With the reorganization following the disastrous defeat Jena-Auerstadt the pursuit that followed it, the Prussian artillery establishment began to take on a new face. Only those artillery units posted in eastern Prussia escaped total annihilation. This force consisted primarily of the 4th Foot Regiment and the single horse artillery company posted in Warsaw. However, this force was almost completely destroyed and only part of this force survived.
The survivors of this force fought under General l'Estoq at the battle of Eylau in 1807 and by June it had crossed the Memel and was operating in the vicinity of Tilsit. Another portion of the surviving Prussian artillery was placed under the command of General Bennigsen, the Russian commander. The bulk of its 99 guns were lost at Friedland, but the gunners were to form the cadre from which the Prussians would rebuild their artillery.
The evolution of the artillery surviving the 1806/7 campaigns was as follows:
Horse Artillery
1. The Konigsberg garrison provided four horse batteries that served in l'Estoq's Corps. They were:
- a.) Battery von Rentzell (No. 13). In 1809 it became Battery No. 1 of the Prussian Brigade.
b.) Battery Bredow (No. 7). In 1809 it became Battery No. 2 of the Prussian Brigade.
c.) Battery Graumann (No. unknown). In 1809 it became Battery No. 3 of the Prussian Brigade. d.) Battery Mechow (No. unknown)
2. The Warsaw garrison provided two horse batteries, which joined l'Estoq. They were:
- a.) Battery Weitzmann (No. 9). A half battery was lost at Braunsberg. The remainder passed under the command of Premierlieutenant von Steinwehr. In April it went to Pommerania. In 1809 it became the "3. reitende Stamm-Compagnie" or 3rd Horse Battery Cadre of the Brandenburg Brigade (Horse Battery No. 6).
b.) Battery Kuhnemann I (No. 10). A half battery was lost at Biczun. The other half (Decker) fought at Eylau and in March 1807 was re- established as to a full battery under Lieutenant Klapperbeing. Part of this battery was used in 1809 to form the Guard Horse Artillery Battery.
12pdr Foot Batteries
1. There were two 12pdr foot batteries attached to l'Estoq. They were:
- a.) Battery Scheffler. A half battery was sent to Pommerania in April 1809.
b.) Battery Braatz. In March 1807 it was disbanded and its personnel sent to the other batteries in l'Estoq's Corps.
2. Assigned to the Russian army of General Bnningsen were two batteries under the command of Major von Brockhausen.
- a.) Battery Kulicke. In 1809 it became the 7th Stamm-
Compagnie and _marched into Russia in 1812 as Battery von Schmidt.
b.) Battery Kirchfeld. Its fate is unknown.
6pdr Foot Batteries
1. There were three 6pdr foot batteries assigned to l'Estoq's Corps. They were:
- a.) Battery Arent (No. 34). In 1809 it became the 12th Stamm-Compagnie in the Prussian Brigade. Later it became 6pdr Foot Battery No. 22.
b.) Battery Wedekind. In 1809 it became the 10th StammCompagnie of the Prussian brigade. Later it became 6pdr Foot Battery No. 16.
c.) Battery Spreuth. In 1809 it became the 5th StammCompagnie of the Prussian Brigade. In 1812 it marched into Russia as Battery Falkenstein.
2. A single battery had been assigned to the Glatz garrison. In 1809 it became the 9th Stamm-Compagnie of the Silesian Brigade. Later it became the Park-Column No. 8 of the same brigade. (1)
In 1808 His Royal Highness, Prinz August von Preussen, became Brigade-General of the Prussian artillery corps as well as Chief of the 4th Artillery Regiment.
His first act was to begin a massive reorganization of the Prussian artillery forces. He reorganized them into three provisional brigades: East Prussia, Brandenburg and Silesia.
The remains of the 1st and 3rd Artillery Regiments, the Horse Artillery Regiment and all artillery in Silesian and Pommerania were sent to Berlin. The remains of the 2nd Regiment went to Breslau and were later joined by that artillery which had been in Pommerania and Silesia. The 4th Regiment and horse artillery company in garrison in Warsaw remained in Konigsberg. This movement of forces was shortly completed and in December 1808 a massive reorganization began. (2)
The Cabinet Order of 21 February 1809 formalized the reorganizational plan drawn up by General von Scharnhorst. It directed that the artillery would be organized into three uniform brigades. Each brigade was to consist of 3 horse companies, 11 foot companies and 1 handwerk (artisan) company. The artillery companies were to consist of (table at right):
+ These two ranks were interchangable between companies, that is
a company could have either a kapitan or a stabkapitan.
* These two ranks were interchangable between companies.
** Quarter master
# Drummers
## Trumpeters (3)
Prussian Artillery Part I: 1806-1815
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