As mentioned last time, I’ve got another Tricorn game coming up next week at the Wargames Association of South Pembrokeshire (W.A.S.P.), though this time it’s set in the War of Austrian Succession (or First Silesian War if you prefer), rather than the Seven Years War; namely the Battle of Mollwitz.
Regular sufferers of this blog might remember that in December 2020 I used a compressed version of Mollwitz during one of many lockdowns, as a solo playtest game to refresh my knowledge of Shako rules and our 1990s-vintage ‘Beta’ version of Tricorn. Tricorn has come a long way since then, so it’s about time I revisited this battle and wrote up the scenario.
Historical Background – The First Silesian War
King Frederick II in 1740
On 31st May 1740, the 28 year-old Prince of Prussia became Frederick II, ‘King in Prussia’ (he would eventually become King OF Prussia in 1772, following the First Partition of Poland and Prussia’s acquisition of swathes of former Polish lands). The young king inherited an impressive army, whose infantry were famed throughout Europe. However, although Frederick’s father had lavished resources on his beloved infantry, the other arms had suffered from a period of neglect; neglect that within a few months was almost to prematurely cost Frederick his kingdom.
Frederick’s kingdom also suffered from a lack of territorial integrity, with many scattered enclaves, as well as a historically weak economy. Frederick therefore needed land; preferably land that joined up his scattered territory and with resources from which to establish a solid economic base.
Emperor Charles VI
The new King in Prussia was immediately thrown into a crisis that would eventually grow into arguably the world’s first ‘world war’. The Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI was ailing and the vultures were circling. The title of Emperor, although theoretically elected by a vote of the nine Prince-Electors (Hanover, Bavaria, Saxony, Pfalz, Bohemia (held by Austria), Brandenburg (held by Prussia), Mainz, Trier & Köln), had actually been awarded to the senior member of the Habsburg Monarchy for more than three centuries. However, Charles VI was the sole surviving male member of the Habsburg line and had no male heir. As a consequence, in 1713 (two years after succeeding his brother Joseph I as Emperor) Charles VI issued the Pragmatic Sanction, being an edict that permitted the accession of a female heir to the Habsburg throne. In 1713 the female heir to the Habsburg line was Archduchess Maria Josepha, eldest daughter of Joseph I. However, in 1717 Charles VI was blessed with a daughter of his own, Maria-Theresa, who now became the Habsburg Heir.
Maria-Theresa in 1740
While the Pragmatic Sanction might have been fine as an internal Habsburg-Austrian matter, the rest of the Holy Roman Empire didn’t necessarily agree and were deeply divided as to whether this should also apply to the title of Holy Roman Emperor!
When Frederick II became King in Prussia he also inherited an Electoral Cap as Margrave of Brandenburg and therefore had to adopt a position on the matter of Imperial succession. Frederick had long resented the powerful political influence that Austria held over Brandenburg-Prussia and saw the rich industrial Austrian province of Silesia as ripe for the plucking, with excellent lines of communication to Brandenburg, yet being separated from the rest of Austrian territory by a range of mountains. Frederick therefore declared himself opposed to the Pragmatic Sanction and supported the rival claim of Duke Charles of Bavaria, who claimed the title as son-in-law of Emperor Joseph I (having married Joseph’s second daughter, Maria Amalia) and as great-grandson to Emperor Ferdinand II.
When Emperor Charles VI died on 20th October 1740, Frederick seized the opportunity with remarkable speed. Mobilising and concentrating his army within just six weeks, on 16th December he crossed the Silesian border without even observing the nicety of a formal declaration of war. The Prussians rapidly overran Silesia, taking the entire province except for three fortresses in the south; Brieg, Breslau and Glogau.
Neipperg
Shocked by Frederick’s duplicity, Maria-Theresa (now titled Queen of Bohemia, Queen of Hungary and Archduchess of Austria, but denied the title of Holy Roman Empress), immediately dispatched an army of 20,000 men under Wilhelm Reinhard von Neipperg.
Neipperg’s march north completely wrong-footed Frederick, who suddenly found his lines of communication cut by Neipperg’s army! However, fortune favoured Frederick, as a captured Austrian gave him an accurate location for Neipperg’s camp outside the city of Neisse. Despite appalling weather and unseasonal blizzards, Frederick stole a march on the Austrians and in a snowy dawn on 10th April 1741, found himself looking at Neipperg’s camp near the village of Mollwitz, where the Austrians were still cooking their breakfast.
The Austrians meanwhile, were in complete panic, as the Prussians had appeared in their rear, forcing them to deploy in an unthinkable (for the 18th Century) reversed deployment (the shame)! However, perhaps due to inexperience and caution, Frederick decided to deploy his army instead of charging headlong into the panicked enemy, thus giving the Austrians time to recover their composure and await the Prussian advance… And wait… and wait…
Schwerin
Frederick’s deployment took hours to complete, yet despite the time spent in deployment, he still managed to balls it up! With Frederick having misjudged the distance from his position to a river on the left flank (the Kleiner-Bach), the front line of the infantry was compressed so much that a battalion of the ‘Prinz Leopold’ Infantry Regiment was forced to drop back and form up between the two lines. Posadowsky’s entire cavalry division was also forced to cross over the river and deploy on the opposite bank, thus essentially removing themselves from the coming battle. As was often the case when monarchs decided to lead armies in the field, even the presence of such experienced commanders as Feldmarschall von Schwerin and Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Dessau (‘The Old Dessauer’) couldn’t seem to sort out the mess.
Römer
Finally at around 2pm, following hours of painful manoeuvring and re-dressing of ranks, the Prussians finally got within engagement range and commenced a bombardment on the Austrian lines with their heavy 12pdr and 24pdr guns. The Austrians curiously hadn’t used the time to re-orientate the army, so were still deployed in reverse order and this for some reason seemed to cause as much consternation among the ranks as the cannonballs. Nevertheless, the Freiherr von Römer, commanding the six cavalry regiments on the left flank was made of sterner stuff and spotted an opportunity.
Despite the difficulty of moving through snow, the Prussian heavy artillery was unencumbered by having to dress ranks and had managed to deploy well forward of the main line. This brought them within effective range of the Austrians, but left them exposed and a juicy target for Römer’s cavalry. Saddled with orders to maintain their alignment with the infantry and further encumbered by the presence of a pair of grenadier battalions interspersed in their line, Schulenburg’s Prussian cavalry of the right wing made no attempt to intervene as Römer’s horsemen first moved off to the flank and then launched their charge.
Schulenburg
Some sources suggest that the Prussians lost sight of the Austrian cavalry due to a sudden snow-flurry, but whatever the reason, the Prussian cavalry received the Austrian charge at the halt and were smashed! Schulenburg attempted to organise a counter-attack, but first lost a horse and suffered a cut to the face. He attempted to staunch the flow of blood with a handkerchief, but as he mounted a fresh horse, his head was smashed by a cannon-shot! The King himself attempted to rally the panicked troopers of the Leib-Carabiniers (as pictured at the top of this article), but to no effect as the Prussian cavalry broke and fled the field or sought refuge among the infantry. While this was happening, the Austrian cavalry also managed to give the Prussian gunners a good sabering.
The King managed by the very skin of teeth to escape to the safety of his infantry (history at that moment came within a whisker of being VERY different!), but faced with what appeared to be an utter disaster, Schwerin urged him to ride to safety, which the King reluctantly agreed to do. Some sources say that he fled the field, but that seems rather harsh as it is clear that his subordinates begged him to do so, as the prospect of the King being killed or becoming a captive was completely unthinkable. Frederick later said that he deeply regretted agreeing to leave the battle, but it has to be said that this ‘regret’ didn’t stop him from buggering off early on a number of subsequent occasions…
With the King out of the way, the battle started to turn in the Prussians’ favour as the Prussian infantry did what it did best. Römer’s cavalry smashed themselves against the blue wall and were cut down by unending, rolling volleys. As the Prussian first line continued to advance on the waiting Austrian infantry, an attempt by Römer to turn the Prussian flank was stopped cold by the the infantry of The Old Dessauer’s second line, with Römer himself being slain.
At last, with the Austrian cavalry were beaten off and the Prussian battalion guns brought forward, the Austrian infantry were crushed by the weight of fire and were reportedly reduced to panicked knots of men clustered around their colours. At last, the coming of night allowed Neipperg’s army to slip away, leaving the Prussians masters of the field.
When the King finally returned to the army, he was clearly a man on a mission. The shortcomings of his cavalry arm were manifest and despite the war in Silesia still going on, he immediately implemented a programme of reforms and training, often conducting the training in person. In the meantime, the Silesian Campaign remained locked in a stalemate and on 9th October 1741 he agreed to an armistice that ceded Lower Silesia to Prussia.
Frederick enters Breslau, 10th October 1741.
However, Frederick wasn’t satisfied with only Lower Silesia. With Austria kept busy fighting France and Bavaria, he continued to build up his army in Silesia and in February 1742 resumed his offensive, this time ‘going for broke’ and aiming to capture Vienna, via the Austrian province of Moravia. His hussar scouts even came within sight of Vienna, but the actions of Moravian partisans and isolated Austrian garrisons cut his lines of communication and so he was forced to withdraw into Bohemia.
The Old Dessauer
On 17th May 1742, an Austrian army under Prince Charles of Lorraine almost ‘did a Mollwitz’ on Frederick, surprising the Prussians in their camp at Chotusitz. The Prussian cavalry performed better this time thanks to their period of re-training, successfully defeating their mounted opponents on each wing of the battle. However, one Prussian cavalry wing left the battlefield in pursuit of their defeated opponents, while the other wing was then defeated by the Austrian infantry, so there was still much room for improvement! In the meantime, the King was once again slow in deploying his wing of the army, leaving the Old Dessauer’s wing in the lurch for some considerable time. However, the Old Dessauer held his ground and as the King’s troops began to engage, the Austrians withdrew from the field.
Having secured his victory and with Austria still under pressure in the west, Frederick sought terms from Austria and at Breslau on 11th June 1742 was rewarded with the entire province of Silesia, as well as the neighbouring County of Glatz. The First Silesian War was over and despite a shaky start at Mollwitz, Frederick’s star was rising.
Frederick receives the homage of the Silesian nobles at Breslau.
Scenario Notes
The table is set up as per one of the two scenario maps above. I’ve scaled the maps to 5′ x 7′, based on the frontage of the units in my own collection. If you want to play the long, tedious version of the scenario, by all means use the first map showing the initial deployments (bear in mind that with the movement restrictions caused by the snow, it will take an AGE to get to grips!), but I recommend using the second map, which shows the situation at around 2pm, when the action started to happen. So assuming you take the sensible option and use Map 2:
1. The scenario will last for 20 turns.
2. Victory will be awarded to the army which breaks the opposing army.
3. All artillery starts the game unlimbered. The Prussian heavy batteries may not therefore be moved from their initial positions, though may pivot on the spot and may be turned to face any direction before the start of the game. Battalion guns are deployed within their parent formation as desired by the player.
4. The Prussian army starts the game during one of its interminable periods of dressing ranks. Any Attack orders issued may not therefore be acted upon until the start of Turn 3. The Austrian army may act on its orders from Turn 1.
5. As soon as the first Prussian formation breaks, Schwerin will use the excuse to spirit the King away from the battlefield ‘for his own safety’, thereby giving him the freedom to get a grip on the battle without royal interference! The C-in-C then becomes Schwerin with a rating of ‘Good’ (2 d6).
6. The thick snow almost certainly reduced the effectiveness of artillery, considerably reducing the ability of shot to ricochet, thus reducing damage effects and maximum range. Therefore, class both Prussian heavy artillery batteries as light artillery in terms of range and firepower, though targets within 4 inches (musketry range) will be attacked with the normal full cannister effect of heavy artillery. Battalion guns use the normal range-bands and factors, though will have no bounce-through effect. See the Terrain and Weather Notes below for other effects of snow.
7. The Austrians at this time certainly suffered from a disparity in infantry firepower effectiveness, given that they were still using wooden ramrods and simply didn’t have the intensive training in platoon-volleys that the Prussians had received, courtesy of Fred’s ol’ Dad. However, they are significantly outnumbered and outclassed in this scenario, so I’m tempted to leave them as they are. However, if you feel the need, apply the following rules to Austrian musketry:
- A roll of 6 will only cause one casualty, not two.
- In order to stagger a unit, their musketry roll needs to EXCEED the MR of the target unit, rather than equal it. However, a roll of six will always stagger the target unit.
The Prussian Army – King Frederick II
(Average – 1 d6)
Right Wing, First Line – The King
Division of Generallieutenant von der Schulenburg (Poor)
4 Sqns, Dragoner-Regiment ‘Schulenburg’ (DR 3) (1st Line) (poor)* [4/1 – Large]
Grenadier-Bataillon ‘Bolstern’ (3/27) [5/2]
Grenadier-Bataillon ‘Winterfeldt’ (5/21) [5/2]
5 Sqns, Leib-Carabinier-Regiment (CR 11) (poor) [5/2 – Large]
5 Sqns, Dragoner-Regiment ‘Schulenburg’ (DR 3) (2nd Line) (poor) [4/1 – Large]
Division of Generallieutenant von der Marwitz (Excellent)
Grenadier-Bataillon ‘Kleist’ (1/25)’ [5/2]
I. (Leibgarde) Bn, Garde-Regiment (IR 15) [6/2]
I. Bn, Infanterie-Regiment ‘Kleist’ (IR 26) [4/1]
II. Bn, Infanterie-Regiment ‘Kleist’ (IR 26) [4/1]
I. Bn, Infanterie-Regiment ‘Markgraf Karl’ (IR 19) [4/1]
II. Bn, Infanterie-Regiment ‘Markgraf Karl’ (IR 19) [4/1]
I. Bn, Infanterie-Regiment ‘Kalckstein’ (IR 25) [4/1]
Battalion Guns [2/0]
Battalion Guns [2/0]
Left Wing, First Line – Feldmarschall von Schwerin
Division of Generallieutenant von Kalckstein (Excellent)
I. Bn, Infanterie-Regiment ‘Truchsetz’ (IR 13) [4/1]
II. Bn, Infanterie-Regiment ‘Truchsetz’ (IR 13) [4/1]
I. Bn, Infanterie-Regiment ‘Prinz Leopold’ (IR 27) [4/1]
II. Bn, Infanterie-Regiment ‘Prinz Leopold’ (IR 27)† [4/1]
I. Bn, Infanterie-Regiment ‘Alt-Schwerin’ (IR 24) [4/1]
II. Bn, Infanterie-Regiment ‘Alt-Schwerin’ (IR 24) [4/1]
Grenadier-Bataillon ‘Reibnitz’ (13/19) [5/2]
Grenadier-Bataillon ‘Buddendorf’ (20/22) [5/2]
Grenadier-Bataillon ‘Puttkamer’ (12/24) [5/2]
Battalion Guns [2/0]
Battalion Guns [2/0]
Brigade of Oberst von Posadowsky (Average)
5 Sqns, Cuirassier-Regiment ‘Prinz Friedrich’ (CR 5) [6/2 – Large]
5 Sqns, Dragoner-Regiment ‘Platen’ (DR 1) [5/2 – Large]
6 Sqns, Dragoner-Regiment ‘Bayreuth’‡ (DR 5) [5/2 – Large]
3 Sqns, Leibhusaren-Regiment ‘Zieten’‡ (HR 2) [4/1]
Second Line – General der Infanterie Prinz Leopold von Anhalt-Dessau
Right Wing of Second Line – Generalmajor Prinz Heinrich von Preussen (Average)
I. Bn, Infanterie-Regiment ‘Prinz Dietrich’ (IR 10) [4/1]
II. Bn, Infanterie-Regiment ‘Prinz Dietrich’ (IR 10) [4/1]
I. Bn, Infanterie-Regiment ‘Alte-Borcke’ (IR 22) [4/1]
II. Bn, Infanterie-Regiment ‘Glasenapp’ (IR 1) [4/1]
I. Bn, Füsilier-Regiment ‘Graevenitz’ (IR 40) [4/1]
II. Bn, Füsilier-Regiment ‘Graevenitz’ (IR 40) [4/1]
I. Bn, Infanterie-Regiment ‘Prinz Heinrich’ (IR 12) [4/1]
II. Bn, Infanterie-Regiment ‘Prinz Heinrich’ (IR 12) [4/1]
Left Wing of Second Line – Generalmajor von Bredow (Good)
Grenadier-Bataillon ‘Saldern’ (8/36) [5/2]
I. Bn, Infanterie-Regiment ‘Braunschweig-Bevern’ (IR 7) [4/1]
II. Bn, Infanterie-Regiment ‘Braunschweig-Bevern’ (IR 7) [4/1]
I. Bn, Infanterie-Regiment ‘Sydow’ (IR 23) [4/1]
II. Bn, Infanterie-Regiment ‘Sydow’ (IR 23) [4/1]
Artillery Park
Batterie ‘Lehwaldt’ (12pdrs) [3/0]
Batterie ‘Dohna’ (24pdrs) [3/0]
Prussian Notes
* One squadron is actually from the Gensd’armes Regiment (CR 10).
† The 2nd Battalion of the ‘Prinz Leopold’ Infantry Regiment (IR 27) was squeezed out of the first line due to the army’s poor deployment and therefore formed up to the rear of the regiment’s 1st Battalion, between the two lines.
‡ The ‘Bayreuth’ Dragoons and ‘Zieten’ Hussars actually belonged to Prince Leopold’s Second Line, but were placed under Posadowsky’s command once the battle started. Similarly, part of the ‘Schulenburg’ Dragoons belonged to Prince Leopold, but were placed under Schulenburg’s command.
1. The Prussian cavalry under Schulenburg’s command behaved very badly at Mollwitz, so have been downgraded to ‘Poor’ status (i.e. their Moral Ratings have been dropped by one level). However, I’ve left Posadowsky’s cavalry ratings alone. Feel free to downgrade them as well, if you feel the need.
2. The young Frederick’s inexperience manifested itself in a number of areas during this battle; most notably in throwing away the advantage of surprise with his failure to immediately attack the Austrian camp and then compounding this with a botched deployment that resulted in a compressed infantry line and Posadowsk’y cavalry being deployed on the wrong side of a river! His desire to keep immaculately-dressed lines then resulted in one of the slowest advances to contact in military history. I’ve therefore classed him as ‘Average’ (1 d6), but he might also qualify as ‘Poor’ (0 d6) if you’re feeling harsh.
3. Prussian artillery strength varies from source to source. The total number of guns is variously described as 50 or 58 guns, while the number of heavy guns within that number could be 16 or 18 (divided into 10x 12pdrs and 8x 24pdrs).
4. Prussian regiments weren’t formally numbered until 1806, but as usual I’ve followed the common convention of using the anachronistic numbers to make units easier to label on the map.
Prussian Formation Breakpoints
Division FMR ⅓ ½ ¾
Schulenburg 23 8 12 18
Marwitz 35 12 18 27
Kalckstein 43 15 22 33
Posadowsky 20 7 10 15
Prinz Heinrich 32 11 16 24
Bredow 21 7 11 16
Artillery Park 6 – – –
Army Breakpoint FMR ¼ ⅓ ½
Prussian Army 180 45 60 90
The Austrian Army – Feldzeugmeister von Neipperg
(Average – 1d6)
Right Wing Cavalry – Feldmarschallieutenant Freiherr von Berlichgen (Average)
13 Coys, Dragoner-Regiment ‘Batthiányi’ (DR 7) [5/2 – Large]
13 Coys, Dragoner-Regiment ‘Liechtenstein’ (DR 6) [5/2 – Large]
13 Coys, Cuirassier-Regiment ‘Cordua’ (CR 14) [6/2 – Large]
13 Coys, Dragoner-Regiment ‘Württemberg’ (DR 38) [5/2 – Large]
13 Coys, Cuirassier-Regiment ‘Hohenzollern-Hechingen’ (CR 3) [6/2 – Large]
Right Wing Infantry – Feldmarschallieutenant Graf Browne (Good)
I. Bn, Infanterie-Regiment ‘Karl Lothringen’ (IR 3) [4/1 – Large]
I. Bn, Infanterie-Regiment ‘O’Gilvy’ (IR iv) [4/1 – Large]
I. Bn, Infanterie-Regiment ‘Baden’ (IR 23) [4/1 – Large]
II. Bn, Infanterie-Regiment ‘Baden’ (IR 23) [4/1 – Large]
I. Bn, Infantry Regiment ‘Kolowrat’ (IR 17) [4/1 – Large]
I. Bn, Infanterie-Regiment ‘Harrach’ (IR 47) [4/1 – Large]
II. Bn, Infanterie-Regiment ‘Harrach’ (IR 47) [4/1 – Large]
I. Bn, Infanterie-Regiment ‘Grünne’ (IR 26) [4/1 – Large]
Battalion Guns [2/0]
Left Wing Infantry – Feldmarschallieutenant Baron Göldy (Poor)
I. Bn, Infanterie-Regiment ‘Browne’ (IR 36) [4/1 – Large]
I. Bn, Infanterie-Regiment ‘Botta’ (IR 12) [4/1 – Large]
I. Bn, Infanterie-Regiment ‘Schmettau’ (IR i) [4/1 – Large]
I. Bn, Infanterie-Regiment ‘Franz Lothringen’ (IR 1) [4/1 – Large]
II. Bn, Infanterie-Regiment ‘Franz Lothringen’ (IR 1) [4/1 – Large]
I. Bn, Infanterie-Regiment ‘Thüngen’ (IR 57) [4/1 – Large]
II. Bn, ‘Thüngen’ Infanterie-Regiment (IR 57) [4/1 – Large]
I. Bn, Infanterie-Regiment ‘Alt-Daun’ (IR 45) [4/1 – Large]
Battalion Guns [2/0]
Left Wing Cavalry – Feldmarschallieutenant Freiherr von Römer (Excellent)
13 Coys, Cuirassier-Regiment ‘Hohen-Ems’ (CR 4) [6/2 – Large]
13 Coys, Cuirassier-Regiment ‘Scherr’ (CR 12) [6/2 – Large]
13 Coys, Dragoner-Regiment ‘Althann’ (DR 1) [5/2 – Large]
13 Coys, Cuirassier-Regiment ‘Birkenfeld’ (CR 23) [6/2 – Large]
13 Coys, Cuirassier-Regiment ‘Lanthierry’ (CR 25) [6/2 – Large]
13 Coys, Dragoner-Regiment ‘Römer’ (DR 37) [5/2 – Large]
Hussars – Unknown Commander (Poor)
10 Coys, Husaren-Regiment ‘Splényi’ (HR ii) [4/1]
10 Coys, Husaren-Regiment ‘Ghilányi’ (HR iii) [4/1]
Austrian Notes
1. Austrian cavalry regiments were not organised into squadrons until 1751, so are listed in terms of companies. This number includes the elite company (Carabiniers for Cuirassier Regiments and Horse Grenadiers for Dragoon Regiments). There is no indication that the elite companies were separated from their parent regiment and massed into temporary elite regiments, as was common during the Seven Years War. Similarly there is no mention of massed grenadier battalions.
2. The Austrian army was extremely weak in terms of artillery. Sources vary between ’10 guns’ and ’19 guns’ and these seem to have all been light battalion guns.
3. Most sources list Neipperg as a Feldmarschall at Mollwitz. However, he wasn’t actually appointed to that rank until 12th April 1741, so was still a Feldzeugmeister at the time of the battle.
4. Austrian infantry battalions at this time were still using the four-ranked line formation, as opposed to the three-ranked line used by Prussia (and adopted by Austria at the start of the Seven Years War). So despite being classed in Tricorn as Large Units, Austrian battalions are no wider than a ‘normal’-sized battalion. This is a bit of a bugger for those of us with battalions permanently fixed to single bases, but I’m sure we’ll manage…
5. Austrian regiments weren’t formally numbered until 1769, but as usual I’ve followed the common convention of using the anachronistic numbers to make units easier to label on the map. The Roman numerals (e.g. HR ii) are used for regiments that were disbanded before the formal numbering system was adopted.
Austrian Formation Breakpoints
Division FMR ⅓ ½ ¾
Römer 34 12 17 26
Göldy 34 12 17 26
Browne 34 12 17 26
Berlichgen 27 9 14 21
Hussars 8 – 4 –
Army Breakpoint FMR ¼ ⅓ ½
Austrian Army 137 35 46 69
Terrain and Weather Notes
Some accounts of the battle only mention the significant snowfall in passing, though witnesses describe it as being about two feet deep or ‘waist’ deep, so it’s clear that it had a significant effect on the battle; slowing movement, reducing the effectiveness of artillery and fatiguing the cavalry horses. Occasional snow-flurries also reduced battlefield visibility.
Blizzards
At the end of each Movement Phase and before the Musketry Phase, the umpire or a random player rolls two d6. On a roll of double-six the battlefield is suddenly obscured by a blizzard. The effects of the blizzard are:
- No musketry in that turn.
- No new orders may be transmitted that turn.
- No artillery fire in the following turn.
This means that a charging unit may suddenly gain the benefit of charging home under the cover of a blizzard without receiving defensive fire, but it’s not something that a player can plan to take advantage of.
Built-Up Sectors
If the Austrian player feels the need to fall back and take cover among the houses of Mollwitz, divide the village into four BUSs, each of which may accommodate one battalion. Each BUS has a cover modifier of -1 against shooting and a defensive modifier of +1.
Above: The bulk of the French army starts the game having just been alerted and in the process of forming up in its camping-grounds (Note to self: I must make some tent-lines…). The Gendarmerie de France are in the foreground, with the remainder of the French cavalry and d’Auvet’s infantry in the background.
Above: Ségur’s infantry, consisting of eight battalions from the Auvergne Regiment and the blue-coated Alsace Regiment (here represented by my German Brigade) are deployed in the straggling village and farmland of Rosenray, with a battery of heavy artillery to the rear.
Above: Historically, Ségur was very aggressive, throwing his infantry forward to meet the Allies at Kampenbrüch. However, on this occasion he’s happy to wait at Rosenray until Thiard de Bissy’s cavalry and d’Auvet’s infantry secure his left flank.
Above: D’Auvet’s division has ten battalions from the Normandie, La Tour-du-Pin and Briqueville Regiments. Aside from the aforementioned Gendarmerie de France, Thiard de Bissy’s cavalry consists of two brigades, each of four weak regiments (in game terms, two large (16-figure) units).
Above: Seeking a better view of the situation, de Castries takes up position on the high ground, next to the heavy guns.
Above: The French guns are presently facing north across the canal, covering the approaches to the bridge at Rosenray. However, they will soon be slewed left to engage the approaching Allies.
Above: Meanwhile in Kampenbrüch, the picked Highlanders of Keith’s 87th and Campbell’s 88th Regiments make short work of the French picquets.
Above: The Highlanders push forward into the village, passing an old redoubt left over from earlier wars.
Above: With the Highlanders making headway in Kampenbrüch, Waldegrave’s infantry swing right into the open ground south of the village. The division is led by a British brigade of three battalions; the 20th Foot (Kingsley’s), 25th Foot (Home’s) and 23rd Royal Welch Fusiliers. A German Allied brigade forms the second line; the Hanoverian ‘Marschalk’ and ‘Reden’ Regiments and the Hessian ‘Erbprinz’ Regiment. The two British grenadier battalions, Maxwell’s and Lennox’s, are formed on the extreme right flank. The only artillery support is provided by a handful of battalion guns.
Above: Elliot’s cavalry brigade forms up to the rear of Waldegrave’s infantry. Elliot has two small British regiments; the 1st (Royal) Dragoons (Conway’s) and the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons (Cholmondley’s), which for game purposes are massed into a single unit. On their right is a detachment of the Prussian ‘Malachowski’ Hussars; this theoretically small unit of only two squadrons has been reinforced to around 400-500 men, so I’ve represented it as a separate unit, rather than mass it with the dragoon brigade.
Above: The Gendarmerie de France move forward, determined to dominate the southern flank of the battle and threaten any Allied advance on Rosenray.
Above: As Waldegrave’s infantry advance, Elliot’s cavalry take post on the right flank. However, Elliot is outnumbered and outclassed by the Gendarmerie and doesn’t fancy his chances!
Above: The Highlanders meanwhile, mop up the last French picquets in Kampenbrüch.
Above: At Rosenray, French battalion guns begin to open a long-range fire on the approaching lines of infantry.
Above: On the hill behind the village, Castries and his staff watch as the 12-pounders commence their bombardment of the approaching enemy force.
Above: As the two formations close with each other, Elliot seizes the initiative and orders the ‘Malachowski’ Hussars to charge! However, the leading squadrons of the Gendarmerie de France, their lineage and traditions going all the way back to the Hundred Years War, contemptuously repulse the Prussians with ease, sending them reeling back through the supporting British dragoons!
Above: Retiring from the combat with only light casualties, the Gendarmerie are sure to rally… Aren’t they…? However, the Gendarmerie have succumbed to 
Above: The British dragoons breathe a collective sigh of relief and reform their ranks alongside the grenadiers. The ‘Malachowski’ Hussars also failed to rally, but the Erbprinz considers this to be a fair swap; two squadrons of Prussian hussars for four squadrons of elite French heavy cavalry! The dragoons also don’t seem to be too bothered about the loss of their Prussian comrades, despite the mass of French cavalry building up to their front.
Above: Thankfully for Elliot, Harvey’s reserve cavalry division has crossed over the canal and is marching to deploy on Elliot’s exposed right flank, just in the nick of time. Leading Harvey’s column is a combined brigade formed from the British 10th Dragoons (Mordaunt’s) and a Hanoverian regiment of heavy horse, the Leibregiment. These are followed by the Hessian ‘Einsiedel’ and ‘Prüschenck’ Regiments of Horse.
Above: Bringing up the rear of Harvey’s column is the Hessian ‘Prince Frederick’ Dragoon Regiment, resplendent in their Prussian-style sky-blue coats.
Above: However, the remaining half of the Gendarmerie de France are très énervé…
Above: The cavalry clash once again as the Gendarmerie de France charge the combined British-Hanoverian brigade. Elliot’s British dragoons also get stuck in, but the Allied cavalry is thrown back by the vengeful Gendarmerie. The British-Hanoverian brigade manages to rally, but Elliot’s dragoons keep running, carrying Elliot along with them. A short while later, the brigade of Hessian horse also makes a charge, but too is defeated by the Gendarmerie! The situation is starting to look bleak for the Allied cavalry. In the meantime, the French Royal-Piémont cavalry brigade charges the right flank of the British grenadiers, but is beaten off and retires to rally behind the Royal-Étranger brigade.
Above: As the cavalry battle continues on the flank, Waldegrave’s infantry press on and are soon engaged in a sharp firefight on the southern edge of Rosenray, with elements of Ségur’s and d’Auvet’s divisions.
Above: Waldegreave’s confidence is soon shaken, as the French infantry are numerous and are closely supported by artillery. Allied casualties quickly mount.
Above: On the flank, the Allies have another crack at the Gendarmerie de France, again throwing in the British-Hanoverian brigade, as well as the fresh Hessian ‘Prince Frederick’ Dragoons. The Hessian Horse move up in support. This time the Gendarmerie are thrown back with heavy losses!
Above: However, Waldegrave’s Allied infantry are starting to suffer very heavy losses in this increasingly attritional battle. This style of battle suits the French, as they have a lot more men to throw in to the fight.
Above: At long last, Howard’s reserve infantry division has arrived at Kampenbrüch! This division consists of three British battalions; the 11th Foot (Bocland’s), 33rd Foot (Griffin’s) and 51st (Brudenell’s), as well as the Hessian 2nd Guards, Müller’s Hessian Militia Battalion, some battalion guns and a position battery of Hessian 6-pounders.
Above: But is Howard going to be thrown into the existing battle on the right? Or is he going to open up a new axis of attack against Rosenray on the left?
Above: The Highlanders continue to skirmish in front of Rosenray, but are only a minor irritation that would easily be swept away if Ségur decided to attack
Above: A slightly more serious threat to Ségur are Winzingerode’s Hanoverian volunteers, who have inflicted losses on the 1st Battalion of the Alsace Regiment, as well as the heavy battery on the hilltop.
Above: On the French left, Montbarrey’s division deploys to form a second line behind d’Auvet’s extreme left flank. He also pushes a 12-pounder battery forward to provide close support. In the foreground, the Normandie Regiment finally moves forward from its camp. The regiment has remained inexplicably motionless for much of the day until now, but finally lurches forward to form a second line extending south from Rosenray.
Above: With the Gendarmerie de France beaten off, the British-Hanoverian brigade exploits the situation, launching a desperate charge against the Royal-Étranger cavalry brigade, who had been disordered and halted by fire from the grenadiers.
Above: Allied worries soon prove unfounded however, as Andy’s dice once again snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. With the loss of the Royal-Étranger brigade, Thiard de Bissy’s division has lost 50% of its fighting strength and now decides en masse to quit the field!
Above: With the French cavalry cleared away by Harvey, the threat to the Allied flank is removed.
Above: A short time later, the British grenadiers, with the Hanoverian Marschalk Regiment in support, have advanced to plug the gap between Waldegrave’s line and the southern woods. The Allied cavalry’s part in this phase of the battle is over and they form up to the rear.
Above: The infantry lines become more generally engaged. The Allies have the qualitative edge, but have taken more casualties. The French also have a lot more battalions in reserve and also now have a battery of 12-pounders right in the firing line! However, most of the French battalion guns have been knocked out by British musketry.
Above: The Thianges Dragoons arrived with Montbarrey’s division and now form up on the left flank, ready to pounce on any Allied breakthrough. With both flanks anchored and with stacks of reserve, the French seem set to win this battle of attrition, though Castries doesn’t look very happy about it!
Above: Meanwhile, the Erbprinz orders Howard to open up a new axis of attack on the left, where the French Alsace Regiment, defending the northern half of Rosenray, looks much weaker. However, Howard’s column has drawn the attention of the ever-present French 12-pounder battery on the hill.
Above: With the French slowly winning the battle of attrition in the centre, the Allies MUST do something to break the impasse!
Above: Waldegrave orders four battalions of his first line to charge! In the centre, the 20th Foot and Lennox’s Grenadier Battalion are halted by fire from the two battalions of the Briqueville Regiment, but the two flanking battalions (25th Foot and Maxwell’s Grenadier Battalion) make it into contact with two battalions of the La Tour-du-Pin Regiment.
Above: The British charge is a partial success; while the Briqueville Regiment stands firm in the centre, the two flanking battalions are smashed.
Above: French retribution is swift! The 1st Battalion of the Horion Regiment (on the left) and the 3rd Battalion of the Normandie Regiment (on the right) advance to plug the gaps and the French line charges the impudent Rosbifs!
Above: However, the French charge is something of a damp squib as 1st Horion are stopped by the fire of Maxwell’s grenadiers, while the 1st Briqueville and 3rd Normandie are repulsed by the 20th Foot and 25th Foot. The only successful French battalion is 2nd Briqueville, who throw back Lennox’s grenadiers, though only inflict light casualties.
Above: The situation as viewed from the southern flank. Lennox’s Grenadier Battalion has retreated, but manages to rally behind the cavalry.
Above: The situation as seen from behind French lines. The retreating battalions of the Briqueville and Normandie Regiments have managed to rally behind the second line.
Above: Another view from behind French lines. At present the French line appears rather ragged with two battalions destroyed and another two thrown back. Another British charge at this point might break d’Auvet’s first line altogether. However, the French still have sixteen battalions in this sector, nine of whom are completely fresh. By contrast, Waldegrave has eight battalions, all of whom have suffered losses, some of them dangerously so! Three of Waldegrave’s battalions are elite (so have a morale and combat grade one better than the French) and three are large units (so absorb an extra hit before breaking), but it’s unlikely to make a difference in the long term.
Above: However, Castries’ main cause for concern is now on his right wing.
Above: In front of Rosenray, Howard’s reserve division is advancing with grim determination against three battalions of the Alsace Regiment. The Alsace Regiment’s 1st Battalion is still pinned down, fending off Hanoverian and Highlander skirmishers near the canal.
Above: The Auvergne Regiment, deployed in the southern half of Rosenray, has been largely unengaged, aside from an indecisive firefight near the chapel with the 23rd Royal Welch Fusiliers and Waldegrave’s battalion guns. The Erbprinz was terrified that these battalions might move to envelop Waldegrave’s left flank, but this for some reason hasn’t happened.
Above: Sadly, that was where we had to leave the Battle of Clostercamp! It was 3pm and the open day was winding down, with everyone else packing up to leave, so we thought we’d better do likewise… 🙁 As mentioned above, I blame myself, as Andy and I probably wasted FAR too much time talking to old friends (and a few new ones)… However, we had played through fourteen turns in around four hours, so it wasn’t too shabby! 🙂
With Howard’s reserve infantry now finally arriving, the Erbprinz was able to withdraw his corps back over the canal without further incident. The battle had been an Allied defeat and a very bloody one, with 1,170 men being killed or wounded and 462 captured, along with a gun and 14 ammunition wagons. The butcher’s bill for the French had been even higher, with 2,661 being killed or wounded. The battle had also been very costly for both sides in terms of senior officers being killed, wounded and captured.
Scenario
The Allied Army
Notes
Allied Reinforcement Arrival Schedule
The French Army
Notes
French Reinforcement Arrival Schedule
As mentioned in the last few articles, I’m presently expanding my ‘western’ armies for the Seven Years War (France, Saxony, Great Britain, Hanover, Hessen-Cassel, Brunswick and Schaumburg-Lippe), with plans to refight the larger battles in western Germany, such as 
The Gendarmerie de France were considered (not without some justification) to be an elite corps, being classed as senior to all French troops excepting the guard regiments of the 
Above: The Gendarmerie de France had a unique organisation and was very strong indeed. It wasn’t the strongest in the French Army; that title was held by the Royal-Carabiniers, but it still weighed in at a whopping sixteen companies, organised into eight squadrons! At full strength, the regiment had 1,240 enlisted troopers, so once the company, squadron and regimental staff are added, the regiment had around 1,400 men of all ranks.
Above: Due to the colossal size of the Gendarmerie de France, I’ve represented the regiment as two tactical ‘wings’, in much the same manner as the ten-squadron Prussian Hussar Regiments and larger Dragoon Regiments. However, I must confess that I have cheated slightly, in that I’ve made each wing a ‘Large’ unit of 16 figures. I’ve done this for purely aesthetic reasons, as I wanted the frontage of the entire regiment to be divisible by eight, so that the sequence of squadron bandolier colours looked ‘right’ across the front of the regiment. In game terms they should really be two 12-figure units. I’ll make it up to the Allies…
Above: As mentioned above, the eight squadrons of the Gendarmerie de France consisted of two paired companies. Six of the sixteen companies were known as Chevau-légers rather than Gendarmes, but the title made no difference in terms of seniority, uniform, tactics or fighting ability. The 1st Squadron consisted of the 
Above: Each squadron of the Gendarmerie de France was identified by the colour of the central stripe of their bandoliers, sword-belts and shoulder-straps: 1st Squadron – Yellow. 2nd Squadron – Purple. 3rd Squadron – Green. 4th Squadron – Aurore. 5th Squadron – Cherry Red. 6th Squadron – Red. 7th Squadron – Dark Blue. 8th Squadron – Medium Blue.
Above: The 1st to 4th Squadrons of the Gendarmerie de France. Three companies had slightly different lace decoration on the coats:
Above: A rear view of the 1st to 4th Squadrons of the Gendarmerie de France. The identifying belt-colour for each squadron was repeated on ‘rosettes’ attached to the horses’ manes and tails. So from right to left we have yellow (1st Squadron), purple (2nd Squadron), green (3rd Squadron) and aurore (4th Squadron). The regiment’s trumpeters wore the standard Royal Livery of blue with red cuffs and lace in a silver & red ‘chain’ pattern.
Above: The 5th to 8th Squadrons of the Gendarmerie de France. The regiment’s horses are recorded as being of ‘mixed colours’, so I’ve gone with a mixture of chestnuts, browns and bays, with greys for the trumpeters.
Above: A rear view of the 5th to 8th Squadrons of the Gendarmerie de France. Again, the horses’ manes and tails were decorated with ‘rosettes’ in the squadron colour, so from right to left we have the 5th Squadron (cherry red), 6th Squadron (red), 7th Squadron (dark blue) and 8th Squadron (medium blue).
Above: The Gendarmerie de France. Each company had a standard, so there were sixteen standards in the regiment, in a dazzling array of designs. Frédéric Aubert of 
Above: The Gendarmerie de France. As mentioned before, I tend not to paint badges, crest, cyphers, etc, on horse furniture, as they tend to obscure the actual colour of the horse furniture. But if you’re interested, the holster-caps and the rear corners of the shabraques were decorated with the crowned cypher or badge of the company’s Colonel-in-Chief, which was embroidered in silver.
As mentioned 
On 18th November we have a refight of the 
However, in 1760 the new Landgraf Frederick (Friedrich) II, having served as a Prussian general, reorganised the army along Prussian lines, splitting each regular infantry regiment into two small battalions of five companies apiece. The grenadier component of each regiment was expanded to two full companies. In wartime the two grenadier companies would now be paired at the start of a campaign with the grenadiers from another regiment, forming one of six permanent, Prussian-style grenadier battalions.
Above: The Grenadierregiment was originally formed in 1672 as a combined grenadier battalion, but in 1702 became formalised as a regiment in its own right. It kept the status of grenadiers and therefore continued to wear grenadier-caps, but was also granted the right to carry colours and a regimental Chef (Colonel-proprietor) was appointed. By the time of the Seven Years War, it was therefore just another line infantry regiment (6th in order of seniority, although regimental numbers were not used at this time), albeit one with fancy headgear. We could argue until the cows come home as to whether it should be classes as ‘elite’ or not, but it seems to have been a good, solid regiment and in 1760 Frederick II re-designated the regiment as 2. Garderegiment.
Above: The Grenadierregiment. In 1760 the regiment was re-titled as 2. Garderegiment and the uniform was altered, removing the white lace edging from lapels, collar and cuffs and reducing the number of buttons and lace buttonholes. However, the buttonhole lace bars had small tassels added. A white aiguillette was added to the right shoulder and a red shoulder-strap was added to the left. The colour of smallclothes was changed to lemon yellow. This uniform change probably came into effect during 1761.
Above: The Grenadierregiment. Reversed colours for infantry drummers had been discontinued in the late 1740s or early 1750s. They wore the same coat as the rank-and-file, with the addition of red-and-white ‘national’ lace edging the facings and seams, as well as ‘swallow’s-nests’ on the shoulders and inverted chevrons down the sleeves. Drummers’ pompoms were coloured red & white.
Above: The ‘Haudring’ Infantry Regiment was the 2nd most senior infantry regiment in the army. In 1757 the regimental Chef, Colonel Otto Friedrich von Haudring was killed at the Battle of Hastenbeck and so the regimental title changed to ‘Capellan’ for Colonel W. F. von Capellan. In 1759 the regimental title passed again to Baron G. H. von Toll and yet again in 1760 to Colonel G. F. von Bartheld.
Above: The ‘Haudring’ Infantry Regiment. In 1760 and as mentioned above, the regiment was changed to a Fusilier Regiment. The basic uniform didn’t change very much; the white lace disappeared from the lapels and cuff-flaps, the neck-stock changed to black and the breeches were confirmed as white. Once again, sources are split over whether the tail-turnbacks were red or orange. The newly-authorised fusilier-caps had brass metalwork with an orange ‘bowl’, though these may have been slow to arrive and one source describes hats with green pompoms.
Above: The ‘Haudring’ Infantry Regiment. Again, the drummers wore the same coat as the rank-and-file, though with the addition of red-and-white lace decoration.
Above: The Cavalry Regiments ‘Ysenburg’ (on the left) and ‘Miltitz’ (on the right). The four senior Hessian heavy cavalry regiments were organised very similarly to those of Hanover and Great Britain, each consisting of two squadrons of three companies, for a total of 362 men. This was increased in 1760 to 412 men. One regiment on it’s own is not therefore really viable as a Tricorn unit in its own right, so I ‘brigade’ two regiments together to make a 12-figure unit, though from 1760, these units might tip the scales into 16-figure ‘Large’ unit territory.
Above: The Cavalry Regiments ‘Ysenburg’ and ‘Miltitz’. All Hessian Cavalry Regiments wore the same style of uniform, namely a white coat, waistcoat and cloak, with the regimental facing colour displayed on the lapels, collar, Swedish-style cuffs, shoulder-straps, tail-turnbacks, aiguillette, waistcoat-edging and cloak-lining. The facing colour was repeated on the horse-furniture. Breeches were straw or ‘pale straw’, neck-stocks were black and belts were white and ‘Prussian-style’, with the buckles at the back. Hats had lace edging in the button colour, with a black cockade.
Above: A cavalryman of the ‘Ysenburg’ Cavalry Regiment, painted in 1748 by David Morier. The armorial details of the horse furniture had changed by the time of the Seven Years War and the button colour had (probably) changed, but the rest of the uniform was unchanged. This painting gives an excellent indication of the shade of blue facings.
Above: The Cavalry Regiments ‘Ysenburg’ and ‘Miltitz’. Each cavalry squadron carried a fringed square standard; the 1st Squadron in each regiment carried the Leibstandarte, which had a white field decorated with the lion badge of Hesse-Cassel, either in a ‘metal’ colour or in ‘true’ colours. The 2nd Squadron carried an Eskadronstandarte of the same design, though having a facing-coloured field. The standards of the ‘Miltitz’ Regiment are recorded as having gold fringes and armorials, while those of the ‘Ysenburg’ Regiment had silver. Staves are variously described as red or brown.
Above: The Cavalry Regiments ‘Ysenburg’ and ‘Miltitz’. Trumpeters are recorded as wearing ‘reversed’ colours in both the early and late versions of the uniform, but I’ve been unable to dig out any more details. I’ve given them red & white ‘national’ lace edging on their collars, cuffs and lapels.
Above: The ‘Prinz Friedrich’ Dragoon Regiment was one of two Hessian dragoon regiments. I should clarify that this regiment was actually titled the ‘Sachsen-Gotha’ Dragoons until 1758, having Prinz Moritz von Sachsen-Gotha as its Chef. However, by the time they were actively engaged in the war, the title had passed to Prinz Friedrich von Hessen, who owned the regiment for the duration of Hesse-Cassel’s active participation in the Seven Years War, so I’ll refer to them as the ‘Prinz Friedrich’ Dragoons.
Above: The ‘Prinz Friedrich’ Dragoons wore a sky-blue uniform coat that was almost identical to that of the Prussian dragoons. The lapels, cuffs, collar, shoulder-strap, turnbacks and waistcoat were all yellow with white metal buttons and a white aiguillette at the right shoulder. Breeches were straw and neck-stocks were black. Belts were white and the cross-belts had the buckles at the back, Prussian-style. Unlike Prussian dragoons, the hats had white lace edging. The horse furniture was yellow with a double strip of white lace around the edge. A black sheepskin or bearskin covered the horn of the saddle and the tops of the holster-caps. The cloak was white, lined yellow; this was rolled with the yellow lining outermost and stowed behind the saddle.
Above: The ‘Prinz Friedrich’ Dragoons had square standards with silver fringe and embroidery. The Leibstandarte was white, with the arms of Hesse-Cassel in silver, while the Eskadronstandarten were of the same design with a pale yellow field. Some sources describe the arms of Hesse-Cassel as being in ‘true’ colours, including a red & white-striped lion-rampant.
Above: The ‘Prinz Friedrich’ Dragoon Regiment’s drummers were initially dressed in ‘reversed colours’, which I’ve interpreted as yellow coats with light blue facings. These were decorated with ‘swallow’s nests’ of red & white national lace on the shoulders and possibly other lace decoration (I’ve edged the collar, cuffs, lapels and pockets with lace). In 1761 the ‘reversed’ uniform was changed to the same colourings as the rest of the regiment, though still with lace decoration (i.e. Prussian-style).
Above: At the start of the Seven Years War, the Hessian artillery arm occupied a very low status in the pecking order of the army and had not even been given official status as a ‘corps’. As a consequence, it had fewer than 100 men of all ranks and very few heavy guns. However, it slowly began to expand at the start of the war, initially providing a detachment of two 3pdr battalion guns for each of the eight infantry battalions contracted to serve in Britain. With their departure, a further five 3pdr detachments were formed to serve the infantry regiments remaining in Germany.
Above: The uniform of the Hesse-Cassel Artillery Corps was very Prussian in style, comprising a dark blue coat with white belts and straw smallclothes. However, unlike the Prussian uniform, the coat had lapels and the facing colour was crimson, being displayed on lapels, collar, cuffs, shoulder-straps and turnbacks. The cuffs were Swedish in style, with two buttons. Buttons were pewter. Gaiters and neck-stocks were black. Hats were edged in white lace and had crimson pompoms. It was simple enough to paint the lapels onto these Prussian gunner figures.
Above: Hessian gun-carriages were traditionally painted white with ironwork painted red, reflecting the red-and-white stripes of the national lion-rampant badge. A bad batch of Humbrol 60 Scarlet (which is the colour of dried blood) always comes in handy for these red-painted guns! 🙂 It’s entirely possible that the guns supplied by Hanover and Schaumburg-Lippe remained in their original paintwork, which for Hanover was red with black ironwork and for Schaumburg-Lippe was probably white with black ironwork (a surviving Schaumburg-Lippe 12pdr at Bückeburg Palace has been mounted upon a white-painted carriage as far back as records can ascertain). However, I’ve gone with the traditional Hessian colours, as they look rather spectacular! 🙂
Last time, in 
Above: DeLaune’s (4th) Battalion of the Légion Britannique. Major William DeLaune (also sometimes spelled ‘DeLawn’, ‘De l’Ane’ or ‘DeLanne’) was unusual among the Légion Britannique, in that he was seconded from the British, rather than the Hanoverian Army.
Above: DeLaune’s (4th) Battalion of the Légion Britannique. This unit wore red coats with light blue cuffs and turnbacks and white metal buttons. Hat-tassels were white. Waistcoats were a pale shade of straw.
Above: DeLaune’s (4th) Battalion of the Légion Britannique. Again, I’m lightly in disagreement with David over his choice of flag colour, as he interpreted the facing colour as more of a blue-grey/turquoise/sea-green shade. But as before, David does a wonderful job, so I’ve used the flags regardless (my 4th Battalion clearly had a misunderstanding over the colour swatches at their tailor’s)! 🙂
Above: DeLaune’s (4th) Battalion of the Légion Britannique in skirmish order.
Above: The Dragoon Squadron of DeLaune’s (4th) Battalion of the Légion Britannique. As usual, the Dragoon Squadron wore the same uniform as the parent battalion, with the addition of a button-coloured (white) aiguillette on the right shoulder. Horse furniture was the same for all squadrons; red with button-coloured lace edging and embroidery.
Above: Fircks’ (5th) Battalion of the Légion Britannique. This battalion was officially commanded by Major von Fircks for the duration of the war, though executive command was actually exercised by a Major von Mauw for most of that time (for reasons that are unclear).
Above: Fircks’ (5th) Battalion of the Légion Britannique. This unit also wore red coats with white metal buttons, though this time with black cuffs, white turnbacks and white waistcoats.
Above: Fircks’ (5th) Battalion of the Légion Britannique. David’s lovely flags again follow the British regulations of the period, which stated that regiments with black facings were to have a Regimental Colour with a black field. superimposed with a red St George’s Cross.
Above: Fircks’ (5th) Battalion of the Légion Britannique deployed in skirmish order.
Above: The Dragoon Squadron of Fircks’ (5th) Battalion of the Légion Britannique. Once again, the squadron wore the uniform of the parent battalion, though with a button-coloured (white) aiguillette on the right shoulder and red horse furniture with button-coloured lace edging and embroidery.
Above: The massed Dragoon Squadrons of the Légion Britannique. As discussed in Part 5, each battalion of the Légion Britannique had its own organic Dragoon Squadron, comprising 101 men at full strength. However, in battle the five dragoon squadrons were often grouped together as an ad hoc regiment. One well-recorded example is that of the Battle of Warburg, fought on 31st July 1760, where the five squadrons were grouped together on the right flank of the Legion, under the command of one Major von Hattorf. This grouping was formalised in October 1762, when the five squadrons were officially brought together under Hattorf’s command as Dragoon Regiment ‘Von Hattorf’.
Above: The massed Dragoon Squadrons of the Légion Britannique. 
Above: The massed Dragoon Squadrons of the Légion Britannique. I’ve already covered all the uniform details, so I won’t repeat myself here. I wanted to use the 1st Squadron guidon as the unit standard, so 1st Squadron needed to go in the centre… Not very historical, but again, sue me… So from left to right as we look at them, we have the 4th Squadron, 2nd Squadron, 1st Squadron, 3rd Squadron and 5th Squadron.
Above: The massed Dragoon Squadrons of the Légion Britannique. David Morfitt again came to the rescue with regard to flags, producing a very nice sheet of five squadron guidons. They’re in typical British style; the crowned central panel has the letters ‘LB D’ for ‘Légion Britannique Dragoons’. Two of the corner panels have the running horse badge of Hanover, while the other two panels have the squadron number in Roman numerals. It’s just a shame to waste the other five guidons! 🙁
As discussed 
In December 1759, five ‘free battalions’ were formed from PoWs, deserters, foreigners and other assorted riffraff at Paderborn by the Hanoverian General von Spörcken. Two months later in February 1760, 30 officers and NCOs were assigned to the new battalions from Hanoverian infantry regiments, while 10 officers and 20 NCOs were assigned from Hanoverian cavalry regiments. Each battalion was then organised into four infantry companies, totaling 500 men and a dragoon squadron of 101 men.
Above: Command of the newly-created Légion Britannique was given to an adjutant of Ferdinand of Brunswick, the Prussian Major August Christian von Bülow (a great-uncle of the famous Napoleonic Bülow, the Graf von Dennewitz). This talented officer achieved some remarkable feats during his time in command of the Legion, including the storming of the town of Warburg and would probably have made an excellent general. However, he was severely wounded in the Combat of Rhadern on 13th September 1760 and died on 24th September. Following Bülow’s death, command of the legion passed to the Hanoverian Adjutant-Major Emmerich Otto August von Estorff, who commanded the Legion until its transfer to Prussian service and Beckwith’s command.
Above: Stockhausen’s (1st) Battalion of the Légion Britannique. As in pretty much all armies of the period (except the British Army), the battalions of the Légion Britannique were known by the name of their commanding officer and not by a number. The commanding officer in this instance was one Major von Stockhausen, who remained in command of the unit for the duration. However, there was an order of seniority within the Legion and the battalions are therefore referred to by number in most histories. As has previously been discussed with regard to the Prussian, Austrian and Hanoverian armies, using anachronistic unit numbers makes battle-maps FAR easier to label!
Above: Stockhausen’s (1st) Battalion of the Légion Britannique. While the Legion’s five battalions each had radically different uniform colourings, there were some uniform features common to all five battalions:
Above: Stockhausen’s (1st) Battalion of the Légion Britannique. The Legion is recorded to have carried flags ‘of the British pattern’, though nothing more is known about them. After much badgering, David Morfitt very kindly produced a set of battalion colours and dragoon squadron guidons ‘of the British pattern’, using a Roman numeral to identify each battalion/squadron (in this case ‘I’). The Regimental Colour here is straw/buff, matching the battalion’s facing colour.
Above: Stockhausen’s (1st) Battalion of the Légion Britannique. As I was feeling keen, I decided to do a pair of skirmisher stands for each battalion, thus enabling each battalion to deploy in skirmish order.
Above: Dragoon Squadron of Stockhausen’s (1st) Battalion of the Légion Britannique. As mentioned above, each battalion included a Dragoon Squadron of 101 men at full strength. However, in reality the Dragoon Squadrons were usually massed together as a de facto regiment and this grouping was formalised in October 1762, with the formation of a Légion Britannique Dragoon Regiment under Major von Hattorf, who had previously commanded the informal grouping since of dragoon squadrons at least 1760 (being named as the commander of the massed squadrons at Warburg).
Above: Udam’s (2nd) Battalion of the Légion Britannique. Major von Udam remained in command of the 2nd Battalion for the duration of the war.
Above: Udam’s (2nd) Battalion of the Légion Britannique.
Above: Udam’s (2nd) Battalion of the Légion Britannique. As the facing colour for this unit was red, David has used the ‘St George’s Cross’ pattern of Regimental Colour, which was the pattern used for British regiments with red or white facings. The St George’s Cross was also used with a black field for regiments with black facings.
Above: Udam’s (2nd) Battalion of the Légion Britannique deployed in skirmish order.
Above: The Dragoon Squadron of Udam’s (2nd) Battalion of the Légion Britannique. Again, the uniform is the same as that of the infantry, except for the addition of a white aiguillette.
Above: Appelboom’s (3rd) Battalion of the Légion Britannique. Major von Appelboom remained in command of the unit for the duration of the war.
Above: Appelboom’s (3rd) Battalion of the Légion Britannique.
Above: Appelboom’s (3rd) Battalion of the Légion Britannique. David went again with the St George’s Cross pattern for this Regimental Colour. He was working from the view that ‘orange is a sort of red’. However, I do have to slightly disagree here, as the British 35th Foot had orange facings and they carried an orange Regimental Colour. However, beggars can’t be choosers and David has once again produced a magnificent set of colours, so I’m more than happy! 🙂
Above: Appelboom’s (3rd) Battalion of the Légion Britannique, here deployed in skirmish order.
Above: The Dragoon Squadron of Appelboom’s (3rd) Battalion of the Légion Britannique. This plate, copied from the Gmunder Prachtwerk (the same source as the infantryman shown above), raises several questions: First, the facing colour is a very dark shade of orange, bordering on red. This may be caused by the contrast being cranked up by whoever scanned the original image and may also be the reason why the 2nd Battalion Dragoon plate above is shown in a very dark blue coat. Second, the aiguillette appears to be red or orange, rather than the regulation button-colour (white). Third, the cross-belt appears to have two bands of orange or yellow lace, though this may be a misinterpretation of the two stitched seams running along the edges of the belt. Fourth, the valise is red, matching the horse furniture, whereas the previous dragoon had a blue valise, matching the coat.
With the 
Above: The 
In February 1758 the mixed companies were increased in strength to 54 fusiliers and 44 dragoons and the worker company to 32 men, for a total of 1,304 men.
Above: The 
In 1757, half the unit was split off to become the 
Above: As mentioned above, the 
Above: The 1759 organisation remained in place until December 1762, when the unit was amalgamated with the Volontaires d’Austrasie. The unit was then renamed in March 1763 as the Légion du Hainaut.
Above: The uniforms of the Volontaires du Hainaut were very similar to those of the Volontaires de Flandre, essentially just replacing the red facings with black. To recap, the coat and waistcoat were blue with white metal buttons. The coat had blue tail-turnbacks, black lapels and black cuffs. The lapels, cuffs and lower breast were decorated with white buttonhole lace. Headgear was a cocked hat with false silver lace and white or black cockade. Breeches were white or black. Belts were natural leather and the cartridge pouch was black.
Above: When formed in 1757, the Volontaires du Hainaut were issued with the old colours of the Arquebusiers de Grassin. This famous unit had been one of the units amalgamated into the Volontaires de Flandre at the end of the War of Austrian Succession and so the colours were still held by the Volontaires de Flandre. New colours were eventually issued to the Volontaires du Hainaut during the course of the Seven Years War, but I’ve used the former colours of the Arquebusiers de Grassin, as I really like them.
Above: The drummers’ livery for the Volontaires du Hainaut is unknown, so I’ve just used the standard Royal Livery. There’s no information regarding any specific items of dress for the grenadier company.
Above: In addition to the formed Volontaires du Hainaut, I again did a couple of skirmisher stands. Again, the Volontaires du Hainaut are all 
Above: Waaay back in 
Above: Rather than re-paint my existing gun-carriages red, I relegated the old guns to various Reichsarmee contingents and bought some new 12pdr and 4pdr guns from 
Above: My French artillery figures are all 
Above: Here are the French ‘Swedish’ 4pdrs. These models are excellent value, as they come two per pack. The barrels and trails are cast as one piece, which also means less sticking.
Above: Again, I’ve used Eureka artillery crewmen for the 4pdrs, giving them the men with shorter rammers. However, I do rather regret not replacing the shafts with brass rod, as I did with the longer rammers, as again, they’re very bendy.
Above: A last view of the French artillery.
The long and winding road has finally reached its destination! As discussed in 
Well all good things (and tedious blog articles) must come to an end… I’ve finally painted my last unit for the Reichsarmee. I will post a Grand Imperial Parade in Part 11, showing the Reichsarmee as a whole and the grouped district contingents en masse, but for now here are the last units to be painted.
Above: The Franconian ‘Cronegk’ Infantry Regiment. Like many other Reichsarmee units, the three Franconian regiments were raised from a multitude of tiny contingents. The units raised in this manner were invariably bad and the Franconian regiments were no exception, being rated by the French Marshal Soubise as ‘poor’ and ‘too Prussian in their ways’. It certainly didn’t help that the regiments were riven by religious disputes, including the ridiculous argument over the regimental colours, as described in 
Above: The Franconian ‘Cronegk’ Infantry Regiment wore a dark blue coat cut in Prussian style, with white lapels, collar, shoulder-strap, (Swedish) cuffs and tail-turnbacks. Buttons were brass. Smallclothes and belts were white. Gaiters and neck-stocks were black. The hats were decorated with white lace and white-over-blue-over-white pompoms. Officers wore gold hat-lace and aiguillette, with a gorget and silver waist-sash, woven through with black and red. The only adornment to drummers’ uniforms was a white ‘swallow’s nest’ on each shoulder.
Above: The Franconian ‘Cronegk’ Infantry Regiment. As mentioned above, the tail-turnbacks were coloured white, though some sources show them as red. This confusion seems to stem from a later uniform-change, first depicted in 1782, by which time the tail-turnbacks of all three Franconian regiments had changed to Prussian-style red. The general consensus is that they were still white during the SYW and were depicted as such in the 
Above: The 
Above: This battery of the Franconian District Artillery Corps is therefore based on the description provided by Frédéric Aubert, who asserts that Franconian gunners were still wearing red smallclothes during the SYW and that the blue smallclothes shown in Kronoskaf did not appear until sometime around 1781 (being illustrated in 1782). Kronoskaf does describe red smallclothes being worn by Franconian artillery officers.
Above: The Franconian District Artillery Corps was equipped with guns from the Nuremberg Arsenal, which also supplied the bulk of the guns for the Reichsreserveartillerie. The heavy Nuremberg guns supplied to the Reichsreserveartillerie are known to have been carried on red carriages, so I’ve also painted this gun-carriage red.
As the war went on and in common with the Austrian grenadiers, they were increasingly used as an elite corps, being used for critical assault tasks and as a tactical reserve to defend key points and react to enemy breakthroughs. However, unlike the Prussian grenadiers, who were formed into semi-permanent battalions at the commencement of hostilities, the Austro-Imperial grenadier battalions were always ad hoc affairs, being grouped together on or very close to the day of battle.
Above: Franconian Grenadiers. The three Franconian infantry regiments each provided two grenadier companies. I use two roughly figures per company, so each regiment is represented by four figures.
Above: Franconian Grenadiers. From left to right, the three Franconian regiments represented here are ‘
Above: Franconian Grenadiers. While the majority of Franconian grenadiers wore Austrian-style fur caps, some contingents equipped their grenadiers with Prussian-style mitre caps. There is some disagreement among sources as to how many contingents were still wearing mitre caps during the SYW, but all seem to agree that the Bayreuth Company of the ‘Varell’ Regiment wore mitre caps, while the Eichstädt Company of the same regiment wore fur caps. As for the rest, the Anspach contingents of the ‘Cronegk’ and ‘Ferntheil’ Regiments may also have worn mitre caps. I’ve therefore given mitre caps to half of the ‘Varell’ Regiment’s grenadiers and also arbitrarily given them to half of the ‘Ferntheil’ Regiment’s grenadiers.
Above: Franconian Grenadiers. The fur caps worn by Franconian grenadiers were all made of dark brown fur, with brass front-plates and bags in the facing colour, piped blue for the ‘Cronegk’ Regiment and white for the other two. The mitre caps had a facing-coloured front-piece, decorated with a brass crest, bearing a blue enamel disc. The head-band was also facing-coloured and decorated with brass grenades. The bag was blue for the ‘Fertheil’ and ‘Cronegk’ Regiments and red for the ‘Varell’ Regiment. Piping and pompoms were white for all three regiments.
Above: Kurrhein (Electoral Rhine) Grenadiers. Four of the five Electoral Rhenish infantry regiments supplied six grenadier companies between them; the 
Above: Kurrhein Grenadiers. The regimental contingents from left to right are: the two Kurköln regiments (red facings), the Kurmainz Regiment (green facings) and the Kurpfalz ‘Effern’ Regiment (white facings). I detailed the uniforms of all these Kurrhein contingents in 
Above: Kurrhein Grenadiers. All Kurrhein grenadier companies wore Austrian-style fur caps of dark brown/black fur with a plate at the front and a hanging bag at the rear. The metal of the plate matched the regimental button-colour, which was certainly brass for the ‘Kurmainz’ Regiment, though the other regiments are the source of some debate. The Kurpfalz ‘Effern’ Regiment is variously described as yellow or white metal and I’ve gone with white metal. As for the two Kurköln regiments, one had white metal and the other yellow, but nobody can agree which regiment was which (Kronoskaf also says that the plate was brass for both regiments)!
Above: Kurrhein Grenadiers. The colour of the bags on the back of the grenadier caps matched the regimental facing-colour. The piping and tassel was blue for the Kurpfalz ‘Effern’ Regiment, yellow (or possibly a darker shade of green) for the ‘Kurmainz’ Regiment and white for both Kurköln regiments.
Above: Swabian Grenadiers. The four Swabian infantry regiments; ‘
Above: Swabian Grenadiers. From left to right, the regiments represented here are the ‘Baden-Baden’ Regiment (white facings), the ‘Alt-Württemberg’ Regiment (yellow facings) and the ‘Baden-Durlach’ Regiment (red facings). I covered their parent regiments in 
Above: Kurbayern, Oberrhein & Obersachsen Grenadiers. This battalion is comprised of the various odds & sods making up the remainder of my Reichsarmee. These were for the most part painted in the 1990s, when my sources were limited to just the (excellent) Pengel & Hurt booklets. Some of the details have since been challenged by more recent research, but I’ve left them largely unaltered.
Above: Kurbayern, Oberrhein & Obersachsen Grenadiers. From left to right, these grenadier companies are from the ‘
Above: Kurbayern, Oberrhein & Obersachsen Grenadiers. While most of these contingents wore Austrian-style fur caps, the Hessen-Darmstädt grenadiers wore Prussian-style mitre caps. It should be noted that when I painted these, Pengel & Hurt specified that the Salzburg grenadier caps were made of ‘brown fur’, so I painted them that horrible ginger colour. I know now that virtually all fur grenadier caps were made of ‘brown’ fur and it was usually a dark brown, bordering on black, so they should probably all be roughly the same colour.
Above: Kurbayern, Oberrhein & Obersachsen Grenadiers. From right to left, the cap-bags of the ‘Holnstein’ contingent of the ‘Kurbayern’ Regiment should have light red bags, piped white, not the poppy red piped yellow shown here. The straw bags with white piping of the ‘Pechmann’ contingent may well be correct, or they may also have adopted light red (sources are split). The ‘Salzburg’ Regiment’s bags are just described as ‘red’, though they may have had white piping. All sources agree that the Hessian mitre caps had white bands, grenade badges in brass or white metal, blue bag, white piping and white pompoms. The Kurpfalz ‘Garde zu Fuss’ had red bags with white piping.
Above: Imperial Auxiliary Grenadiers. As discussed in 
Above: Imperial Auxiliary Grenadiers. From left to right, these are the grenadier companies of the ‘Mainz-Lamberg’, ‘Blau-Würzburg’ and ‘Rot-Würzburg’ Regiments. I covered the ‘Rot-Würzburg’ Regiment in 
Above: Imperial Auxiliary Grenadiers. All three regiments wore Austrian-style fur caps of dark brown fur, with white metal front-plates.
