Koninklijke Nederlandse Landmacht

[KillerMongoose]

K O N I N K L I J K E   N E D E R L A N D S E   L A N D M A C H T

H I S T O R Y

The Dutch Army at Quatre Bras and Waterloo The Bijlandt Brigade The Bijlandt Infantry Brigade fought hard at Waterloo, where units such as the 27th Jager Battalion and the 7th Line Battalion were heavily engaged by the French and were crucial in securing a victory at Waterloo. The 7th Line even saved the Prince of Orange from French Chasseurs-a-Cheval, earning many battle honors for their daring rescue. The Next day at Waterloo, the already exhausted and undersized brigade bore the assault of the largest French infantry column to attack the Allied center, the division of Donzelot. Despite the odds, the Bijlandt Brigade fought the French in an extended and effective firefight, halting the French advance and fighting fiercely to throw them back. The Bijlandt Brigade was deployed further ahead than any of the other Allied brigades and so was subject  to the full weight of the French infantry and artillery. Seeing the lack of support on either side, the brigade withdrew to a position closer to their allies and carried on the fight. The Bijlandt brigade was lead personally by the Prince of Orange himself in several charges and counter-attacks which effectively pushed the French infantry back several times. At one point in the battle the Bijlandt Brigade advanced, pursuing the French all the way to the bottom of the famous ridge until they ran out of ammunition and had to withdraw. Chasse's Third Netherlands Division The Third Netherlands Infantry Division was kept out of the fighting for much of the battle because of Wellington's obvious mistrust of Chasse and the Dutch-Belgian troops as a whole. This is because many of the Dutch-Belgian soldiers were veterans of the French military and Chasse himself had faced off with Wellington many times in Spain. But when Wellington gave the order for the "General Advance" Chasse, who was known as "General Bayonet" by his fellow officers, seize the opportunity and bayonet charged the French Old Guard, completely breaking and routing them. British accounts claim that the Old Guard was already defeated by the time Chasse's division made its attack however the British brigades engaging the Old Guard had been shattered by their attack. With drums and fifes roaring the division attacked and sent the Old Guard fleeing. The Pride of the French Military was shattered by the Dutch-Belgians. Ghigny's Brigade Major-General Ghigny's Brigade of Light Cavalry, comprised of the 4th Dutch Light Dragoons and the 8th Belgian Hussars, is perhaps one of the most heavily engaged units of light cavalry of the entire Allied army. Throughout the battle, Ghigny acted on his own initiative to counter-charge and throw back several French cuirassier and lancer attacks. Each of these actions was a resounding success and in one engagement, the brigade counter-charged the French lancers who were slaughtering the retreating British Union Brigade. In the words of eye witnesses, the 8th Belgian Hussars (who comprised the front of the charge) fought with "insane gallantry." Tripp's Brigade Major-General Tripp's Brigade of Heavy Cavalry, comprised of the 1st (Dutch), 2nd (Belgian), and 3rd (Dutch) Carabinier regiments, was sent into action to counter-charge the French cuirassiers during Marshal Ney's massive cavalry attack. After the near complete annihilation of all British heavy cavalry brigades, Tripp's Brigade was the largest remaining force of Allied heavy cavalry. During Ney's cavalry attack, Major-General Tripp charged his brigade into the left flank of the French cuirassiers, utterly shattering them and majorly contributing to the destruction of the French cavalry attack. The 2nd Belgian Carabiniers were led personally by the Prince of Orange in a charge that routed and pursued the French cavalry off the field entirely. It was late in the battle and he rallied the tired cavalrymen by waving his sword and shouting "Come my comrades, let us put our sabers to these Frenchmen! The Victory is ours!" Merlen's Brigade Merlen's Light Cavalry Brigade, which was made up of the 5th Belgian Light Dragoons and the 6th Dutch Hussars, was not so heavily engaged at Waterloo, but in the days before Waterloo they had captured several French patrols and cavalry units during skirmishes at at the border. But because the British government had declared war on Napoleon and not on France, Wellington ordered that Merlen's Brigade release all of the men it had captured. The Prince of Orange grudgingly did so and sent Wellington a very politely worded letter. Making sure he clarified that the order to release the enemy prisoners had been Wellington's desire, not his own.

Bijladnt's Brigade makes its stand Chasse's Division on the Attack Ghigny's Brigade charges the French Belgian Carabiniers charge the French cuirassiers

R E G I M E N T S

Various Uniforms [close]

36ste Belgische Jager Bataljon Thread: https://www.fsegames.eu/forum/index.php?topic=7292.0 Role: Skirmishers / Light Infantry Current Strength: 22 (4 Officers / 18 Enlisted) Tags: -36ste-rank-name- 8ste Nederlandse Bataljon Van Linie Thread: https://www.fsegames.eu/forum/index.php?topic=2726.0 Role: Line Infantry Current Strength: 10 (1 Officer / 9 Enlisted) Tags: [8ste]rank_name 1er Bataillon d'Infanterie Belge Thread: https://www.fsegames.eu/forum/index.php?topic=4653.0 Role: Line Infantry Current Strength: 22 (1 Officer / 21 Enlisted) Tags: 1erBelge_rank_name

A P P L I C A T I O N   F O R M A T

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[Burakkuada]

Nice thread, Good luck with it

[Nono]

Good luck. 

[Duuring]

Oi, Van Merlen's brigade was engaged at Quatre-bras too! (And defeated). And at Waterloo it supported the retreat of the British cav, catched some cannonballs, charged some cuirassiers, catched some cannonballs and then ceased to exist.

No, not due to catching cannonballs. Van Merlen got shot and killed, leaving the Brigade in command to Boreel who was Dutch (Oh, and incompetenent), so De Merxs (Or whatever his name was) of the 5th Light dragoons refused to follow his orders and went on his merry way to join up with Ghighy. Boreel was left with 300 of his hussars and joined up with Chassé. They supported and protected the horse artillery, but there's no report of a charge - even due a few men recieved bayonetwounds. We'll never know, I guess.

ORANJE BOVEN! VIVE LE ROI!

[Hawke]

So this is what I had to edit that channel for.

[Jorvasker]

Good Luck!

[KillerMongoose]

Oi, Van Merlen's brigade was engaged at Quatre-bras too! (And defeated). And at Waterloo it supported the retreat of the British cav, catched some cannonballs, charged some cuirassiers, catched some cannonballs and then ceased to exist.

No, not due to catching cannonballs. Van Merlen got shot and killed, leaving the Brigade in command to Boreel who was Dutch (Oh, and incompetenent), so De Merxs (Or whatever his name was) of the 5th Light dragoons refused to follow his orders and went on his merry way to join up with Ghighy. Boreel was left with 300 of his hussars and joined up with Chassé. They supported and protected the horse artillery, but there's no report of a charge - even due a few men recieved bayonetwounds. We'll never know, I guess.

ORANJE BOVEN! VIVE LE ROI!

At what point did the 5th light dragoons join up with Ghigny? Was it before or after their grand charge on the lancers?

[Odysseus]

Many g'lucks to you!

[Duuring]

Oi, Van Merlen's brigade was engaged at Quatre-bras too! (And defeated). And at Waterloo it supported the retreat of the British cav, catched some cannonballs, charged some cuirassiers, catched some cannonballs and then ceased to exist.

No, not due to catching cannonballs. Van Merlen got shot and killed, leaving the Brigade in command to Boreel who was Dutch (Oh, and incompetenent), so De Merxs (Or whatever his name was) of the 5th Light dragoons refused to follow his orders and went on his merry way to join up with Ghighy. Boreel was left with 300 of his hussars and joined up with Chassé. They supported and protected the horse artillery, but there's no report of a charge - even due a few men recieved bayonetwounds. We'll never know, I guess.

ORANJE BOVEN! VIVE LE ROI!

At what point did the 5th light dragoons join up with Ghigny? Was it before or after their grand charge on the lancers?

Oh, far after. Van Merlen was still alive and well at that point and had taken his brigade a few hundred yards beyond the line to act as back-up to the charging brigades. He was shot (By a cannonball!) late in the battle - I believe it was reporting as being after night, so that means after six.

[Windbusche]

... Does this mean I have THE WAFFLEBORN in my Teamspeak?

[MrSt3fan]

Succes ! Het is weer eens iets anders

[Furrnox]

Good luck dudes.

[KillerMongoose]

... Does this mean I have THE WAFFLEBORN in my Teamspeak?

Yes indeed

Succes ! Het is weer eens iets anders

Good luck dudes.

Many g'lucks to you!

Good Luck!

Good luck. 

Nice thread, Good luck with it

Thank you all

[Windbusche]

Yes indeed

I am honored.

Best of luck, gent.

[Emperor Napoleon]

Best of luck. Nice to have a Dutch Brigade around!