"The Duke of York's "most outstanding" innovation" Topic

"The Duke of York introduced many changes and improvements to the British Army of which the most outstanding was the establishment of the light infantry regiments and the controversial creation of a new regiment to be armed with the rifle."

Wellington's Rifles: The Origins, Development and Battles of the Rifle Ray Cusick FINS 2013

Discuss?

Discuss

Did he introduced marching to the top of the hill, and marching down again?

Categorically not – his greatest 'innovation' was the introduction of Dundas's 1792 drill regulations to the entire army.

Although no battlefield general, he is generally regarded as a remarkably good administrator, so long as he stayed around Whitehall.

I'd vote for his enthusiasm for the Light Infantry. I think anyone at the top would have accepted Dundas' regulations.

He didn't do so bad on the battlefield. In 1793-94 he always fought as a subordinate to the Imperial high command and generally complied with orders and achieved his objectives. Once the Austrians withdrew across the Rhine, Yorkk was on a losing wicket, outnumbered, undermined honouring a pledge to an ally whose citizensere more sympathetic to the enemy. In1799 he deferred to more experienced subordinates as he had deferred to more experienced superiors in 1794.

How controversial was the formstion of the experimental rifle corps?

Frederick was trained in Prussia and so naturally was open to the introduction of a regulation drill book to allow battalions to manoeuvre efficiently within larger formations. The opposition from an 'American' school seems to have been exagerated, somewhat, as was York's committment to fighting in Prussian style close order formations as indicated by the formation of regular Rifle and Light Infantry units.

Was there any one important who was in fact opposed to the evolution of efficent, modern infantry?

Oh, how we laughed. The first time, I mean. Was the whole thread to long for you to read through?

He invented the Bricole.

Somebody had to

A recently published biography has a section devoted to the origins of the nursery rhyme and concludes that it may not, perhaps, be a satirical comment on the Duke of York's campaign in the Low Countries at all, but rather an affectionate celebration of 'The Soldier's Friend'.

See THE GRAND OLD DUKE OF YORK: A Life of Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany, 1763-1827, Derek Winterbottom, Pen & Sword Military Books, 2016; 199 pp hardback with 8 pp of black and white plates; £19.99 GBP/US $39.95 USD

We xould even start another thread on the topic. That would be fun

Oh, the grand old Duke of York
He had 10,000 men.
He marched them up to the top of the hill
And he had them all again.

We xould even start another thread on the topic. That would be fun

Oh, yes please

Back on topic, we shouldn't overlook his support to cavalry training at Woodbridge under Paget that in some ways mirrored activity at Shorncliffe.

Was he really capable in getting 10.000men on a hill and down again? What i have rad he would disperse them so much he could't achieve that

No, that was the Austrians. The Duke was all for concentration of forces at the point of decision.

Woodbridge, yes.