1815, The 100 Days project: Planning for Waterloo

    My long range plans include running the Battles of Waterloo and Ligny (and possibly Wavre) in 2015, and Joe has been planning on running Quatre Bras for many years. He has just about completed all of the units he needs, while I am just starting out. Several Christmases ago, our good friends gave me The Waterloo Companion, by MarkAdkin, (2001, Stackpole books). It isn't the first time that their books have provided the background and inspiration for games that I later ran, such as The Battle of the Nile. Anyway, there isn't much you could want to do Waterloo on the tabletop in terms of detailed Orderes of battle, numerous maps, and narrative that isn't included ij this excellent book. 

Taken from the book, here is the overall breakdown of the forces. I am going to game it using Brent Oman's Field of Battle, 2nd edition, published by Piquet. I will do it scaled down by 50% (In FoB, a unit typically represents about 600 infantry, 400 Cavalry, or 6-8 guns).

Anglo Allied Army  73,200 men

53,850 Infantry (30% British, 21% Hanoverian, 9.5% KGL, 15% Dutch, 10% Nassau, 9.5% Brunswick, 5% Belgian)
 @ 1200/unit  = 45 units*, 540 figures
15 British - 3 Footguards, 9 Line, 2 Light, 1 Rifle
 9 Hanoverian - 1 Light, 8 Landwehr
3 KGL - 1 Light, 2 Line
6 Dutch - 1 Jager, 4 Militia, 1 Line
4 Nassau - 4 Line
6 Brunswick - 3 Light, 3 Line
2 Belgian - 1 Jager, 1 line


13,250 Cavalry (49% British, 17% KGL, 15% Dutch, 10% Belgian, 5% Brunswick, 4% Hanoverian)
@ 800/unit = 17 units*, 136 figures
9 British - 2 Household, 3 Dragoon, 2 Light Dragoon, 2 Hussar
3 KGL - 2 Light Dragoon, 1 Hussar
2 Dutch 1 Carabinier, 1 Light Dragoon or Hussar
1 Belgian - 1 Carabinier
2 Brunswick 1 Hussar, 1 Uhlan

5,000 Artillery w/ 157 guns and one rocket section
(49% British, 12% Belgian, 11.5% KGL, 10% Dutch, 10% Brunswick, 7.5% Hanoverian
@16 guns/unit = 10 units*, 60 figures, 20 guns
6 British - 2 9# FA, 1 6# FA, 2 9# RHA, 1 6# RHA, + Rocket section?
1 Belgian - 6# FA
1 KGL - 9# FA
1 Dutch - 6# HA
1 Brunswick  - 6# FA

* I have somewhat exaggerated Brunswick forces at he expense of Dutch/Belgian/Hanoverians, as we have a surplus of Brunswickers already (I myself have 4 infantry, 2 cavalry, and one battery), and the Hanoverians, Dutch and Belgians are really only usable here and for Quatre Bras.

(Engineers, staff, medical, train etc accounted for another 1,000 men); about 30 figures.



French Army  77,500 men

53,400 Infantry  @ 1200/unit = 45 units, 540 figures
4 Old Guard
2 Middle Guard
4 Young Guard
28 Line
6 Light

15,600 Cavalry @ 800/unit = 20 units, 160 figures
5 Guard Cavalry
2 Hussars
2 Chevau-Leger Lanciers
2 Chasseurs a Cheval
2 Dragoon
6 Cuirassier
1 Carabinier

6,500 Artillery with 246 guns @ 16 guns/init = 16 units, 104 figures, 32 guns
3 Guard 6# FA
2 Guard 6# HA
2 Guard 12# FA
4 Line 6# FA
3 Line 6# HA
2 Line 12# FA

(Engineers, Staff, Medical, equipment train etc accounted for another 2,000 men)  41 figures



Prussian IV Corps  31,000 men

20,900 Infantry  = 17 units, 204 figur\es
7 Prussian Line
9 Prussian Landwehr
1 Shutzen

3,920 Cavalry = 5 units, 40 figures
1 Dragoon, 2 Hussar, 1 Uhlan, 1 Landwehr Cavalry

1600 Artillery with 86 guns = 5 units, 32 figures, 10 guns
2 6# HA, 2 6# FA, 1 12# FA

Plus 21 generals/staff.



Game Totals: 1284 Infantry, 336 cavalry, 196 artillery crew with 62 guns, 92 officers/staff.
Grand Total: 1,908 figures with 62 guns.

Tabletop

Main Battlefield - 4000 meters along French/Allied front; roughly 1200 meters between the lines.

Length: at 1" = 25 meters, 4000M = 160" or about 13 feet  (at 1" = 33M, 120" = 10 feet). We will use 12 feet.
Width: at 1" = 25 meters, 1200M = 48" or 4 feet. We will use 5 feet.

so the main table will be 5 feet wide by 12 feet long.


Placenoit Front - about 1200 meters across. 5 feet = 1600 meters; 8 feet deep =  2400M deep/long

Table - 5 x 12 feet along main front, with 5 X 8  foot Placenoit wing offset on French right; total 100 square feet. This corresponds well to the available table sizes for Historicon as well.  We probably need one extra table (s) for Reserves, etc.

Overall table layout for Waterloo; obviously will need to develop the specific map for the game!

Anglo-Allied Army:
Field Marshal the Duke of Wellington

I Corps, William, Prince of Orange

1st (Guards) British Infantry Division, Cooke
3 Units British Footguards
1 Unit British 9# Foot Artillery

3rd British Infantry Division. Lt. General Charles, Count Alten
2 British Infantry
1 KGL Light
1 KGL Line
1 Hanoverian Light
2 Hanoverian Militia
1 Unit KGL 9# Foot Artillery

2nd Netherlands Division, Lt General Perponcher
1 Dutch Jager
1 Dutch Militia
4 Nassau Line
1 Dutch 6# HA

3rd Netherlands Division, Lt. General Chasse
1 Belgian Jager
1 Belgian Line
1 Dutch Line
3 Dutch Militia
1 Belgian 6# FA

Netherlands Cavalry Division, Lt. General de Collaert
1 Dutch Carabinier
1 Belgian Carabinier
1 Dutch/Belgian Hussar
1 Dutch/Belgian Light Dragoon

Corps Reserve Artillery
1 Battery 6# RHA


II Corps, Lt General Lord Hill

2nd British Infantry Division, Lt General Clinton
2 British Light Infantry
1 95th Rifles
1 KGL Line
2 Hanoverian Landwehr
1 British 9# FA

(part) 4th Infantry Division, Lt. Colonel Mitchell
2 British Line


Reserve Corps

5th British Infantry Division, Lt. General Picton
3 British Line
2 Hanoverian Landwehr
1 British 9#  RHA

6th British Infantry Division, Lt. General Cole
2 British Line
2 Hanoverian Landwehr

Brunswick Division, Colonel Olfermann
3 Brunswick Light
3 Brunswick Line
1 Brunswick Hussar
1 Brunswick Uhlan
1 Brunswick 6# FA



Cavalry Corps, Lt. General Earl of Uxbridge

1st British (Household) Brigade, Major General Lord Somerset (strength exaggerated)
1 Lifeguard
1 Horse Guard

2nd (Union) Brigade, Major General Ponsomby
1st Royal Dragoons
2nd North British (Scotts Greys) Dragoons
6th Iniskilling Dragoons
(I have deliberately overstated strengths here as well, in order to have the "Union")

3rd British Cavalry Brigade
1 KGL Light Dragoon

4th British Cavalry Brigade, Major General Vandeleur
2 British Light Dragoons

5th British Cavalry Brigade, Major Genera; Grant
1 British Hussar

6th British Cavalry Brigade, Major General Vivian
 1 British Hussar
1 KGL Light Dragoon

7th British Cavalry Brigade, Colonel Arenschildt
1 KGL Hussar


Army Artillery Reserve, Lt. Colonel Mc Donald
1 British 9# HA
1 British 6# HA



Armee du Nord;
Emperor Napoleon I

Imperial Guard, Compte Drouot


Grenadier Division, GD Friant
2 Old Guard Greandiers
2 Middle Guard Grenadiers
1 Guard 6# FA

Chasseur Division, GD Morand
2 Old Guard Chasseurs a Pied
2 Middle Guard Chassuers
1 Guard 6# FA

Young Guard Division
2 Voltigeurs
2 Tirailleurs
1 Line 6# FA

Guard Light Cavalry Division, GD Lefebvre-Desnouettes
1 Guard Chasseurs a Cheval
1 Red Lancers
1 Polish Lancers
1 Guard 6# HA

Guard Heavy Cavalry Division, GD Compte Guyot
1 Grenadiers a Cheval
1 Empress Dragoons
1 Guard 6# HA

Guard Artillery Reserve, GD St. Maurice
2 Guard 12# FA


1st Corps, GD Compte d'Erlon

1st Division, GD Baron du Passage
4 French Line

2nd Division, GD Baron Donzelot
1 French Light
3 French Line
1 6# FA

3rd Infantry Division, GD Baron Marcognet
3 French Line

4th Infantry Division, GD Compte Durutte
3 French Line
1 6# FA

1st Cavalry Division, GD Baron Jacquinot
1 Hussar
1 Chevau-Leger Lancier

Corps Artillery, Baron Delcambre
1 12# FA


2nd Corps, Compte Reille

5th Division, Baron Bachelu
3 French Line

6th Division, GD Prince Jerome Bonaparte
3 French Light
3 French Line
1 6# FA

9th Infantry Division, Comte Foy
1 French Light
4 French Line

2nd Cavalry Division, GD Compte Pire
1 Chasseur a Cheval
1 Chevau-Leger Lancier

Corps Artillery Reserve, Baron Pelletier
1 6# HA


6th Corps, GD Comte de Lobau

19th Division, Baron Simmer
3 French Line


20th Division, GD Baron Jeanin
1 French Light
2 French Line

3rd Cavalry Division, GD Baron Domon
2 Chasseurs a Cheval

5th Cavalry Division, GD Baron Subervie
1 Hussar

Corps Artillery, Baron Noury
1 12 # FA


3rd Reserve Cavalry Corps, GD Comte Kellerman

11th Cavalry Division, GD Soubeiran
2 Dragoon
1 Cuirassier

12th Cavalry Division
1 Cuirassier
1 Carabinier

1 6# HA


4th Reserve Cavalry Corps, GD Comte Milhaud

13th Cavalry Division, GD Comte Watier
2 Cuirassier

14th Cavalry Division, Baron Delort
2 Cuirassier

1 6# HA



Army of the Lower Rhine
Feldmarschal von Blucher


(part) 1st Army Corps, Lt. General von Ziethen

1st Infantry Brigade, von Steinmetz
2 Line
1 Schutzen
1 6# HA

1st Cavalry Brigade, von Treskow II
1 Dragoon


(part) 2nd Army Corps, Major General Pirch I

5th Infantry Brigade, Major General von Tippelskirch
2 Prussian Line

6th Infantry Brigade, Major General von Kraft
2 Prussian Line

1 6# FA

2nd Cavalry Brigade, Lt. Col von Sohr
1 Hussar


4th Corps, General Bulow

13th Infantry Brigade, Lt. General von Hake
1 Prussian Line
3 Neumark Landwehr

14th Infantry Brigade, Major General von Ryssel
1 Prussian Line
3 Pomeranian Landwehr
1 Battery 6# FA

15th Infantry Brigade, Major General Losthin
1 Prussian Line
3 Silesian Landwehr

15th Infantry Brigade, von Gartringen
1 Prussian Line
3 Silesian Landwehr

1st Cavalry Brigade. von Schwerin
1 Uhlan

2nd Cavalry Brigade
1 Hussar
1 6# HA

3rd Cavalry Brigade, Major General von Sydow
1 Landwehr Cavalry

Corps Artillery Reserve, Major General von Braun
1 12# FA

"Waterloo" by Abba, performed at the Eurovision competition, April 1974

    As I have related previously, in May, 1974, I toured Europe for oveer 3 weeks, along with most of the rest of the University of Connecticut Marching Band, playing in Germany, France, Switzerland and Austria. This song was hugely popular in Europe at the time, and we heard it several times a day on the radio while we were riding in the tour buses. Noe the vaguely military inspired costumes!

British 14th Light Dragoons, 18th Hussars

In preparation for the Waterloo Project, I purchased very nice 28mm Essex figures to make these units from Wargames about 18 months ago when they started their sale (still ongoing, now at 62% discount, but very spotty in terms of what's still available... although I just ordered 4 Egyptian Chariots for about $7.20 each).

The Light Dragoon castings were of an interesting mamnufacture, with the sword arm  cast onto the horse...

and the riders having an open right "glenoid fossa" to glue the sword arm to. 

The hussars had separate swords that had to be glued into the rider's hands. 

This was pretty easy to do, and the fit was excellent. 

The Light Dragoons wore dark blue coats, and for full dress, white breeches (dark blue or later grey with a double stripe in the facing color down the outside seams), and at the start of the period, the rather elegant looking Tarleton helmet, with a cloth turban which was often in the facing color as well. This was changed to a shako in 1811, although most regiments probably didn't make the transition until late 1812. Four regiments of Light Dragoons (the 7th, 10th, 15th and 18th regiments) were granted the right to adopt Hussar style uniforms, with dark blue dolman and pelisse, and fur caps.

British Light Dragoon Facings, 1803 (DeBosset diagrams)

Regt.	Facings	Lace	Remarks
7th	White	Silver	Hussars
8th	Scarlet	Silver	French Grey coats
9th	Pale Buff	Silver	Buff breeches
10th	Yellow	Silver	Hussars; frame on lace
11th	Pale Buff	Silver	Buff breeches
12th	Pale Yellow	Silver
13th	Pale Buff	Gold	Pale Buff breeches
14th	Orange	Silver
15th	Scarlet	Silver
16th	Scarlet	Silver
17th	White	Silver
18th	White	Silver
19th	Yellow	Silver	French Grey coats
20th	Yellow	Silver
21st	Pale Yellow	Silver
22nd	Scarlet	Silver	French Grey coats
23rd	Yellow	Silver	Alt:  Crimson facings
24th	Yellow	Silver
25th	Red	Silver
26th	Purple-Blue	Silver
27th	White	Silver
28th	Yellow	Silver
29th	Pale Buff	Silver

British Hussar Distinctions, 1812 (Hamilton Smith charts)

Regt	Facings	Braid/buttons	Sash
7th	White	White	White, Blue barrels
10th	Scarlet	White	Crimson, yellow barrels
15th	Scarlet	White	Crimson white barrels
18th	White	White	White, Blue barrels

British Light Dragoon Distinctions, 1812 (Hamilton Smith charts)

Regt	Facings	Lace buttons	Girdle w/ 2 blue stripes
8th	Red	Yellow	White
9th	Crimson	Yellow	Yellow
11th	Pale Buff	White	Buff
12th	Yellow	White	Yellow
13th	Buff	Yellow	Buff
14th	Orange	White	Orange
16th	Scarlet	White	Scarlet
17th	White	White	White
19th	Yellow	Yellow	Yellow
20th	Orange	Yellow	Orange
21st	Pink	Yellow	Pink
22nd	Pink	White	Pink
23rd	Crimson	White	Crimson
24th	Lt Grey	Yellow	Light grey
25th	Lt Grey	White	Light Grey

The 14th Light Dragoons - note the black sheepskin no the officer's horse, as well as the gold and crimson  colds and gold shako lace (in place of the yellow used by the men). The facings are orange. It seems that the British cavalry used natural leather colored horse furniture, rather than the blackened leather used by most other countries. 

The trumpeter has NO distinctions at all in this later (1812) uniform; even the riding of grey horses was prohibited, here obviously ignored by the Colonel. Like abandoning reversed colors for the drummers of the infantry, the theory was that the special uniforms made them stand out to much and become targets - rather odd considering what we know of the accuracy of smoothbore muskets, and that their opponents, even facing the famed British Rifles, didn't feel the same way!

The 14th Light Dragoons fought in the Caribbean in the 1790's sustaining heavy losses from yellow fever. In 1798, they were granted the title of "The Duchess of York's  Own", and were granted the right to use the Prussian Eagle as an emblem, after the Duke's wife, Princess Frederica of Prussia. GMB flags will be added later when I figure out all of the exact units I'll have in the project so that I can order them all at the same time. 

The 14th fought in Portugal in 1809, and in Spain 1813-1814. At the battle of Vittoria, the regiment captured King Joseph's silver chamber pot (which remains in the regimental mess to this day). This resulted in their unofficial nickname, "The Emperor's Chambermaids"!

This unit is the 18th Light Dragoons (Hussars). They evidently had white fur on their pelisses; it doesn't seem that the color of the fur was specified in regulations and varied by regiment, and probably by year as well. 

Unlike the other three regiments of British Hussars, who had red "bags" on their fur caps, the 18th was unique in having light blue ones. At one time their caps were taller and of brown fur, but later illustrations show black fur on considerably shorter caps. To further confuse things, at one point the 10th Hussars had yellow bags on the tall; brown fur caps, but the officers had red bags on grey fur caps, and grey fur on their pelisses to match! 

Some units of British Hussars adopted red shakos in 1812, some later changing back to fur caps, but the 18th apparently never did. Note the yellow cap lines and brass chinstraps, (both gold for officers), in common with all British Hussar units.

The sabretaches were of plain black leather for the men, dark blue with gold (or silver) borders and Royal cipher. Note the officer's barrel sash is red and yellow instead of the regimental blue and white. Did I say that British uniforms drive me crazy? I tried doing the horses eyes with a tiny dot of white on either side of the black; not quite sure about the effect yet.

Colors used (all Delta CC):

18th Light Dragoons (Hussars)
Jacket and Pelisse - slightly thinned Pthalo Blue (to provide quick and easy shading)
Pants White, washed with Wedgewood Blue
Cap lines - 50/50 Straw Pail Opaque (a sort of mustard yellow) and Opaque Yellow
Bag - Blue Lagoon highlighted with a bit of Blue Jay
Fur caps balck, dry brushed with Hippo Grey

14th Light Dragoons
Jackets: slightly thinned Prussian Blue
Pants: Wedgewood Blue washed with Charcoal
Facings: Pumpkin mixed in a 4:1 ratio with Poppy Orange

Sources:
Wellington's Army- Uniforms of the British Soldier 1812-15, Plates by Charles Hamilton SDmith, Text by Philip Haythornwaite. Greenhill Books, London, 2002
Napoleonic Wars: Wellington's Army, Ian Fletcher. Brassey's History of Uniforms series, London, 1996.
Wellington's Light cavalry, Bryan Fosten. Osprey Publishing, Oxford, 1982.