Organising the Armies

Keeping with the theme of staying fairly simple, I have decided on a standard organisation for all of my units. Infantry units shall have four musketeer companies and one grenadier company. Currently I have gone with eight-figure companies which gives me an overall unit size of 43 figures once you count the "supernumerary" pair of ensigns and a mounted colonel who add nothing to the firepower of a unit, but are there effectively as morale markers.

Grenadier companies are detatchable to form combined grenadier battalions with those companies of other units.

Perhaps in the longer term when I have more units finished, I'll bring company sizes up to ten figures with more supernumary officers and NCOs making up a sketchy third rank for a unit, once again the'd be there for calculating morale - but that's another article.

You will notice, gentle reader, that I use the term "unit" rather than battalion or regiment. I do this because of a discrepancy between the British and Continental organisations whereby a British regiment generally was of one battalion whereas almost every other european army of the day had regiments composed of at least two and in some cases more battalions.

I suppose that for my purposes, British units will be taken as being twice as strong as they were in reality, but only half as numerous!

For semi historical battles in the New World, the problem disappears because all but one of the French units there during the French and Indian War were each of one battalion only.

This weeks prize (a nice pat on the back) goes to the reader who can tell me which French regiment took two battalions to North America in 1756?