Page Links

  Jena Campaign

        Infantry

        Cavalry

        Artillery

1806 Musketeer IR2

Von Rucheuls

Army Organisation - Post Jena campaign and ‘Peacetime’

The War of 1806/1807 concluded after Napoleons victory at Friedland and on 9th July 1807 the Treaty of Tilsit was signed which established peace between Prussian and France.  The terms of the treaty sees  Prussian lands reduced from 124,868 sq mi to 61, 339 sq mi, the population reduced from 9.75 million to 4.7 million and war reparations amounting to 154.5 million francs (later reduced to 120 million francs in November 1808)

On the 25th July 1808 the Prussians established a commission to review and reorganise the army, the Kommission zur Reorganization der Militar-, Erziehungs-, und Bildungs-Institut. The commission was headed up by Graf Lottum and Generalmajor von Scharnhorst.  This commission with the able assistance of Generalleutnant Yorck and Major Clauswitz would be responsible for the reorganisation of the army through a new training manual, the introduction of the brigade system, the use of both column and line tactics, the abolition of regimental artillery and the cavalry would become subservient to the infantry. It also saw the creation of artillery and engineering schools, cadet schools and a new system for officer selection and enhancement (a real change from the monachistic selection process prior to 1806)

In October 1807 the first “Order-in-Cabinets” OiC were produced concerning the organisation of the army. The army would consist of   three corps , each divided into two divisions.  The corps were area defined with each corps being supported by a population of approximately 1,600,000 people.  Org 17 defines the corps and divisions:

Org 17. Corp & Divisions

Each Division was to be uniformly organised with 4 infantry regiments, 2 cavalry regiments, 2 x 6pdr foot batteries and 1 x 6pdr horse battery. Each Corp would also receive a 1 x 6pdr horse battery and 1 x 12 pdr foot battery. The same OiC also established the organisation for the infantry and cavalry regiments.  An Infantry Regiment was to consist of:

• 2  Grenadier Companies
• 2  Musketeer Battalions
• 1  Fusilier Battalion
• 1  Depot Company

A Cavalry Regiment was to consist of

• 4 Squadrons

Therefore “on paper” the Prussian army was to consist of:

Infantry

• 12 grenadier battalions, each of 4 companies
• 12 brigades of musketeers (48 battalions each of 4 companies)
• 6 brigades of fusiliers (24 battalions, each of 4 companies)

Cavalry

• 4 Cuirassier Regiments - 4 squadrons each
• 8 Dragoon Regiments - 4 squadrons each
• 6 Hussar Regiments - 5 at 4 squadrons, 1 at 8 squadrons each

Artillery

• 12 x 6 pdr 4 Foot Regiments batteries
• 3 x 13 pdr Foot batteries
• 9 x 6 pdr Horse batteries

When taking the field each corp would be organised along the same lines with the forces being split into three categories: Line, Reserve and the advanced guard or wing:, with the aim that the corp was a self contained fighting force consisting of all arms types

Line

• 4 brigades of Musketeers (16 Battalions)
• 4 x 6pdr Foot batteries

 

Reserve

• 4 Grenadier Battalions
• 2 Brigades of Heavy Cavalry (4 Regiments)
• 1 x 12pdr Foot battery
• 2 6pdr Horse batteries

 

Advanced Guard or Wing

• 2 brigades of Fusiliers (8 battalions)
• 2 Regiments of Hussars
• 1 x 6pdr Horse battery

These plans had to be halted  following the Convention of Paris on the 8th September 1808 when Napoleon placed a restriction on the size of the Prussian army limiting it to 42,000 men - 22,000 infantry, 8,000 cavalry, 6000 artillery and a royal guard of 6,000 men.  There was an effective ban on all other para-military organisations (militia, civil guards etc).  The planned three corp (6 divisions) became 6 brigades which are detailed in Org xxx

The Krumper System

The Krumper System was introduced through the commission. It was established to enable the Prussians to train a larger body of men than was allowed to be under arms under the terms of the treaty of Paris.   As can be seen in Org 18 below, a large portion of the army was on furlough (on leave) at any one time.  This enabled a rotation of new recruits to be introduced into training for a period of one year at a time.  Therefore if hostilities were to start the Prussians would have access to a larger body of trained men and officers.

It is estimated that in 1813 at the start of the Wars of Liberation 70,000 had been trained through the system

Infantry

At the end of hostilities in July 1807 the Prussian infantry consisted of the following units, all others having been effectively destroyed during the war:

Old Infantry Regiments

• #2 Ruchel
• #8 Ruits
• #11 Prinz Heinrich (formerly Schoning at Jena)
• #14 Besser
• #16 Diericke
• #52 Hamberger (formerly Reinhart at Jena)
• #58 Courbiere

Old Fusilier Battalions

• #3 Fusilier Wackenitz
• #6 Fusilier Rembow
• #11 Fusilier Bergen
• #21 Fusilier Stutterheim
• #23 Fusilier Schachtmeyer
• #24 Fusilier Bulow

Old 3rd battalions

• #4 Kalreuth
• #7 Owstien
• #30 vacant Borke
• #31 Kropff
• #33 Alvensleben
• #38 Pelchrzim
• #46 Thile
• #47 Grawert
• #50 Sanitz
• #51 Kaussberg
• #53 Larisch
• #54 Natzmer
• #55 Manstein

 Battalions raised in Colberg

• Grenadier Battalion Waldendfels
• Fusilier Battalion Moller
• Schill Infantry

Raised during the War

• 1st, 2nd & 3rd Pomeranian Reserve Battalions
• 1st, 2nd & 3rd Neumark Reserve Battalions
• Krokow Freikorps Battalion
• Battalion Schlesischer Truppen (formed from the Musketeers  # 42 Plotz)
• Battalion Schuler (from the remians of Fusiler battalions #14 Pelet & #15Ruhle)
• Fusilier Battalion Danielwitz (formed during the siege of Graudenz)
• 11 light infantry companies
• 9 Jager companies

Other

• #6 Guard Infantry Battalion
• #15 Garde zu Foss
• #18 Konig
• Grenadiers from #31, #43 & #46
• FeldJager (detachment)

Cantonists (Reservists from the following regiments)

• #1, 5, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 32, 34, 35, 36, 40, 43, 49, 57

At the end of 1807 the Prussian infantry consisted of:

• 50 Battalions
• 11 companies of Light Infantry
• 10 Companies of Jagers

Line Infantry Regiments

There were two OiC released in quick succession dated 21st October 1807 and a second dated 20th November 1807 which covered the composition of an infantry regiment.  The second OiC provided details on the ranks of the furloughed men.

Org 18. Infantry Regiment composition²

One of the first tasks following the OiC’s was to reorganise the existing units into new regiments. A notable change was the introduction of regimental names based on their region rather than their commander.  The new regiments came into being during November 1807.   

Org 19 shows the newly formed regiments and what units were used to create them.

Org 19. New Regiment Names and Source units

New Regiment Source units 1st East Prussian Infantry Regiment IR1 #3 Ruchel (Gr/1/2/3) & #11 Fus. Bergen 1st Pommeranian Infantry Regiment IR2 #8 Ruits (Gr/1/2/3), #31 Kropff (Gr), #42 Plotz (Gr), #46 Thile (Gr) and 1st Neumark Reserve Bn and Canton from #17 Treskow, #19 Pr. Oranien, #22Pirch & #36 Puttkamar 2nd East Prussian Infantry Regiment IR3 #11 Pr. Heinrich (Gr/1/2/Dep) & #6 Fus Rembow 3rd East Prussian Infantry Regiment IR4 #14 Besser (Gr/1/2/Dep), #21 Fus Stutterheim and Canton from #51 Kauffberg & #55 Manstein 4th East Prusssian Infantry Regimnt IR5 #16 Diericke (1/2/3), #23 Fus Schachtmeyer, #4 Kalreuth (3), Canton from #35 Pr. Heinrich & #54 Natzmer 1st West Prussian Infantry Regiment IR6 #52 Hamberger (Gr/1/2/3), #3 Fus Wakenitz,  #51 Kaufberg (3) & #53 Larisch(3) Canton from #24 Zenge, #25 Mollendorf, #26 Larisch & #57 Schack 2nd West Prussian Infantry Regiment IR7 #58 Courbiere (GR/1/2/3), #24 Fus Bulow, #54 Natzmer (3) & #55 Manstein (3) Canton from #29 Treuenfels, #40 Schimonsky & #43 Strachwitz Garde Infantry Regiment IR8 #6  Guard Grenadier battalion,  #15 Garde zu Fuss (1)  & #18 Konig (1) Leib Infantry Regiment IR9 Gren bn Waldenfels, 2nd Pommeranian Reserve Bn & 3rd Neumark Reserve Bn Contons from #1 Kunheim, #5 Kleist, #13 Arnim, #18 Konig and Cantons from #27 Tschammer & #34 Pr. Ferdinand Colberg Infantry Regiment IR10 Colberg Fus Bn Moller,  #7 Owstien (3) & #30  Borke (3) & #42 Plotz (Gr) Cantons from #12 Braunschewig-Oels & #22 Winning  1st Silesian Infantry Regiment IR11 Batt Schlesischer Truppen,  #31 Kropff (3), #46 Thile (3) & #50 Sanitz (3) Schuller Fusilier Battalion , Fusilier Battalion Danielwitz and Cantons from #28 Malschitzski, #32 Hohnlohe & 49 Muffling 2nd Silesian Infantry Regiment IR12 #33 Alevensleben (3), #38 Pelchrzim (3) & #47 Grawert (3) and new recruits in Silesia. 2nd Brandenburg Infantry Regiment IR13 1st & 3rd Pommeranian Reserve Bn & 2nd Neumark Reserve Bn and Krokow Freikorps Battalion

.IR13 2nd Brandenburg Infantry Regiment was short lived. Following the Convention of Paris in September 1808 the regiment was disbanded, its troops were redistributed across IR2, IR10 and IR11.

Jager

A series of OiC’s dated the 14, 16 November 1808 disbanded the Feldjager Regiment and the other light companies that existed after the war, with an additional OiC dated the 21st November 1808 to raise a Garde-Jager-Batallion and the 1st East Prussian FeldJager-Bataillon.  The OiC also drew together all of the light companies that were raised during the war within Silesia (von Sell, von Clausewitz, von Freyburg, von Rekowsky, von Polczinsky, and von Reichmeister).  on the 8th March they were formely organised into the Silesian Schutzen Battalion.³

The OiC  also provided details on the Jager Batallons organisation.  Org 19 provides the detail with Org 20 providing information on the units that the batallions were created from.

Org 19. Jager/Schutzen Bataillion organisation

The Garde-Jager-Bataillion had the same organisation but with one additional of staff officer³

Org 20. Jager Bataillon source units

Normal-Infanterie-Bataillon

This single bataillon was raised by an OiC on the 14th May 1811 and was the only other infantry unit raised during the peace years 1808 to 1812.  It was made part of the Garde in order to maintain the men-at-arms limitation imposed by the Treaty of Paris, however its status in the Prussian army was of a normal infantry bataillon..  It had a special purpose in that it was used to train soldiers in the new regulations, men were drawn from all regiments which were trained and then returned to their parent units to train them thus maintaing a high level of standardisation throughout the army.  The bataillon consisted 22 Officers and four companies of 12 Unteroffiziere and 125 men. Org. xx sows the organisation and Org xx shows where the men were drawn from.  It is worth noting that each new company raised one man to the rank of an Unteroffiziere after it had been formed.

Org 20. Normal-Infanterie-Bataillon organisation

Org 20. Regimental drafts into the Normal-Infanterie-Bataillon