"Duchy of Wurzburg Artillery" Topic

Looking info on the Artillery Company of the Wurzburg contingent. How many guns to the company? What size were they- 4# or 6#? Also, what color were the guns? I have seen a couple of different answers on the color- Red with black metal, and Ochre similar to the Austrians.

I looked in my Nafziger, but there were apparently almost no records from that period. He confirms there was apparently 1 artillery company, but had no specific info. The guns were "probably captured Austrian or Prussian…"

I didn't want you to think nobody looked.

From Rawkins "CB5 RHEINBUNDE CONTINGENTS 1"

GROSSHERZOGLICH WÜRZBURGISCHEN ARTILLERIE-KOMPAGNIE 1806-1813
ORGANISATION:
The Würzburg recruitment had provided the Bavarian army with three companies of foot artillery as part of the garrison in Würzburg which were withdrawn in 1806 leaving only four 6 pdr field guns at Festung Marienburg. On 1 May 1806 a single officer and 78 men of the artillery were repatriated to Würzburg and formed into an artillery company which was placed under the overall command of the Oberst-Kommandeur of the Groβherzoglich Würzburgische Infanterie Regiment, although initially they were stationed at the fortress at Marienberg.

Details of the exact organisation of the artillery company in 1806 are unclear except that the 78 NCOs and artillerists appear to have been organised into four gun crews under the command of a single officer, a Kapitän.

The company may have accompanied the 2.Bataillon to Spain 1809 but was back in Würzburg in 1811 and served with the 1.Bataillon in Germany and Russia during the 1812 campaign. The artillery was re-raised on paper in late 1813 as an eight gun company but before it was fully formed or armed was once again absorbed into the Bavarian Army.

The four 6pdr field guns appear to have been Austrian tubes mounted on French gun carriages and the woodwork was painted a dull red and the barrels and metalwork were painted black; hence the nickname the ‘Rot-Artillerie'.

From Rawkins (CD Rhinebund Vol I, 2015)

1 May 1806 – 1 company based around the remaining (ex-Bavarian) garrison and four 6pdr guns.

Company may have served with 2nd Battalion in Spain in 1809 but was back in Wurzburg in 1811 and served with 1st Battalion in Germany and Russia 1812.

Company re-raised in 1813 on paper as an eight-gun unit but was never fully formed before being re-absorbed into the Bavarian army.

The 6pdr appear to have been Austrian tubes on French carriages. Woodwork was dull red, metalwork painted black: nicknamed "Rot-Artillerie".

Hope that helps

Beaten by 9 seconds!

Prince of Essling & Zippee,

Formidable !
Also interesting.
Thank you !

TMP link
gives some information

I wonder from where Rawkins got the information, the sources??

@vW

NOTES ON RESEARCH AND SOURCES
THE RHEINBUND CONTINGENTS 1806-1813 brings together three earlier volumes which were published in 1979 and 1980 and an unpublished manuscript from 1984. As always my sincere gratitude is extended to the many colleagues and friends who
contributed their knowledge and time to the research for this volume.

In particular I must thank Peter Harrington, Curator of the Brown University library for permission to reproduce images in my collection which originated from their archives and to the estate of my dear friend Erik Karlsen-Smythe for the continued access to Erik's photographic image archives. My gratitude is also extended to the late Prof. Klaus Speckbacher of Innsbrück for his notes and advice relating to the army of the Duchy of Würzburg and the 1809 campaign in Austria and the Tirol.

This small work is in no way intended to be definitive and errors and omissions are inevitable.
W J Rawkins 2015

MAIN SOURCES (Including translations and extracts)
Broers, M. (London 1996) Europe Under Napoleon 1799-1815
Elting J (NY 1988) Swords Around A Throne
Gill, JH (London 1998) With Eagles to Glory
Haythornthwaite P ( Poole 1978) Uniforms of the Peninsular War 1807-1814
Knötel R & Sieg R Hamburg 1937) Handbuch der Uniformen Kunde
Nafziger GF (Privately Pubd. 1993) The Armies of Germany & the Confederation of the Rhine 1792 1815 in two volumes
Over K Rawkins WJ & Evans P (Maidenhead 1973) Flags of Westphalia & Würzburg
Rawkins WJ (Maidenhead 1979) The Armies of Westphalia & Würzburg 1806-1814
Rawkins WJ (Norwich 1980) The Confederation of the Rhine Vol 1
Rawkins WJ (Norwich 1984) The Confederation of the Rhine Vol 2(Unpublished manuscript)
Suazey Commt.(Paris 1910) Les Allemands sous les aigles francaises 1806-1814
Von Schauroth W (1913) Im Rheinbundregiment 1809-1813 (Translated extracts)
von Schauroth W (1905) Im Rheinbund-Regiment der Herzoglich Sächsischen Kontingente 1809-1813 (Translated extracts)
von Seebach, L (Weimar 1838) Gaschichte der Feldzuge des Herzoglich SachsenWeimarischen Scharfschutzenbataillons in Jahren 1806-1811 (Translated extracts)
Windrow & Embleton (London 1974) Military Dress of the Peninsular War
Wise T (London 1997) Flags of the Napoleonic Wars 3 Vols
Articles and essays from the contributors to the following magazines and online facilities
Heer Und Tradition, Napoleon Series, Depesche, Tradition, Grosser-Generalstabs, Император, Uniformes, Napoleon Online, Flags Forum, Le Briquet

The art of H Boisselier B Coppens Peter Bunde CJ Frankenbach
Scharf Lienhart & Humbert André Jouineau H Knötel R Knötel Rene North Perconte Rigo
Louis Braun Weiland

Maybe helpful ?

Discussion (in German) :
link

Augsburger Uniform- oder Bilderserie

Richard Knötel

Herbert Knötel

Peter Bunde
link

Würzburger Wehr : eine Chronik zur Wehrgeschichte Würzburgs
Walter Kopp
Würzburg : Freunde Mainfränkischer Kunst und Geschichte, 1979
272 Seiten

Als die Würzburger für Napoleon fochten
Dr. Reinhard Münch
Leipzig : Engelsdorfer Verlag, 2020
142 Seiten, mit Illustrationen von Peter Bunde

Thanks for the feedback. I needed the gun info. They definitely standout painted red. I used The Army Painter "Mars Red" to get as close to "Dull Red" as I could. I am also going to do the army with the earlier Austrian style uniforms with the helmets. The hard thing will be putting plumes on the helmets for the Grenadiers and Voltigeurs. I am planning on using ABs and drilling a small hole for a peg to attach a green stuff plume.

In particular I must thank Peter Harrington, Curator of the Brown University library for permission to reproduce images in my collection which originated from their archives and to the estate of my dear friend Erik Karlsen-Smythe for the continued access to Erik's photographic image archives.

Any idea where t f ind the images or archive of Erik Karlsen-Smythe?

@vW

Sorry no ideas as have scoured the net & clues under the pictures.

The best clue was "Eric Karlsen-Smythe Legacy Collection, Stockholm" under a number of the prints to do with Sachsen-Weimar. Unfortunately it scored no hits…..