My Tin Soldier Collection - TYW French

Infantry

2009-04-02T07:48:00.000-07:00

Description
Initially, the military prospects of France were not good when she entered the Thirty Years War. Her troops were undisciplined and lacked experience so she needed alliances. She was threatened primarily by Spain who tried to maintain the Spanish Road from Italy to the Netherlands. To minimize the threat, in July 1635, France signed a treaty with Savoy, Parma and Mantua for a joint campaign in north Italy. The French Huguenot general, Rohan, was sent to help the Swiss Protestants in a campaign to overthrow the Valtelline. In October 1635, the German, Bernard of Saxe-Weimar, and his army were taken into French service.
While Rohan and his army had success in north Italy, Bernard of Saxe-Weimar successfully besieged Breisach after defeating the Holy Roman Empire’s army at Rheinfelden. The siege of Breisach was a success and allowed the French to cut the Spanish Road. Alsace also fell to Bernard. After his death in July 1639, his army came under the direct control of the French and the following year saw the emergence of two very capable French military commanders: Turenne and Louis II, Prince of Conde.
These commanders engaged the Imperialists and despite defeating the Spanish at the Battle of Rocroi in May 1643, were unable to mount a serious campaign in Europe as military exhaustion broke out throughout Europe.
Common to the period, there was no set French uniform. Most of the troops tended to wear un-dyed wool or coats dyed red or blue. Pants were ribboned at the knee and could reach mid calf with buttons running down the outside seams. By the 1640's the pants tended to end at the knee. French headgear was generally a grey or black brimmed felt hat. The boukinkan, (a hat similar to the montero) was also used. Officers wore capes or tabards (cassocks), as did the musketeers. It was common for French officers to wear white sashes. The baldric was worn on the right shoulder and the bandoleer, if any, on the left. Unusually, the French drummer wore their drum on the right side with the head almost vertical. Most drummers of the period wore the drum on the left, but the head of the drum was vertical.
Under Henry IV the French abandoned the deep, block-like infantry formations of the Civil Wars and adopted the ten-deep formation of the Dutch. The principal cause of the change was the reports of French Protestant noblemen who had served in the Dutch War under Maurice of Nassau. During the reign of Louis XIII the depth of infantry formations was reduced yet further, and eight ranks seem to have been the norm.
The focus of my French force is the five key regiments which fought in the internal campaigns against the Huguenots. In 1620, all were at the battle of Les Ponts-de-Ce in Normandy; in 1621 at the sieges of Saint-Jean d’Angely and Montauban; and in 1622 at Negrepelisse and Montpellier. Later in 1627, present at the siege of La Rochelle. By 1629, the forces were part of the King’s army in Savoy and later Piedmont.

Unit History – Garde Francaises (1563-17)
Commanders of the French Guards during the Thirty Years' War were:
Jean, Marquis de Rambures (1633-1639; killed at the Siege of Landrecies;
Antoine, Maréchal-duc de Gramont (1639-1671)

The regiment was created by Charles IX on August 1 1563. The Gardes Françaises had precedence over the Gardes Suisses and over all line infantry regiments. The guards brigade had many privileges. Often, the Gardes Françaises occupied the centre of the first line and the Gardes Suisses the centre of the second line. During sieges, it opened the trenches, was at the head of all assaults and was the first brigade to enter into a conquered city.
The command of this regiment has often been assumed by a Maréchal de France. Its Lieutenant-Colonel had the rank of a Lieutenant-General and its Major was also Major-General of the French infantry. By a regulation of March 27 1691, the captains of the regiment had the rank of Colonel, its Lieutenant the one of Lieutenant-Colonel, its Sous-lieutenants and Ensigns the rank of Captain.
During the Thirty Years War, the unit joined the army of La Sarre under Maréchal de La Valette in 1635. These troops joined the Swedes of Bernard of Saxe-Weimar in Mentz of that year. The unit reinforced the army of Champagne under Louis de Bourbon, Comte de Soissons in 1636 taking part in the storming of of Hedsin. Later in 1643, the unit was at the siege of Thionville.
At Lens, 1648, the unit crushed three enemy battalions, one Spanish and two German. Drunk with their success, they were surrounded by Spanish tercios. Rushing to their defence, the remaining French troops broke the tercios.
In general the unit strength was two-thirds musketeers and one-third pike. By 1635, the assigned enlisted strength of the regiment was increased to 9,000 men.

Comments
The figures are primarily Warlord Games Plastics. The unit has been uniformed based on later Royal regiments which meant a coat that could be either in dark or light blue. The thought behind this is the term “Sacre Blu” which could be roughly translated as the Crown’s Blues. The flag is from GMB Design from their SYW collection.

Unit History – Picardie IR (1558-1780)
The regiment is the first of the infantry regiment after the French Guards and the Swiss Guards. It was created in 1558 by Henry II. It is the first of the "Old Bands " within the French army.
The unit joined the army of La Sarre under Maréchal de La Valette in 1635. These troops joined the Swedes of Bernard of Saxe-Weimar in Mentz of that year. The regiment was nearly exterminated, along with the Navarre IR, at the battle of Thionville. Later in 1643, the unit was at the siege of Thionville. Transferring to the army of Duc d’Enghien later that year, the regiment was at Rocroi. There the unit massacred a 1,000 Spanish musketeers in a dawn ambush but was rallied with difficulty at the engagement. In Lens, 1648, the unit rushed to aid the Garde Francaises who has crushed three enemy battalions, one Spanish and two German. Drunk with their success, the Garde was surrounded by Spanish tercios. Rushing to their defence, the remaining French, including the Picardie IR, broke the tercios.

Comments
The figures are . The flag is from GMB Design from their SYW collection.

Unit History – Champagne IR (1558 – 1791)
Created in 1558, it’s ranking in the rolls with Navarre and Piedmont remained confused until Louis XIV issued an ordinance in 1666 to rule on the order of precedence. In the Thirty Years War joining the army of Champagne in 1635, it took part in the storming of of Hedsin in 1639. In April 1646, the unit was decimated at the siege of Llerida.

Comments
The figures are primarily Perry Miniatures and include a couple of Foundry figures. Those who look closely will realize that these are also the Green regiment in the service of the Swedes. I took the opportunity to make sure that the unit is multifunctional and can serve many masters – much like many of the units in the TYW. The flag is from GMB Design from their SYW collection.

Unit History – Navarre IR (1558-1791)
Created in 1558 from old formations from Guyenne, the regiment then bore the name of its colonel M. de Tilladet. With the death of Antoine de Bourbon, King of Navarre in November 1562, the regiment was assigned to guard of his son Henri of Navarre who became Henri IV, King of France in 1589. The regiment then entered the service of France.
The unit joined the army of La Sarre in 1635 under Maréchal de La Valette in 1635. These troops joined the Swedes of Bernard of Saxe-Weimar in Mentz of that year. The regiment was nearly exterminated, along with the Picardie IR, at the battle of Thionville. Later in 1643, the unit was at the battle of Tüttlingen as part of Gassion corps.

Comments
The figures are . The flag is from GMB Design from their SYW collection.

Unit History – Normandie IR (1615-1791)
The regiment was raised in Normandy under Louis XIII in 1615 by Concini, Marshal d' Anchors and tasked to protect Marie de Médicis. With the regiments creation it retained its seniority from the old bands of Normandy which constituted its core. After the death of Concini and the disgrace of his son, then colonel of the regiment; command was given to the brother of the Constable de Luynes taking the name of the province of Normandy.
The unit joined the army of La Sarre under Maréchal de La Valette in 1635. These troops joined the Swedes of Bernard of Saxe-Weimar in Mentz of that year.

Comments
The figures are primarily Foundry ECW and TYW. This troop is usually one of my Swedish troops but the pattern of the Normandy flag could also have been a pattern used by the Yellow Regiment. The flag is from GMB Design.

The unit could also be used as the Royalist regiment under the command of Sir Gilbert Talbot. This ECW regiment came from North Wales and joined the Oxford army muster of 1644. From there the unit was sent to join the Cornish campaign fighting at the battle of Crediton. The banner of the unit shows the emblems of the Talbot family against a white background.

Another Royalist regiment commanded this time by John Talbot was originally raised in 1640 and part of Hopton's army. It also joined the Oxford army muster of 1644 but after the battle of Crediton. There evidence that these veterans, particularly in the offensive operations of the Lostwithiel campaign, were intended to act as the spearhead of the Royalist foot. The banner of the unit shows the emblems of the Talbot family against a yellow background.

Sources
Text: French Armies of the Thirty Years War, Stephane Thion, LRT Editions, 2008
Flags: Nec Pluribus Impar site at http://vial.jean.free.fr/new_npi/index.htm

Scottish & Irish in French Service

2009-04-02T07:42:00.000-07:00

Description
During the Thirty Years War, many Scottish migrated to Europe seeking fame and fortune. With the entrance of Sweden into the direct fray, the Scottish were actively recruited. By the mid 1630's, with the fortunes of the Swedes waning, the French began to subsidize the Scottish troops directly rather than using Sweden as the paymaster.
Towards the end of the 1630’s changes in the political equilibrium in England made it apparent that civil war was unavoidable. This naturally aroused the interest of the many Scottish officers in Swedish and French service, who, unlike their colleagues in Scotland and England, had a good training and experience of practical military operations. In 1639-40 large bands of them returned: it is recorded. for instance, that when Alexander Leslie landed in Leith in 1641 he met no less than 36 felIow officers from Germany. The returning soldiers were of all ranks, from Field Marshal (like Leslie and Patrick Ruthven) on down. As not only officers but also other ranks were needed, General James King was sent to the Continent and Denmark to enlist men.

Irish recruitment
Organised recruitment of Irish regiments to the French army dates from 1635 and seven regiments were recruited to fight in France. While numbers declined in the 1640's, eight regiments fought in French service after the Catholic defeat in Ireland. For example, the exiled James Stuart, Duke of York, had a regiment which was disbanded in 1664 (then called the Royal Irlandais).

Unit History – Hebron or Hepburn IR (1633-1636)
The regiment, Hepburn, is based on one of the many Scottish regiments serving the French. It was raised in 1633 from remnants of Scottish units that had fought for the Swedes and had been under the command of the Scot, John Hepburn. This junction between Swedish and French Scots was incorporated into one corps, and styled Le Regiment d’Hebron, as Hepburn was spelled and pronounced in France. In the subsequent campaign in Germany, under the Cardinal de Valette, the unit served with great distinction, but the French army were at last compelled to retreat, pursued and continually harassed by the Imperialists. Hepburn, with his corps covering the rear, fought incessantly all the way back to France. In the spring of 1636, John Hepburn served in Lorraine, with the army under the duke of Saxe-Weimar, and so eminent were his services that King Louis ordered the diploma of a marshal of France to be expedited under the great seal for him. Before receiving his marshal’s baton, he was killed in 1636 at the siege of Saverne by a ball shot from the ramparts. He was not older than his 36th or 38th year but had a successful military career. He was buried, with great splendour, in the southern transept of the cathedral of Toul in French Lorraine, and many years afterwards, a noble monument to his memory was erected above his remains by Louis XIV.

Comments
Using the canton with the St. Andrew cross seems to have been common for Scots troops fighting in the TYW. One reference has the field green with a blue trim edging rather than the blue shown.
The figures themselves are Foundry ECW Scots. As either Swedish or French, the unit has performed very well on the battlefield and are, bar the Swedes, my favourite troops.

Sources
Text: French Armies of the Thirty Years War, Stephane Thion, LRT Editions, 2008
http://www.electricscotland.com/history/nation/hepburn.htm
http://www.tcd.ie/CISS/mmfrance.php

Cavalry

2009-04-02T07:39:00.000-07:00

Description
The average strength of a Thirty Years' War army was roughly 19,000 men, of which 30-40% was cavalry, that is, 5,700-7,600 and French armies did not differ remarkably from this norm. General Camon, describing the French forces in 1643 on the eve of Rocroi, remarked on the small size of the field armies, typically 16,000-20,000 men, of which about one-third were cavalry, and noted in particular the mercenary character of the French armies. This meant that the French cavalry included large numbers of Weimarians, Hessians, Swedes, and other foreigners. The presence of mercenaries in significant numbers was not unusual by the standards of the time nor was it, in the case of the French armies, a disability. The foreign cavalry, with its experience, discipline, and regimental organization was considered by Richelieu as a model for what the French cavalry might become.
The base French cavalry force was 4,000 regular Gendarmes, who were half-armoured pistoliers, supported by sections of "Carabins", and a 1,000 strong "Cornette Blanche" of noble volunteers, a company of 200 Guard Chevaulegers, and a unit of gentlemen, the "Carabiniers du Roy" who in 1622 became the famous company of Gray Musketeers (a company of Black Musketeers was added in 1661—despite their name both were heavy cavalry, the colors being those of their horses).

Enghien Horse
Formed in 1635 as a Chevau-Legers regiment with a unit strength of 2 squadrons of 2 companies. A cavalry company would have contained between 35 - 100 troopers during the period from 1635 to 1659. During campaign these companies would have averaged 50 men. In battle, the cavalry was organized in squadrons of 120 - 150 men deployed in 3 rows.
The banner of the unit is speculative and based on the coat of arms of Enghien.

Cardinal-Duc Horse
The unit was initially formed as Chevau-legers in 1635 by Louis XIII. By 1700 the cavalry regiments were divided in two groups: The 'Regiments Royaux' (owned by the state) and the 'Regiments Gentilhommes' (privately owned). This regiment would have been privately owned by the Cardinal of France.
The unit was part of the army of La Sarre in October 1635 under Marshal de La Valette which joined the Swedes of Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar in Mentz in 1635.
Later in 1643, the unit was part of the French forces at Rocroi and was situated on the flank along with the rest of the cavalry.

De Leschelle Horse
The unit was initially formed as Gendarmerie in 1635 by Louis XIII and was from Liege.
In 1644, this ‘Regiment Royaux’ was part of the French forces at Fribourg and was situated in the reserve under the command of Marshal Gramont along with the rest of the French cavalry.
The ensign used the cost of arms of Liege.

Sources
Flag and Text: French Armies of the Thirty Years War, Stephane Thion, LRT Editions, 2008

Artillery

2009-04-02T07:24:00.000-07:00

Description

The French used less artillery on the battlefield than the Swedes and the Imperialists. In addition, French cannoneers were less skilled than their Spanish, imperial or Swedish counterparts. For these reasons, the French used foreign cannoneers wherever possible.

Sources
Flag and Text: French Armies of the Thirty Years War, Stephane Thion, LRT Editions, 2008