Seven Years War Research

I am slowly working my way through the De Jeney book. Yesterday, Amazon delivered the Grandmaison book that I had ordered. It seems that De Jeney has a bone to pick with Grandmaison as he makes reference to his book and expressed disagreement with his conclusions in places. In flipping through the Grandmaison it makes reference to the end of a war in which he drew his conclusions circa the 1740s. This makes these more interesting as this would have been opinions of tactics going into the Seven Years War rather than an output of developments that came out of the war.

I have also found a copy of Treatise on Partisan Warfare by Johann Ewald. I still have much to read. De Jeney includes several drawings to detail examples that he is talking about. It is proving very interesting. It is also impacting how I am building my forces for Sharp Practice. For instance, I had previously purchansed some Eureka Miniatures Prussian Musketeers, some Dragoons and a light gun. This was loosely based on Rich's articles on his Imaginations campaign. I just placed a Lancashire Miniatures order for some Ottomans. I bougt 8 light horsemen and a group of Serbian or Bosnian musketeers. Not nearly a full force but a start on one. I am well aware that the Ottomans were not part of the Seven Years War, but they did have a number of engagements before and after it. The Ottoman miniatures will be very flexible as they should be usable throughout the whole of the 1700s and through the Napoleonic Wars.

Then I placed an order for my first Austrians. I decided to go with Blue Moon miniatures for the Austrian force. I bought a command pack of Grenzers and the skirmishing Grenzers. I plan on ordering both Hussars and Dragoons. Lastly, some musketeers and a cannon or two as well. Again, I see the Austrian force as a defending force. This will take a while to build up. Unless I get a resin 3d printer for Christmas. Then I can see this moving more rapidly.

I have forces in mind as to how I will paint them. My mother grew up in Dessau both before and during WWII. During that time, she became friends with the Von Anhalt's who were the hereditary nobility of Dessau. Because of this, my Prussian force will be based off of those raised in Dessau. There was a regiment of Infantry and some cuirrasiers raised under the von Anhalts of Dessau. There are also Von Anhalt-Zerbst troops raised as well who fught for Austria. The intent is to have the Anhalt-Zerbst forces be the defending forces while the Anhalt-Dessau forces be the attackers.

Both Zerbst and Dessau raised units of infantry and currassiers. I will likely get the Currassiers later. The main thought right now is basing. I am not liking the sabot bases I am using as I feel formed troops should be more tightly packed for the SYW.

Miniatures Purchased

Nation	Troop Type	Number	Painted
Prussia	Musketeers	24	None
Prussia	Dragoons	??	None
Prussia	Artillery	1 Gun & 5 Crew	None
Prussia	Jagers	15	Need rebasing
Prussia	Artillery	1 Gun & 5 Crew	None
Ottomans	Yoruk Light Cavalry	8	None
Ottomans	Derbent Infantry	8	None
Austria	Grenzer Infantry	20 + Command	None

Seven Years War

I am being sorely tempted to make a Seven Years War army. Looking at Carole's and Rich's posts on their Imaginations armies makes me want to give it a shot. My issue is I have no idea what I would want to do.

I have been wanting an Ottoman army for my Napoleonics. They would work rather nicely for this purpose as well. So this is a possibility.

Then I was thinking of my Mother's stories about growing up in Dessau before and during WWII. For several years she lived in Schloss von Anhalt with the Duke and his daughter. That had me searching for what Anhalt had as troops during the SYW. It turns out that the Anhalt family fought for a multitude of sides.

I stumbled across this project and it seems to be a gold mine of information: http://www.kronoskaf.com/syw.

French Army
Prince de Anhalt-Cöethen Infantry regiment fought for the French. Before 1759 it was the Bentheim Regiment until it was taken over by the Prince.

Saxon Army
Fürst von Anhalt-Dessau Cuirassiers. This cavalry regiment fought for the Saxons until they were captured by the Austrians.

Prussian Army
von Anhalt-Dessau Infantry (IR3). This was a standard Prussian regiment that had three battalions.

Prinz Moritz Infantry (IR22). Austrian Army
Anhalt-Zerbst Cuirassiers. 6 squadrons of cavalry and one company of carabiniers.

Anhalt-Zerbst Infantry. 1 battalion of four companies and 50 cavalry. My favorite quote on this regiment which tempts me to model it is "an under-strength unit of undersized soldiers, and of little military use."

Hesse-Kassel Army
Prinz von Anhalt Infantry Regiment. This unit also made its way to the United States for the American War of Independence.

These provide some confusing and odd choices. I still think an Anhalt-Zerbst troops would be fun to do. I am thinking about three groups of musketeers and a group of grenadiers. Then a group of Carabiniers from the Cuirassier regiment.

I have no idea of what to do for an opposing force.