"unit sizes at Hobkirks hill?" Topic

so, im slowly building up my awi armies, and thought that this battle would be a nice small scenario to start with. then, I just happened upon pictures from the warlord games game day where someone ran a lovely looking game of this same battle, prompting further research.

so, just out of curiosity and ignorance about 18th century warfare, why were the British regiments so small, numerically speaking? the sources I've seen put the British regiments at 160 to 180 men. was this just due to losses, or where they detachments from larger units?

this all leads to a bigger question I have about how regiments would split up for smaller fights. did companies act independently? was there a smaller operational unit than a regiment?

I believe the unit sized are documented in Greg Novak's OOB books on the war.

A standard British hat battalion (minus the grenadier and light companies) was about 320 men, or about 40 men in each of the eight hat companies. Of course campaigning and other duties could take a toll on that number.

The flank companies usually had higher numbers per company, but usually fought with other like flank companies in converged battalions (though not always).

A regiment was a logistical organization. A battalion of a regiment (most only had one battalion) was deployed on the field and further divided into divisions and grand divisions. The basic fighting component was the company, made up of two platoons.

All kinds of permutations of detachments could be sent out from a battalion, depending on the situation. The battalion, when fully employed, did not always fight with a neat straight line of companies due to terrain.

Further to historygamer's answer, Loyalist units would often be understrength as there was a "pecking order" for receiving recruits, be they from Loyalist communities or former Militia and Continentals not wishing to remain in prison camps/hulks.

There's a detailed orbat here:-

link

Also, do get the Novak books if you can (and especially if you intend to study/game the AWI seriously). Another to think about is "Nothing But Blood And Slaughter" a multi-volume work by Patrick O'Kelley which covers all of the campaigns in the South, large and small – even down to the "family feud" type of skirmish – with good accounts and orbats down to individual numbers.