172 OSPREY· MEN-AT-ARMS SERIES 'Prussian avalryof/he 'fJpoleonic m r s 2 : 5 " 1 1807- , ,- • Text lry;ft:'fER HOFSCHROER Colour Platesby BRYAN FOSTEN " MEN-AT-ARMS SERIES EDITOR: MARTIN WINDROW 'Prussian avalry rfthe 'flpoleonic m r s 2 : 80 7- 5 1 1 Text by PETER HOFSCHROER Colour plates by BRYAN FOSTEN . . . '..,~, OSPREY PUBLISHI 'G LO DON Published in 1g86 by Osprey Publishing Ltd Artist's Note Member company ofthe George Philip Group Readers may care to note that the original paintings 12-14 Long Acre, London WC2E gLP from which the colour plates in this book were © Copyright Ig86 Osprey Publisbing L,d prepared arc available for private sale. All Reprinted Ig86 reproduCLion copyright whatsoever is retained by the publisher. All enquiries should be addressed to: This book is copyrighted under the Herne Convention. Bryan Fosten Al! rights reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the '3 The Green purpose ofprivate study, research, criticism or review, Haekbridge as permitted under the Copyright Act, 1956, no part Vvallington ofthis publication may be reproduced, stored in a Surrey SM6 7AU retrieval system, or transmilted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrical, chemical, mechanical, The publishers regret that they can entcr into no optical, pholOcopying, recording or otherwise, without correspondence upon this malter. the prior permission ofthe copyright owner. Enquiries sbould be addressed to the Publishers. 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