often understrength) companies due to peacetime penury. On the other end of things, the 2nd/42nd had 17 companies, two of them grenadiers and one light.

"Redcoats : the British soldier and war in the Americas, 1755-1763" by Stephen Brumwell has lots of good info about the SYW British army, especcially as pertaining to the American theater.

And, as Bill notes, other than the grenadier and light companies (which are coterminous with their platoons), companies are NOT tactical units in this period.

rmaker;

I think you are mistaken, as no British regiments had light companies prior to the war, or about 1758/9, at least that I know of. If you have info otherwise, please cite your source as I'd love to know it (this is not a smary, I'm smarter than you request either). :-)

I also doubt that units were down to six companies, as it would not benefit the colonel, who owned the unit, to allow it to drop there. He could request additional recruiting funds, yet still keep many ghost soldiers, as well as NCOs and officers on the roll as recruiting parties went out to do their thing – all paid for. Companies during this time period were fairly large (70 some men?), so even at half strength they could still field.

To Byron's original question, do you have 24 figures you are trying to back a unit into, a specific set of rules, or what? I guess you could take 24 figures, divide by 9 (or ten if you are including lights), and come up with the number of flank figures you would need. Or not, as they were usually split off on campaign.

Hi historygamer,
I have never gamed the Seven Years War before. I will of course go on to research this period in greater depth, but in the initial rush of interest in a new period I want to start painting as soon as possible.
I am thinking of using Age of Reason with a second rank of figures to make the 12 fig battalions into 24 figs. This would give me about 2/3 grenadiers per battalion ready to detach into seperate grenadier units if required?
Thanks everyone for your input.

If I were you, I'd just paint up 24 hat men and leave the grens to their own converged unit, as you'll end up having to paint an additional 2-3 hatmen any way later. Just a thought.

rmaker said
"And, as Bill notes, other than the grenadier and light companies (which are coterminous with their platoons), companies are NOT tactical units in this period."

Interestly in Stephen Brumwell's 'Paths of Glory; The Life and Death of General James Wolfe', the author states that Wolfe – while Lt. Col of the 20th Foot – trained his Regiment in to use the company as the tactical unit for fire control.

pages 107-108 in the paperback edition.

cheers
Edward

rmaker;

I think you are mistaken, as no British regiments had light companies prior to the war, or about 1758/9, at least that I know of.

I was not suggesting they did, though, rereading my post I can see where it could be taken that way. The 2nd/42nd was raised during the war.

As for sources, Brumwell is a trove of information, and Fred Anderson's "Crucible of War" contains a fair amount of useful information.

LG:

You are correct, and our friend Bill (a Frenchman anyway – wink) is incorrect. At the start of the war the companies were not tactical units, but adiminstrative ones for the British, but starting with Braddock, and later revisions, the company did become the tactical unit for the British.

Prior to that they just shook up everyone they had to create 16 equal firing platoons – regardless of officers, company affiliation. This practice was soon discarded and the companies became the tactical unit, made up of two firing platoons. This is well documented in Houlding's work, and others as well, and is reflected in all post war manuals and works ('64, etc.).

hello,

in europe the grenadiers are in only grenadierregiments.

Maxwells Grenadiers 12th foot, 20th, 23th, 25th, 37th, 51 th

672 men

Welshs Grenadiers 5th, 8th, 11th, 24th, 33th, 50th. 672 men

sorry about my english