Men-at-Arms • 162

Prussian Cavalry of the Napoleonic Wars (1)

1792–1807

Peter Hofschröer • Illustrated by Bryan Fosten

Series editor Martin Windrow

Contents

INTRODUCTION

ORGANISATION

TACTICS

THE PRUSSIAN CAVALRY IN 1806

CAVALRY IN ACTION 1806

UNIFORMS AND EQUIPMENT

THE PLATES

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Prussian Cavalry of the Napoleonic Wars (1): 1792–1807

Introduction

When Frederick II (later known as Frederick the Great) came to the throne in 1740, he had three advantages for which he owed thanks to his father, the three tools he was to use to fashion his small, poor, central European principality into a great power: a modern, well-organised state; full coffers; and a properly trained and equipped army. Frederick’s father, Frederick William I (also known as the ‘Soldier-King’) had greatly expanded his small state’s military forces, and had streamlined its military and taxation systems so effectively that Brandenburg-Prussia could support on its limited resources an army which could match those of the great powers. Frederick William had used his army sparingly, and left it in fine condition to his son. Frederick II hardly waited until his father was dead and buried before embarking on an adventurist war with Austria, conquering Silesia; and then all but ruining his kingdom in the Seven Years’ War before establishing it as a great power on the continent of Europe.

Frederick’s cavalry, lacking experience of warfare, performed so poorly in the First Silesian War (1741–42) that every possible effort was made to get it up to scratch; and it was not long before Frederick’s horsemen earned their laurels. At Hohenfriedberg in 1745 the famous charge of the Ansbach-Bayreuth Dragoons smashed the Austrian army, taking hundreds of prisoners along with a forest of colours and a wealth of other trophies. Under a leader as renowned as Scydlitz, the Prussian cavalry achieved the nearest to a state of perfection that it was ever going to. So great was its reputation in the Seven Years’ War that Napoleon made a special point of warning his men at the beginning of the 1806 campaign to beware of the Prussian cavalry. However, their performance in that campaign proved something of a disappointment; nor was there much improvement in the latter years of the Napoleonic Wars, although the cavalry did record odd moments of glory. The possible reasons for this decline are examined in this work.

Cuirassier Regiment von Malschitzky (No. 2), 1800—the ‘Yellow Cuirassiers’. Yellow tunics with dark crimson facings, white breeches; the officer on the left has silver braid trim on his tunic. The sabretasche has a white trim. (Ramm)

Organisation

Cuirassiers

From 1786 there were 13 cuirassier regiments, 12 of which consisted of five squadrons, each of two companies. The remaining cuirassier regiment, the Garde du Corps, consisted of three squadrons, also of two companies each. An Instruction of 6 March 1787 set the strength of the cuirassier regiments at: 37 officers (Regiment Gensdarmes had 40 until 1803), 80 NCOs, 11 trumpeters, 660 privates and 60 reserves. The Garde du Corps had 24 officers, 48 NCOs, eight musicians and 522 privates. An Instruction of 24 June 1789 ordered the abolition of the practice of dividing the cuirassier squadrons into companies; only in the Regiment Gensdarmes and Garde du Corps was this practice retained. This rc-organisation was carried out only after the company commanders had retired or been promoted, and thus continued until the end of the century. At the same time, the strength of the cuirassier regiments was brought into line with that of the dragoons (see below). On 17 July 1798 the strength of the Garde du Corps was increased to five squadrons.

Gala uniform, Cuirassier Regiments No. 1 and No. 2, 1800. Both officers have white tunics and breeches, but pale straw-coloured waistcoats; the facings are poppy-red and dark crimson respectively, and the embroidery is silver. (Ramm)

For an outline of the cuirassier regiments which existed during the period in question, see the relevant chart.

Dragoons

From 1786, there were 12 dragoon regiments, ten of five squadrons each and two of ten squadrons. In 1787 the strength of these regiments was set at 37 officers, 75 NCOs, 16 trumpeters, 660 privates and 60 reserves. Both the regiments with ten squadrons had double these numbers. In time of war, the depot of six officers and one trumpeter was augmented by ten NCOs and 120 privates. In 1802, a 13th Dragoon Regiment was raised, and in 1803 another.

For an outline of the dragoon regiments which existed during the period in question, see the relevant chart.

Hussars

From 1786 there were ten hussar regiments, including the Bosniak Corps, each of ten squadrons and also two hussar commands. From 1787 an hussar regiment consisted of 51 officers, 150 NCOs, 30 trumpeters (Regiment No. 5 had a kettle-drummer) and 1,320 privates. By 1797 there were ten regiments of hussars including the Bosniak Regiment, one hussar battalion, one Tartar pulk and two hussar commandos. In October 1806 there were nine regiments of hussars, each of ten squadrons; one hussar battalion of five squadrons; one Towarczy (lancer) regiment of ten squadrons; one battalion of five squadrons and two hussar commandos.

For an outline of the hussar units which existed during the period in question, see the relevant chart.

The strengths of the cavalry formations in 1806 are also given below in tabular form:

Tactics

Drill Regulations

New regulations for the cavalry were worked out by a commission headed by Gen. von Prittwitz and founded on 5 February 1792. However, the outbreak of the Revolutionary Wars delayed their being brought into force. The Regulations for the cuirassier and dragoon regiments were finally published on 6 February 1796, those for the hussars and Bosniaks on 25 June 1796. These Regulations were preceded and announced by a number of other documents, including a long Cabinet Order dated 13 April 1788 which introduced a series of alterations; on 12 March 1790, an ‘Instruction for the Cavalry Regiments regarding Order and Training of the Men in the Field’; and on 7 May 1790, the ‘Regulations for the Royal Prussian Cavalry in the Field’.

Mounted training was greatly improved as a result of these amendments, because the horses were now carefully schooled (except for those of the hussars, whose small horses were not suited to such training, and because the hussars were still regarded as irregular cavalry).

Hussar Regiment No. 2, 1800: trooper (left) and officer. Red dolmans, blue pelisses, white or silver cords, white breeches. In the wars of the French Revolution this regiment alone captured two enemy colours, 15 cannon, two howitzers, 29 ammunition wagons, two field smithies, 60 baggage wagons, two limbers, 450 horses and 1,500 prisoners. (Ramm)

The Cabinet Order of 13 April 1788 specified that the cuirassier and dragoon squadrons should not be more than 48 files strong; the Garde du Corps was to be 58 files strong, and the hussars 44. The first three troops formed up in four ranks on special parades, and the fourth in two ranks—in time of war the latter received 12 reserves. Normally, the troops formed up in three ranks and the third rank contained the remounts, substandard and sick horses. Counter-marching was abolished, and instead the troops wheeled to the left or right. Inversion was not to be avoided, and thus attacking with an inverted front was permitted. Outflanking or deploying was no longer to be done by twos, but by quarter-troops or threes. When closing ranks for an attack, the second rank was to close up to the left on the gaps in the front rank. Dismounted drill was greatly simplified. Types of firing were restricted to fire by section and fire by files. The first rank no longer kneeled. Fire when advancing or retiring was dropped. Dismounted action was limited to the squadron.

The Regulations of 7 May 1790 dealt with matters like camps, saddling and packing, guard duties, patrols, pickets, security on the march, occupying a village in order to defend it, foraging and behaviour in combat. Special emphasis was placed on rallying after a fight and keeping a formed support for that purpose. In a successful attack, the object was to win ground, to weaken the enemy and to keep as many as possible of one’s own men in the fight, so the taking of prisoners and booty was to be avoided. When attacking enemy cavalry, it was recommended to get as close as possible to the enemy at a trot, thus maintaining closed ranks, keeping the squadrons under control, and preventing horses from becoming blown.

Hussar-Regiment von Suter (No. 5), 1800: trooper (left) and officer. Black dolmans with white cords, red collars and cuffs, black pelisses. The trooper has a red-and-white waist sash, the officer silver-and-black and silver cords. This regiment fought in Poland in 1794. (Ramm)

The new Regulations of 1796 combined many of the earlier reforms, and differed from the earlier Regulations of 1743 on a number of points, including the forming up in two ranks instead of three, riding stirrup to stirrup instead of knee to knee, and so on.

The methods of firing mentioned above were retained, along with battalion volleys by the hussars. Turns were done by twos or by fours, or even by troops and half-troops. When wheeling by troops or squadrons, the pivot flank stood while the outside flank galloped. The regiment could also wheel on the centre by inverting some of the troops. After wheeling, the unit would halt and dress ranks. There were a number of types of attack including: regiment, line, echelon, dispersed, without the fourth troop, inverted, reversed, with three ranks and on infantry. When attacking, the gallop was to be as short as possible, and only when 100 paces from the enemy was it speeded up on the signal ‘Fanfaro’ (‘Charge’).

Greater responsibility for supervising the care of the horses was given to the officers, and a special detail of NCOs was formed to inspect them daily. If a squadron was seen to have horses in poor condition when on a march, then the officers were brought to account for it.

The NCOs were instructed to refrain from using insulting language to the men, and could be severely punished for any physical abuse; NCOs who offended this rule three times could be cashiered. Only the squadron commander could order a whipping, and then no more than 30 strokes were allowed. This punishment was to be carried out in front of the squadron or on guard parade.

NCOs with the right qualities and of good service could be commissioned.

The training time for new recruits was set at six weeks for learning dismounted drill before the training on horseback.

Forming Up

Each squadron was to consist of 48 files, and the importance of this frontage was stressed in an Instruction of 10 April 1790. The third rank was to consist only of any men in excess of the 96 of the front two ranks. The men of the third rank were to be used mainly for detachments, patrols, etc. The tactical formations had altered little from the days of Frederick the Great.