Prussian Cavalry of the Napoleonic Wars

50 Pages·1985·1.75 MB·English

by  Peter Hofschroer

172 OSPREY· MEN-AT-ARMS SERIES
'Prussian avalryof/he
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1807-
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Text lry;ft:'fER HOFSCHROER Colour Platesby BRYAN FOSTEN
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MEN-AT-ARMS SERIES
EDITOR: MARTIN WINDROW
'Prussian avalry rfthe
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Text by PETER HOFSCHROER
Colour plates by BRYAN FOSTEN
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OSPREY PUBLISHI 'G LO DON
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Hofschrocr, Peter
Prussian Cavalry ofthe Napoleonic Wars.
(Men-at-arms series; 17'2)
2: 1807-18'15
I. Prussia. Armee-Cavalry-Hi~tory
I. Title 11. Series
357'.1'0943 UA718.P9
FilmsCl in Great Britain
Printed through Bookbuilders Ltd, Hong Kong
of (2):
Prussian Cavalry theNapoleonic !Mrs 1807-15
Introduction
It goes without saying that more mounted than tackled. However, despite these difficulties and
infantry formations escaped the double disaster of handicaps, it was the Prussian cavalry which
Jena and Auerstedt, and reached the regrouping pursued Bonaparte and his broken army from the
areas in Prussia's hinterland from where they were field ofWaterloo, and put an end, once and for all,
able to participate in the final campaigns prior to to the ambitions ofthe Corsican adventurer.
me PeaceofTilsit. AfterPrussia'sdismembermenta
drastic re~organisation of the entire army was
necessary, and the cavalry underwent this process
with the rest. At the time of the mobilisation in
18'3, the somewhat reduced mounted arm was
supplemented byvoluntary and militia formations;
and once peace was established after the First
bdication, a further re-organisation was begun.
The fateful campaign of 1815 was fought with the
Prussian cavalry still in the throes of this re
organisation.
The performanceofthe much-vaunted mounted
arm of the Prussian Army in 1806 was a
disappointment, largely because it was mishand
led,and dispersed among the divisions. Even in the
post-Jena reforms no central cavalry reserve was
created. On mobilisation in 1813 each corps had a
cavalry reserve; but as the Prussian corps were
distributed among the various Allied armies, there
was no opportunity to create a central reserve for
use in the classic Napoleonic fashion. It could also
be argued that there was, anyway, no new Seydlitz
in the Prussian Army to lead such a force.
There was another opportunity to make the
Prussian cavalry into a battle-winning weapon in
18I5; butastheregimentsthemsclvesweresuffering
enough from the current re-organisation, there was
little point in trying to fashion a large reserve
Clvalry corps for the Army of the Lower Rh.ine. Q.ueen's Dragoon Regim,ent, lS07-o8-a plate by Richard
Knoetel showing the transitional stages between lold' and
Contemporaryobservers, Bluecherincluded, noted
'new'uniforms. Compare with Plate D in MAA 162, Pru.uian
the weaknesses of Prussia's mounted arm, but Cal·alry ofthe Napoleonic Wan' (I), and Plate C in this book.
(ReproducedbykindpermissionoftheFranck'scheVerlags~
circumstances prevented the problems being handlung,W. SpemannofStuttgart, Germany.)
3
OrganiStllion No. 2 Prillwitz The depot became Squadron
Manteuffel, part of the lighl cavalry in Silesia.
NO.3 /rwing A detachment and the depot formed a
Ofthecavalryregimentswhichwerein existenceat reserve squadron in Danzig. Along with Regt.
the beginningofthe 1806 campaign, the following Katte, it formed the 1st Dragoon Bde. (Wedell) in
were still available in 1807/8 for incorporation in 1807. In 1808 it became the Neumark Dragoon
the new formations: Regiment.
NO.4 KalleThreesquadronsand thedepotescaped;
Cuirassiers a reserve squadron was formed in Danzig. Joined
No.2BeerenThedepot escaped to East Prussia, and Regt. Irwingin the 1stDragoonBde. (Wedell), and
the squadron formed from it joined Cuirassier in 1808 in the Neumark Dragoon Regiment.
Brigade Stuelpnagel. In 1808 this became the 3rd NO.5 OJ/een'sReached East Prussiain 1806;retained
Sqn. ofthe Brandenburg Cuirassier Regiment. in the re-organisation of 1808.
No. 3 Life Regiment A detachment reached East No.6Auer(1807,Ziethen) With L'Estocq in 1806. In
PrussiaandjoinedStuelpnagel. Became partof2nd 1808 the 1st Bn. became the East Prussian
Sqn. Brandenburg Cuirassier Regt. in 1808. Cuirassier Regt., the 2nd Bn. the 1st West Prussian
NO.4 WagenJeld Fought with L'Estocq in 1807; Dragoon Regiment.
became the Silesian Cuirassier Regt. in 1808. NO.7 Baczko With L'Estocq in 1806. Became the
NO.5BailliodzRemnantsofthe regimentescaped to Lithuanian Dragoon Regt. in 1808.
East Prussia,joining Stuelpnagel. The depot got to No.8 Esebeck With L'Estocq in 1806. Became the
Colberg. A reserve squadron was assembled in 2nd West Prussian Dragoon Regt. in 1808.
Danzig, and became part of the Brandenburg NO.9 Count von Hertzberg The depot was in East
Dragoon Regt. in 1808. Prussia. Two squadrons of the Freikorps Marwitz
No. 6 Quitzow Remnants joined Stuelpnagel; the consisted largely ofmembers ofthis regiment.
depot reached East Prussia. Became part of 4th No. 10HeykingThe depot formed twosquadronsfor
Sqn. Brandenburg Cuirassier Regt. in 1808. the 2nd Dragoon Bde. (Quitzow).
No. 7 Reitzenstein The depot went to Danzig, No. II Krafft The depot provided a cadre for the
becomingpartof4thSqn., BrandenburgCuirassier formation oflight cavalry in Silesia.
Regt. in 1808. No. 13 Rouquelle. With L'Estocq in 1806. Amalga
No. 10 Gensdarmes The depot reached East Prussia mated into the Silesian Cuirassier Regt. in 1808.
and formed a squadron in Stuelpnagel's Bde.
Another squadron was formed with Bluecher's Hussars
Corps in Pomerania. It became 1st Sqn. Branden No. 1 Gellkandt Light cavalry units in Silesia were
burg Cuirassier Regt. in 1808. formed around the depot. The veterans were
No. II Life Carabineers A detachment joined transferred to the 2nd Uhfan Regt. in 1808.
Sluelpnagel, and the depotalsogot to East Prussia. No.2 RudorfJ(Life Hussar Regt.) Thedepot reached
It became part of 2nd Sqn., Brandenburg East Prussia, where it was used to form a squadron
Cuirassier Regt. in 1808. in the Freikorps Marwitz, which was strengthened
No. 13Gardedu CorpsFoughtwith L'Estocq in ,807. to two on joining Bluecher's Corps in Pomerania.
Retained as a regiment in the re-organisation of Became the 1stBrandenburgHussarRegt. in 1808.
1808. NO.3PletzLightcavalryunitsinSilesiawereformed
from the depot, including Squadrons Schill and
Dragoons Hellwig. The veterans were transferre~tothe 2nd
r1
No. J King Bavaria (1807, Prince William). A Hussar Regt. In 1808.
detachment and the depot reached East Prussia; a No. 4 Duke Eugene oj Wiirllemberg Reached East
squadron was assembled in Danzig. In 1807 it was Prussia, andformed the 2nd HussarBde. (Ziethen).
part of the 2nd Dragoon Bde. (Wedell). In 1808, This became the 1st Silesian Hussar Regt. in 1808.
alongwith CuirassierRegt. Bailliodz,il becamethe The depot was used to form Squadron Eisen
Brandenhurg Dragoon Regt. Prince William. schmidt, part ofthe light cavalry in Silesia.
4
NO.5 Prittwitz With L'Estocq in 1806. Became 1st TrooperoftheBrandenburgHussars,andofficerofthesame
regiment, c.I808-I]--Cf. Plates E3, Fl. (ConteDlporaryplates
and 2nd Life Hussar Regts. in 1808.
byWolff/lugel)
No. 6' Schimmelpfennig (1807, Prince ofAnhalt-Pless)
Escaped to East Prussia and formed the 3rd Hussar
Bde. (Prince of Anhalt-Schaumburg). Joined the
No. 10 UsedomAdetachmentand thedepotreached
1st Silesian Hussar Regt. in 1808. The depot was
East Prussia and were used to form part ofthe 1st
used to form Squadron Witowsky, partofthe light
Silesian Hussar Regt. in 1808.
cavalry in Silesia.
No. II Bila Adetachment reached East Prussia and
.Vo. 7 Koeher A detachment and the depot escaped
went to the 1st Brandenburg Hussar Regt. The
and joined the 1st Hussar Bde. (Wiersbitzki). In
depot went to Silesia and was used to form
1808 it became part of the 1st Silesian Hussar
Squadron Haxthausen, part of the light cavalry.
Regiment.
Hussar Commando Berlin Went to East Prussia;
No.8 BluecherTaken prisoner at Ratkau, but broke
disbanded in 1808.
out and reached East Prussia with the depot. Two
squadronsjoined the 1st Hussar Bde., increased to ACabinetOrderof16October 1807 reduced all
three onjoiningBluecher's Corps in Pomerania. A cavalry regiments except the Garde du Corpsfrom
detachment was in Graudenz and one and a half five to fouf squadrons. Hussar Rcgl. Prittwitz was
squadrons were assembled in Danzig, and sub reduced from ten to eight squadrons, the Uhlans
sequently another squadron for the 3rd Hussar (formerly the Towarezys) from 15 to eight. Each
Brigade. In 1808it became the Pomeranian Hussar squadron consisted ofsix officers and 150 men (15
Regiment. COs, three trumpeters and t32 troopers).
NO.9 TowarcqsWith L'Estocq in 1806. Formed the The following regiments survived the war of
1st and 2nd Uhlan Regts. in 1808. 1806/7:
5
2) Rudorf[ (including a hall:squadron from Bila)
3) Blueeher
4) Hussar Bde. Ziethen (two squadrons Prince
Eugene ofWiirttemberg, two Usedom)
5) Hussar Bde. Dziengel (two squadrons Koehler,
two Anhalt-Pless including Gettkandt)
6) Schill's Cavalry
Uhlans
L'Estocq (eight squadrons)
This came to a totalof77squadrons, ofwhich 67
were in East Prussia and ten with Bluecher in
Pomerania.
The 1808 re-organisation
In the first re-organisation ofthe army in 1808 the
cavalry regiments were renamed as follows:
In the East Pmssian Division:
Ziethen Cuirassiers became East Prussian Cuirassier
Regt.
BaczkoDragoonsbecameLithuanianDragoonRegt.
Prittwitz Hussarsbecame Life Hussar Regt. (divided
into two regiments on 20 Dec. 1808)
In the West Pmssian Division:
Ziethen Dragoons became 1st West Prussian
Dragoon Regt.
OfficeroftheGardeduCorps-cf.PlatesA3'82.(Wolff/lugel) Esebeck Dragoons became 2nd West Prussian
Dragoon Regt.
UhlansremainedUhlans (divided intotworegiments
Cuirassiers on 16 Nov. 1808)
I) Garde du Corps (five squadrons) In the Brandenburg Division:
2) vacant WagenfeJd, including the Rouqucttc Cuirassier Bde. of the Mark became Brandenburg
Dragoons and Provisional Sqn. Reisewitz Cuirassier Regt.
3) Ziethen (formerly 1st Bn. Ziethen Dragoons) Prince William Dragoons became Brandenburg
4) Cuirassier Brigade of the Mark: 1St, Sqn. Dragoon Regt. Prince William
Gensdarmes; 2nd, Life Regt. and Life Cara Rudorlf Hussars became Ist Brandenburg Hussar
bineers; 3rd, Quitzow and Reitzenstein; 4th, Regt.
Beeren. (NB-Beeren and QuitzowJReitzen Schill's Cavalry became 2nd Brandenburg Hussar
stein later changed ordeL) Regl. von Schill
Dragoons in the Pomeranian Divi.rion:
I) Queen's Queen's Dragoons remained Queen's Dragoons
2) Prince William (two and a half squadrons, Dragoon Bde. Wedell became Neumark Dragoon
amalgamated with one and a halfofBailliodz Regl.
Cuirassiers) Bluecher Hussars became Pomeranian Hussar Regt.
3) Ziethen (formerly 2nd Bn. Ziethen) SiLesian troops:
4) Baczko Wagenfeld Cuirassiers became Silesian tS"uirassier
5) Esebeck Regt.
6) Dragoon Bde. Wedell (two squadrons Katte, Hussar Bde. Zicthcn became Lower Silesian Hussar
two Irwing) Regl.
Hussars Hussar Brigade Dziengel became Upper Silesian
I) Prittwitz (eight squadrons) Hussar Rcgt.
6
Plans ror maintauung these divisions as a SpiritedstudyoCPrussiandragoonschargingduringth~Wars
ofLiberation.
permanentorganisation had to berevised when the
Treaty ofParis of 1808ordered a drastic reduction
in the size ofPrussia's armed forces. Instead ofsix
Reg!., Neumark Dragoon Reg!., 2nd Uhlan Regt.
divisions, six brigades were formed. Consequently
UpperSilesian Brigade--Silesian CuirassierRegt., 1St
the two Silesian hussar regiments were amalga
and 2nd Silesian Hussar Regts.
mated into the st Silesian Hussar Reg!. on 5
I
Thus, in 1808, the following cavalry regiments
December; a 2nd Silesian HussarReg!. wasformed
were in existence:
from thelightcavalryinSilesia. Its Uhlansquadron
was used to form the Life Uhlan Sqn. in February Cuirassiers
180g; rrom 5 March 1810, this unit was known as No. I Silesian Cuirassier Regt.
the Guard Uhlan Squadron. The new brigades No.2 East Prussian Cuirassier Reg!.
contained the following regiments: NO,3 Regt. Garde du Corps
East PnlSsian Brigade--East Prussian Cuirassier NO.4 Brandenburg Cuirassier Regt.
Regt., Lithuanian Dragoon Reg!., 1st Life Hussar Dragoons
Reg!. 1 o. I Regt. ofQueen's Dragoons
West PrussianBrigade--2nd West Prussian Dragoon No.2 1st West Prussian Dragoon Reg!.
Reg!., 2nd Life Hussar Reg!., 1st hlan Reg!. NO.3 Lithuanian Dragoon Regt.
Pomeranian Brigade--Queen's Dragoon Reg!., NO.4 2nd West Prussian Dragoon Reg!.
Brandenburg Dragoon Regt., Pomeranian Hussar NO.5 Brandenburg Dragoon Reg!. Prince
Regt. William
Brandenburg Brigade--Garde du Corps Regt., Life No.6 Neumark Dragoon Regt.
Uhlan Sqn.,BrandenburgCuirassierRegt., 1stand Hussars
2nd Brandenburg Hussar Regts. No. st Life Hussar Regt.
I I
Lower Silesian Brigade-- 5t West Prussian Dragoon 0.2 2nd Life Hussar Regt.
I
7
NO·3 1St Brandenburg Hussar Regt. Reg!. (No.3) was raised, using thedepotofthe 2nd
NO·4 1st Silesian Hussar Regt. Hussars and a squadron each from the other two
NO·5 Pomeranian Hussar Regt. Blueeher Vhlan regiments.
No.6 2nd Silesian Hussar Regt. In 18I0the2ndSilesianHussarsweretransferred
o. 7 2nd Brandenburg Hussar Reg!. to the Lower Silesian Bde. and the Silesian Uhlans
Uhlans totheVpperSilesianBde.,sothateach brigade had
o. I West Prussian hlan Regt. a hussar regiment.
o. 2 Silesian Vhlan Regt. On IJune 181 I theso-called'NormalSquadron'
After Schill's unsuccessful attempt to start an wasformed. Itcomprisedonecompanyofdragoons
uprising in northern Germany in ,80g, his 2nd and one ofhussars, the former consistingofselected
Brandenburg Hussar Regt. was disbanded. In its personnel from the dragoon and cuirassier regi
place, on 16 May 180g, a Brandenburg VWan ments,thelatterfrom hussarsandUhlans.Thisunit
wasformed todemonstratethenewdrillregulations
whiehwereeventuallypublishedin 1812.Theword
'Normal' in this sense meant ~selting the norm'.
The'new' Prussiancavalry firstsawaction in the
LLft, trooper of Brandenburg Hussars; right, truInpeter of
Silesian Cuirassiers; .812-13- (Rabe) 1812 campaign in Russia. As with the infantry, a
number of so-called 'combined regiments' were
formed by taking squadrons from a number of
regiments and forming provisional units. The
combined regiments were organised as follows:
Dragoon Reg!. No. I from 2nd & 4th Sqns. of the
Lithuanian Dragoons, 1st & 2nd of the 2nd West
Prussians
Dragoon Reg!. NO.2 Irom 1st & 3rd Sqns. ofthe 1St
West Prussian Dragoons, 1st & 3rd of the
Brandenburg Dragoons
Hussar Reg!. No. I from 3rd & 4th Sqns. ofthe 1St
Life Hussars, 2nd & 3rd of the 2nd Life Hussars
Hussar Reg!. NO.2 from 3rd & 4th Sqns. of the
Brandenburg Hussars, 1St & 3rd of the Pom
eramans
Hussar Reg!. NO.3 from 1St & 3rd Sqns. ofthe 'st
Silesian Hussars, 1St & 2nd of the 2nd Silesians
UhlanReg!. from 3rd & 4thSqns. oftheSilesian, 3rd
& 4th of the Brandenburg Vhlans
All but two regiments went with the Prussian
Auxiliary Corps which formed the 27th Division of
the Grande Armce; the two regiments whieh went
to the Cavalry Reserve under Murat were the 2nd
Hussars and the Uhlans-the former to the 1st
Cavalry Corps under Nansouty, the latter to the
2nd under Montbrun. Only a handful of these
cavalrymen returned to their homeland'twhereas
the bulkoftheAuxiliaryCorps, underthe watchful
eye ofYorck, not only returned home but also led
the uprising against the French.
8
The 1813-15 caDlpaigns
The defection of Yorck's Corps precipitated a
rebellion in East Prussia, which he occupied in
wllson with theadvancingRussianArmy.The East
Prussian authorities immediately set about raising
,000 men to support him. Among the new
IOrm'l,lions was the so-called Prussian National
Cavalry Regiment orromsquadrons ofvolunteers,
each squadron having an elite company formed of
men who provided their own equipment. After the
armistice that summer, the elite companies were
taken from each squadron and used to form a
separate squadron.
As a war in Germany was clearly on the cards,
Frederick William HI, King ofPrussia, ordered a
mobilisation of his army in February 1813. The
cavalry squadrons were brought up to their
wartime strength of 150 sabres, and each regiment
was ordered to form a fifth or depot squadron.
Those regiments whose contributions to the
Auxiliary Corps had reduced them 10 only IwO
squadrons had now only to form a half-squadron.
A Light Guard Cavalry Regiment was formed
from the Guard Uhlans, the lormal Squadrons
and a newly-raised Guard Cossack Squadron.
The middleclasses weregiven theopporIunity to
form volunteer units which were then attached to
the line regiments. Many volunteers opted tojoin
the more prestigious Guard regiments. The Garde
du Corps was joined by an entire squadron of
Volunteer Cossacks; the Light Guard Cavalry
Regiment, by first onesquadron ofvolullleers, and
Uft, trooper of the Brandenburg Cuirassiers in c::ampaign
by May 1813, as recruiting showed no sign of dress; riglrt, trooper of the Dragoon Company, NonnaJ
slackening, by a second squadron. Volullleers Squadron, in full dress; .812-13_ (Rabe)
weallhy enough were permitted to bring servants
along to act as grooms, and these men rode in the Silesians had two squadrons with a detachment of
second rank. 50 volunteers.
A militia was formed in March 1813 on the Thesearethecavalryunitswhichtook tothe field
introduction of universal conscription. Tllis in (or the campaign ofspring 1813, achieving fame at
cluded a number of mounted formations. Each Ihe hard-fought battles of Gross-Goerschen and
Provisional Brigade included a Cavalry Section, Bautzen, and a stunning victory at Haynau. The
mostofwhichwerelaterformed intosquadronsand summerarmisticeprovideda vilal breathingspace,
regiments. This militia was organised along lines which wasused to knocksomesortofshapeinto the
largely identical to those ofthe East Prussians, who new formations. The militia cavalry sections were
had commenced their uprising a month earlier. used to form 30regiments, a total of1'3squadrons
Also foJJowing the East Prussian example, Silesia each with between 72 and 102 men.
and Pomeraniaformed theirown National Cavalry The Prussian cavalry entered the decisive
Regiments. The Pomeranian regiment had three autumncampaignata totalstrengthof30,780men,
squadrons, each with an elite platoon; and the broken down as follows:
9