Prussian Grenadiers of the Seven Years’ War, 1756–1763

Standing and combined Grenadier Battalions of the Seven Years’ War

Prussian Grenadier Battalion von Waldow (12/39)

Grenadier Bataillon von Waldow (12/39) pictured here, consisted of four companies, two grenadier companies detached from Regiment zu Fuß (Regiment of Foot) von Finck and two companies from Füsilier-Regiment von Jung-Braunschweig. These 40 mm miniatures have been cast from Prince August moulds. The grenadier drummer received a new head with the Prussian mitre cap replacing his tricorne hat. The figures are painted with artist oils, and they are based on an upscaled 100 x 50 mm regimental stand compatible with the Volley & Bayonet game system. The unit represents a grenadier brigade of two or three battalions which deployed on the same frontage as an infantry regiment.

Prussian infantry of the Seven Years’ War was deployed in regiments of two battalions each. Few regiments had three battalions, the garrison regiments up to four battalions during wartime. Each battalion consisted of five companies: four Musketier- or Füsilier-Kompanien and one Grenadier-Kompanie.

The two grenadier companies of a regiment joined the grenadiers of another regiment to form a combined Grenadier-Bataillon of four companies for the duration of the conflict, which was named after its battalion commander, typically a Major. One exception was the Grenadier-Bataillon 3/6, which consisted of three companies of Regiment zu Fuß von Anhalt-Bernburg und the Flügelgrenadier-Kompanie (flank grenadier company) of the Grenadier-Garde Bataillon. The grenadiers of garrison regiments were permanently detached from their parent units, they formed six standing grenadier battalions - stehende Grenadier-Bataillons (SGB) - which served with distinction during the Seven Years’ War.

Grenadier battalions were shock troops, compact and well-led units designated to lead attacks, secure flanks and hold key battlefield positions. Prussian grenadiers carried no flags, allowing them to concentrate fully on the task at hand not worry about losing precious field signs.

The following table list the Prussian grenadier battalions of the Seven Years’ War from 1756 to 1763, the regiments they were drawn from, and the names of the officers who led them.

Grenadier-Bataillon	from	until	Nr.	Nr.	Battles
von Bademer	1756	1757	1	23	-
von Wedel	1757	1758	1	23	Prag, Rossbach, Leuthen, Schweidnitz, Zorndorf
von Rathenow	1758	1762	1	23	Hochkirch, Liegnitz, Torgau, Gräthen
von Poseck	1762	1763	1	23	Freiberg
von Manstein	1756	1758	2	G II ¹	Groß-Jägersdorf
von Nesse	1758	1760	2	G II ¹	Zorndorf, Hochkirch, Kunersdorf, Torgau
von Natalis	1760	1763	2	G II ¹	Freiberg
von Kleist	1756	1757	3	6	Lobositz
von Hacke	1757	1763	3	6	Breslau, Leuthen, Liegnitz, Torgau, Bunzelwitz, Burkersdorf
von Plotho	1758	1759	3	6	Hochkirch
von Polentz	1756	1757	4	16	Groß-Jägersdorf
von Kleist	1757	1759	4	16	Zorndorf, Maxen
von Thielau	1758	1759	4	16	Burkersdorf
Jung-Billerbeck	1756	1762	5	20	Lobositz, Rossbach, Kunersdorf, Liegnitz, Torgau, Freiberg
von Kanitz	1756	1757	7	30	Prag
von Lubath	1757	1762	7	30	Rossbach, Kunersdorf, Torgau
von Kanitz	1762	1763	7	30	-
Alt-Billerbeck	1756	1763	8	46	Prag, Zorndorf, Hochkirch, Liegnitz, Torgau, Freiberg
von Billerbeck	1758	1759	8 / 46	VI / VIII	Maxen
von Möllendorf	1756	1757	9	10	Prag, Kolin
von Bähr	1758	1763	9	10	Torgau, Freiberg
von Rohr	?	1759	11	14	Groß-Jägersdorf, Zorndorf, Hochkirch
von Beyer	1759	?	11	14	Kay, Kunersdorf, Torgau
von Waldow	1756	1757	12	39	Prag, Kolin
von Pieverlingk	1757	1760	12	39	Hochkirch
von Stechow	1760	1760	12	39	Liegnitz
von Görne	1760	1763	12	39	Bunzelwitz, Burkersdorf
von Finck	1756	1757	13	26	Prag, Kolin, Rossbach
von Bornstedt	1757	1759	13	26	Kay, Kunersdorf
von Homboldt	1759	1759	13	26	-
von Schwerin	1760	1761	13	26	-
von Kalckstein	1761	1763	13	26	-
von Bülow	1756	1757	15	18	-
von Kleist	1757	1759	15	18	Breslau, Leuthen, Zorndorf, Hochkirch
von Anhalt	1759	1763	15	18	Liegnitz, Torgau, Bunzelwitz, Burkersdorf
von Puttkamer	1756	1757	17	22	Lobositz
von Wrede	1757	1757	17	22	Prag
von Kremzow	1757	1759	17	22	Rossbach, Leuthen, Zorndorf
von der Tann	1759	1760	17	22	Kay, Kunersdorf
von Wobersnow	1760	1760	17	22	Landeshut
von Rothenburg	1760	1763	17	22	Bunzelwitz, Burkersdorf
von Ramin	1756	1757	19	25	Lobositz, Rossbach, Leuthen
von Heyden	1757	1759	19	25	Hochkirch, Kunersdorf
von Schwerin	1759	1760	19	25	-
von Woldeck	1761	1763	19	25	-
von Lengefeld	1756	1757	21	27	Moys
von Diringshofen	1757	1761	21	27	Leuthen, Schweidnitz, Hochkirch, Greiffenberg
von Budberg	1761	1762	21	27	Burkersdorf
von Grumbkow	1756	1757	24	34	Lobositz
von Anhalt	1757	1757	24	34	-
von Naumeister	1757	1760	24	34	-
von Sobeck	1760	1761	24	34	Landeshut
von Drache	1761	1763	24	34	Burkersdorf
von Arnim	1760	1761	28 / 32	G V / X ¹	-
von Arnim	1761	1762	28	32	Bunzelwitz
von Ostenreich	?	?	29	31	Prag, Breslau, Leuthen, Kunersdorf
von Falckenhayn	?	?	29	31	Liegnitz, Torgau, Bunzelwitz, Burkersdorf
von Nymschoefsky	?	1762	33	42	Kolin, Liegnitz, Torgau, Bunzelwitz
von Mosch	1762	?	33	42	Burkersdorf
von Schenckendorff	1756	1759	35	36	Breslau, Leuthen
von Schwartz	1759	1763	35	36	Kunersdorf, Torgau, Bunzelwitz, Burkersdorf
von Manteuffel	1756	1759	37	40	Kolin, Breslau, Leuthen, Hochkirch
von Kleist	1759	1763	37	40	Maxen, Burkersdorf
von Burgsdorff	?	?	38	43	Prag, Breslau, Zorndorf
von Gemmingen	?	?	41	44	Kolin
von Willemey?	?	?	41	44	Maxen
von Wangenheim	1756	1758	47	G VII ¹	Prag, Kolin, Breslau, Leuthen
von Carlowitz	1758	1759	47	G VII ¹	-
von Buddenbrock	1759	1760	47	G VII ¹	-
von Bock zu Wülfingen	1760	1763	47	G VII ¹	Burkersdorf
von Kahlden (I. SGB)	1756	1758	G III / IV ¹	NG ²	Prag, Kolin, Breslau, Leuthen
von Wangenheim (I. SGB)	1758	1758	G III / IV ¹	NG ²	Hochkirch
von Buddenbrock (I. SGB)	1758	1759	G III / IV ¹	NG ²	-
von Carlowitz (I. SGB)	1759	1763	G III / IV ¹	NG ²	Torgau
von Ingersleben (II. SGB)	1756	1757	45	48	Prag
von Unruh (II. SGB)	1757	1760	45	48	Breslau, Leuthen, Hochkirch
III. SGB (Wesel)	?	?	?	?	?
von Lossow (IV. SGB)	1756	1760	G I ¹	G XI ¹	Groß-Jägersdorf, Zorndorf, Kay, Kunersdorf
von Lossow (IV. SGB)	1760	1763	G I ¹	G II ¹	Torgau, Freiberg
von Hachenberg (V. SGB)	1761	1776	G V ¹	G X ¹	Bunzelwitz, Burkersdorf
von Ploetz (VI. SGB)	1756	1758	G VI ¹	G VIII ¹	Prag, Breslau, Leuthen
von Rohr (VI. SGB)	1758	1758	G VI ¹	G VIII ¹	-
von Busche (VI. SGB)	1759	1763	G VI ¹	G VIII ¹	Kunersdorf
?	1757	1763	54 ⁵	56	Pommern, Schlesien
PFGC ³ von Wussow	1758	1759	PM	-	-
PFGC ³ von Hüllesem	1759	1762	PM	-	-
Frei-Grenadier-Bataillon von Hüllesem	1762	1763	F III	PFGC ³	Burkersdorf
Provincial-Grenadier-Batl. Ingersleben	1760	1763	RB ⁴	-	Stettin
Grenadier-Bataillon	von	bis	Nr.	Nr.	Schlachten
von Petersdorf	1758	?	?	?	Zorndorf
von Benckendorff	1758	?	?	?	Hochkirch, Maxen
von Heilsberg	1760	?	?	?	Torgau, Freiberg
von Wolbeck	1762	?	?	?	Freiberg
Hinweise Prussian garrison regiments are numbered using Roman numerals from "G I" to "G XIII" to avoid confusion with the field regiments. The grenadier companies of garrison regiments were permanently detached from their parents units, and assigned to standing grenadier battalions which drilled together even during peace-time. As a result, the level of training of the standing grenadier battalions tended to be above that of the combined grenadier battalions drawn from the field regiments only for the duration of the war. The "NG" designation stands for Neues Garnison-Regiment (new garrison regiment), the grenadiers of which were officially designated "GNG". The Pommeranian Militia (PM) raised two grenadier companies which formed the Provincial-Frei-Grenadier-Corps (PFGC) from 1758 until the end of the war. In June 1762, the provincial grenadier corps joined the four grenadier companies of Frei-Corps Schony (F III) to form Frei-Grenadier-Bataillon von Hüllesem. The grenadier companies of Rekruten-Bataillons (RB) von Tettau, von Stosch, and Bevern (Nr. 7 III) formed the Provincial-Grenadier-Bataillon Ingersleben in the Fall of 1759. Garrison grenadier battalion of the formerly Saxon regiments Nr. 54 and 56.

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Seven Years’ War Miniatures

Prussian Grenadiers of the Seven Years’ War, 1756–1763

Standing and combined Grenadier Battalions of the Seven Years’ War

Hinweise

Frequently Asked Questions