Philip
Donor
What was the Peninsula Army?
British force that invaded Spain via Portugal.
The Army of the Low Countries?
Another British force. I'll let you guess where they were operating.
What was the Peninsula Army?
The Army of the Low Countries?
The British Army in Portugal and Spain: Its Order-of-Battle (June 1808 - April 1809)
Part I: The Disposable Force
By Ron McGuigan
In June 1808, the following were available for immediate service:
The force for South America, under the command of Lieutenant General Sir Arthur Wellesley, was assembled at Cork and Portsmouth. Its staff was Major Generals Alexander Mackenzie and Rowland Hill, Brigadier Generals Henry Fane and James Catlin Craufurd.
At Cork were the:
1/5th Regiment (990) 1/9th Regiment (833)At Portsmouth:
1/38th Regiment (957)
1/40th Regiment (843)
5/60th Regiment (936)
1/71st Regiment (903)
1/91st Regiment (917)
4 companies 2/95th Regiment (400)
4th Royal Veteran Battalion (737)
The Royal Artillery was under Lieutenant Colonel William Robe and Major James Viney with:At Harwich was Brigadier General Wroth Palmer Acland with:Geary's Company, 5th Battalion Raynsford's Company, 8th Battalion (420)The 20th Light Dragoons (300) at Portsmouth.
The artillery had five 9 pounders, ten light 6 pounders, one 5½ inch heavy howitzer, and two 5½ light inch howitzers, all with limbers.
2nd Regiment (813) 20th Regiment (689)At Ramsgate was Brigadier General Robert Anstruther with:
2 companies 1/95th Regiment (180)
Crawford's Company, 6th Battalion Royal Artillery
Tieling's 2nd Company KGL Artillery (430) attached
2/9th Regiment (675) 2/43rd Regiment (861)At Gibraltar were Major General Brent Spencer and Brigadier General Miles Nightingall with:
2/52nd Regiment (858)
97th Regiment (769)
29th Regiment (863) 1/32nd Regiment (941)At Madeira were Major General William Beresford and Brigadier General Robert Meade with:
1/50th Regiment (1019)
1/82nd Regiment (991)
Lawson's Half-Company, 8th Battalion Royal Artillery (66). [The other half of Lawson's Company had gone to Sicily in May]
1/3rd Regiment 1/11th RegimentThe Baltic Expedition
Royal Artillery: Lieutenant Colonel George Salmon
Scott's Company 4th Battalion Royal Artillery Thornhill's Company 7th Battalion Royal Artillery
The force sent to Sweden in April 1808, the Baltic Expedition, was to be recalled. It was organized as:
Commanding the force: Lieutenant General Sir John Moore
Second-in-command: Lieutenant General John Hope
Adjutant General: Brigadier General Richard Stewart
Quarter Master General: Lieutenant Colonel George Murray
1st Division: Lieutenant General Alexander Mackenzie Fraser
Clinton's Brigade: Brigadier General Henry Clinton2nd Division: Major General John Murray1/4th Regiment (971) 1/28th Regiment (1020)Highland Brigade: Colonel Alan Cameron
1/79th Regiment (995) 1/92nd Regt (934);
Langwerth's Brigade: Colonel Ernest Baron Langwerth3rd Division or Reserve: Major General Edward Paget1st Line Battalion (725) 2nd Line Battalion (761);Drieberg's Brigade: Colonel George de Drieberg
5th Line Battalion (753) 7th Line Battalion (679);
1/52nd Regiment (951) 3 companies 1/95th Regiment (300);Brigadier General John Sontang was attached to Moore's force.
Alten's Brigade: Colonel Charles Baron Alten
1st Light Battalion (907) 2nd Light Battalion (903);
3rd Light Dragoons KGL (570)
Garrison Company KGL (48);
Artillery: Lieutenant Colonel George Wood
Drummond's Company, 3rd Battalion Wilmot's Company, 3rd Battalion
Major Julius Hartmann KGL (829)
1st Company [Gesenius's] 4th Company [Heise's]The artillery consisted of four medium 12 pounders, five heavy or long 6 pounders, sixteen light 6 pounders, two 8 inch howitzers, three 5½ inch heavy howitzers, four 5½ inch light howitzers, four 3 pounder mountain guns with two 10 inch iron mortars and six 5½ inch brass mortars on beds. There were only limbers for five heavy or long 6 pounders, five light 6 pounders, one 5½ inch heavy howitzer and one 5½ inch light howitzer.
K, so which of the two forces - the Army of the Peninsula or the Army of the Low Countries - do you think could be sacrificed for an invasion of Buenos Aires?
See the post directly above yours for a suggestion, old boy.
That was for 1808-1809, which is too late. I'm looking for 1806.
K, that could work, either as part of the main invasion force or as reinforcements.
The initial invasion was Eyre Coote's doing, and only a brigade (1,500) detached from the West Indies theatre.
Had the government decided Argentina was a good bet (as they were coming round too later), then the men are there, it's a question of shipping. 10,000 is probably the limit, a 5th disposable force, probably organised as a typical 3 division "army" of about 9,000 infantry, a cavalry regiment (800) and 3-4 batteries of artillery. (each division of 2 brigades of 2 regiments, each regiment about 750-800 strong)
The Peninsula Army was apparently originally slated for Argentina! Under Lt Gen Wellesley!!!
Actually, from what I read, Wellesley and his men were to fight in Venezuela, not Argentina, with Francisco de Miranda (an early Venezuelan patriot). He would have done so if not for Joseph Bonaparte's invasion of Spain in 1808.
I hope no-one ever tells Chavez about that little factoidActually, from what I read, Wellesley and his men were to fight in Venezuela, not Argentina, with Francisco de Miranda (an early Venezuelan patriot). He would have done so if not for Joseph Bonaparte's invasion of Spain in 1808.
I hope no-one ever tells Chavez about that little factoid
Very curious idea...