Army of the
Kingdom of Holland
1806-1810
Part 2:
Orders of Battle
and Feats of Arms
by Geert van Uythoven, The Netherlands
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1. 1806-1807, ally of France against Prussia and RussiaA. Westfalia and HannoverThe Dutch formed the (Dutch) Army of the North, commanded by King Lodewijk, and were part of VIII Corps under Marshal Mortier. The troops formed two Divisions made up of the following units: Guard Regiment Gardegrenadiers 2 battalions Line Infantry
2nd Regiment Infanterie 2 battalions Cavalry
2nd Regiment Cavalerie 2 squadrons Artillery
Coy Rijdende Artillerie no. 1 6 guns On 7 November these units were reinforced with the following units: Guard Regiment Gardejagers 1 battalion Line troops
A 3rd Division, commanded by General J.B. Dumonceau, made up of When it was clear that the Dutch troops were not to receive permission to take part in the campaign as an independent Army Corps, King Lodewijk returned with his guard to Holland. The remaining Dutch formed the 3rd (Dutch) Division, part of VIII Corps (Mortier): Commander in Chief: General J.B. Dumonceau 1st Brigade Major General C.L. Crass 2nd Brigade (Major General H. von Heldring) 3rd Brigade (Major General J.C. van Hasselt) 4th Brigade (Major General K. Mascheck) The remaining Dutch troops were divided among the other Divisions of VIII Corps as follows: 1st Division (General E.J.B. Michaud, later General Grandjean)
2nd Regiment Huzaren 2 squadrons (Lt-Col C. Renno) 2nd Division (General Dupas)
2nd Regiment Cavalerie 2 squadrons (General G. du Rey) Military operations:
B. Swedish Pommern, Prussia and PolandMortier advances with VIII Corps into Swedish Pommern, after the Swedes had allied with Prussia. The Swedish army was shut up at Stralsund (January 1807). On 29th March 1807 Napoleon ordered Mortier to Kolberg with part of his Corps, while General Grandjean was ordered to blockade the Swedes at Stralsund. Grandjean had the following troops at his disposal:2 regiments of French infantry (6 battalions) Dutch troops: 2nd Regiment Infanterie 2 battalions (Col. A. Lyclama Nijeholt) After the departure of Mortier these troops (4,000-5,000) were heavily outnumbered by the Swedish (14,000), and on 1st April they were attacked by the Swedish, commanded by General von Essen. Grandjean had no chance and he had to retreat to Greif-swald, Anklam, and even further to Stettin by way of Uckermünde and Pasewalk. Losses were high: about 1,000 wounded and sick French and Dutch, the whole artillery park (near Anklam) and a detachment of 220 recruits, on their way to the army. Heavy fighting took place during the retreat, in which the 2nd Regiment Infanterie and the 2nd Regiment Huzaren distinguished themselves. After receiving news of the Swedish advance, Mortier assembled all that could be spared at Kolberg and forced marched to Stet-tin. United with Grandjean, on 16th April he attacked the Swedish near Sprengfelde, and had no trouble in defeating the Swedish. In this fight especially the 2nd Regiment Huzaren, the 7th Regiment Infanterie and the horse artillery behaved very well. At Sprengfelde, a village surrounded by brushwood and marshland, the Swedish made a stand behind the river after destroying the bridges, but were dislodged by the musketry of the French 15e Régiment de Ligne and shells of Dutch coy Horse Artillerie no. 1. After repairing the bridges, the Swedish troops were pursued to the village Altcosenow, were again the Swedish tried to make a stand. The Swedish had taken up position with about 3,000 men in three great squares, which were not impressed by the pursuing Dutch hussars and the French 3rd Régiment Chasseurs a Cheval. After the arrival of the horse artillery, which was delayed by the repairing of the bridges, the squares took heavy casualties and broke after a whole hour of shelling, leaving behind many casualties and prisoners. On the 17th the French and Dutch troops were back again before Stralsund, and the following day a truce was concluded on. The Dutch troops were again reorganised as follows: Commander in Chief: General J.B. Dumonceau Advance Guard (Major General C.L. Crass)
1st Division (Lt-Gen S.J. Bruce)
4th Regiment Infanterie 2 battalions (Col. C.H.W. Anthing) 8th Regiment Infanterie 1st and 3rd battalion (Col. G.M. Backer) 2nd Brigade (Major General J.C. Abbema)
9th Regiment Infanterie 1st and 2nd battalion (Col. B.P. Achen-bach) Reserve
1/2nd bat Artillerie te Voet 8 guns(Lt-Col A.J.J. de la Paissires) 5/3rd bat Artillerie te Voet 8 guns (Lt-Col A. Gey) Pontoneer detachment 2nd Division (Lt-Gen P.G. Gratien)
4th Regiment Infanterie 1st battalion 7th Regiment Infanterie 1st and 2nd battalion (Col. G.L. van den Bergh) 2/8th Regiment Infanterie 1 battalion 2nd Brigade (Major General K. Mascheck)
2nd Regiment Kurassiers 2 squadrons (Major General G. du Rey) Reserve
Coy Rijdende Artillerie no. 2 6 guns (Capt. J.J. Pistor) Military operations:As already stated Kolberg was also blockaded. This fortress was defended by Prussians under the capable commander Major A.W. von Gneisenau (of Waterloo fame). After closing a truce with the Swedish, part of the Dutch troops were sent to Kolberg. As al-ready said in part one, Lodewijk's refusal to introduce conscription in Holland, many foreigners, including Germans, were drafted into the Dutch units. The danger of this was made clear on 24th May 1807, when a squadron of Dutch hussars, commanded by Lt-Col W. Brepoels, encountered a squadron of Prussian cavalry in the vicinity of Kolberg. Brepoels charged the Prussians and pursued them for a while. But when ordering a second charge, part of the squadron composed of former Prussian prisoners of war refused to do so. Of this squadron, consisting of 121 men, 39 Prussians went over to the enemy. The remaining Dutch were then charged by the Prussians and the turncoats, and had to retreat. After this incident all Prussians in Dutch service were ordered into the depot at Stettin, but because of their great numbers this was never achieved. The 2nd (Dutch) Division, commanded by Gratien took part in the blockade of Kolberg. The blockade was finally ended by a general truce with the Prussians. Danzig was also blockaded by the French. Mortier arrived before this fortress with part of his VIII Corps (21st May) to reinforce Lefebvre, and it was taken on 27th May 1807. In the meantime some Dutch troops were transferred into the newly formed 'corps d'observation', commanded by Marshal Brune. This corps was soon engaged in a new blockade of Stralsund, brought about by the Swedish King's (Gustav Adolf IV) failure to ratify the truce. On 13th July hostilities recommenced, and Stralsund was again block-aded by the French and their allies, including Bavarian, Spanish and Dutch troops, the regiment of Chevau légers of the Duke of Aremberg, and troops of some other minor German states. The Dutch troops consisted of the 2nd Regiment Infanterie, 2nd and 3rd Regiment Hussars, and both companies of foot artillery. On 19th August Stralsund was taken and the Swedish retreated to the islands of Danholm and Rügen, hoping to be evacuated by the Brit-ish Navy. This didn't happen and the Swedish forces capitulated on 7th September 1807. After the taking of Danzig and Kolberg Mortier, and his VIII Corps were ordered to join Napoleon's 'Grande Armee'. The following troops were not transferred to Brune's corps d'observation, but stayed with Mortier and formed part of the Division Dupas:
58e Régiment Infanterie de Ligne 4e Régiment Infanterie Légére Battalion infantry of Nassau-Usingen Regiment of the Grand Duchy of Berg 4 bns. Regiment of Würzburg 3 bns. 2nd Regiment Kurassiers (Dutch) 2 sqdns. Coy Rijdende Artillerie no. 1 (Capt. F.W. van Brienen van Oosterom) 6 guns At the battle of Heilsberg (10th June 1807) the Corps of Mortier was ordered to turn the Russian flank, but the Russians retreated in time. At Friedland (14th June 1807) Mortier's Corps formed the left wing. The Dutch horse artillery was placed in front of the village Heinrichsdorff, and fired all their ammunition, after which they were ordered out of the line. One howitzer, commanded by Lieutenant C.F. Krahmer, stayed in line and fired another 160 shells, received from a French battery. After this the gun became unusable because of the wearing out of the touch-hole. The Dutch cuirassiers took part in the counterattack by Latour Maubourg's Dragoon Division on the Russian cavalry. 2. 1809, ally of France against Austria and van SchillWhile Napoleon and his Grande Armée are fighting at the Donau, Northern Germany is occupied by King Jerome of Westfalia with X Corps: X CORPSCommander in Chief: King Jerome of Westfalia 1st Westfalian Guard Division (2,490) (Div-Gen Graf Bernterode)
Garde du Corps 1 squadron (140) (Brig-Gen von Bongars) 2nd Westfalian Division (5,440) (Div-Gen d'Albignac) 3rd Dutch Division (5,300) (Lt-Gen P.G. Gratien) 1st Brigade (Major General C.H.W. Anthing)
7th Regiment Infanterie 2 battalions (Col. G.L. van den Bergh) 2nd Brigade (Major General J.C. van Hasselt)
9th Regiment Infanterie 2 battalions (Col. L.J.X. Vezier) Cavalry (Col. A.D. Trip)
Artillery (Col. D.E. Bode)
Coy Rijdende Artillerie no. 1 6 guns (Capt. Hogerwaard) Coy Rijdende Artillerie no. 2 6 guns (Capt. van Brienen van Oosteroom) Train Also at Jerome's disposal were the following troops:
27e Régiment Infanterie de Ligne 30e Régiment Infanterie de Ligne 33eRégiment Infanterie de Ligne 65e Régiment Infanterie de Ligne 28e Régiment Infanterie Légére Artillery detachments The task of Jerome's Corps was to suppress all popular risings. Events made clear that this wasn't needless. A Prussian officer, Katt, led a rising in Westfalia, but this was quickly suppressed. Another Prussian officer, Lt-Col von Dörnberg, led a rising in Kassel, Jerome's own capital. But also this rising didn't last long. Another story was the rising led by F. von Schill. On 28 April 1809 this Major led his hussar regiment out of Berlin. Operating near the Elbe in the direction of Halle with his 'Frei-korps', consisting of 400 hussars, 60 'Reitende Jäger' and 50 infantry, he learned of the Austrian defeat at Eckmühl and the suppression of the rising led by Dörnberg. Knowing their situa-tion now was hopeless, von Schill led his men in the direction of the coast, where he would try to find passage to England. On 5 May he was engaged by Lt-Col Vauthier with a force consisting of 4 coys of the 1st Westfalian Infantry Regiment, 2 coys of the 22e Régiment Infanterie de Ligne and 2 guns. Von Schill's cavalry had no trouble in defeating these troops, and he captured 200 men and the guns, losing 9 officers and 70 men. This loss was more then made good by the men that joined him, and he was able to create an infantry unit. At 15 May he surprised and took the fortress of Dömitz armed with 25 guns, left a garrison of 300-400 badly armed infantry, and continued his march to the coast. Marching by way of Wismar and Rostock, he finally arrived in front of Stralsund, and had no trouble in taking it from the weak French garrison. Stralsund was no longer as strong as in 1807, Napoleon had ordered the fortress dismantled. However, its location, with one side protected by the sea and the other sides surrounded by marshes and the only access by way of 3 roads, made it still very impressive. Von Schill at this time had the following troops under his command:
2 strong coys of jäger 3,000-4,000 infantry, consisting of Swedes, Pomeranians and Prussian and Austrian deserters. At Stralsund he found 23 24pdr guns, 1 60pdr carronade and 3 6pdr field guns. Because of his lack of gunners he had to use French prisoners. The walls and gates were strengthened and parapets were made for the guns. The task of capturing Dömitz was given to the 2nd Westfalian Division, commanded by Div-Gen d'Albignac. This Division was strengthened by the Dutch 8th Regiment Infanterie. Their task was to act as advance guard for the Division (apparently the quality of the Westfalian troops was not as good as wished). On 20th May the d'Albignac arrived at the left bank of the Elbe, with on the opposite bank the fortress Dömitz. The Dutch advance guard was ordered to cross immediately, covered by the artillery. The garrison didn't wait for the arrival of the Dutch and took flight to Rostock and Warnemunde, were they found passage to England. The task of capturing Stralsund was given to Lt-Gen Gratien, with the following troops:
6th Regiment Infanterie 2 battalions (Col. J.M. Behr) Artillery (Col. D.E. Bode)
Coy Rijdende Artillerie no.2 6 guns (Capt. van Brienenvan Oosteroom) These troops were reinforced by a Danish Corps of 1,500 men, commanded by General Ewald, and were now totalling about 6,000. Arriving in front of Stralsund at 10.00am on 31st May 1809, Gratien found Schill ready for defence. Stralsund was only accessible along the 3 roads leading to the city: From the west through the Kniper-gate; from the south through the Triebsee-gate; from the east through the Franken-gate. The 3 field guns were placed in the ravelin in front of the Kniper-gate, and the remainder of the guns on the walls, provided with rudimentary parapets. Schill had reinforced the defences of the gates with retrenchments. Gratien ordered his advance guard, reinforced with 2 guns, to demonstrate in front of the Triebseegate, while ordering the remainder of the guns to bombard the walls and the ravelin. This bombardment lasted about 2 hours, and did much harm to the defences and morale of von Schill's troops. Von Schill's artillery was no match for the experienced Dutch artillerymen. At 13.00pm Gratien ordered Lt-Gen Carteret to attack the Kniper-gate with the 9th Regiment Infanterie, covered by the artillery. The defenders of the ravelin broke before contact and the 3 field guns were captured. In the resulting chaos caused by the fugitives of the ravelin, an ammunition caisson blocked the gate, which then couldn't be closed, giving the Dutch the opportunity to enter the city. General Carteret was leading the Dutch troops from the front, and was shot in his back and killed while directing the 9th Regiment through the gate. The 9th regiment entered Stralsund closely followed by Colonel J.M. Behr who managed to force the Triebsee-gate. Heavy street fighting ensued. Von Schill's troops again had no chance against the more disciplined and experienced Dutch troops, who were reinforced by the Dutch cuirassiers and the Danish troops. Gradually the defenders were forced back on to the marketplace and rallied there on Von Schill's cavalry. This cavalry was attacked by the Danish Hussars, supported by the Dutch 2nd Regiment Kürassiers, and was defeated. 170 of them with 16 officers managed tot escape through the Franken-gate, but were pursued by the Dutch cuirassiers and were all made prisoner. Von Schill himself hurried from place to place to direct his troops, and soon was fighting himself. Finally, already carrying several wounds he was hit in the head by a bullet, and bayoneted. At 15.00pm Stralsund was taken. As in most cases of the taking of a city by storm, the town is been plundered. Stralsund was no exception. To keep the soldiers under control was difficult in the houses and streets and the street-fights changed to plundering, raping and murder. Finally about 800 men were taken prisoner. No one escaped. Dutch losses were 6 officers, 2 NCOs and 28 soldiers killed, 10 officers, 20 NCOs and 133 soldiers wounded. The Danish auxiliary Corps had 2 officers and 3 soldiers killed, and 47 wounded. In August the Dutch troops returned to Holland. The events in Spain and on Walcheren are to many to describe in this article, and will - if the editor permits - be covered in the future. BibliographyBosscha, J. Neerlands Heldendaden te Land - van de Vroegste Tijden af tot op Onze Dagen, Rotterdam 1843.
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On 7th November a combat took place near Ertzen. The Dutch advance guard, consisting of the guard cavalry and the 2nd Regiment Hussars charged a Prussian detachment, the Prussians losing about 100 dead, wounded and prisoners, Colonel Loyer, adjutant to King Lodewijk was killed leading the charge.
Capture of the fortress Hameln (21th November). Despite being outnumbered and without siege guns, the Division of Dumonceau managed in capturing the Hameln, because of the demoralised state of the Prussian troops. 16 Prussian standards and colours were taken.
Capture of the fortress Nienburg (25th November). Again there was not much resistance.