"French troops in the AWI" Topic

Looking at how the French regiments that came over to North America were organized, did they combine their chasseur companies into a "light" or "chasseur" battalion similar to how the British used their light companies/battalions?

MLC

I don't believe they did.

In the West Indies and Gulf Coast the French would frequently use ad hoc units made up from detachments from different regiments.

In the West Indies and Gulf Coast the French would frequently use ad hoc units made up from detachments from different regiments.

This was because the companies of a battalion were spread out over a number of different posts and islands and an expeditionary force would be made up of whatever was handy.

Certainly in North America, the French did not form the type of semi-permanent (ie for the duration of the campaign season) flank battalions that the British and Germans – and later also the Continentals – did during the AWI.

The French flank companies (grenadier and chasseur) of each regiment were either held at regimental level in the field, or else could sometimes combine with those of the other regiment in the brigade and held at brigade level as a "mission specific" reserve/strike force. Thus, you get the combined grenadiers and chasseurs of Gatinais and Deux Ponts storming Redoubt 9 at Yorktown; for the rest of the siege, they remained with their regiments. This was the norm in Rochambeau's corps.

In contrast, at Savannah, many of the French regimental contingents from the Caribbean consisted of a single, consolidated battalion, each made up of two "flank" companies (grenadier and chasseur) and two "centre" companies drawn from the best (or possibly the least sick, depending on circumstances) of the fusiliers.