"Hessian manouever" Topic

Please forgive the question, as I am far from an expert: I am just theorizing.

I have read (on TMP) about the slowness of Hessian manouevering. So far as I know, they used the Prussian system.

The Hohenfriedlande March is a pavane, others may have been as well: Might they have advanced using a pavane step? It would slow them down, but it would keep them in formation.

FWIW 'The British Grenadiers' is also a pavane, an evolved version of the 'Battle Pavane' of the Middle Ages.

During the American Revolution early on as in Brandywine..they were slow on the march ..constantly straightening their formations…as the British came jogging..by at the quik..as time when on they adapted ..but they used a Three deep line ..as the British operated in open order.Now the Brunswickers at Saratoga adopted Britsh Tactics as much as possible..to prove their worth..Riedesel the Brunswick commander ..time after time ..always arrived in the Nick of time at the head of his troops.

The 'British Grenadiers' is a March in 4/4, techically speaking the designated 'Quick March' of several British regiments.

I am not sure what the time signature of the pavane might be but my understanding is that a 'pavane', although it may orginally have been somewhat quicker, is today a more stately form.

Marching in formation was generally slower in the late C18th century and early C19th. The parade pace we are familiar with, the Quick March was introduced later.

During the AWI British infantry adopted a quicker pace in battle based on light infantry drills, and many regiments retained this practice after the war. This looked snappy but was less effective when battalions came together to manoeuvre in brigade formation and could be a recipe for chaos, particularly as no two regiments used the same commands or drill movements.

The Line infantry returned to a more measured pace, when standard drill regulations were published in 1792. These were based on Major General David Dundas'text book advocating a return to Prussian infantry drill methods. Dundas was supported by Frederick, Duke of York, who had trained in Prussia.

To compensate, experiments were undertaken to develop light infantry techniques, which led to the formation of specialist rifle units and light infantry regiments

According to Rodney Atwood ("The Hessians"), the Hesse Cassel infantry adopted two-rank line almost immediately on arrival in N America, but (on the insistence of the Elector) did not adopt the looser formations of the British and retained the close order of the Prussian system. Riedesel not only adopted British formations, but organised a "field day" in order to show Fraser and Phillips how good his men were at using them.