Company and Battalion Organization

[Jeff78]

In how many ranks did the following form in line of battle?
-Austrians
-Swiss
-Danes
-Bavarians
-Cologne
Would the Swiss modify their formations to match the country for whom they served? Would French Swiss be in four ranks while Dutch Swiss were in three?

[simon boulton]

Hi Jeff,
I think it's very likely that the Swiss would have followed the tactical doctrine of the army that they were in the pay of.

I believe that in this period the colonels of the individual regiments had a say in the tactics that they would have used and adapted them before any official regulations may have been received. For example I remember reading somewhere that the French infantry started to reduce the number of ranks and may have even begun to use platoon firing as the WSS progressed before it was officially sanctioned,
best wishes,
Simon