Colonial Campaigns Club (CCC)

In looking at another post I was curious as to how units are made up. What I mean is how many companies form a platoon? How many platoons a battalion? etc.

I hate to seem ignorant here but was curious how this worked out. I am sure it differed in the respective armies, right?

Best wishes,

Is this what you are looking for?

FRENCH INFANTRY
The usual organisation of the majority of regiments was of 1 or 2 battalions, exceptionally to 3 or 4 battalions. The war showed clearly the weakness of the regiments constituted with only one battalion. Hence the reorganization of the army in december 1762 that increased the battalions in each regiment.

Since 1 August 1755 each battalion consisted of 16 companies of fusiliers, 1 company of grenadiers and a regimental staff. The ordonnance on 17 August 1757 increased each battalion with one more fusiliers company.
The regimental staff comprised the colonel, 1 colonel lieutenant, 1 major, 1 assistance-major, 1 chaplain and 1 surgeon. The ordonnance on 1st January 1755 restored for colonel and lieutenant colonel the privilege to command the two senior companies, this permission had be abolished in february 1749.
The fusilier companies consisted of 1 captain, 1 lieutenant, 2 sergeants, 3 corporals, 3 lance corporals (ansepessades), 31 fusiliers, 1 drummer.
The company of grenadiers comprised 1 captain, 1 lieutenant, 1 sub-lieutenant, 2 sergeants, 3 corporals, 3 lance corporals (ansepessades), 36 grenadiers and 1 drummer. According to the regulation the captain of grenadiers did'nt exceed 45 years old, similarly the lieutenant, sub-lieutenant and sergeants did'nt be more than 40 years old.

The full strength of a battalion comprised 685 soldiers and 35 officers, but companies never were complete because of the insufficient of recruitment, woundeds, diseaseds, deserters or prisoners. In may 1757 a report wrote by M. de Cornillon general major for the infantry indicated an average strenght of 550 men in each battalion in campaign. In order to complete this weakness units an ordonnance on 1st May 1757 allowed to enrol up to five foreigners in the french infantry regiments.

Information found here http://vial.jean.free.fr/new_npi/

Hi Michael,

I like your question. [:D]

As a general guideline the order of units goes from section/platoon, company, battalion/regiment, brigade and division.

A section/platoon was a few files usually having less than 30 men. Most companies had two or four sections/platoons, so that a company on paper ranged from 30+ to around 100. Depending upon the war (FIW, AWI, or War of 1812) battalions had a different numbers of companies.

French bns serving in North America during the FIW had 12 fusilier and 1 grenadier companies. These companies had 35-48 men apiece. They also had a habit of creating a 'piquet', an adhoc company for detached duty. The bns of the Berry regiment had an 9 company organization since they originally were earmarked for India. Thier companies were 60 men strong. The milice and the troupes de la marine had a paper strength of 65 men.

Staying with the FIW war the British had ten companies per battalion, one of which was a grenadier company. Thier strength was in the area of 76 men. During the war bns started to form light companies. From my understanding these were troops drawn from the 9 line companies and formed into a new company. Strength of the light companies were more around 50 men. The Highlanders, when recruited were allowed to form 10 companies of 100 men each, however recruiting went so well that many of the units were able to field 12, 13 or 14 companies. The provincials were similar in that they were recruited to be 100 man companies. Strengths in those companies started anywhere from 70-100 men, but field strengths would be more around 50 men per company.

Moving to the American War of Independance we find the British having ten companies per bn; one grenadier, one light and 8 hat companies. The grenadier and lights were stripped from the bns and converged in elite bns leaving the line bns 8 companies each. Company strength for the British army went from around 47 men at the start of the war increasing to 67 (including officers, musicians and nco's.)

American units started with 8 to 10 companies of 100 men (paper), then moved to 8 companies of 90, to finally 9 companies of 90 men, again including officers, musicians and nco's.) The 9th company was a light company and could be stripped away. The 8 company bn was adopted in late '76, and the 9th company added around '79.

French units had changed dramatically. They now had 10 companies; one grenadier, one light, and eight fusilier companies. The big change being that these were organized into two bns! Each having 4 fusilier companies and 1 flank company. In the field two rgt formed a brigade and at times the four flank companies were drawn up together to form an elite bn. Company strngth at this time was in the nieghborhood of 100 men. (Some sources give 70-140.) About 1,000 men per regt serving in North America is a good rule of thumb to start with.

Onto the War of 1812.

Both armies, US and Great Britian, had ten companies. The British had flank companies, the US did not. Company strength for both companies were from 60 - 100 men. The rifle units for each country had only 8 companies.
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Throughout all three wars most brigades were 3 - 5 bns strong, exceptions abound. Regiments, serving in North America, were usually one bn strong or served individually. The French in the AWI was the major exception to that.
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Divisions were fairly non-existent in the FIW. The forces involved were too small. Braddock did divide his force into two 'divisions' but they were composed of a regular bn each with provincials of company strength added. In the AWI divisions had two or three brigades, and in the War of 1812 they had two to four brigades.
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I hope this brief and very simplified overview helps.
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BTW, to really confuse you. A company could be called a platoon, and a division could refer to two companies! Have a nice day. [;)]

Mike--

Actually the system is pretty similar in most armies from the late 18th century onwards. The lowest level unit is the <b>platoon</b>. 2 or more of them form a <b>company</b>, which is the basic administrative unit and is commanded by a captain.

Now here's where the armies are most different. In the Anglo-American tradition, 8-12, usually 10 companies, form a <b>battalion</b>, which is the basic tactical unit and commanded by a lieutenant-colonel (British) or colonel (American). In the continental armies, it's 4-6 companies to the battalion, which is commanded by a major (usually) or lieutenant-colonel. On the next level though, the difference is somehow offset by the fact that the Anglo-American <b>regiment </b>is usually a single-battalion regiment so that the terms can be used interchangeably, while in the continental armies a regiment usually has 3 battalions and is commanded by a colonel. That's infantry, of course; a regiment of cavalry is composed of 4-8 squadrons.

Regiment is where, in peacetime, permanent organization ends. In war, 2-3 regiments or up to 6 battalions can form a <b>brigade</b>, commanded by a brigadier-general (Anglo-American) or major-general (continental), and several brigades a <b>division</b>, commanded by a major-general (Anglo-American) or lieutenant-general (continental). After about 1800, several brigades or division can also form a <b>corps</b>, or corps d'armée, of all arms, which is considered some sort of army en miniature and is commanded by a lieutenant-general (Anglo-American), full general (continental), or marechal (Imperial French).

Oh, and to add some confusion, some continental armies, most notably the Austrian, also combined two companies into <b>divisions </b>(not to be confused with the division of several brigades) which was then the standard tactical unit. [8D]

Hope that helps. [:)]

Seems Al types faster than I do. [:D]

Seems like Dierk is more precise and to the point than I. [;)]

Good stuff guys![:)]

Thanks for the info, what about Injuns though! [:D]

"what about Injuns though!" - Paul

Any brave could raise the 'red hatchet' from what I understand. He would declare he was going off on some adventure, and whoever wanted to go along did so.

I get the feeling if we still followed that practice I would find myself alone in the woods a great deal. [:D] (probably lost.) [:p]

BTW re my post below, that's always "continental" with a lowercase "c", i.e. I am referring to the Armies of Austria, Prussia, France, and some smaller ones, not to the regulars of Georgieboy. [:p]

Wow! What a wealth of information! Thanks guys [:)]

When did we begin to see the transformation into the four (sometimes 5) regiments brigade? And of course the 4 brigade (roughly) division? I ask this as that seems to be the standard for troops in the ACW.

At the root of these questions is how best to utilize troops during combat? I am still fairly new to this time period and frankly have gotten a bit confused in battle as to the division of my troops and keeping good C&C.

Thanks agai for prompt replies and great info!

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Michael Smith</i>
When did we begin to see the transformation into the four (sometimes 5) regiments brigade? And of course the 4 brigade (roughly) division? I ask this as that seems to be the standard for troops in the ACW.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Ah, but there is no transformation. The trick here is that the Anglo-American regiment is a one-battalion regiment (of 10 companies). So in these here our wars you have 3-6 battalion brigades and the same you have in the ACW, only that by the mid-19th century the term "regiment" has become the dominant one in American usage. (As a footnote, late in the ACW the Federal army had some experiments with three-battalion regiments of 12 companies.)

Likewise, in the ACW just as in these here wars, you have divisions of several brigades. [:)]

Ah, I am beginning to understand Obi Wan...........[^]

"At the root of these questions is how best to utilize troops during combat?" - Michael

The first and greatest principle concerning how to best utilize one's troops is to ensure one is employing them for a just and proper cause.

So you're first mistake in using your troops properly was to put English uniforms on them. [:p]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Al Amos</i>
So you're first mistake in using your troops properly was to put English uniforms on them. [:p]
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

At least we <u>have</u> uniforms ... soldiers like that. [:p]

Dierk - actually the US forces have fine uniforms. Now those Indians on the other hand ... [:I]