Williamite Warfare

A Proto-linear system

United Provinces
Early & Late Franco-Dutch Wars 1672-78 (V.1)

Formations & Basing Conventions

Foot
After the Peace of Munster (1648) Dutch military reforms saw Infantry battalions arrayed in no more than six (6) ranks and often less when giving fire 1. For the Early Dutch Wars and for practical and comparative national representation, Williamite Warfare recommends formations four (4) deep for musketeers, being the minimum actual fielded depth. By comparison, it is still a more shallow formation that their French counterparts in the same campaigns. The average battalion strength for the Dutch in this period (not including the Guarde) has been taken from muster rolls in 1676 and was about 630 all ranks with the most common number of companies being ten (10) or twelve (12) but ranging from eight (8) to thirteen (13). At a 1:20 troop scale, therefore, the average Dutch infantry battalion can be represented as a 32 figure battalion but to maintain proportion and correct ratios, Williamite Warfare offers a recommendation of 36 figures: 8 pikemen (1:3 ratio) and 28 musketeers (including 2 ensigns, one drummer and an officer). All non-pike armed foot count as musketeers for fire calculations and whilst musketeers are identified in the following diagrams as M this does not limit their replacement by additional officers or sergeants. Whilst it remains popular amongst WAB gamers to base figures individually and utilise movement trays, Williamite Warfare strongly recommends the following basing conventions to allow for the three standard formations of Give Fire, March Array and Pike Defence. The Command base (Ensigns, Drummer and Colonel) are based four figures wide by one deep (4x1): Pikemen based in fours, two figures wide and two deep (2x2); and, the Musketeers based three figures wide and two deep (3x2).

Give Fire
The usual formation to give fire using Caracole or Rolling Rank Fire is pikemen to the centre and rear with two sleeves of muskets (see Figure A). Note that the command element (officers, ensigns and drummers) counts as musketeers.

M M M M

M M M M

M M M M

E P P

D P P

O P P

E P P

M M M M

M M M M

M M M M

Figure A

The Dutch Army and he Military revolutions, 1588-1688: Olaf van Nimwegen

Williamite Warfare
A Proto-linear system

March Array
Alternatively, a battalion might array its pike to the flanks (Figure B) but this was usually when deploying from march column when flank attach by enemy horse was guarded against en route. It will be rare in the field of battle once hostilities had commenced and should not be confused with the narrower frontage utilised in a column of march by divisions. E P P P P M M M M M M M M D M M M M O M M M M E M M M M M M M M P P P P

Figure B

Pike Defence (Square)

In defence, and formed during the movement phase (not as a reaction to charge) a battalion may form into square. This is not the square of the later eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and wont look like it in this system (see Figure C). It is represented by moving the command rank to the centre, the pike to the front and drawing the musketeers with their backs to the centre facing outwards under the shelter of the pikes.

M M M

M M M M M

P P E M M

P P D M M

P P O M M

P P E M M

M M M M M

M M M

Figure C

Williamite Warfare
A Proto-linear system

Horse
No great detail is required for the cavalry formations of the Dutch in this period and both Dragoons (when mounted) and Horse arrayed themselves similarly. The two table-top formations will be the single squadron or demi-squadron in either line or column.

Squadron

Line

Column

Demi-Squadron

Line

Column

Battle Order
The Dutch army of this period followed the universally applied battle array which was to remain a constant throughout the Williamite period the cross or chequer formation. The army would deploy infantry two or even three lines with spacing between each battalion in line equivalent to a battalion frontage, the next line offsetting its battalions to cover the gaps and so forth. Cavalry were to the flanks and rear ready to charge and fight through the gaps. 3