Danish Army paraded

Back in the late 70’s, WR had two and a half regiments of Danish infantry painted (nine battalions). A small brigade for the tabletop conflicts fought within the gaming group during the 70’s and 80’s. Years later, during the late 90’s, WR added some light infantry (jager or sharpshooter) battalions, cavalry regiments, and foot artillery batteries to create a small divisional sized command. Finally, back in YR2013, WR finally dragged out the collected unpainted Danish lead pile (box), and spent time painting all the miniatures previously organized for my Danish collection (even swiped some infantry from the unpainted Swedes). Like my Westphalian army recently posted, the Danish are mostly classical 25mm Minifigs and Hinchcliffe since they were the miniatures readily available back then. The Danish Corps sized army now can proudly enter the tabletop battlefield with their red coats, hot red cannon carriages, and those Bosniak ulhans.

Danish army fully deployed for battle. Grown since the old days of nine battalions.

As can be seen in the photos, the Danish army has grown to a full corps of infantry, cavalry and artillery. Mostly painted with the pre-1808 uniform, WR does have several regiments in the later regulation 1808 French styled shako. Currently, the army has the following painted regiments, battalions and batteries:

Headquarters:  Corp commander and his headquarter base with two hussar ADC’s, five divisional level commanders, a pioneer detachment (1×3), and engineer officer. Engineer officers perform tasks on our tabletop battles so commonly found attached to headquarters.

Infantry: The Danish guard is represented by the single battalion of the King’s Liv Garde. The line regiments painted include: Funen I.R., Oldenburg I.R., Queens I.R., Holstein I.R., 1st Jutland I.R., Prinz Frederick I.R., King’s I.R., and Liv I.R.  All are four battalions of seven miniatures each (4×7) in strength. Each battalion has one elite company miniature, the 1st battalion with the Grenadier co., the other three battalions with one rifle armed chasseur co. each. Up till 1808, the line regiments had only two battalions. In 1808 the army was expanded to have four battalion I.R., the extra soldiers generally drafted from the disbanded militia battalions raised in 1807. The newly raised battalions generally wore the new french styled shako, especially from 1812 onwards, but WR has them in the older (ex militia) headgear. Alongside the line regiments are three jager or sharpshooter corps of two battalions each (2×6) and WR’s favorite, the King’s Liv Jager corps (former volunteer unit from the 1807 campaign) at a strength of two smaller battalions (2×5). The jager corps of Schleswig, Zealand Sharpshooter corps, and the Holstein Sharpshooter corps. Last to include with the regulars is the Marine regiment (1×7), commonly found defending the naval base at Copenhagen. Landwehr or militia strength has twelve battalions (12×5) plus an unusual two battalions made from converged elite co’s of the militia battalions.. Two groups from the North and South Zealand militia raised for the brief 1807 British invasion. They were the forces that the future Lord Wellington defeated at the battle of Koge. Lastly, being that Norway is part of Denmark during the napoleonic period, WR has a few Norwegian militia battalions to defend Norway from the Swedish intrigue.

Cavalry: The small Liv Garde of horse regiment (1×2) completes the Danish guard. The heavy horse regiment are represented by the Liv, Zealand and Holstein regiments (3×5). Danish light cavalry includes the Hussar regiment (1×5), Jutland light dragoons (1×4), Funen light dragoons (1×4) and the battlefield favorite child, the Bosniak uhlan squadron (1×2).

Artillery: 12lb reserve positional battery, four-foot 6lb batteries, two foot 3lb batteries, a small converged howitzer battery and two 3lb horse artillery batteries. Danish batteries tended to be 10 cannon in size and still used 3lb cannon late in the napoleonic wars.

Right flank view of the Danish army.

Left flank view of the Danish army.

Photo below shows the heavy cavalry regiments (Liv, Zealand then Holstein by ranks). Schleswig Jager corps in foreground along with 3lb horse battery and two 6lb foot batteries. The line regiments in background (l to r) are: Funen I.R., Oldenburg I.R., Queens I.R. and Holstein I.R. Note the blue winter weather trousers and the summer whites on the line regiments.

Close up right flank: Danish artillery, heavy horse cavalry, jager corps and line regiments.

Photo below has additional Danish artillery (3lb HA, two 6lb FA), the Danish light cavalry regiments and more line regiments. The Danish light cavalry, by rank order, include the Hussar regiment, Jutland LD, Funen LD, and the squadron of Bosniak uhlans. The Holstein Sharpshooter corps leads the four columnar line regiments following. Line regiments from the roadway are (l to r): 1st Jutland I.R., Pz Frederick I.R., Kings I.R. (1808 shako), and Liv I.R. (1808 shako).

Left flank close up: Danish light cavalry and artillery with line regiments behind.

Frontal view with the King’s Liv Jager corps behind the hedge, the Zealand Sharpshooter corps, the Danish reserve 12lb battery, the Holstein sharpshooter corps, the converged howitzer battery and the eight massed column line regiments mentioned before. Again (l to r) the line regiments are: Funen I.R., Oldenburg I.R., Queens I.R. Holstein I.R., 1st Jutland I.R., Pz Frederick I.R., Kings I.R. (1808 shako), and Liv I.R. (1808 shako). Two extra coastal artillerymen crews stand astride the roadway behind the howitzer battery.

Central view: Danish jager and sharpshooter battalions, King’s Liv jagers then the massed line regiments behind.

If playing the Danish in 1807 battles, you need militia battalions. Lots of them. WR painted up twelve battalions (12×5) from some old Scruby 25mm miniatures. Look a bit thin in the waistline compared to their fellow miniatures but they have defended well the Danish heartland in several battles. South Zealand militia battalions (1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 8th, and 10th) dressed in white trousers. The North Zealand militia battalions dressed in grey trousers (3rd, 5th, 6th, and 7th). Before them is the Liv Garde of horse regiment (1×2) and alongside South Zealand militia is the Corps headquarters, Liv Garde of foot battalion and the small pioneer detachment. Engineer office with map studying the roadway for the passage of the army later on.

Danish Landwehr (militia) battalions of North and South Zealand. Corps HQ and staff near road alongside the King’s Liv Guard battalion.

Last components of the Danish army include the Marine battalion (at right on hill), another 3lb FA battery, and the Norwegian militia battalions. Dressed in red trousers are the 1st Norge regiment, then white or pale yellow trousers of Trondheim, Opland, Bergen, and Westerland militia. Check out the Blunder on the Danube link mentioned below for information on the Norwegian army.

Danish (Norwegian) milita and converged elite militia Co. battalions. Marine battalion at right.

Passing in review and side view.

Recent tabletop action using my Danish army:  France & Danes vs. Austria, England & Russia.

Don’t be fooled by the blog site title, check out the Blunders on the Danube web site. Has an excellent material linked library of uniform and organization data for the major and minor states during the napoleonic wars. Danish section is detailed out in ten sections plus several for the Norwegian army too.  Napoleonic Uniform guides

Various books on the Danish army and navy napoleonic wars.

Cheers from the warren. Time for some Danish cheese and beer pint after posting this write-up.

WR

Wonder how I store my armies? In cut down standard apple boxes, double layered at bottom with glued cardboard vertical grids. Each battalion or regiment has a sized labelled location within their box so any fellow gamer can return the units to their traveling storage box.

Danish army storage box holding the line regiments, militia battalions, Liv Garde, and the marine battalion.

 

Cavalry (heavy and light regiments), headquarters, jaeger and sharpshooter battalions, and the artillery crews and cannon batteries.