Grand Alliance

The Grand Alliance army at Blenheim under Marlborough consisted of 52,000 men and 66 guns. At the battle the army was split into three wings.

The army organisation chart below shows these three main elements and the commanding officers.

You can see a larger sized image if you click on the chart below.

Grand Alliance Army of Marlborough at Blenheim

The strategy of the day was that General John Cutts would attack Blenheim on the French right flank at the same time as Prince Eugene attacked Lutzingen and Oberglau on the French left flank. Marborough would wait in the center for his opportunity to strike once the French started to reinforce either or both flanks from their center.

The various units that made up the Grand Alliance army at Blenheim are listed below. Where I have finished painting a unit there will be a blog post for that unit giving uniform details and other such facts. You will find the unit name is linked to the page with all the details.

If you don’t see a link, then I’ve yet to finish painting it!

Blenheim Column – Lieutenant General John, 1st Baron Cutts of Gowran

Infantry:  Lieutenant General John, 1st Baron Cutts of Gowran

Rowe’s Brigade (England) -  Brigadier General Archibald Rowe

Wilkes’ Brigade (Hesse-Kassel) – Major General Wilkes

  • Prinz Wilhelm Infantry Regiment (400 men)
  • Erbprinz von Hessen-Kassel Infantry Regiment, Prinz Friedrich von Hessen-Kassel (400 men)
  • Hessian Grenadiers Infantry Regiment (400 men)
  • Wartensleben Infantry Regiment, Alexander Hermann, Graf von Wartensleben (400 men)

Ferguson’s Brigade (England) – Brigadier General James Ferguson

  • Archibald Douglas’ Regiment of Foot, Colonel James Stanley, 10th Earl of Derby (663 men)
  • Earl of Angus’s Regiment of Foot, Brigadier General James Ferguson (653 men)
  • Royal Regiment of Ireland, Major General Frederick Hamilton (579 men)
  • 2nd Battalion, His Majesty’s Royal Regiment of Foot, Lieutenant General Lord George Hamilton, 1st Earl of Orkney (577 men)
  • 1st Regiment of Foot Guards, Captain General John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough (589 men)

St. Paul’s Brigade – Major General St. Paul

  • de Luc Infantry Regiment, Major General de Luc (Lüneburg-Celle) (400 men)
  • de Breuil Infantry Regiment (Hanover) (Lüneburg-Celle) (400 men)
  • Gauvin Infantry Regiment (Gauvin) (Hanover) (400 men)
  • Hanoverian Guard Infantry Regiment (1/ Lüneburg-Celle, 2/ Hanover-Calenberg) (two battalions, 800 men)

Cavalry Support: Lieutenant General Henry Lumley

Palmes’ Brigade (England) – Brigadier General Palmes

  • 2nd/Earl of Plymouth’s Regiment of Horse (4th Horse), Major General Cornelius Wood (one squadron, 155 men)
  • The Queen Dowager’s Regiment of Horse (9th Horse), Lieutenant General Hugh Wyndham (two squadrons, 311 men)
  • Lord Cavendish’s Regiment of Horse (8th Horse), Meinhardt, 3rd Duke of Schomberg (Duke of Leinster) (two squadrons, 270 men)

Wood’s Brigade (England) – Major General Cornelius Wood

  • The Queen’s Regiment of Horse (2nd Horse), Lieutenant General Henry Lumley (three squadrons, 482 men)
  • 1st/Earl of Plymouth’s Regiment of Horse (4th Horse), Major General Cornelius Wood (one squadron, 158 men)
  • Duke of Shrewsbury’s Regiment of Horse (7th Horse), Colonel William Cadogan, 1st Earl Cadogan (one squadron, 149 men)

Ross’s Dragoon Brigade – Major General Charles Ross (Includes Hay’s Brigade)

  • James Wynne’s Regiment of Dragoons (5th Dragoons), Brigadier General Charles Ross (England/Ireland) (two squadrons, 324 men)
  • Grey Dragoons (2nd Dragoons), Brigadier General Lord John Hay (England/Scotland) (one squadron, 340 men)
  • Erbprinz von Hessen-Kassel Dragoons, Erbprinz Friedrich von Hessen-Kassel (Hesse-Kassel) (four squadrons, 320 men)

Centre – Lieutenant General Charles Churchill

1st Line (Infantry) – Lieutenant General Richard Ingoldsby

d’Herleville’s Brigade – Major General d’Herleville (Includes Stückrad’s Brigade)

  • Schöpping Infantry Regiment (Hesse-Kassel) (400 men)
  • Stückrad Infantry Regiment, Brigadier General Stückrad (Hesse-Kassel) (400 men)
  • d’Herleville Infantry Regiment, Major General d’Herleville (Hanover-Calenberg) (400 men)
  • von Tozin Infantry Regiment (Lüneburg-Celle) (400 men)
  • Hulsen Infantry Regiment, Major General Hulsen (Hanover Calenberg) (400 men)

Württemberg Brigade – Brigadier General Friederich Heinrich, Graf von Seckendorff

  • Württemberg Regiment Stenfels (571 men)
  • Württemberg Regiment Hermann
  • Württemberg Grenadier Regiment (833 men)
  • Seckendorff’s Infantry Regiment, Brigadier General Friedrich Heinrich, Graf von Seckendorff (573 men)

1st Line (Infantry) – Lieutenant General Horn

Holstein-Beck’s Brigade – Major General the Prince of Holstein-Beck (Includes Beidebrecht’s Brigade)

  • Heidebrecht Infantry Regiment, Brigadier General Heidebrecht (Ansbach/UP auxiliary) (599 men)
  • Stürler Infantry Regiment (Swiss/UP auxiliary) (523 men)
  • Hirzel Infantry Regiment (Swiss/UP auxiliary) (561 men)
  • Rechteren Infantry Regiment (UP) (548 men)
  • Goor Infantry Regiment (UP) (581 men)

Dutch Mercenary Brigade – Major General Pallandt

  • Bynheim Infantry Regiment (UP) (571 men)
  • Schwerin Infantry Regiment, Colonel Kurt Christof, Graf von Schwerin (Mecklenburg-Prussian Meith Regiment) (547 men)
  • de Varenne Infantry Regiment, Jacques l’Aumonier, Marquis de Varenne (Prussia/UP auxiliary) (461 men)
  • Wulffen Infantry Regiment (Prussia/UP auxiliary) (591 men)
  • Erbprinz von Hesse-Kassel Infantry Regiment, Erbprinz von Hesse-Kassel (Prussia/UP auxiliary) (540 men)

Left-center (cavalry) -Lieutenant General Bülow

Noyellas’ Brigade – Major Genera Jacques-Louis, comte de Noyellas en Falais

  • Leib Horse Cuirassier Regiment (Hanover-Calenberg) (two squadrons, 150 men)
  • Voigt’s Horse Cuirassier Regiment (Hanover-Calenberg) (two squadrons, 150 men)
  • Noyelles’ Horse Cuirassier Regiment, Major Genera Jacques-Louis, comte de Noyellas en Falais (Hanover-Calenberg-Osnabrück/UP auxiliary) (two squadrons, 150 men)

Viller’s Brigade – Major General Viller

  • von Bülow’s Dragoons Regiment (Lieutenant General von Bülow (Hanover-Calenberg) (three squadrons, 225 men)
  • Viller’s Dragoons (Lüneburg-Celle) (four squadrons, 320 men)
  • Bothmer’s Dragoons, Brigadier General Bothmer (Lüneburg-Celle) (four squadrons, 320 men)

2nd Line (cavalry) – Lieutenant General Graf von Hompesch

Hesse-Homberg’s Brigade – Major General the Prince of Hesse-Homberg

  • Leib Horse Regiment (Hesse-Kassel/UP auxiliary) (two squadrons, 160 men)
  • Spiegel’s Karabinere (Hesse-Kassel/UP auxiliary) (two squadrons, 160 men)

Schulengurg’s Brigade – Major General Schulenburg

  • Schulengurg’s Dragoons (Hanover-Calenberg) (two squadrons, 150 men)
  • Breidenbach’s Horse Regiment (Hanover-Calenberg & Lüneburg-Celle) (two squadrons, 160 men)

Erbach’s Brigade – Major General Erbach

  • Erbach’s Horse Cuirassier Regiment, Major General Erbach (UP) (two squadrons, 200 men)
  • Baldwin’s Horse, Brigadier General Baldwin (UP) (one squadron, 100 men)
  • Schmettau’s Dragoons (Ansbach) (four squadrons, 400 men)

Cavalry – Lieutenant General comte de Oostfriese count of East Frisia

Vittinghoff’s Brigade – Lieutenant General Vittinghoff

  • Grevendorff’s Dragoons, Brigadier General Grevendorff (Saxe-Gotha) (three squadrons, 240 men)
  • Hardenberg’s Dragoons (Saxe-Gotha) (three squadrons, 240 men)
  • Sachsen-Heilburg Horse Regiment (UP) (two squadrons, 200 men)
  • Bannier’s Horse Regiment (Hanover-Calenberg) (two squadrons, 150 men)

Auroch’s Brigade – Major General Auroch

  • Erbach’s Horse Regiment, Major General Erbach (Hesse-Kassel) (two squadrons, 160 men)
  • Auroch’s Dragoons, Major General Auroch (Hesse-Kassel) (four squadrons, 320 men)

Lieutenant General the Prince of Württemberg-Neuenstadt

Rantzau’s Brigade (Denmark/UP auxiliary) – Major General Jørgen von Rantzau

  • 2nd Sjællandske Horse Regiment, Major General Jørgen von Rantzau (two squadrons, 585 men
  • 5th Jydske Regiment of Horse, Colonel von Schmettau (two squadrons, 440 men)
  • 4th Jydske Regiment of Horse, Brigadier General Jørgen von Rantzau (two squadrons, 440 men)
  • Livregimentet Rytter, Colonel Christian Detlev von Reventlow (two squadrons of six companies, 556 men)
  • Wüttemberg-Öls Dragoons, Carl Friedrich, Herzog von Württemberg-Öls (three squadrons of ten companies, 1,007 men)

Brockdorff’s Brigade (Denmark/England auxiliary) – Brigadier General Ditlev von Brockdorff

  • 3rd Jydske Horse Regiment, Colonel Ditlev von Brockdroff (two squadrons, 591 men)
  • Ahlefeldt’s Horse Cuirassier Regiment (two squadrons, 589 men)
  • 2nd Jydske Horse Regiment, Colonel von Uterwick Prehn (two squadrons, 568 men)
  • Holstein’s Horse Cuirassier Regiment, Colonel Dewitz (two squadrons, 578 men)
  • Württemberg-Ōls Dragoons, Carl Friedrich, Herzog von Württemberg-Ōls (two squadrons of ten companies, 589 men)

Infantry – Lieutenant General Lord Orkney

  • Webb’s Brigade, Major General John Richmond Webb
  • Churchill’s Infantry Regiment, Winston Churchill (590 men) 3rd Regiment, The Buffs[1]
  • Thomas Meredith’s Regiment of Foot, Brigadier General Thomas Meredith (575 men)
  • The Queen’s Regiment of Foot, Major General John Richmond Webb (739 men)
  • 1st/His Majesty’s Royal Regiment of Foot, George Hamilton, 1st Earl of Orkney (639 men)

von Rantzau’s Brigade – Major General Jørgen von Rantzau

  • 1st Battalion, Rantzau, Major General Jørgen von Rantzau (Lüneburg-Celle/UP auxiliary) (588 men)
  • 2nd Battalion, Rantzau, Major General Jørgen von Rantzau (Lüneburg-Celle/UP auxiliary) (636 men)
  • Bernsdorff Infantry Regiment, Brigadier General Bernsdorff (Lüneburg-Celle/UP auxiliary) (531 men)
  • Teckelenberg Infantry Regiment (Hanover-Calenberg/UP auxiliary) (532 men)
  • St. Paul Infantry Regiment, St. Paul des Estanges (Hanover-Calenberg/UP auxiliary) (520 men)

Right, Army of Imperial Austria – Field Marshal Prince François Eugène von Savoy-Carignan

Cavalry – General of the imperial cavalry Prince Maximillian von Hanover

Natzmer’s Brigade (Prussia) – Major General Dubislav Gneomar von Natzmer auf Gannewitz

  • Leib Dragoons (three squadrons, 300 men)
  • Margraf Philip’s Horse Cuirassier Regiment, Major General Philip Wilhelm, Margraf von Brandenburg-Schwedt (three squadrons, 300 men)
  • Wartensleben Horse Regiment (three squadrons, 300 men)
  • Bayreuth-Kulmbach Horse Cuirassier Regiment, Colonel Christian Heinrich, Margraf von Bayreuth-Kulmbach (three squadrons, 300 men)
  • von Krassow’s Dragoons, Ernst Detlev von Krassow (two dragoons, 160 men)

Fugger’s Brigade (Austria) – Major General Graf von Fugger

  • Alt-Hanover Cuirassiers (six squadrons, 500 men)
  • Lobkowitz’s Cuirassiers (six squadrons, 500 men)

Durlach’s Brigade – Field Marshall Margraf Frederick VII of Baden-Durlach

  • Limburg-Styrum’s Dragoons (Austria) (six squadrons, 500 men)
  • Württemberg Independent Cavalry (Leib Dragoon) (Württemberg) (three squadrons, 240 men)
  • Fugger’s Cuirassier, Major General Graf von Fugger (Swabia) (three squadrons, 240 men)
  • Ottingen’s Dragoons (Swabia) (two squadrons, 160 men)

Cavalry – General of cavalry Eberhard Louis, Herzog von Württemberg-Teck

l’Ostange’s Brigade – Major General Charles Graf de l’Ostange

  • Sonsfeld’s Dragoons (three squadrons, 300 men)
  • l’Ostange’s Horse Cuirassier Regiment, Major General Charles, Graf de l’Ostange (three squadrons, 300 men)

Bibra’s Brigade – Major General Christoph Erhard von Bibra:

  • Helmstaett Horse Cuirassier Regiment, Erbprinz Helmstaett von Württemberg (Swabia) (three squadrons, 240 men)
  • Nagel’s Karabinere (Münster/UP auxiliary) (two squadrons, 200 men)
  • Vennigen’s Karabinere, George Friedrich von Vennigen (Palatine/UP auxiliary) (two squadrons, 300 men)
  • Hachenberg’s Cuirassiers (Neiderrhein) (one squadron, 80 men)

Cusani’s Brigade (Austria) – Field Marshall Marquis de Cusani

  • Darmstadt’s Imperial Cuirassiers (six squadrons, 600 men)
  • Cusani’s Imperial Cuirassiers (six squadrons, 600 men)

Caraffa’s Brigade – Major General von Caraffa

  • Fechenbach’s Dragoons, Freiherr von Fechenbach (Würzburg/Mainz) (four squadrons, 400 men)
  • Württemberg Leibgarde (Württemberg) (two squadrons, 160 men)
  • Bibra’s Dragoons, Major General von Bibra (Mainz/Austrian auxiliary) (four squadrons, 400 men)

Cavalry Reserve – General of Cavalry Charles Maximilien, comte de la Tour et Valsassina

Efferen’s Brigade

  • Moorheim’s Cuirassiers (Mecklenburg) (two squadrons, 160 men)
  • Leutsch’s Cuirssiers (Saxe-Gotha) (two squadrons, 160 men)
  • von der Ostheim’s Horse Cuirassier Regiment (Holstein-Gottorp) (two squadrons, 160 men)

Bayreuth’s Brigade (Franconia) – Field Marshall Christian Ernst, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth

  • Auffess’ Dragoons (five squadrons, 400 men)
  • Bayreuth’s Cuirassiers (five squadrons, 400 men)

Feldzeugmeister Prince Leopold von Anhalt-Dessau

Finck’s Brigade (Prussia) – Major General Albrecht Conrad Graf Finck v. Finkenstein

  • Grenadier Garde, Kurprinz Friedrich Wilhelm I (two battalions, 800 men)
  • Margraf Ludwig’s Infantry Regiment, Christian Ludwig, Margraf von Brandenburg (two battalions, 800 men)
  • Anhalt-Dessau Infantry Regiment, Leopold von Anhalt-Dessau (two battalions, 800 men)

Canitz’ Brigade (Prussia) – Major General Christopher Albrecht v. Canitz

  • Margraf Phillip’s Infantry Regiment, Margraf Phillip Wilhelm von Brandenburg Schwedt (two battalions, 800 men)
  • Leibgarde, Colonel Carl Philipp Freiherr von Wylich zu Lottum (one battalion, 400 men)
  • Canitz’s Infantry Regiment, Major General Christopher Albrecht von Canitz (two battalions, 800 men)

Lieutenant General Scholten

Bielke’s Brigade (Denmark/Austria auxiliary) – Brigader General Bielke

Rebsdorff’s Brigade (Denmark/England and UP auxiliary) – Brigader General Rebsdorff

Artillery – Colonel Holcroft Blood

  • Three batteries of ten sakers
  • One battery of four howitzers
  • One battery of six Demi-Culverin
  • One battery of twenty-four 3-pounders
  • One battery of sixteen 3-pounders