"Brunswick troops in 1809 questions" Topic

I know that they progressively got worse in the peninsula due to the difficulties in replacement troops but I have read that the troops that were gathered in the 1809 Franco-Austrian war were quite good. If working out matching morale levels etc are the Black Band of Halberstadt and Oper either trained or veterans? How would classify the Hussars? The Duke himself seems to be competent if not great. I thought the 1809 Black Band might be a good little project.

FM

I'd say veteran by the time of Oper and Halberstadt. They had been campaigning in Bohemia for some time before the treaty of Znaim including plenty of minor skirmishing with the Saxons under Johann von Thielmann and had also taken part in the battle of Gefrees against the French.

I like the Brunswickers but so far just have the Oels Battalion and small Uhlans.
Small armies are fun projects, recently finished Wallmoden's force.

I'm slowly building the 1809 contingent using Steve Barbers excellent 28mm range just waiting in him to release the artillery miniatures.

Nice one. I'm going to use Perry minis

The problem with the Perry's is they only do a few infantry for 1809. The Perry Hussars are for the Peninsula as they are wearing Pelisse which they didn't in 1809 and most of their infantry are for The Hundred days.

That's why I chose Steve Barber because all his miniatures are uniformed specifically for 1809 and includes jager, hussars, infantry and very soon artillerymen.

link

Referring to the starting question I checked the regimental histories of the Brunswick infantry (later no. 92) and Brunswick hussars (later no. 17), of which I've originals in my library.

Starting with the infantry: as the corps was built up in Nachod/Bohemia (Austrian empire) the recruiting of soldiers was mainly expanded into Silesia. The officer corps could be filled rather fast, as many Prussian officers "changed" the side and wanted to continue their war against Napoleon. NCO and men were not so easily recruited but most of the "first" soldiers were experienced former Prussian soldiers, who had to be retired due to the demobilization of the Prussian army. As the Brunswick infantry of 1809 exercised with the Prussian instruction for "Schützen" of 26the February 1789, I think, many of the former Prussian soldiers felt familiar with the drill in the Brunswick troop.

Now the hussars: their officers were mainly recruited among Prussian officers willing to serve the Duke of Brunswick. It was more difficult to get enough men, also many were former Prussian soldiers; some men were recruited in Bohemia, as in February/march 1809 it was forbidden for the recruiting officers to operate in Prussian Silesia.

So, it may be stated, that the officers of the Brunswick corps were experienced officers (most of them of the old Prussian army), and that a lot of men were "retired" Prussian soldiers … the Brunswick troops of 1809 were not so unexperienced as one may expect from this "Freikorps".

Greetings from Berlin
Markus Stein

Really interesting Markus – could any of the Brunswickers who fought in 1815 have been Jena / Auerstädt veterans?

Markus@ thanks for that. Infantry numbers do seem to have been a problem at The Battle of Gefrees I've seen the two Brunswick infantry battalions given a total of 300 men across both battalions while the Hussars also numbered 300 but in a single regiment.

It's interesting that in With Eagles to Glory that Gill mentions that in a couple of early skirmishes with the Saxons that the Brunswick troops were caught by surprise because they had no pickets/sentry's set up while they were resting which you wouldn't expect from experienced Prussian officers.

I have used Perrys for the 1809 Brunswickers, due to the recent difficulties with Steve Barber moving to France.

I have used the 1815 riflemen for the "scharschutzen" company, trimming down the raised side of the "korsehut" and removing the plume, filing down the badge and lowering the crown of the hat slightly.

The uhlans wore what I believe was the same uniform as the 3rd Uhlans of the Austrian army.

For the "Riding Battery" I used Austrian guns (though NOT the cavallerie geschutze(sp?)" as the items were supplied from one of the fortresses, and converted Prussian 1815 horse artillery gunners in litewka with head swaps. I realise that it is possible the gunners had the dolman/jacket, but I like the look of the litewka.

Hussars are more challenging – I decided to go with the plastic Austrian hussars with a head/shako transplant, no carbine, and (for the R&F) no pelisse, giving those to the NCOs. I used the officer in litewka from the plastic Allied cavalry set for officers.

For the infantry – the 1st and 2nd Jager battalions both wore the litewka, but it seems the 3rd Battalion may have worn something closer to the 1815 uniform (ie the dolman or short jacket), possibly excess artillery uniforms going by the yellow facings. However, it also appears that this last unit (but also perhaps the other two as well) took in some Westphalian deserters and civilian recruits who would have retained their own uniforms/clothing with the addition of the oak-leaf field sign.

The Duke I have depicted as in 1815, as it seems from contemporary artwork, that he wore a very similar outfit. Staff officers I have depicted in litewkas from various sources, with head swaps.

Going back to the question of veteran status, the performance of the Black Horde in Bohemia, and at Halberstadt/Olper does suggest a modicum of experience, at least and may well have included Auerstadt-Jena survivors. However, in terms of 1815, it is unlikely that there would have been anyone of that nature in the Brunswick contingent in Belgium, since, with the exception of the Batallion von Prosstler/Leib Battalion, which had men from the "Owls" battalion of Peninsula fame, all veterans would have come from the Westphalian army.