Editor's Note: in response to my inquiry about formations of Austrian grenadiers in the SYW, we are fortunate to have received some insight on this subject from Christopher Duffy on the one hand, and an interesting fax from Alister Sharman, on the other hand, the latter of which lists some inhabers and regimental composition of various grenadier battalions in Loudon's Corps during the spring of 1760. Fortunately, I was out of town at the time of Professor Duffy phone call; fortunate in that he left a rather detailed voice mail, which I have taped and have transcribed for your benefit. Alister's information is also helpful in that members can now paint Austrian grenadier battalions with an accurate mix of grenadiers from specific regiments. I can not speak for anyone else, but this kind of data excites me.

Christopher Duffy's Comments

Just a bit of information about the Austrian grenadier battalions - this is a little bit complicated. They were basically more a part of their parent regiment than the Prussian grenadiers were and they did not have a sort of permanent inhaber like the Prussians. I think that the commanders of the Austrian grenadier battalions, when brigaded, tended to be very much more appointed on a kind of ad hoc basis.

In the winter, generally in winter quarters, the grenadier companies were with their parent regiments, which was not the case with the Prussian grenadier battalions.

When campaigning season commenced, my impression is that the Austrian grenadier companies were formed into battalions, which then formed a corps of grenadiers. And they tended to be used en bloc on the battlefield, basically as a kind of shock force or an elite reserve. The Prussian grenadiers, on the other hand, tended to be more split up, which was very much like ordinary fusilier battalions. The Austrian combined grenadiers seemed to be a kind of elite shock force. I think it was Marshall von Browne who invented this concept for his battle of Prague, and it was applied on a regular basis thereafter. So it's a bit of a contrast to the Prussian idea.

On the one side it's a bit looser - they weren't permanently formed togeather and they weren't so separated from their regiments as the Prussian grenadier battalions were. On the other hand, the Austrian grenadiers seemed to be used togeather a lot more on the battlefield. I will have to look into this in more detail.

Duffy Comments On Uniform Colors

It was interesting to read in the last issue of the Journal about the question of uniform colors. Some thoughts as regards the whitegrey: the grey was usually the color of undyed woolen cloth, so they didn't have to be dyed grey to actually get the color grey. It was a simple undyed cloth color which is a light grey. Now the white was usually attained not so much by a special white dye as by pipe clay as in the Austrian army.

Now about blues and other colors. The actual shade depended very much on the number of times the garment, or rather the bit of cloth, was dipped in the dyeing vat. For a light blue, like the light blue of the Bayreuth Dragoons, you might have 51 dippings. For a darker blue you have additional ones. Also, a great deal depends on the actual intensity of the dye material itself, which is the case of indigo blue.

At Koenigstein Castle, there is a new textile museum that we saw on tour a month or two ago. There they have the uniform of a Prussian musketeer of a Garrison Battalion of Frederick's period, and even allowing for the fading which must have happened at the time, this is a most startling cobalt blue. It really is, and in contrast to the red, it is almost gaudy. There are very few surviving coats of that period, but even so, I think we must allow for considerable variation into what they actually looked like. Just by this example, some of them must have been very bright blue, not the sort of dark blue, almost fleece blue, which we tend to associate with the Prussian. So it is very difficult to ascertain the actual color or certain intensity of the colors of the particular period. So I think a bit of flexibility is required here as some colors may be darker than others.

Alister Sharman's Comments

Elite formations of Austrian grenadiers and carabiniers where grouped togeather in ad hoc formations that were formed from various companies. Permanent grenadier battalions as such did not exist, this being a specialty of the Prussians. I have enclosed an Austrian order of battle for Loudon's Corps toward the end of April 1761 that was taken from a volume of the old Prussian general staff history. I hope that this information is of help.

Editor's Comments

To clarify this a little more, let us review the regimental organization of Austrian infantry regiments, as well as those for the elite companies of the dragoon and cuirassier regiments. Austrian line infantry regiments consisted of 16 fusilier companies and 2 grenadier companies. The fusilier companies had a strength of 132 officers and men, while the grenadier companies had 106 men of all ranks; for a total regimental strength of 2,340 including staff. The regiment was formed into two battalions of six companies in the field with one battalion of four companies posted back at the depot or garrison. The two grenadier companies would be detached, and formed ad hoc, prior to battle, with grenadier companies from two or three other regiments, according to Alister's order of battle. This would give the Austrian grenadier battalion, on average, six companies of 106 men, or approximately 636 men.

Austrian dragoon regiments included two companies of horse grenadiers, which would form a squadron of 190 officers and men Alister's order of battle indicates that these horse grenadiers would be converged with three squadrons from three other regiments, into one ad hoc horse grenadier regiment. Note also that cuirassier regiments had elite companies of karabiniers , two of which formed an elite squadron of 212 officers and men, which were usually brigaded with the grenadier corps.

Grenadier Formations in Loudon's Corps in 1761

Editor's Note: I had troubled reading the German Fraktur type face or font in Alister Sharman's order of battle, and question marks follow those names that were difficult to read. Each ad hoc grenadier battalion has an officer's name followed by the names of regiments that comprise each particular battalion.

Major Morbeer
2 cos. Giulay
2 cos. Deutschmeister
2 cos. Angern

Major Rollfe (?)
2cos. Botta
2 cos. Konigsegg
2 cos. Wied (?)
2 cos. Los Rios

Major Muck (?)
2 cos. Stahremberg
2 cos. Bayreuth
2 cos. Esterhazy
2 btns Loudon Grenadiers

Ob. Kinsky
I sqd Erzh Josef Dragoons
1 sqd Wurtemberg Dragoons
1 sqd Schmerzing Cuirassiers
1 sqd Prinz Albrecht Cuirassiers

Ob. Lt. de Bine
2 cos. Durlach
2 cos. Loudon
2 cos. Palfy

Major Odonell
2 cos. Erz. Ferdinand
2 cos. Wallis
2 cos. Plaass (?)
2 cos. Waldeck

Ob. Caldwell
2 cos. Marschall
2 cos. Andlau
2cos. B aden

Ob. Lt. Kodent (?)
1 sqd Ansbach Cuirassiers
1 sqd Trautmannsdorf Cr.
1 sqd Alt Modena Cr.
1 sqd Kollowrath Dragns.

In summary, there are six infantry battalions and the equivalent of two 4 squadron heavy cavalry regiments in Loudon's Corps.

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