eboracomb wrote:Arthur how common were fifers,were they used in most regiments or did certain nationalities have them and others not,I can understand how drums would be used to convey commands and the sound would carry but would fifers be used that way or were they just musical as it seems unlikely that a fife would carry over the noise of battle.
cheers Nick
Nick,
I may only offer knowledge of one specific country but it may have been common use in the german armies of this times:
(This was taken/copied from Dan Schorr's 'Notes on the Saxon Army 1700-1716')
Beneath the Staff Organisation of a Saxon Infantry Regiment 1705.
Regimental Staff – 31
2 Obersten (including the Inhaber)
1 Oberstlieutenant
2 Majors
1 Quartiermeister
1 Adjutant
1 Auditeur
1 Feldprediger
1 Regiments- Feldscheer with 8 assistants
4 Gefreitenkorporal
8 Hautboisten
1 Profos
Sixteen Company Staffs – consisting of:
11 Kapitäns (Captains – one for each of the nonstaff
officer companies)
1 Kapitänlieutenant (Inhaber’s company)
15 Lieutenants (one in each of the other
companies)
5 Souslieutenants (one in each of the staff officer
companies)
16 Fähnrichs(Colour bearer)
16 Feldwebel
16 Sergeanten
16 Fouriere
32 Tambours
16 Knecht
All together there have been 40 drummers/tambours/Oboists and no Fifers at all. It would heavily dependend on the Ruleset used and give 1(1:40) or 2 (1:20) Drummers.
Only one of the above Companies have been Grenadiers so you would have less then 1/10th Grenadiers with each unit, like Ray has it in his English Troops, what would give 1 or 2 Figures with a units of 18 up to 24 figures each. Here again the Ruleset used gives the numbers of Grenadiers.
Hope that helps
Günter
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