"1809 and 1813 how many Austrian flags per battalion?" Topic

Many of the pictures I can find of painted Austrians (Helmet or Shako) have two flags per battalion. However, I have read that after 1808 each battalion was only supposed to carry one flag.

How many flags do you use per Austrian battalion?

During the Revolutionary war, it was two per battalion – the 1st battalion carried one white liebfahne and one yellow ordinarfahne, the other battalions carried two yellow ones.

The flags were reduced to one per battalion for 1805 – the white Liebfahne for the grenadier battalion and a yellow ordinarfahne for the rest.

From 1808 onwards, it was a white Liebfahne for the 1st battalion and one yellow ordinarfahne for the rest.

Apart from 1805, grenadier battalions carried a yellow ordinarfahne.

SQP's response is expanded here: link

Jim

SQP and Jim, thanks for these replies.

However, the question was about how many flags people use as many pictures I have seen on the web have two flags per battalion, despite (I understand) the most popular period to play Napoleonic Austrians being the 1809 campaign and some battalions with two flags having shakos (edit: and Front rank supply 2 standard bearers with each 24 man shako wearing battalion)

Is this a case of people are going for what looks good OR (like many rules) it was ignored (at least for a while) and so Austrian battalions in 1809 in practice often carried both the Liebfahne and ordinafahne?

As always, you paint and you chose how many. The same with dutch infantry in 1815, every one gives them flags although they didn't have officially one.

- However, the question was about how many flags people use as many pictures I have seen on the web have two flags per battalion –

I do this, but because I chose to represent my units as regiments instead of battalions (so each regiments carries one Liebfahne and ordinarfahne). It just looks better imho.
TMP member Gonsalvo also does this.

Iannick
clashofempires.ca

ArchiducCharles – thanks, that explains a lot

Actually, I use an yellow ordinar fahne for each of my infantry units (which I also call a Regiment), and only the Grenadiers among my infantry carry the white Leibfahnen. Yes I know that's only correct for 1805; so sue me. I just like the way it makes the Grenadier units stand out more. To each their own, although it certainly helps to know the right information before deciding to disregard it. :-)

The Grenadiers carried the Liebfahne of the senior regiment's companies in it. You can't give each battalion 2 fahnes after 1805 as those extra ones did not exist.

Our group gives each Austrian battalion one flag. The first battalion carries the white(Liebfahne) standard and the other battalions each carry a yellow(Ordinarfahne) standard.

Our converged Grenadier battalions usually carry the white(Leib) standard of the senior regiment and that regiment's battalions only carry their yellow(Ordinary)standards.

Will

No, the converged Grenadier battalions carried a single spare Ordinarfahne throughout the period, except in 1805, where the Grenadiers were the Leib Battalion of the parent regt and so, as the senior battalion, carried the white Leibfahne.

Knowing what was actually done, when, and why is good to know.

But we also know that the drummers NEVER stood next to the flag, nor the officers who commanded platoons not the flag, and that there were the mounted officers, file closers and often support sections behind the basic line.

So my units are in a way that is convenient for gaming, with 'command' stands, that looks good, and I could buy packs for.

Unless you are using 1:1, your battalion will be representative, which means there must be some compromises, esp for playability. However, when it comes to flags, the regs are quite clear and the end result can be represented as it was.