What was the nominal strength of a company in a British Regiment during the American war of Independence?
score:6
Having dug out Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660-1978, Volume 2 (Frederick 1987) from the library, I have discovered that that the nominal strength of a regiment of foot in 1775 was 737 men. Regiments were composed of 10 companies: 8 battalion companies, a grenadier company and a light company. A full strength company would consist of 3 officers (usually a captain and subalterns, either lieutenant or ensign rank), 2 drummers (fifers in grenadier companies), 6 NCOs (2 sergeants) and 62 private soldiers. The regiment general staff would make up the rest.
During the 'American War' some regiments were granted a further 2 companies for recruitment purposes, bringing their upper limit to 811. Guards regiments sometimes had larger companies of 100 or more.
However, at the start of the war, the average regiment consisted of only 477 men - particularly if on service in the English Establishment (other territories varied further). Grenadier and light companies were detached to form their own battalions (such as the famous 'bloodhounds' of the 2nd Battalion of Light Infantry) which further reduced regimental numbers. Quite often, regiments were split across barracks and rarely paraded together, which compounded recruitment problems (it was a volunteer army). It also made large scale military manoeuvres difficult, to the point that regiments were having to train together for the first time in the theatre of war. (Houlding 1981, Spring 2010 - see below)
According to the Manual Exercise 1764 (last printed in 1778), each company would form a subdivision, 2 companies form a grand division. The Battalion is formed of several grand divisions.
Divisions were formed to perform the firings. In the exercise, mass firings (three ranks firing by battalion) were practice. However, in America, General Howe countermanded these orders and instructed divisions to fire in the alternate fire method used by Wolfe in the French and Indian Wars. Further to this, divisions would form in 2 ranks at open order and fire by company, giving the captains and subalterns significant initiative.
To complicate matters of regimental strength further, due to the lack of cavalry and broken, rough terrain in America, the usual European Order of Battle was distilled into smaller, more mobile forces with detachments and transfers commonplace, particularly for flank units.
Further Reading:
Houlding, J. A (1981) Fit for Service: The training of the British Army, 1715-1795 Spring, M (2010) With Zeal and Bayonets Only: The British Army on Campaign in North America, 1775-1783
Upvote:4
A traditional British regiment was divided into 3 battalions. A standard battalion had nominally 800 foot soldiers. A standard regiment, 2400 soldiers. Quoting from "A New and Enlarged Military Dictionary" by Charles James (1802):
REGIMENT, (regiment, Fr.) a term applied to any body of troops, which, if cavalry, consists of one or more squadrons, commanded by a colonel; and, if infantry, of one or more battalions, each commanded in the same manner. The squadrons in cavalry regiments are divided, sometimes into six, and sometimes into nine troops. The battalions of British infantry are generally divided into ten companies, two of which are called the flanks; one on the right consisting of grenadiers, and another on the left formed of light troops. There is not, however, any established rule on this head; as both cavalry and infantry regiments differ according to the exingencies of service in time of war, or the principles of economy in time of peace. We are humbly of opinion, that every regiment of foot should consist of 2400 men, making three battalions of 800 each.
the companies would have irregular sizes, from the same volume:
COMPANY, in a military sense, means a small body of foot or artillery, the number of which is never fixed, but is generally from 50 to 120, commanded by a captain, a lieutenant, and an ensign, and sometimes by a first and second lieutenant, as in the artillery and flank companies of the line. A company has usually 3 or 4 serjeants, 3 or 4 corporals, and a drums. In the guards the companies consist of 120 men each, as in the artillery.
You can refer to the same source for other such information.
More post
- 📝 Was the grooming ritual of clipping one's toe/fingernails common practice in the ancient civilizations of the Mediterranean/Mesopotamia?
- 📝 When did static electricity become a common occurrence?
- 📝 What exactly were the religious beliefs of Gemistus Plethon?
- 📝 How did a travelling Roman army decide where to temporarily camp for the night?
- 📝 Was it common to brush off Hitler's radical remarks as just figures of speech to whip up the supporters among US commentators in the 1930's?
- 📝 What were the efforts made by the U.S. government to conserve forests?
- 📝 Why did Cretan archers flourish?
- 📝 What happened to the compass platform on the Titanic?
- 📝 What was the first major technological advancement that occurred after the fall of the Roman Empire?
- 📝 What events or situations of WW1 led to a Nazi fascination with Anglo-Saxon powers?
- 📝 German Government branches during World War 2
- 📝 Does the ending of "Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage" by Alfred Lansing sound reasonable?
- 📝 At the beginning of English Civil War, why did Parliament take a hard line with neutrals, thereby effectively helping Royalist recruitment?
- 📝 How big was the IMF loan Britain received in the 1970's?
- 📝 Did the Germans use a "Verdun"-like strategy at Stalingrad?
- 📝 Did Imperial Japan choose to ally with Nazi Germany because of ideological similarity?
- 📝 History of the Changes and Developments in Types of Urban Renewal Projects
- 📝 What exactly do eyewitness testimonies say about Hitler's behavior during the Munich Putsch?
- 📝 Are there any histories of indigenous Americans who were taken to Europe?
- 📝 Who deposited German fuel drums on a Japanese air base in the Kuril Islands in 1943?
- 📝 When did civilians in Europe gain access to breech-loaded firearms?
- 📝 When did Romans give sticks to children to beat an enemy traitor?
- 📝 What was so "hot" about hot cakes?
- 📝 What are tanks for?
- 📝 When was the last promotion in the British Peerage?
- 📝 In the Middle Ages - 18th century, how long would it take for a blacksmith forge a regular farming scythe to a war scythe?
- 📝 Why did the Sassanid and the Eastern Roman Empire fail to make a lasting peace?
- 📝 Was there any knowledge of America before Columbus?
- 📝 What is the basis of the Spanish claim to Gibraltar?
- 📝 Can anyone identify these swords with carved ivory grip and narrow guard
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 What was the nominal strength of a company in a British Regiment during the American war of Independence?
- 📝 What was the strategy to protect the British Museum during the World Wars?
- 📝 What was the alcoholic beverage of choice for British soldiers during WW2?
- 📝 During the Peninsula War, what British material aid was given to Spain/Portugal?
- 📝 During the breakup of the Soviet Union, on what basis was citizenship granted or withheld for each of the fifteen new republics?
- 📝 What was the typical peasant's diet like in Europe during the High Middle Ages?
- 📝 What was the status of Arab Christians during the crusades?
- 📝 What was the role of the Soviet Navy during WWII?
- 📝 On what basis do some historians accuse the British government of genocide during the great Irish famine?
- 📝 What was the ratio of German to Soviet losses on Eastern front during different stages of the war?
- 📝 What was lost when the British burned the White House in 1814?
- 📝 What was the size of surface of a cereal crop needed per man per year during the Dark Ages in Western Europe?
- 📝 What was the value of the spice trade during the age of exploration?
- 📝 What was the liquor that was based on petrol which was produced in the USSR during the Second World War?
- 📝 What was the actual value of tea destroyed during the Boston Tea Party?
- 📝 What was the role of Indian princes and aristocratic landowners under British colonial rule?
- 📝 What was the perception of the average British person of the Boston Tea Party?
- 📝 What did European people of the 5th century AD eat during spring and what was the availability?
- 📝 What was the Soviet role in Syria during the Cold-War?
- 📝 Communication lag during the Age of Sail: what if enemy claimed that peace agreement was signed?
- 📝 What weapons were manufactured in India by the British forces which were used during world wars?
- 📝 What was Poland's posture during the Seven Years' War?
- 📝 What was the British version of the Enigma machine?
- 📝 In the British empire, what was the difference between a Governor General and a Viceroy?
- 📝 What was the first documented mention of American English different from British English?
- 📝 What was the status of specialized workers during Greek times?
- 📝 What was the border regime between Poland and Czechoslovakia like during the 1970s and 1980s?
- 📝 What was the argument for the Japanese pursuing the Northern Expansion Doctrine during WWII?
- 📝 What was the status of specialized workers during the Roman times?
- 📝 What uniforms did each of the American Civil War regiment wear during First Bull Run / First Manassas
