Netherlands Artillery
in the Waterloo Campaign

Part II:
The Netherlands Artillery Officers

Carel Frederik Krahmer de Bichin

reviewed by Geert van Uythoven, The Netherlands

Waldecker from birth, Krahmer was born in Corbach (Germany) on 28 June 1787. He entered the Batavian army in January 1804 as an élève-cadet with the 2nd Artillery battalion. Promoted 2nd lieutenant on 29 September 1806, Krahmer was appointed to the Horse artillery battery no.1. During that same month the company, now commanded by Captain Christiaan Everhard Johan Hogerwaard,

(Captain Christiaan Everhard Johan Hogerwaard was assigned to the horse artillery on 29 October 1804 as a 1st lieutenant; he was promoted to 1st captain, receiving command of the Horse artillery company no. 1 on 29 September 1806. Took part in the campaign in Germany 1806; campaign in Swedish Pommern 1807, wounded during the retreat to Stettin 8 April; on 7 January 1808 he was appointed a knight in the Order of the Union (Order van de Unie) by King Louis Bonaparte; took part in the campaign in Northern Germany 1809 (Stralsund); present in the Russian campaign in 1812, was killed instantly, his head hit by a 12-pdr cannonball, during the battle of Borodino on 7 September 1812.)

became part of the (Dutch) Army of the North, which in his turn was attached to Marshal Adolphe-Edouard-Casimir-Joseph Mortier’s VIII Corps d’Armée. He took part in the campaign in Swedish Pommern 1807 (Stralsund, Sprengfelde, Altcosenow, siege of Kolberg). He was present at the siege of Danzig (20-26 May). Assigned to the 1st Division (Géneral de Division Claude-Ignace-François Michaud, later Géneral de Division Charles-Louis-Dieudonné Grandjean) of Mortier’s Army Corps, he took part in the battle of Friedland 14 June 1807, where Mortier’s Corps formed the left wing of the French army. The Dutch horse artillery was in position in front of Heinrichsdorff village. Firing all day long until 6.00 p.m.; having shot all available ammo, the battery was taken out of the line except for a single 6-pdr cannon commanded by Krahmer, who did another 160 shots with ammunition supplied by a nearby French battery, until his cannon became unusable. Somewhat late, after the Kingdom of Holland had been incorporated in the French Empire, Krahmer became a knight of the Légion d’Honneur for his action during the battle of Friedland.

On 8 August 1808 he was promoted 1st lieutenant. He took part in the campaign in Northern Germany 1809 against Von Schill. On 31 May Stralsund, the fortress-city in which Von Schill had sought refuge, was attacked by Dutch troops and a Danish auxiliary corps. The horse artillery fought a two hours long duel with the 24-pdrs on the city walls, covering the assault on the city. In August of that year, the Horse artillery company no.1 returned to Holland. On 13 November 1809 Krahmer transferred to the foot artillery. After the Kingdom of Holland had become part of the French Empire, on 4 November 1811 Krahmer was promoted Adjutant-Major in the 1er regiment d’artillerie à pied.

On 31 August 1813 he was promoted captain with the artillery. He took part in the campaign in Germany 1813; part of the garrison of Dresden. Taken prisoner and transported to Hungaria. In 1814 he joined the ‘southern’ army in the Netherlands. The exploits of Krahmer during the Waterloo campaign will be described in part 3 of this series.

For his efforts during the Waterloo campaign, Krahmer was appointed a knight 4th class of the Militaire Willemsorde (‘Military order of William’) on 18 July 1815. He was promoted major with the horse artillery on 1 August 1826. During the Belgian rising in 1830 Krahmer was ordered to move to Antwerp assoon as possible with the Horse artillery battery no.2 served by the 5th Horse artillery company (Captain Jan Philip Baron van Coehoorn), leaving Breda on 31 August 1830. During the fighting in Brussels on 23 September 1830 Krahmer died by the hand of what by now had become his own countrymen.

Netherlands Artillery in the Waterloo Campaign 1815 Part II: Artillery Officers

Netherlands Artillery in the Waterloo Campaign 1815 Part I [FE71]

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