SYW French Grenadier Question

[OB]

I know that French Grenadiers were routinely detached from their parent units to form Grenadier Battalions.  Were Grenadiers from the foreign units in the French service also detached to form combined units?

Answers gratefully received.

[Jemima Fawr]

The French actually formed combined grenadier battalions very rarely during the SYW.  The Grenadier units usually seen in orbats were the Grenadiers de France, which was a line infantry regiment formed after the War of Austrian Succession from the grenadier companies of various disbanded infantry regiments and the Grenadiers Royaux, who were the massed grenadiers of the Militia Regiments.

[OB]

Cheers Mark, this is the sort of stuff I need to know. 

Kronoskaf details both the Grenadiers de France and the Grenadiers Royaux.  I had semi formed the idea that the latter was were all French line Grenadiers went.  Seemingly not and thanks for clarifying it.

As you might guess I'm thinking of buying a French Army and wanted to get the right figures.

Thanks again and any other useful tips appreciated.

[Jemima Fawr]

Cheers Mark, this is the sort of stuff I need to know. 

Kronoskaf details both the Grenadiers de France and the Grenadiers Royaux.  I had semi formed the idea that the latter was were all French line Grenadiers went.  Seemingly not and thanks for clarifying it.

As you might guess I'm thinking of buying a French Army and wanted to get the right figures.

Thanks again and any other useful tips appreciated.

No worries.  I'm trying to remember where, but I did see an example of a massed grenadier battalion somewhere, but it was very rare at that time.  More common were battalions of 'picquets'; i.e. the daily detachment of men from each regiment detailed off for sentries and general dogsbody duties.

Grenadiers at the time were virtually indistinguishable from the rest of the rank and file, save perhaps a moustache.  In earlier times they had a satchel for the grenades, but those had gone, along with the grenades.  As the SYW went on, some regiments started adopting bearskins for their grenadier company, but details are scant, so I wouldn't worry about specific figures for the grenadier companies.

[Renaud]

At Clostercamp in 1760, Grenadiers and Chasseurs of Auvergne are grouped together during the battle (and have a pivotal role, with tremendous losses, but not loosing ground and enabling reinforcements to arrive, halting the surprise attack of Ferdinand who could have routed the entire French force). The reports are very detailled, with one written by the Auvergne brigade commander. I assume this grouping would have been also the case for the other infantry regiments involved. For each French brigade of the battle, I model the appropriate number of batallions, plus a brigade gun, plus a converged Grenadiers/ Chasseur batallion, where grenadiers have bearskins, as shown on 1760 engravings.

[OB]

Mark and Renaud, thank you both.  I have a much better idea of what I should be doing now.

[vtsaogames]

Some accounts say de Broglie used his grenadiers as skirmishers at Sanderhausen. Kronoskaf does not.

[OB]

Yes, presumably that's why Old Glory off a mixed pack of chasseurs and fellows in bearskin caps.  There does seem to be a fair bit of SYW latitude.