Lobositz 2

Just a brief post having scoured my book collection* for orders of battle. In reviewing things I realised that I had made three errors! One of them glaring.

Taking the glaring error first, I'd simply cut and pasted the Austrian numbers and edited them as the Prussian numbers. Only I didn't do this properly and left in the 'Croats' (Grenzers)! The second error was an arithmetical failing - there should have been 7.5 brigades of Austrian infantry excluding the Grenzers. This gives the Austrians an infantry numerical advantage that is appropriate. The third was to get the numbers wrong for the Austrian elite cavalry - I effectively showed these as 1.5 brigades when it should be 0.5 on the basis that 12 companies equates to 6 squadrons or just 1 regiment.

However, this still leaves the rest of the cavalry to sort out. Using the numbers of squadrons present, the Austrians would have the numerical advantage on the table. Duffy, whilst roughly agreeing with Kronoskaf on the numbers of squadrons, gives a total of 10,500 Prussian troopers against the 7,600 Austrians. These numbers are intriguing. This would put the Prussians at close to establishment levels and the Austrians way below them, when for both it was the first campaign of the war and arguably the Prussians had been more exposed to wastage having traversed a hostile state to get to Lobositz. It might be that the Prussians were simply better prepared on mobilisation and closer to establishment to start with. One other possible explanation is that the 7,600 does not include the hussars and elite companies present. This would total c.15 squadrons' worth of troopers, possibly 1,500-2,000 more. Even with this, the Prussian cavalry would have been stronger by 1,000-1,500 blades, a significant percentage of the total present. 

One solution to this is to give the Prussians a starting status of 4* as opposed to the normal status of 3 for good regulars. Another is to round down the Austrian representation. Where the line cavalry are actually organised into 4 commands in the historical order of battle, I had shown this as a total of 5 brigades (4 cuirassiers and 1 dragoon). I could simply depict these as 4 brigades, giving a new total of 5.5 brigades, versus 6 Prussian. Maybe I should do both?

* In effect all Duffy since neither Szabo, nor Showalter give any details.