CONTENTS

Contents 3 Tables 4 Order of Battles 4 Acknowledgments 6 Preface 7 Chapter 1: Introduction to Saxon Ordnance 10 Parts of a gun 12 Elevating System 16 Parts of a Carriage 20 Colour of Ordnance 24 Firing and Manning the Gun 24 Moving the Guns without Limbers 29 Chapter 2: Saxon Artillery (1680-1755) 30 M1686 Saxon Ordnance 33 M1730 Saxon Ordnance 35 Saxon Artillery Battalion (1698-1750) 39 Chapter 3: Seven Years War (1756-63) 41 Saxon Artillery Battalion (1751-56) 43 In French Service (1757-63) 45 Chapter 4: Reformed Artillery (1766-1806) 48 Revolutionary Wars (1792-96) 49 The 1806 Campaign 52 Saxon Artillery (1766-1806) 65 Chapter 5: French Allies (1806-09) 69 War of 1807 69 War of 1809 72 Saxon Artillery (1806-09) 84 Chapter 6: M1766 Hoyer System 88 M1766 Heavy Guns 89 M1766 Light Guns 93 M1766 4-pdr Schnellfeuergeschütz 99 M1766 Hoyer Howitzer 109 M1766 Vehicles 111 Chapter 7: Saxon Artillery (1810-15) 119 Invasion of Russia (1812) 121 1813 Campaign 126 Joins the Allies (November 1813-1815) 137 Saxon Artillery (1810-15) 138 Artillery Train (1810-15) 152 Chapter 8: The New M1810 Ordnance 154 M1810 12-pdr 158 M1810 6-pdr 163 M1810 8-pdr Howitzer 166 M1810 Rolling Stock 168

3 Chapter 9: Mortars 175 Chapter 10: Garrison Guns 184 Chapter 11: Engineer Corps 196 Chapter 12: Repairing the Gun 203 Knots 204 Glossary 207 Weights and Measures 209 References 211

Tables Table 1: Comparison of the weight ratios for European Ordnance. 11 Table 2: Calibre Saxon guns. 13 Table 3: Shot Diameter for Saxon guns. 13 Table 4: Calibre of Saxon M1766 and M1810 howitzers 14 Table 5: Saxon shell diameters 14 Table 6: M1686 Ordnance. 35 Table 7: Dimensions of M1730 Ordnance 37 Table 8: M1741 3-pdr and 6-pdr Geschwindstück were designed by General Obenaus with the “quick fire elevating system” 37 Table 8: The Main Arsenal [Hauptzeughaus] in 1809 84 Table 9: Dimensions and ranges of the M1766 Heavy Ordnance 90 Table 10: Dimensions of the M1766 24-pdr 92 Table 11: Dimensions and ranges for M1766 Light Guns 94 Table 12: Dimensions of the M1766 Granadstück and howitzers. 107 Table 13: Number of horses for the different M1766 vehicles. 112 Table 14: Saxon Artillery losses at Gross Beeren (23 Aug 1813) 134 Table 15: Saxon Artillery losses at Dennewitz (6 Sept 1813) 134 Table 16: Dimensions of the M1810 Ordnance. 155 Table 17: Casting dates for the M1810 Ordnance 156 Table 18: M1810 Caisson loadings 171 Table 19: M1810 ammunition box loadings 171 Table 20: Dimensions of the M1766 Mortars 177 Table 21: Calibre of Saxon M1766 mortars 178 Table 22: Bomb diameters of Saxon M1766 mortars 179

Order of Battles OOB 1: Saxon Corps (12 December 1792) 50 OOB 2: Saxon Corps (January 1794) 51 OOB 3: Saxon contingent Kaiserslautern (23 May 1794) 51 OOB 4: Saxon Corps (1795) 52 OOB 5: Avant-Garde of Hohenlohe Corps at Saalfeld (10 Oct 1806) 54 OOB 6: Remainder of Hohenlohe’s Corps not present at Saalfeld. 57 OOB 7: Saxon Artillery mobilised on 19 October 1805 61 OOB 8 Saxon Artillery on10 September 1806 64 OOB 9: The remaining Saxon batteries at Jena (14 October 1806) 64 OOB 10 Saxon Regimental Artillery on10 September 1806 66 OOB 11: Saxon Contingent on 10 March 1807 69 OOB 12: Siege of on 1 April 1807 71

4 OOB 13: Garrison Troops in Poland (Early April 1809) 72 OOB 14: Garrison Troops in Prussia (Early April 1809) 73 OOB 15: Mobile Troops in April 1809 73 OOB 16: Oberst Thielemann’s Corps on 24 June 1809 74 OOB 17: Polish-Saxon Corps of Prince Poniatowski 19 April 1809 76 OOB 18: Saxon 9eme Corps on 1 April 1809 77 OOB 19: Saxon 9eme Corps on 20 May 1809 78 OOB 20: Saxon 9eme Corps on 10 June 1809 79 OOB 21: Saxon 9eme Corps at Wagram on 5 July 1809 81 OOB 22: French Reserve Division of GdD Dupas at Wagram (5-6 July 1809) 82 OOB 23: The 1eme Saxon Division of 9eme Corps assigned to protect the Lobau Bridges at Gross Enzerdorf (5 July 1809) 83 OOB 24: Detached Saxon troops at Wagram (5-7 July 1809). 84 OOB 25: 7eme (Saxon) Corps: GdD Reynier in 1812 121 OOB 26: Detached from 7eme Corps in 1812 124 OOB 27: 7eme Corps of GdD Reynier at Kalisch (February 1813) 127 OOB 28: Saxon Division (11 May 1813) 128 OOB 29: 7eme Corps (15 August 1813) 130 OOB 30: 1eme Cavalry Corps (1 Aug 1813) 131 OOB 31: 7eme Corps at Leipzig (18 Oct 1813) 136 OOB 32: Saxon Artillery assigned to divisions in 1811 140 OOB 33: 7eme Corps Artillery after Dennewitz on 8 September 1813 143 OOB 34: Saxon Artillery in III German Armeekorps (12 Dec 1813) 144

5 Chapter 1: Introduction to Saxon Ordnance

Bronze ordnance was used by the Saxons for their guns, howitzers, gun-howitzers [Granadstück] and mortars. Bronze (Gunmetal) is a copper and tin alloy that normally contained small quantities of zinc to reduce oxidation of the tin and lead to improve its machining properties. Contemporary English sources referred to it as brass which now is used for a copper and zinc alloy.

Parts of a M1766 Light 8-pdr [Stephen Summerfield (2009)]

10 Chapter 3: Seven Years War (1756-63)

On 29 August 1756, a Prussian Army of 63,000 lead by Frederick the Great invaded Saxony and entered Dresden on 9 September. [Wilson (1998) 264] The Saxon Army at this time had 18,617 men in 8 cavalry regiments (32 squadrons), 12 infantry regiments of 2 battalions each, the Kurprinzessin battalion and 8 garrison companies. These were ill prepared for war. [Wood (2007) 92] The Saxon Army retired to the armed camp of Pirna that was situated between Dresden and the Bohemian border. The fortresses of Pirna and Königstein secured the northern and southern ends of the position. The north-western side had three tiers of fieldworks and batteries commanded by GL von Wilster and Oberstleutnant von Arnim totalling:

4x M1730 24-pdr Howitzers, 12x M1730 24-pdrs, 27x M1730 12-pdr, 4x M1730 Heavy 6-pdrs.

Elector Augustus II of Saxony (17 Oct 1696–5 Oct 1763)

In 1719, he married Maria Josepha (1699-1757) who was the daughter of Joseph I, the Holy Roman Emperor. Elector of Saxony (1733-63) and King Augustus II of Poland (1734-63).

41 Chapter 4: Reformed Artillery (1766-1806)

Saxony was devastated by the Seven Years War. In 1763, Elector Augustus II died and was succeeded by his son Frederick Christian (5 September 1722–17 December 1763). His first act was to dismiss the extremely unpopular Prime Minister, the Count Heinrich von Brühl, who had plunged Saxony into crisis with his failed economic methods, catastrophic foreign policy that embroiled the Electorate into the Seven Years War. He reigned for just 74 days before dying of Smallpox and so Saxony was ruled by the joint regency of his brother Prince Franz Xavier and his mother, the Dowager Electress Maria Antonia until Frederick Augustus III came of age in 1768.

Elector Frederick Christian (5 Sept 1722–17 Dec 1763) He reigned for only 74 days.

The Saxon Army remained highly efficient particularly after the series of re-organisations in 1769-78. [Wilson (1998) 283] Most of the Saxon ordnance had been lost and the Swedish 4-pdrs on loan from the French were returned to Strasburg. The Saxons with experience with French Ordnance chose French calibres of 4-, 8-pdr to replace their 3- and 6-pdr calibres as used by the rest of Germany.

48 Horse Artillery Officers in parade dress (left) and service dress (right), 1806 [After Dr.Wilhelm von Dietrich (1907)]

69 Chapter 5: French Allies (1806-09)

With the Prussians in retreat and most of the Saxon Army captured at Jena, Elector Frederick Augustus signed a treaty with France on 21 October 1806 permitting the Saxon army to retire to their garrisons. Napoleon astutely played the role of liberator and the traditional Saxon distrust of the Prussians and paroled 7,000 Saxon prisoners. Saxony paid an indemnity of 25 million francs to the victorious French. [Gill (1992) 310]

War of 1807 On 11 December 1806 by the Treaty of Posen Saxony was elevated to a kingdom, joined the Confederation of the Rhine and received the Prussian territory of Cottbus. [Ramm (1967) 69] The Saxons They also fought at Friedland (14 June 1807).

OOB 11: Saxon Contingent on 10 March 1807 [Pivka (1979) 5-6]

1eme Division of 10eme (Levebvre) Corps Infantry Brigade Grenadier Bn von Süssmilch, Grenadier Bn von Cerrini, I/II/IR2 Prinz Anton, II/IR3 Prinz Maximilian, I/IR12 von Bevilaqua Cavalry Brigade I-IV/König Kürassier Regt [formally Kurfürst] Detachments from the Prinz Johann Chevauxlegers [90 men] Detachment from von Polenz Chevauxlegers [60 men] Artillery Captain Kirsten Battery [4x M1766 Light 8-pdr and 2x M1766 Granadstücke Captain Semder Battery [4x M1766 Light 8-pdr and 2x M1766 Granadstücke] Artillery Park [1x M1766 Light 8-pdr and 1x M1766 Granadstücke]

70 M1766 Heavy 24-pdr This had the same dimensions as the previous had the same proportions as the M1686 and M1730 guns but all the decoration was removed with the dolphins and muzzle simplified.

Heavy 24-pdr gun carriage that had been used during the Seven Years War [(Rouvroy 1809)]

91 In about 1780, the Saxon M1780 Caisson was probably copied from the Austrian M1774 Caisson. Interestingly, the Hanoverians introduced the same design after their unhappy experience in the Flanders campaign with Flanders Wagons that was later used by the King’s German Artillery in British Service. From 1780s, the unsatisfactory Gribeauval style caissons and the M1766 4-pdr Schnellfeuergeschütz Caisson for transporting artillery ammunition were replaced by the Saxon M1780 Caisson. The wheel diameter of front was 100cm and the rear was 133cm. [According to Rouvroy (1809)]

Elevation of the Saxon M1780 Caisson [After Rouvroy (1809)]

117 Chapter 7: Saxon Artillery (1810-15)

In the spring of 1810, King Friedrich Augustus ordered a review of the Saxon Army by the Military Review Committee under GM von Gersdorf. On 7 March 1810, the proposals received royal approval. Instead of the two Inspectorates for cavalry and another two for infantry with the artillery under the direct control of the elector, the army was split into two infantry divisions and one cavalry division each with a general staff. The regimental artillery was disbanded and an artillery regiment of sixteen foot companies and a horse brigade of two companies. An artillery train was raised. On 22-23 July 1811, 13 infantry battalions, 5 cavalry regiments, 3 foot and 2 horse batteries were concentrated at Mühlberg where they were exercised under the new regulations that were based upon the French drill book. [Pivka (1979) 9-10]

Saxon Horse Artillery officers discussing moving the M1810 Howitzer with an officer from the train in 1810. [By kind permission Landes und Universitatsbibliotek in Darmstadt, Germany: photographed by Marcus Stein]

119 M1810 6-pdr The new M1810 6-pdr of 18 calibres that bore a striking similarity to the French AnXI gun tubes based upon the most up to date ballistic theories. A unique feature of these guns was the replacement of the back weight with a handle, removal of the reinforcements along the gun as seen on the current French AnXI guns and the all bronze fittings on the gun carriage rather than the usual wrought iron.

Elevation of the Saxon M1810 Raabe 6-pdr [Norman Swales 2009]

163 References

• Adye R.W. and Eliot W.G. (1813 rp 2009) Bombardier and Pocket Gunner, T. Egerton, London [Reprint by DP&G of Doncaster with a new introduction by Dr. S. Summerfield] • Anon (1788) “Plan, welcher das sächsische 4 pfündige Regts-Stück mit seiner Lafete enthält. (mit Erklärung),” Neue Militärische Journal, Book 1 Nr2, Plan II, Berlin [Translated by Christian Rogge (2009)] • Bowden S and Tarbox C (1989) Armies on the Danube 1809, The Emperor’s Press, Chicago, USA • Bowden S. - (1990), Napoleon’s Grande Armee of 1813, The Emperor’s Press, Chicago, USA. - (2009) Napoleon’s Apogee: Pascal Bressonet’s Tactical Studies 1806, Military History Press, USA [Translation of Bressonet P. (1909) Etudes Tactiques sur la Campaign de 1806 (Saalfeld-Jena-Auerstädt), Paris] • Chandler D. (1991) Jena 1806: Napoleon Destroys Prussia, Osprey, London • Clement (2005) Napoleon en Allemagne la Campaigne de 1813, Le Livre Chez Vous, Paris • Cronin G. and Summerfield S. - (Nov 2009) “Saxon Field Artillery 1810-15,” NGA Ordnance, 1(02) [Four 1:24 Scale plates plus Richard Knötel (c1900) Uniformkunde, Band II Nr. 22] - (Dec 2009) “Saxon Horse Artillery 1810-15,” NGA Ordnance, 1(03) [Four 1:24 Scale plates plus Alexander Sauerweide (1811) Saxon Horse Artillery Plate] • Dawson A.L., Dawson P.L. and Summerfield S. (2007) Napoleonic Artillery, Crowood Press • Dawson P.L. and Summerfield S. (2008) French Artillery of 1824: Volume 1 Gribeauval, AnXI System and Drill Manual, DP&G of Doncaster. • Decker, Carl von (1822) Gschichte des Geschutzens und der Artillerie in Europa von Ihrem, Berlin • Exner, M. (1894) Die Antheilnahme der Königlich Sächsischen Armee am Feldzuge gegen Oesterreich im Jahre 1809, Dresden. • Giles H. (1977) The Army of Saxony 1810-13, Napoleonic Association. • Gill J.H. - (1992) With Eagles to Glory; Napoleon and his Allies in the 1809 Campaign, Greenhill Books. - (2008) 1809 Thunder on the Danube: Napoleon’s Defeat of the Habsburgs Volume I – Abensberg, Frontline Books, London

211