"Vienna Freiwilligers battalions" Topic

Would these just be Landwehr battlions?I think they are.

Thanks from a noob

I don't think they are, because the Austrians have them in 1809.

Any info, including uniforms, gratefully received. (for 1809 Austrians, and to hell with Joe's question [note for TMP users – this last bit is a joke])

The Landwehr were essentially conscripted Militia; the Vienna Volunteers were, well, Volunteers (Freiwillioger), and even supplied their own uniforms. There were 6 battalions in 1809, and they both fought earlier in the course of the 1809 war, and gave a better account of themselves (ie, at Ebelsberg). As volunteers, they were permitted to have pointed cuffs (gasp!) in place of the usual round ones.

While not Landwehr, they are usually lumped in with them in most writings and rules.
link

The Vienna Volunteers are mentioned in this article:
PDF link

The Freiwillinger should probably be treated as Landwehr with maybe slightly better morale depending on the rules you are using.

Thanks Gents, pointed cuffs like the Hungarians. Ha
@ Last Hussar – Any info, including uniforms, gratefully received. I'm reading The Austrian Army 1805-1809 by Enrico Acerbi. Some color pictures in the book of various Landwehr.

All good info,Thanks again

The Vienna Volunteers should be treated as superior landwehr.

- volunteers, not conscripts.
- most likely from the educated or skilled class.
- often familiar with firearms.

4 Bns fought at Wagram and suffered around 40% casualties. They stuck around and together with a 5th Bn fought again shortly afterwards at Znaim.

Definately not a ragbag militia.

You might find the following old posts of mine useful regarding the Austrian Irregular troops of 1809:

Part 1, Inner Austria
link

Part 2: Upper and Lower Austria:
link

Part 3: Bohemia and Moravia (including the EzK Legion)
link

Part 4: The Hungarian Insurrectio
link

A note on the flags – many are speculative. It now appears the most common style was an old Ordinarfahne (with the yellow field, 4 colored flames around the edges, and the doppeladler with arms of the Empire ), with the reverse painted in a sold color of variable hue, bearing a shield with the arms of the province or city the unit was from, and the three free edges with "flames" of various colors, usually taken from those of the arms themselves. Still,exceptions are known, and in many cases, we simply have no certain knowledge of the details of these flags.

While their combat quality wasn't always great, these troops are a big part of the fun of fielding an 1809 Austrian army, at least IMHO!

Some images for 1797 at yadi.sk/a/6AhkRLmM3ZRwbE

1797 by Siegmund & Fritz Allemande at link

Ottenfeld & Teuber for 1797 at link

1805-09 from Ottenfeld & Teuber at link

Another Allemand for 1797 link

According to David Hollin's Osprey on Austrian Auxiliary troops:

There were 5 battalions that fought on the Marchfeld, the 6th was in the Vienna Garrison. (As was pointed out above they suffered heavy losses which suggests that they probably fought pretty hard.) Prior to that Ebelsberg the 4th-6th "spearheaded a counterattack that halted the French assault across the Traun River." The first battalion paid for their own uniforms, the others were dressed like the Lower Austrian Landwehr.

I treat the Vienna Volunteers and the Archduke Charles Legion's 1st and 2nd Bns as normal Line/Jaegers, the others as Line or Landwehr depending on what I need – very flexible troops :)

According to Alphonse Wrede (volume 3.2 page 926) as part of the Freikorps there also existed a "Wiener Cavallerie-Corps" formed in May 1809 under Graf Major Waldstein, with the strength of 2 squadrons of 72 men.

"Historische Darstellung bes Antheils welchen das 5te Wiener Frey.Bataillon anm dem Feldzuge des Jahres 1809 genommen bat" in "Neue Militarische Zeitschrift 1811 heft 3" pages 72 to 90 at
PDF link Please note that the article is towards the back of the download as this contains all 3 parts for 1811.

Thanks for the information. I have much to absorb now.

the others were dressed like the Lower Austrian Landwehr.That answered my next question.