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    Zack White
    Jun 06, 2020

    Forgotten Foreign Forces: King's German Legion

    in Waterloo Remembered

    #WaterlooRemembered Day 2 Forgotten foreign forces - The King's German Legion. In the first interview of the series I speak to Hailey Stewart about the KGL & Brunswick troops who played a key yet neglected role in the campaign. Please share widely, post questions and comments, and thank you to everyone who has listened so far. Join me tomorrow when I will be speaking to Alicia Laspra about Spain during this conflict. https://anchor.fm/the-napoleonicist/episodes/Waterloo-Remembered-Day-2-Forgotten-Foreign-Forces---The-Kings-German-Legion-ef2g22

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    Michael-Andreas Tänzer
    Jun 06, 2020

    This is an issue in which I did not agree with Brendan Simms after lengthy discussions. As I wrote in our Waterloo book, three thirds of the men in LHS were armed with muskets, as not all men in the Light Battalions were armed with the Brown Bess, and there were the men from the 5th Line Battalion, KGL and the Nassauers. In my opinion ammunition was generally not available at the moment or too difficult to bring over to LHS. Musket ammunition could not be used in the Baker Rifle as the latter had a smaller caliber of .653 copared to .75.

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    Hans - Karl Weiß
    Jun 06, 2020
    Replying to

    Thanks, I see - even the undersized Brown Bess ball about 0.69 cal. was too big for the Baker.

    So most likely it was a problem to just bring in an ammunition wagon.

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    M
    Michael-Andreas Tänzer
    Jun 06, 2020
    Replying to

    @Hans - Karl Weiß Captain Carl v. Scriba of the FB Bremen wrote that they had exausted their ammunition around 7.30 p.m., reported about that back (just as Major Baring did) and received the answer, that no ammunition was available. And this refers to musket ammunition!

    Like

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    Hans - Karl Weiß
    Jun 18, 2020
    Replying to

    Listening to the podcast, one of the officers of the Rifle Brigade, was very much aware of the ammunition shortage of the units in LHS, he also states that they shot loads of ammunition.


    Again strange, that they had plenty and the Germans at LHS didn't get any.


    But maybe they had different ammunition trains responsible for them.



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    M
    Michael-Andreas Tänzer
    Jun 06, 2020

    Unfortunately the myth of the 42 survivors from the 2nd Light Battalion, KGL is repeated again, although this is corrected in Brendan Simms' recommended book "The Longest Afternoon" (pp. 60f.) and long before that in our own book on the Hanoverians at Waterloo to nearly 50% of the men. For the recruiting, composition and motivation of the KGL I recommend Jens Mastnak's book "Die King's German Legion 1803-1816, Lebenswirklichkeit in einer militärischen Formation der Koalitionskriege." As illustrations of the fighting at La Haye Sainte were mentioned I add a print after the famous painting by Northen from our collection to this post.


    Like
    Hailey Stewart
    Jun 07, 2020
    Replying to

    Thank you for correcting the myth about the survivors. I had intended to expand on this, and if I am not mistaken, it comes from Baring? Also, thank you for including the print, it’s fantastic!

    Like

    M
    Michael-Andreas Tänzer
    Jun 07, 2020
    Replying to

    @Hailey Stewart Yes, it is from Baring (the published version), here in the English translation by Beamish: "Out of nearly four hundred men, with which I commenced the battle, only forty-two remained effective. Whoever I asked after, the answer was "killed", - "wounded"! I freely confess that tears came involuntarily into my eyes at this sad intelligence, and the many bitter feelings that seized upon me." (The full text can be read on our website: http://www.akhmg.de/KingsGermanLegion/geschichte/1814_1815niederlande_waterloo/beamish/beamish2_anhang21.htm)


    In his unpublished report Baring speaks of 40-50 men left to him. To this report (preserved in the Hannoverian State Archives: Hann. 41 XXI Nr. 152) a report by the former Lieutenant Riefkugel of the 2nd Light Battalion, KGL from 1824 is attached, which gives the numbers: From 378 effectives (officers and men) 41 were dead, 115 wounded, 22 captured or missing.

    Like

    Hailey Stewart
    Jun 07, 2020
    Replying to

    @Michael-Andreas Tänzer Thank you. I appreciate the clarification and sources!

    Like

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    Hans - Karl Weiß
    Jun 06, 2020

    Interesting to hear foreigners to speak about German troops. The KGL was a bit in a turmoil before the campaign, Clinton again commenting very well about this.

    Die Königlich Deutsche Legion - has a special status being part of the British Army, while the Brunswick troops or indeed those of Hannover - as well as those from Nassau - are independent sort of Allies.

    The Brits and German units had a very long tradition to fight side by side, from the War of the Spanish Succession - to the 7YW - to the AWI - to the French Revolutionary Wars and finally the Napoleonic Wars (and didn't fight units from Hannover also at Culloden moor?).

    Paul Demet did write a very good book for the French Revolution and assessing those German troops well, in - We are accustomed to do our duty - very highly recommended.

    There is also nothing new that the Brits monopolize true allied victories into heroic victories of their own - the battle of Höchstädt springs immediately to my mind on this, in case vulgo- Blenheim (Blindheim).


    https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zweite_Schlacht_bei_H%C3%B6chst%C3%A4dt


    La Haye Sainte wasn't considered initially that important as it was, Baring's soldiers did not even know that they would have to defend it the next day and burned the barn door to keep warm.

    And I cannot see a serious attack on LHS - to take it, just when the French mounted one and did it, too late, they could have done that with ease much earlier.

    I won't comment if Wellington and Blücher had respect for each other, there I hope this will be discussed in another podcast as well.


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    Z
    Zack White
    Jun 06, 2020
    Replying to

    Dutch discussion is scattered around rather than being in a specific episode, but keep an ear out!

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    M
    Michael-Andreas Tänzer
    Jun 06, 2020
    Replying to

    This should bring in Erwin Muilwijk, who wrote three books on the Dutch-Belgians in the Waterloo campaign, but he seems not to have joined the new forum yet.

    Like

    H
    Hans - Karl Weiß
    Jun 06, 2020
    Replying to

    The Dutch are alas unfortunately and in this case I include the Belgians as well ignored or downplayed, the same as in history, War of the Spanish Succession or also their part opposing Revolutionary France.


    Like
    21 comments
    Stephen Prentice
    May 26

    KGL Organisation during the Waterloo campaign

    19
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    nickscoti
    Apr 01, 2021

    Hi, could someone suggest me bibliogaphy for Bavarian army 1810 - 1863.

    6
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    Brendan Morrissey
    May 27

    Brunswick horse colours, 1815

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    Stephen Prentice
    Jun 24

    Dutch/Belgian carabinier horse furniture 1815

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    tomholmberg
    Jun 24

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    0
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    Daniel Ross
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    tomholmberg
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