Dutch Artillerry 1792-1795

The Dutch artillery in the French Revolutionary period consisted of 3 branches:
- foot artillery
- horse artillery
- battalion guns


Equipment:

The Dutch military historian J.W. Sypeteijn mentions in his book "Geschiedenis van het regiment Rijdende Artillerie"1852 the following regarding the artillery:


"Omtrent het materieel dat te velde toen werd gebruikt zij nog opgemerkt, dat de affuiten en voertuigen hier te lande sedert 1773 waren ingerigt naar het stelsel van Gribeauval, dat in 1765 in Frankrijk was ingevoerd."


which in English means:"Regarding the material that was used in the field it needs to be mentioned that gun-carriages and transport vehicles since 1773 were following the gribeauval system which was used in France since 1765".


If this is correct; the Dutch used gun-carriges, limbers and vehicles which looked the same as the French. The gun tubes themselves were made in the Dutch Republic itself.


Some pictures of guns from the Dutch Artillery Museum which also show that the colour of the carriage was a dark red and metalworks black. Probably the limbers and other artillery vehicles were painted the same.

The underneath gun is a 6pdr, made by the Maritz factory on a gribeauval carriage.

A Dutch reenactment group (the Stadskanonniers Amersfoort) have a remade gun and limber which are underneath

Organisation

The field artillery regiment had a strength of 4 (later 5 battalions) each of 5 companies where one company was the same as a battery.

In 1793 a horse artillery contingent were raised of 2 brigades each of 2 companies (ie 2 batteries).
A horse artillery battery consisted of 4 6dr, 2 3pdr and 2 24pdr houwitzers.

Each infantery battalion had two 3pdr battalion pieces.

The drivers of the artillery were still hired civilians; even the new raised horse artillery had to use civilian personnel.

German auxiliary troops in Dutch pay: 1 Mecklenburg-Schwerin

In 1787 the Prussian army had to save the house of Orange from the revolutionaries (or patriots as they call themselves) who had to fled to France.
The ruling house of Orange was thus saved but according to the Stadtholder William V, too little troops were available to hold the patriots in check.

So on the 5th of May 1788 a treaty with Mecklenburg-Schwerin was closed to deliver troops to the Dutch of appr. 1.000 men in 3 battalions.

In the summer of 1788 the organisation of this korps was:

Commanding officer: Generalmajor Von Gluer

Grenadier Battalion: Oberstleutnant Winter

Infantry regiment von Gluer: Generalmajor Von Gluer consisting of 2 battalions:
1st musketier battalion: Generalmajor von Gluer
2nd musketierbattalion: Oberstleutnant von Pressentin

On the 31st of August 1788 the korps arrived in the Netherlands after a journey of  more then a month; they departed their hometown on the 28th of July.
After that they had a peacefull and easy service as the patriots didn't show up until in 1792 the French revolution arrived.

The organisation was kept the same although Oberst von Pressentin became the commanding officer of the korps, the infantry regiment and of the first musketier battalion.
The second battalion received Oberstleutnant von Krievitz as commanding officer.

As the French declared war on the Dutch (technically only on the ruling house of Orange) in 1793,  the peacefull service for the Mecklenburg-Schwerin Korps was over.

In 1793 the strength of the korps was:
Grenadierbattalion: 13 officers and 285 men (298 total)
1st musketier battalion: 13 officers and 282 men (total 295)
2nd musketier battalion: 13 officers and 284 men (total 297)
a grand total of 39 officers and 851 men (890 total)

The strength of the korps gradually declined through losses, desertion but also new recruits were added so in December 1794 the total strength was 847 officers and men.

In january 1795 the strength of the korps was:
Grenadier battalion:        13 officers and 272 men (285 total)
1st musketier battalion:   13 officers and 262 men (total 275)
2nd musketier battalion: 10 officers and 253 men (total 263)
a grand total of 36 officers and 787 men (823 total)

In the year 1795, disorganisation through the Dutch State and army spread (and changed to the Batavian Republic), the korps declined in strength significant so that in December 1795 the total strength in men was 667 or a loss of 120 men against the strength of January 1795.
In January 1796 the regiment went home.

Regarding the war record; they formed part of the garrison of Grave in 1793, went with the field army in March 1793 but did not fight and went into garrison again in Bois le Duc ('s Hertogenbosch) and in april 1793 to Bergen op Zoom. In April 1794 they went into garrison in Maestricht and stayed there until this city surrendered in november 1794. They were exchanged with French prisoners and came in january 1795 in Utrecht (without arms and equipment).

For the wargamer the following information regarding uniforms and flags: the uniforms look similar to the Prussian army or German units (in formal dress) of the AWI period (so for wargames maybe these could be used to portray the Mecklenburg-Schwerin troops. Some pictures:

  

Notice that sometime white lacings is shown on lapels. I have the impression this is used on older uniforms but the FR period uniforms are without lacing.


Regarding colours; the 2 musketier battalions had each two flags; one avancier colour (in white) and one retirier colour in blue. Both battalions had imho the same flags and both flags had the same motifs/coat of arms; see underneath.

Sources:
Mecklenburg-Schweriner Truppen in den Niederlanden 1788-1796 (K-U Keubke, H. Köbke)
Mecklenburgers onder Nederlandsche vlag 1788-1796