Austrian Freikorps 1793

According to the Arteria plates there was a Slavonisch-Croatisches Freikorps which would imho would give some more colour to my Austrian revoluionionary 28mm army. Underneath some pictures; the first one of course of the Arteria plate. 

I tried to find some suitable figures and found the Wagames Foundry Russian Pandour characters which led me to this wagames unit which are close enough for my to add to my FR Austrian army.  

Dutch light infantry in the French Revolution

In the beginning of the French revolutionary period the Dutch army lacked light infantry so after 1793 they added and expanded some units.
Information on the light units is below:

Van Bijlandt
The sole light infantry on the budget for 1792 was the jagerbattalion of Bijlandt (which was renamed from the jager unit of the disbanded Salm legion) consisting of a battalion staf and one grenadier and 4 jager companies.
In 1793 it received a second battalion (from the 2nd batalion of the disbanded Regiment infantry nr 11 Van Dam and so now the Van Bijlandt battalion was expanded to a regiment.
I do not know the theoretical strength of the 2nd batalion (which as Van Dam it would be 1 grenadier and 6 line companies) but probably it would be the same as the 1st battalion (1 grenadier and 4 light companies) as Van Dam had losses in the 1793 campaign.
Probably the first battalion was a real jager battalion while the second battalion was seen a a light battalion and dresed accordingly. 


5th Waldeck
Waldeck delivered to the Dutch 2 line regiments of 2 battalion but also a light battalion which as it first was on half pay in Waldeck, it was taken in service in 1793 and so arrived before the 1793 campaign.
As far as I know, the 5th battalion consisted of 1 jager company and 6 light infantry companies. The uniforms which are know show the difference between jager and light coompanies.

Jagers van Mathieu
This was raised on the 1st of January 1794 but as its commander, Louis Mathieu died in June 1794 its name changed into Korps Jagers Von Heydte. I dont know its strength but probably it had the same strength as the Van Bijlandt.

Garde Walen (Battalion de Perez)
According to Sabron this battalion was used as light troops. Being the former 3rd battalion of the regiment Walen (Walons) it became an independant battalion in 1793.

Field strength
According to Sabron the field strength of various light troops in the beginning of the campaign of 1794 were in officers and men:
Van Bijlandt jagers           198
5th Waldeck                      280
Walen van Perez               280
jagers van Mathieu           277

Some impressions of the uniforms of the various units:

Starting with the Van Bijlandt jager:

 

 

Strange is, that the officers of the Bijlandt jager show a more purple facings while the other ranks and the last picture of an officer show red.

The "jassenboekje" shows a dark red on collar, lapels, cuffs and epaulettes with coppper buttons. The trousers are grey.

The Van Bijlandt light battalion:

  

The 5th battalion Waldeck

The first picture underneath is in my opninion the "normal" Waldeck uniform in blue coat and yellow facings in the period the 5th was on half pay in Waldeck

The uniform in blue and yellow in the pictures underneath are imho the light companies in campaign dress and I think was worn by all the other Waldck regiments

 What follows is the green jäger uniform of the jager company of the 5th battalion. The officer in the second picture wears a 'normal"bicorn; the ranks show a wide brimmed hat.

Jagers van Mathieu/Von Heydte
Raised in 1794 it shows almost the same uniform as Bijlandt, just the facing colour is blue (grey-blue ?) The black and white picture show in the middle an officer in jager uniform.
The "jassenboekje" don't show the bleu facing on the lapels but only blue cuffs. The rest of the uniform incuded trousers is plain green.

Garde Walen (or bataljon de Perez) 
As said earlier, although the picture underneath show a normal line infantry dress, according to Sabron this battalion was calssed as light troops. The normal line uniform is blue with white facings.

The regiment De Meuron

The VOC (Verenigde Oost-Indische Compacnie) or Dutch East-Indian Company) had hired the Swiss regiment de Meuron.
After the British conquered the Dutch possessions this regiment went into British pay,

The regiment had in it's VOC time a regimental (2 examples underneath ) and colonels flag as can be seen underneath. This is the normal dutch practice; white colonels' and coloured regimental on.

 

And an uniform picture (officer, line and sapper):

The back of Dutch FR uniforms

Most of the pictures of the FR Dutch units are taken from the front.
Some pictures of their back are underneath.

Guard grenadier and drummer

Guard officers

Batavian Army 1795-1806 (1)

Some information about the Batavian army.

So starting with the organisation and changes during its existance.
The information is from the book:
"De uniformen van de Nederlandsche Zee- en Landmacht hier te lande en in de koloniën" from F.J.G. ten Raa ('s Gravenhage 1800)

Infantry organisation changes July 8th, 1795 in the service of the Batavian Republic 6 Halve Brigades each 3 battalions each 1 grenadier and 8 fusilier companies 4 batallions jagers each 6 companies Regiment Saxen-Gotha of 2 battalions each 1 grenadier and 6 fusilier companies 1st Regiment Waldeck of 2 battalions each 1 grenadier and 6 fusilier companies 2nd Regiment Waldeck of 2 battalions each 1 grenadier and 6 fusilier companies 5th battalion Waldeck 1 grenadier, 6 Musketier and 1 jager company           5th Waldeck changed on August 19th 1800: grenadier company dissolved September 22nd 1795 a 7th half brigade of same strength as first 6 in the service of the province of Holland and Utrecht March 1st 1796 the 7th half Brigade in the service of the Batavian Republic March 29th 1802 For the colonies a 22nd battalion was raised from the 1st Marine battalion, a 23rd battalion from the 2nd marine battallion. Each of 1 grenadier and 8 musketier companies. The 5th battalion Waldeck becomes a colonial unit. October 21st 1803 The halfbrigades formation were dissolved; the battalions became independant battalions  there existed now: 21 battalions of infantry (numbered 1 to 21) 4 battalions of jagers June 11th 1805 The seperate line battalions were regrouped into 8 regiments of the line each of: 2 field battalions each of 1 company of grenadiers and 4 companies of fusiliers 1 garrsion battalion of 4 companies of fusiliers the jager battalions were regrouped into 2 light regiments  each of: 2 battalions each of 1 company of company d'elite and 4 regular companies (on august 10th 1805 the companies d'elite were renamed in Karabiniers) June 11th 1805 A guard corps is raised with the title: Lijfwacht van zijne Excellentie der Heere Raad-Pensionaris The infantry component consists of 1 battalion Grenadiers consisting of 8 companies 2 companies Garde-lichte infantry Cavalry organisation changes July 8th, 1795 from the old regiments there were raised 4 cavalry regiments each of 4 squadrons each of 2 companies Regiment Dragonders 1st Regiment Cavalerie 2nd Regiment Cavalerie Regiment Huzaren October 20th, 1803 Regiment Dragonders were renamed as Regiment Dragonders van Linie 1st Regiment Cavalerie became the 1st Regiment Lichte dragonders 2nd Regiment Cavalerie became 2nd Regiment Lichte dragonders June 11th 1805 2nd Regiment Lichte dragonders is disbanded Regiment Dragonders van Linie becomes 1st Regiment Dragonders 1st Regiment Lichte Dragonders becomes 2nd Regiment Dragonders June 11th 1805 A guard corps is raised with the title: Lijfwacht van zijne Excellentie der Heere Raad-Pensionaris The cavalry component consists of 2 companies of Garde Dragonders  1 company of Garde Huzaren Artillerie organisation changes July 8th 1795 artillery of the line 4 battalions each of 6 companies horse artillery 1 brigade of 2 companies pontonniers 1 company January 15th 1800 artillery of the line 4 battalions each of 5 companies (1 company disbanded) July 26th 1804 artillery of the line becomes: regiment of Artillerie te Voet 4 battalions each of 6 companies June 11th 1805 regiment of Artillerie te Voet 3 battalions each of 6 companies June 11th 1805 A guard corps is raised with the title: Lijfwacht van zijne Excellentie der Heere Raad-Pensionaris The artillery component consists of 1 company foot artillery

The Swiss guard -Zwitserse garde- (Dutch flags 3)

Although normally when you hear Swiss Guard you think of the French or Papal Swiss guards, other  smaller countries as the Dutch Republic also had Guards of Swiss origin.

The Dutch Swiss guards were raised in 1749 although Swiss troops (regiments or independent companies) were already in Dutch service for years.

The Swiss Guard consisted in the FR period of two battalions , each of 4 companies.
In the budget of 1792 the regiment is mentioned as consisting of just one battalion but with 8 companies. Probably on campaign the 2 battalion structure was chosen.
The first company was called the Leib company (or the Prinzen company as the prins of orange was its owner.
This company wore the colonels flag; it is not know if the first company of the second battalion when in the field did the same or that this had just a company colour.

The Swiss Guard (as other Swiss in Dutch pay) didn't have a grenadier company but grenadiers were included in the companies itself. As the grenadiers formed probably a separate grenadier company in each battalion in the field, the amount of grenadiers in a company was appr 15 to 20 grenadiers.
According to Sabron in 1794 the field battalion of the Swiss was theoratically 504 men which I think was 7 companies (6 musketeers and 1 grenadier) so a company was appr 70 men.

Underneath are some pictures of the Swiss guard of the FR period.

As said the Swiss guard had a flag per company of which the first was the white colonels' one, other companies had regimental flags; it is not known if all those flags ( in total 8) were carried in the field.

The reglement of 1791 mentions still 4 flags for a battalion. 

The two flags are one the left the colonels flag, on the right the regimental.
Both pictures from the Landesmuseum in Zürich.

A better picture of the Colonels flag which is since some years in the Dutch Military Museum is underneath.

Sometimes is shown the colonels flag worn by a grenadier. This is possible as maybe the grenadier company in the field was the Leibcompany (?). Underneath a picture but the flag is a little bit different.

Notice the blue/white hanging bag on the bearskin. Normally, I think the bag would be in the colour of the lacing.
Also, which is different from Dutch grenadiers, is the hanging tail. Dutch grenadiers had the hair tucked under the bearskin cf the reglement. Maybe a mistake by the painter?

French revolutionary game

I noticed I haven't posted some pictures of our (Alde Garde) FR games on the Crisis 2017 show and he Eindhoven show 2018.
So here are some: