"Austrian Battalion Columns 1809-1814" Topic

I'm trying to understand what, if any, variation existed in how Austrian infantry formed columns during this time.

Also, it's a little unclear to me whether the Austrians used four or six companies per battalion.

When they formed column, was it always on a single-company front, either right or left? Or was a double-company front used, as well?

Thanks, guys.

To my recollection, they always used 6 companies per battalion. A battalion column was called battalion masse and was a column of companies. Sometimes the battalion would be deployed as three divisions, each of 2 companies. These would form column by platoons, 4 lines deep and be called division masse. Battalion COs usually preferred battalion masse.

Skirmishers were supposed to come from the third rank.

In 1805 they used 4 company battalions.

Page 99 of George Nafziger "Imperial Bayonets" says the Austrians had 4 basic column formations which were similar to other nations.

There were columns formed by zug (4 to a company), half companies, half divisions (companies) or divisions. The intervals were masse (close), half and full intervals. Regulations were not specific as to the preferred column formation – but the plates concentrate on manoeuvres by company & half-company, with the half-company drawings seeming to appear more often which suggest half-company was the preferred formation. The Divisionmasse was formed with a half-company frontage.

Thank you! I read there were four but had no idea what was meant by that.

In regards to the division column, I take it, it would only form on the left or right, not on the center, right? Since forming on the center would break up the divisions.

Thanks so much, this really helps!

Dear Boomstick
You are remembering Mack's reforms of 1805 who had battalions with four companies.
Stephen

Stephen,

Thanks for the information. For some reason I thought Charles was trying to push through reforms at the beginning of the 1809 campaign.

Do you know if the division-front columns ever formed on the center? It seems to me they would not have.

Rich

A Divisionskolonne – was made of a division, so that is 2 companies, the frontage was a half company.
A battlion in line would form consequently 3 such columns, ideal for defense against cavalry.
A Bataillonskolonne had usually a frontage of one company.
In case I remember correclty those columns were introduced in 1807 by the new Exerzierreglement and not in use in 1805.

So the frontage of an Austrian column was never wider than the equivalent of one company?

Also, do we have any idea how mobile the Divisionskolonne was? I was the picture that in wargames terms it would have moved about as much as a line formation. Any thoughts?

*bump*

You could learn more reading the Exerzierreglement of 1807 and the volume V or Angeli's work about Erzherzog Carl, both available on google.

"So the frontage of an Austrian column was never wider than the equivalent of one company?"

For the purposes of calculating frontage and basing Austrian line infantry figures, this is what I am going on for 1809. I haven't done the basing project yet, so I would be grateful for any confirmation or contradiction of this!

So the frontage of an Austrian column was never wider than the equivalent of one company?

That is my understanding, and it is also true of Prussian and Russian columns.

One of the reasons that the Austrians formed divisionmasse was that a complete battalion of 900 to 1200 men was unwieldy and slow to manoeuvre, whilst the smaller divisionmasse could manoeuvre as fast as the French.

Rod

hmm..I'm thinking 6 figure companies, each coy of 2, 3 figure bases (coys 1 deep)….so 12 stands of 3 figs per bn on magnetic bases, on 2 metal sabot bases each 1 stand wide and six stands deep. That seems to offer formation flexibility for
the Austrians of half coy and full coy column formations and not too much fiddling on the table unless they form a line or a traditional square…

One of the reasons that the Austrians formed divisionmasse was that a complete battalion of 900 to 1200 men was unwieldy and slow to manoeuvre, whilst the smaller divisionmasse could manoeuvre as fast as the French.

Any idea what kind of interval was SOP between the three divionmasses of a battalion?

Three, or Two divisionmasses?

Sorry, I meant 'what is the distance between each divisionmasse?'

When you have a line you have 12 half company frontage, a divisionsmasse has one half company frontage, so for 3 Divisionsmassen you have 3 half companies frontage, compared to 12, here from the exerzier reglement, as you see for defense against cavalry

link

link

I thought a divisionmasse had a 2 zug front like this:

C2Z1-C1Z1
C2Z2-C1Z2

That is, two adjacent companies, each formed 6 ranks deep.

Is that wrong? The intervals sort of ride on the frontage of each divisionmasse so I want to make sure I guess that right.

see the links above

vW,

Wow, thanks for the image! Now in that image there are 24 sub units (quarter-companies) and the divisionskolonne have a front of a half-company, 12 ranks deep (each is two adjacent companies, each on a quarter-company front).

I think it's different from the divisionmasse, right? Perhaps it's got a narrower front for bypassing obstacles?

No that are the Divisonsmassen we are speaking about.

Got it. The intervals are equal to the frontage of the sub-units that formed in the rear ranks each masse. Thanks!

for much more download

link

Wow, amazing! Thanks!