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The Swedish army underwent a number of changes
during the Napoleonic years, most of these were due to domestic
upheaval. After the wars of 1788 - 90 Sweden only participated
sporadically in the various battles of northern Europe. The brief
and disastrous war with Russia in 1808 in which Finland was lost
did nothing to increase the Swedish interest in the conflicts
raging throughout Europe. When Sweden, now led by a former marshal
of the French empire, finally entered the Napoleonic wars it was
to fight Napoleon. Several regiments did see some action, at Stralsund
for example, but the Swedish impact was marginal, especially as
Bernadotte, now Crown Prince of Sweden obviously preferred to
spare his Swedish regiments in anticipation of trouble on the
homefront.
The Swedish Army between
1800 and 1812
Infantry
The Swedish infantry was divided
into two types of troops. The permanent regiments, which were
professional soldiers, and the drafted regiments, of which only
the officers and non-coms were professionals. The drafted regiments
recieved 28 days of training each spring and were mobilized for
the same period in case of need (i.e war).The quality of the regiments
were usually good, though the drafted units sometimes lacked in
training and equipment. Especially noted were the Jägar (Skirmisher)
units, usually of company strength and armed with rifles they
not only fought as skirmishers (where they were noted for their
marksmanship), but also in line as rearguard when the main body
had to withdraw in haste. Several of these units were of Finnish
extraction and were lost when Russia occupied Finland after the
war of 1808.
The permanent regiments were
• SVEA LIFGARDE •ANDRA LIFGARDE • LES GRENADIERS • KONUNGENS EGET LIFREGEMENTE (chasseurs) • DROTTNINGENS LIFREGEMENTE • VÄRMLANDS FELDJÄGARE • JÖNKÖPING • KALMAR • KRONOBORG • NERIKE-VÄRMLAND •SKARABORG • SÖDERMANLAND • UPPLAND •VÄSTMANLAND
The guard regiments (SVEA LIFGARDE and ANDRA LIFGARDE) had six companies of one hundred men in each battalion and one company of chasseurs for every two battalions. The other regiments of the army had four companies of one hundred fifty men per battalion; the number of battalions was variable. The regiments which weren't of the guard or grenadiers had two sections of chasseurs of thirty five men and two sections of grenadiers of thirty five men up to 1807. After 1807 there was one section of chasseurs of fifty men per company. The regiments of grenadiers were formed in 1807, starting with the sections of grenadiers of the line and some companies of chasseurs, as well as a regiment of the guard which was dissolved. The chasseur sections (known as Jägar companies) were equipped with rifles and entered into service as sharpshooters beginning in 1802.
From 1802 to 1807 the other regiments were
•BOHUSLÄNS •ELFSBORG •HELSINGE •VASTGÖTA •JÄMTLANDS FELDJÄGAR REGEMENTE •VESTERBOTTENS FELDJÄGARE
These regiments had been put into service in 1792 and their effectiveness varied greatly from time to time. Nonetheless, they underwent training in manoeuvre and combat. The soldiers of these regiments were not demobilized until 1816.
In 1810 two new regiments were created:
•NORRA SKÅNSKA REGEMENTET •SÖDRA SKÅNSKA REGEMENTET
In 1812 one regiment was created; it had a single battalion:
•SMÅLANDS REGEMENTE
Legions and miscellaneous
troops
When the Swedish army landed
in Germany new regiments were formed of French and German ex-prisoners
of war which at least on paper were given distinctive uniforms.
(Though it remains doubtful whether any others than the officers
of these "legions" ever recieved the uniforms as even
the line units had difficulties getting supplied) These regiments
were created in 1813 but only two (Pommerska Legionen and Von
Engelbrechens Regemente) existed for more than six months
THE GERMAN INFANTRY REGIMENT was disbanded almost at once. KONUNGENS SWEDOIS REGEMENTE was the first regiment mixing Frenchmen and Germans (although the officers were all Swedish). The uniform was a dark blue, single breasted jacket and overalls, yellow facings and a French shako with yellow pompom and brass lozenge plate. VON ENGELBRECHTENS REGEMENTE was made up of Germans only (excepting the regimental officers who were Swedish) and wore blue jacket and overalls with red facings (including lapels) and a Russian shako with yellow cords and white plume. POMMERSKA LEGIONEN (chasseurs) was an attempt collect Pommeranian soldiers loyal to Sweden (as Pommerania, or parts of it had been in Swedish possession since the middle of the 17th century). The regiment prospered for a while but was eventually disbanded and most of its soldiers repatriated to Pommerania. The uniform consisted of a green jacket and overalls with yellow piping and overall stripes, Russian shako with green cords and plume. POMMERSKA LANDWEHR REGEMENTET created for the same purpose as the Pommeranian Legion it served mainly as a fetch-and-carry battalion for the rest of the army and was soon disbanded. The uniform was supposed to be a blue litewka with yellow facings and a round hat with a black crest and a white plume.
During the reign of Charles XII
the Swedish cavalry had been the most powerful weapon in the Swedish
arsenal, its close order tactics and iron dicipline tearing up
opposing infantry and cavalry alike. By the time of the Napoleonic
wars the quality of the cavalry had fallen to a rather average
level. Just as in the case of the infantry, the units that were
the most effective were the skirmishers and light units. The cavalry
included thirteen regiments, of which two were permanent (Livgardet
till häst and Von Mörners Hussarer). There was one regiment
of cuirassiers and ten regiments of dragoons, of which two were
light and one hussars. In the regiments of heavy dragoons were
found the hussars of Skånska Hussarregementet, who had the
title of hussars although they weren't light cavalry. The cavalry
manoeuvred by squadrons and not as divisions.
Livgardet till häst had a nominal strength of six squadrons with ninety men each; one squadron was designated as chasseurs and wore a special uniform. Livkurassier Regementet had six squadrons of two hundred forty men, Livhussarregementet, six squadrons of one hundred twenty men and finally Mörners Hussarregemente had ten squadrons of one hundred twenty men. There were seven regiments of Heavy dragoons with eight squadrons of one hundred twenty men and two regiments of Light dragoons with eight and six squadrons of one hundred twenty men.
Artillery
The artillery was made up of
four regiments divided into battalions of five batteries. Each
battery had six cannon and two mortars. The foot artillery had
three regiments of three battalions. The pieces were of six, nine,
and twelve pounds. The horse-drawn artillery had one regiment
of two battalions. The pieces were of six and nine pounds.The
horse artillery was formed by Karl von Cardell (Colonel of the
Vendes Artillery and later Master of Ordnance) and was the bright
spot of the Swedish artillery, all gunners were mounted and the
whole unit proved very mobile.
The Swedish army of 1813
- 1816
Infantry
In 1813 conscription was introduced
in Sweden (though a form of conscription or semi-volountary service
has existed in Sweden from time immemorial) for which males between
the ages of 21 - 25 were eligible. The conscription period ran
for a maximum of five years though few men served that long as
the cost of maintaining the regiments at full strength proved
too high for the impoverished Swedish state.
•SVEA LIVGARDE 500 (one battalion)
•ANDRA LIVGARDE 500 (one battalion) •LIVBRIGADENS GRENADIER
REGEMENTE 600 (one battalion) •LIVGRENADIER REGEMENTET 1600
(two battalions) •KONUNGENS EGET LIFREGEMENTE 600 (one battalion)
•VÄRMLAND FELTJÄGAR 450 (one battalion) •DROTTNINGENS
1200 (two battalions) •UPPLAND 1800 (three battalions) •SKARABORG
1600 (three battalions) •VÄSTMANLAND 1600 (three battalions)
•NERIKES 1200 (two battalions) •SÖDERMANLAND 1700
(three battalions) •KALMAR 1700 (three battalions) •JÖNKOPING
1800 (three battalions) •KRONOBORG 1600 (three battalions)
•VON ENGELBRECHTENS REGEMENTE1200 (two battalions) •VÄSTGÖTA
1200 (two battalions) •ELFSBORG 1700 (three battalions) •SMÅLAND
450 (one battalion) •NORRA SKÅNSKA 650 (one battalion)
•SÖDRA SKÅNSKA 650 (one battalion)
(In total 24000 men)
Cavalry
•LIVGARDE TILL HÄST
334 (four squadrons) •LIVKURASSIERE 544 (four squadrons)
•SKÅNSKA HUSSARREGEMENTET. 841 (6 squadrons) •SKÅNSKA
KARABINIEREREGEMENTET. 594 (four squadrons) •SMALAND DRAGON
621 (6 squadrons) •MÖRNERS HUSSARREGEMENTE 738 (8 squadrons)
(In total 3672 men)
Artillery
Foot: Seventy eight pieces in eleven batteries, thirty two of
them twelve pounders. Horse-drawn: thirty four pieces in six batteries,
eighteen of them nine pounders.
