Wellington's Army in 1815.British-German-Netherland Order of Battle.
Wellington's Army in 1815.British-German-Netherland Order of Battle.
Table of Contents:
In April 1815, Wellington took the command of the Allied Forces in Netherlands and he
reorganized the army. The British and German troops (Hannoverians) were merged with the Dutch-Belgian troops.
In April-June Wellington's army was reinforced with Brunswick and Nassau troops.
At Waterloo the allied army consisted of 53,850 infantry, 13,350 cavalry, 5,000 artillery and 1,000
sappers, miners etc.
Wellington was worried about possible French attack up the Mons-Hal-Brussels route despite
no reports of such a movement. He posted at Hal 17,000 troops to check such an advance.
Had Wellington lost at Waterloo he would have great difficulty justyfying so many men idle 2-3 hours
march away.
The quality of troops under Wellington at Waterloo varied.
Approx. 75 % of British and KGL battalions served in Peninsula
(III/1st Foot Guard, I and II Light KGL, I, II, III, IV, V, VI KGL,
I/52nd Foot, I/71st Foot, I,II,III/95th Rifles, I/23rd Foot,
I/51st Foot, I/28th Foot, I/32nd Foot, I/79th Foot,
III/1st Foot, II/44th Foot, I/42nd Black Watch, I/92nd Foot, I/4th Foot, I/27th Foot,
I/40th Foot) so the claims (incl. de Lancey's) that Wellington's troops of the
Peninsula were either serving in America or discharged are fiction.
Some of the cavalry was superb, for example Baron von Ghigny's brigade: 4th (Dutch)
Light Dragoon Regiment and 8th (Belgian) Hussar Regiment. Some cavalry was poor,
for example Duke of Cumberland Hussar Regiment under Lt.-Kol. Hake fled from the battlefield,
while the British 7th Hussar Regeiment lost their nerves and refused to charge.
The size of troops varied. The English historians always emphasize how the British battalions were
understrength. This is correct. But this is not the whole picture.
Although understrength, the British battalion was much stronger formation.
than Prussian or French battalion.
The largest battalion on the battlefield was British I/52nd Regiment of Foot, 1.130 men !
The strongest squadrons on the battlefield were also Wellington's squadrons.
in red color
1. Headquarters
2. I Corps - Prince of Orange
3. II Corps - Lord Hill
4. Reserve Corps - Sir Picton
5. Cavalry Corps - Lord Uxbridge
6. Garrisons
7. "Bourbon Cavalry Corps" - Duc de Barri
8. Sources and Links.
Average battalion at Waterloo:
- 640 men / Wellington's infantry (British - 665 men, KGL - 520 men, Hannoverian - ?)
- 610 men / Blucher's infantry
- only 520 men / Napoleon's infantry
The smallest battalion was French III/108th Line Regiment, 251 men. The battalions of
British Foot Guard averaged approx. 1,000 men, the strength of French regiment.
Average squadron at Waterloo:
- 145 men / Wellington's cavalry
- 135 men / Napoleon's cavalry
- 115 men / Blucher's cavalry
- English-speaking troops
in black color 
- German-speaking troops
in light blue color 
- Dutch and Belgians
in white color 
- French Royalists and Deserters
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Headquarters
ADCs:
Support Services:
Foreign Commissionaries
I Corps (32,000 men and 64 guns): General Prince Willem of Orange
II Corps (27,500 men and 40 guns): Ltn-Gen. Sir Rowland Hill
Reserve Corps (23,000 men and 56 guns): Sir Thomas Picton
Cavalry Corps (12,000 men and 30 guns): Ltn-Gen. Sir Henry Paget, 2nd Earl of Uxbridge
The Brunswick Corps: Ltn-Gen. Prince Friedrich, Duke of Brunswick
Other Troops:
The Royal Engineers: Lt-Col. James Smyth (then Brigadier General Alexander Bryce)
The Royal Waggon Train: Lt-Col. - Thomas Aird. |
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I Corps (32,000 men, 64 guns)
1st British Infantry Division (Foot Guard) - Maj-Gen. George Cooke
3rd British Infantry Division - Maj-Gen. Count Sir Karl von Alten
2nd Netherland Infantry Division - Lt-Gen. Baron de Perponcher-Sedlnitzky
3rd Netherland Infantry Division - Lt-Gen. Baron David Henry Chasse
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II Corps (27,500 men, 40 guns) 2/3 detached to Hal, not present at Waterloo detached to Hal, not present at Waterloo
2nd British Infantry Division - Lt-Gen. Sir Henry Clinton
4th British Infantry Division - Lt-Gen. Sir Charles Colville
1st Netherland Infantry Divison - Lt-Gen. Stedmann
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Reserve Corps (23,000 men, 56 guns)
5th British Infantry Division - Lt-Gen. Sir Thomas Picton
6th British Infantry Division - Lt-Gen. Sir Galbraith Lowry Cole
Brunswick Division - Duke of Brunswick, then Col. Olfermann
Nassau Brgade - Mjr-Gen. von Kruse (2.974 / 2,841 men)
Hannoverian Reserve Artillery
British Reserve Artillery - Mjr. Drummond
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Cavalry Corps (12,000 men, 30 guns)
NOTE - All British light cavalry regiments had 3 squadrons,
KGL's cavalry and some others 4 squadrons.
The largest cavalry regiment was the 3rd Hussars KGL with 712, the smallest regiment
was
1st "Household" Cavalry Brigade - Maj-Gen. Lord Edward Somerset (1.416 / 1.319 men)
2nd "Union" Cavalry Brigade - Maj-Gen. Sir Ponsonby (1.369 / 1.332 men)
3rd Cavalry Brigade - Maj-Gen. Sir Dörnberg (1.485 / 1.401 men)
4th Cavalry Brigade - Maj-Gen. Sir John Ormsby Vandeleur (1.337 / 1.315 men)
5th Cavalry Brigade - Maj-Gen. Sir Colquhoun Grant (1.495 / 1.267 men)
6th Cavalry Brigade - Maj-Gen. Sir Hussey Vivian (1.615 / 1.504 men)
7th Cavalry Brigade - Col. Sir Arentschildt (1.331 men)
British Reserve Horse Artillery - Lt-Col. MacDonald
Netherland Cavalry Division - Lt-Gen. Baron Jean Alphonse de Collaert
Hannoverian Cavalry Brigade - Col. Baron Estorff
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Garrisons
Garrisons (13,000 men, 26 guns) in Ghent, Nieuport, Ostend, Antwerp and Ypres The Hanoverian Reserve Corps was detached to garrision duty and was not present at Waterloo.
Hanovarian Reserve Corps - Lt-Gen. von der Decken (9,000 men, 0 guns) British troops assigned to garrison duty.
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7th British Brigade: Mjr-Gen. Kenneth MacKenzie |
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Bourbon Cavalry Corps
"Bourbon Cavalry Corps" - Duc de Berri |
- English-speaking troops - German-speaking troops- Dutch and Belgians- French Royalists and Deserters
Sources and Links.
Adkin - "Waterloo Companion"
Hofschroer - "Waterloo, The German Victory"
Dalton - "The Waterloo Roll Call"
Prince of Orange
Hendrik Baron de Perponcher
Pictures of Nassau Troops.
Pictures of Dutch / Belgian Troops.
Pictures of Brunswick Troops.
Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington
General Sir Thomas Picton
The Redcoat.
The British Army Museums
History of the Royal Arsenal