Austrian Tactics

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dashing blade
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Austrian Tactics

Post by dashing blade » Tue Aug 16, 2011 3:12 pm

I've been thinking about Austrain tactics,more to find a starting point for collecting and painting, I know enough about organisation and uniform,but tactics :?: I know that sounds very general,as each commander would have a battle plan. I mean more basic planning.eg. sending light troops out to meet enemy light troops,or Battalion in line to meet march attack.Was there any such Austrian drill manual that gave instructions along these lines :?:And was it updated post 1809. Or was it all up to Battalion Commanders :?: Any thoughts............
(The historical evidence that God comes from Lancashire is slim, however he's definitely not from Yorkshire)
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CoffinDodger
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Re: Austrian Tactics

Post by CoffinDodger » Tue Aug 16, 2011 6:53 pm

Mr Blade,

I can only speak for 1805:

1. FIRE!
2. RUN AWAY!


Best of luck with later periods,

Jim
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Jim O'Neill.
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18th Century Guy
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Re: Austrian Tactics

Post by 18th Century Guy » Tue Aug 16, 2011 10:52 pm

I agree with Jim and the question needs to be asked in this way - They had tactics?
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Friedrich August I.
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Re: Austrian Tactics

Post by Friedrich August I. » Wed Aug 17, 2011 5:34 am

dashing blade wrote:I've been thinking about Austrain tactics,more to find a starting point for collecting and painting, I know enough about organisation and uniform,but tactics :?: I know that sounds very general,as each commander would have a battle plan. I mean more basic planning.eg. sending light troops out to meet enemy light troops,or Battalion in line to meet march attack.Was there any such Austrian drill manual that gave instructions along these lines :?:And was it updated post 1809. Or was it all up to Battalion Commanders :?: Any thoughts............
Dashing One :D ,

The Austrian Early Tactics were rather simply if not to say crude. Infant(ry) did know only coloumn and line, for reasons of defending themselvse against light infantry they sent out 10 men of each company as some kind of skirmishers. The major campaign formation was the Coloumn as they didnt have a corps structure. All changed as soon as Archduke Charles invented new drills after the french outlines.
One major issue for Austrian Cavalry was that they didnt use complete Regiments but instead single squadrons to attack the enemy. Also they often lacked the horses for greater numbers. That changed too under Charles.
Artillery was split up as battalion guns for each battalion and were not deployed as full batteries.

I think that explains why so many battles were lost by the Austrians when facing the French in the Field in the Years up to 1809.

Hope that helps somehow(more to follow soon)

Günter
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"Sort your filth out by yourself!" The King of Saxony Friedrich August III., at his abdication 1918, referred to the quarrels in the parliament and the squabbling within the provisional government.
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dashing blade
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Re: Austrian Tactics

Post by dashing blade » Wed Aug 17, 2011 3:09 pm

Günter,thanks for the info,I'm still not sure wether to paint the line or light troops first,although after reading the above comments,maybe i should paint a decent commander first :lol:

Cheers
blade
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Re: Austrian Tactics

Post by Friedrich August I. » Wed Aug 17, 2011 3:58 pm

dashing blade wrote:Günter,thanks for the info,I'm still not sure wether to paint the line or light troops first,although after reading the above comments,maybe i should paint a decent commander first :lol:

Cheers
blade
Hi Blade,

The most common Austrian behavior in the field was to deploy the Line Brigades, mostly 6 battalions and to position a battery. Light troops were rarely part of such brigades because they were grouped together in the Avant Garde, consisting of Jägers, Light Cavalry and some light, maybe Horse Artillery.

You may field Grenzers in Regiments of two battalions each, even grouping them together with the Line troops into the same brigade.

Tyrolean Jagers, Jagers and Grenadiers were kept as a body of their own in the Corps/Army reserves as they were considered to be of Elite status.

Much of the formation ability depends on the timeframe in which the Austrian Troops should be raised. 1808/1809 the more flexible solutions were possible.

Best Wishes,

Günter
„Macht Euch Euren Dregg alleene“

"Sort your filth out by yourself!" The King of Saxony Friedrich August III., at his abdication 1918, referred to the quarrels in the parliament and the squabbling within the provisional government.
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Re: Austrian Tactics

Post by Rob Herrick » Sat Aug 20, 2011 2:48 am

Ok, the year and even the theater is crucial.

The best bet for what the drill books actually say is Nafziger's Imperial Bayonets. I think John Gill's trilogy on the 1809 campaign will give you the gist of Austrian tactics.

For 1809, you had lines, battalionmasses (one company wide and six companies deep) and divisionmasses (three companies wide and two companies deep). The battalionmasse caught on, while the divisionmasse didn't last much past 1809.

Austrians had specialist light infantry (grenzers, jagers and volunteers), but they were usually formed up in "Advanced Guard" brigades and eventually "Light Divisions." Theoretically, by 1809 every infantry battalion would send it's third rank out as skirmishers, retaining the formed two ranks in reserve. How often it was done in practice, I don't know.

The Austrians formed masses of heavy cavalry, but they didn't use it as a mass of rupture the way Napoleon did. Divisional and Brigade charges were pretty rare. Most Austrian cavalry was used by the regiment.

In general, the Austrians are methodical. If you've always got to be doing something, or are impulsive, they're not for you.
With Gen'l Custer Down in Mexico: Yes, one of the goals is to see how many times one can get him killed.
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