Saxon Organisation

Organisation: The organisation of the Saxon Army is rather confusing, particularly so as it appears that frequently units in the field fell considerably short of there notional strength. Often units were disbanded or never completed during the war and therefore a large number of units existed during the war. Once again Dan Schorr's site is the place to go for details of Saxon units organisation, Dan Schorr's Saxon Army Pages will take you to the relevant part.

Infantry Units: 35 Saxon infantry units can be identified during the Great Northern War, of these 3 were never completed. The following is a break down of the various types available amongst the remaining 32 and there ratings for the Volley and Bayonet rules.

  1. Guard: 2 Regts   M6, PT, EFD, BG
  2. 'Old' Regts: 8 Regts (6 disbanded / destroyed during the war)    M5, PT, EFD, BG
  3. 'New' Regts: 17 Regts (11 disbanded / destroyed during the war)    M4, PT, EFD, BG
  4. Dresden Garrison: 1 Battalion.    M4, PT, EFD, BG
  5. French / Swiss Deserters: 2 Regts (both disbanded / destroyed during the war)    M4, EFD, BG
  6. Ansbach Mercenaries: 2 Regts (both returned in 1717)    M5, EFD, BG

Saxon infantry units will usually be regiments at normal scale and will typically be Strength 2 or 3. At 'Battalion' scale they will be battalions, with typical strengths of 2 to 4. At this scale if both battalions are present then one will have no elites (NG) as there was only one grenadier company per regiment.

Availability: The following table details the number of units available at the start / during each year

  Guard Regts 'Old' Regts 'New' Regts Deserter Regts Ansbach Regts Garrison Btns
1700 2 8 0 0 0 1
1701 2 8 10 0 0 1
1702 2 7 11 0 0 1
1703 2 6 9 2 0 1
1704 2 6 10 2 0 1
1705 2 3 8 2 0 1
1706 2 3 8 2 0 1
1707 2 2 3 0 0 1
1708 2 2 3 0 0 1
1709 2 2 4 0 0 1
1710 2 2 4 0 0 1
1711 2 2 7 0 0 1
1712 2 2 7 0 0 1
1713 2 2 7 0 2 1
1714 2 2 7 0 2 1
1715 2 2 7 0 2 1
1716 2 2 7 0 2 1
1717 2 2 7 0 2 1
1718 2 2 6 0 0 1

Mounted Units: The Saxon Army fielded 12 Horse and 16 Dragoon regiments during this period of the following types.

Horse:

  1. Guard: 2 Regiments   M6, Fire, Heavy
  2. Original: 6 Regiments (1 disbanded / destroyed during the war)    M5, Fire, Heavy
  3. Raised: 3 Regiments    M5, Fire, Heavy
  4. Sachen -Meinigen Mercenaries: 1 Regiment    M5, Fire, Heavy

Dragoons:

  1. Leib Regt: 1 Regiment    M5, Fire, may Dismount, Medium
  2. Original: 3 Regiments (1 disbanded / destroyed during the war)   M4, Fire, may Dismount, Medium
  3. Raised: 14 (or 15) Regiments (5 disbanded / destroyed during the war)    M4, Fire, may Dismount, Medium
  4. Ansbach Mercenaries: 2 (or 1) Regiments:    M5, Fire, may Dismount, Medium

Notes: I am unsure whether the Ansbach - Feilitzch (15th Dragoon) was an Ansbach or a Saxon unit.

  Guard Horse Original Horse Raised Horse Sachen Horse Leib Drag Original Drag Raised Drag Ansbach Drag
1700 1 6 0 0 1 3 0 0
1701 1 6 0 0 1 3 1 0
1702 1 6 2 0 1 3 3 0
1703 2 5 3 0 1 2 3 0
1704 2 5 3 0 1 2 8 0
1705 2 5 3 0 1 2 9 0
1706 2 5 3 0 1 2 9 0
1707 2 5 3 0 1 2 5 0
1708 2 5 3 0 1 2 5 0
1709 2 5 3 0 1 2 5 + 1? 1?
1710 2 5 3 0 1 2 5 + 1? 1?
1711 2 5 3 1 1 2 5 + 1? 1?
1712 2 5 3 1 1 2 5 + 1? 1?
1713 2 5 3 1 1 2 5 + 1? 2?
1714 2 5 3 1 1 2 5 + 1? 2?
1715 2 5 3 1 1 2 5 + 1? 2?
1716 2 5 3 1 1 2 5 + 1? 2?
1717 2 5 3 1 1 2 5 + 1? 2?
1718 2 5 3 0 1 2 5 + 1? 1?

'Malburian' Contingents: The following numbers of units were involved in Europe's other war, at that time.

 
Horse Regts
Dragoon Regts
Guard Inf Regts
'Old' Inf Regts
'New' Inf Regts
Austria: Nov 1702 - May 1704 4 10 0 4 1
Austria: Aug 1705 - Jan 1707 0 0 0 0 3
Maritime Powers (Britain and Holland): 1707 - 1713 1 2 2 Battalions 2 Battalions 5*

* 2 were just battalions, the others probably so

Campaign Deployment: The following table illustrates the deployment of the Saxon army during the Great Northern War. The table shows the number and type of regiments participating in various campaigns.

 
Guard Cav
Horse
Sachen Horse
Dragoons
Ansbach Drag
Guard
Inf
'Old'
Inf
'New'
Inf
Foreign Inf
Livland / Courland: 1700 - 1701
0
4
0
5
0
2
6
0
0
Poland: 1702
1
6
0
4
0
2
4
4
0
Poland: 1703
1
5
0
6
0
2
2
5
0
Poland: 1704
2
4
0
2
0
2
4
6
0
Poland: 1706
2
7
0
12
0
2
3
5
2 (French / Swiss)
Poland: 1709
2
4
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Poland: 1710
2
4
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Pommerania: 1711
2
6
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Gadebusch: 1712
0
4
0
4
0
0
0
0
0
Pursuit of Stenbock / Siege of Tonningen: 1713
0
6
0
5
1
1
0
3
0
Poland: 1715
1
5
1
7
2 ?
1
0
3
0
Pomerania: 1715
0
3
0
1
2 ?
0
2
4
2 (Ansbach)
Rugen 1715
0
0
0
0
1
0
2
1
1
Poland: 1716
1
5
1
7
2
1
0
4
0

Note: The " Ansbach Dragoon Regiments are present at both 1715 campaigns. It may be that they transferred during the campaign, probably from Poland to Pomerania. Alternatively this may be that this is a mistake and they were only in one campaign, probably in Pomerania.