"1809 Westphalian infantry" Topic

How many battalions to the regiment? Not including the depot battalions. I'm seeing both 2 and 3.
Thanks in advance,
Bob

Since the decree of 29 December 1808 (altering the decree of 16 July 1808, which had 1 grenadier, 1 voltigeur and 6 fusilier companies in the field battalions, but already only 4 fusilier companies in the depot battalion) three:

Two field battalions (1 grenadier, 1 voltigeur, 4 fusilier companies) and
one depot batallion (only 4 fusilier companies).

A decree of 28 April 1811 added a 3rd field battalion to the 1st and 8th line infantry regiment, plus a regimental artillery of 2 guns. (On 19 May 1811, the 2nd to 7th line infantry regiments were to receive this regimental artillery as well.)

A decree of 5 July 1811 regulated the salaries of the officers in the two reinforced line regiments.

A decree of 21 August 1811 put the 2nd and 7th line infantry regiment to three field battalions (plus the 4th, depot battalion) each. To this end, the 3rd batallion of the 1st line infantry regiment was transfered to the 2nd line infantry regiment, and the 3rd batallion of the 8th line infantry regiment was transfered to the 7th line infantry regiment. The 3rd field battalions of the 1st and 8th line infantry regiment were not reformed.

When the army was rebuilt in 1813, no third field battalions were formed.

My limited understanding is that it was two battalions per line regiment plus a third depot battalion.The Guard units were 1 battalion in strength. Having said that Nafziger's order of battle for X corps in May 1809 shows 3 battalions for the 1st, 5th and 6th regiments so I'm guessing the depot battalions were brought into the field in 1809.

Westphalian Division:
lst Brigade:
Guard Grenadier Battalion (l)
Guard Jäger Battalion (l)
5th Line Regiment (3)
2nd Brigade:
lst Line Regiment (3)
6th Line Regiment (3)
Jäger-Karabinier Battalion (l)
Cavalry:
Guard Chevauleger Regiment (4)
lst Cuirassier Regiment (2)
Artillery: (26/678)
4 Artillery Companies (l6 guns)
l Train Company
Strength: 282 officers & 8,039 men not incl. artillery

I agree with Oliver Schmidt that was the norm, but clearly in 1809 due to the various revolts it was necessary to deploy the Depots.

John (Jack) H. Gill's "Thunder on the Danube Volume III Wagram & Znaim" page 377 (details taken from Situation 31 May 1809, AG, C2/509) has the following – I have extracted only the Westphalian elements:

10th Corps: King Jerome
Westphalian Guard Division: GD Bernterode
Garde du Corps (1 squadron mounted) 139 men
Garde-Grenadiers Battalion (1 battalion) 948 men
Guard Jäger Battalion (1 battalion) 598 men
Garde-Chevaulegers (3 squadrons) 306 men
Jäger-Karabinier (1 battalion) 364 men

Westphalian Line Division:
1st Line Regiment (3 battalions) 1,690 men
5th Line Regiment (3 battalions) 1,583 men
6th Line Regiment (3 battalions) 1,744 men
1st Cuirassier Regiment (2 squadrons) 263 men
Artillery: 562 men

I don't think that the depot battalions (destined to train recruits) were taken into the field.

The strength of a Westphalian company in 1809 was to be 140 men (including 3 officers), which gives 840 men per battalion and, 1680 men for the two field battalions of a regiment. Plus some staff officers.

Thank you, gentlemen! I have a General de Brigade rules scenario book and I'm looking at the Battle of Olper, August 1809. The scenario shows the Westphalian 1st and 6th infantry regiments each with 3 battalions. There is no indication of what source materials were used to design the scenario, which is really no surprise.
Looks like the game will be an interesting sight, though. Black Brunswickers vs. White Westphalians and an equally white Berg regiment.

I checked the Napoleonic Wars Data Book for Oelpe (01 Aug 1809), which gives the Westphalian force as:

1st Inf Regt (2 Bns)
6th Inf Regt (2 Bns)
1st Cuirassier Regt (4 Sqns)
3rd Berg Inf Regt (2 Bns)
10 Guns
Total: c.6500

Sources: Lunsmann, Ernstberger, Schirmer

What appears to be a period map of the battle on Wikipedia (I know, I know) shows 3 battalions. link
No wonder so many of us drink….

Das Gefecht bei Ölper am 1. August 1809
Willi Müller
Niedersächsisches Jahrbuch für Landesgeschichte. Band 1, 1924 (Pages 156–197)
PDF link

Zur Geschichte des Gefechtes bei Ölper am 1. August 1809
Hermann Voges
Niedersächsisches Jahrbuch für Landesgeschichte Band 3, 1926 (pages 168-173)
PDF link

Ich verstehe nicht. What did they gave to say?

@bobspruster,

Neither of the articles gave a breakdown of the Westphalian Division other than the regiments & number of guns.

I have also looked at:

Erinnerungen an das Schwarze Corps, welches Herzog Friedrich Wilhelm von Braunschweig-Oels im Jahre 1809 errichtete aus dem Tagebuch eines Veteranen
H. von Franckenberg-Ludwigsdorff
Braunschweig 1859
link

Des Herzogs Friedrich Wilhelm von Braunschweig Zug durch Norddeutschland im Jahre 1809
Gustav von Kurtzfleisch
Berlin 1894
link

Stormen paa Stralsund af et combineret Dansk og Hollandsk troppecorps den 31te Mai 1809 med forndgaaende fortælling af Schills krigerliv samt nogle episoder fra Hertugen af Brunsvig-Oels's streiftog igjennem Tydskland i Juli og August 1809
F. L. van Bardenfleth
1846
link

Der feldzug des herzogs friedrich wilhelm von braunschweig und seines schwarzen corps im jahre 1809
Franz J. A. Schneidawind
Leske, Darmstadt 1851
PDF link

An Account of the Operations of the Corps Under the Duke of Brunswick from the Time of Its Formation in Bohemia to Its Embarkation for England
Frederick William (Duke of Brunswick-Oels.)
John Stockdale, Piccadilly 1810
link

Exactly as the earlier finding….

Thanks again, everyone! Bob

The wiki map is taken from
"Geschichte des Herzoglich Braunschweigischen Infanterie-Regiments und seiner Stammtruppen Bd. 1: 1809 – 1867 : das schwarze Korps 1809 und das Englisch-Braunschweigische Infanterie-Regiment bis 1814"
G. von Kortzfleisch
Limbach, Braunschweig 1896
PDF link