The British Army's Strengths and Weaknesses

Question 1

What event had tarnished the British Army’s image and morale?

Answer 1

The American War of Independence

Question 2

What was the size of the British Army in 1793 and why?

Answer 2

• 40,000
• Conscription was disallowed and looked down upon

Question 3

What was a ‘bounty’ and why did this help with recruiting people?

Answer 3

• A signing on bonus of £40 to enhance the prospects of joining the army, otherwise it was literally just drink, shelter and loot
• Most of this was spent on military kit and drinks for the recruiting party

Question 4

Why was life as an army wife not the greatest?

Answer 4

• Families were kept in communal Barack rooms with only a blanket hung up for privacy
• Very few women were allowed overseas with their husbands

Question 5

Between 1793 and 1815 how many deaths did the British Army incur?

Answer 5

16,000 - 24,000 casualties every year

Question 6

Were drills important in the Army?

Answer 6

• Army life was dominated by drills
• They did repetitious practice until their actions were conditioned reflexes

Question 7

What did the Duke of Wellington say about the army?

Answer 7

“Composed of the scum of the earth”
- Many members were poor, low level criminals and some enlisted to drink

Question 8

How was discipline instilled in the army?

Answer 8

• Flogging was the punishment where sentenced varied from 25-120 strokes, up to 700 lashes was common
• Prisoner was tied to a frame and flogged with a cat o nine tails

Question 9

What did Sir John Moore think about Flogging?

Answer 9

Believed soldiers treated with dignity and respect would be more motivated than those whipped into obedience

Question 10

What was the role of Britains militia?

Answer 10

• Home defence operations (policing)
• Made up 1/5 of British land forces

Question 11

What was a trick used to get recruits?

Answer 11

Get a man drunk, slip a shilling in their pocket and swear that they enlisted

Question 12

Why did 74,000 men between 1807 and 1812 transfer from the Militia to regular units of the army?

Answer 12

• They got a better bounty by transferring
• French invasion scare had worn off by that time
• Many soldiers were motivated by patriotism and the prospect of adventure

Question 13

What was the KGL?

Answer 13

• Kings German Legion, these were Hanoverian troops who fought on the side of Britain
• After Napoleon occupied Hanover in 1803 many of them joined the KGL
• 1/5 of the entire force by 1813

Question 14

Why were few troops available for offensive action?

Answer 14

• Most were used in maintaining day to day law and order
• Others were defending Britain’s overseas possessions

Question 15

Explain the difference between a battalion, company, brigade and division.

Answer 15

• Battalion (900-2,000) was commanded by a Lt Colonel with two majors
• Each Company (80-100) was led by captain with two Lt’s or ensigns
• 2,3 or 4 Battalions made a Brigade commanded by a colonel or major general
• Two or more Brigades formed a division commanded by a general

Question 16

What was the ‘purchase system’?

Answer 16

• A scheme where rich fathers could buy their sons an ensigns commissions
• The sons bought successive promotions as vacancies appeared of more senior officers roles

Question 17

Why was the purchase system not as unfair as it might have seemed to be?

Answer 17

• A vacancy was first offered to the most senior officer in line before anyone else
• Candidates for commissions in Royal Artillery or Royal Engineers were made to attend eh Royal Military Academy in Woolwich for a two year course
• Duke of York instated that officers had to serve 2 years before they could purchase a captaincy and six years before a major

Question 18

What was the effect of the Napoleonic Wars on the Officer Class?

Answer 18

• Only 10,000 officers in 1814
• The army opened its doors to the broader swathe of society rather than the elites
• By 1815 most officers came from professional classes

Question 19

What was the Board of Ordnance?

Answer 19

• The board that administered artillery

Question 20

What was the artillery divided into and what were they?

Answer 20

• Divided into horse and foot artillery
• Horse crews rode along along the guns rather than marched and were more mobile
• Each gun was pulled by 8 horses

Question 21

What was the problem with thorough training in the artillery branch?

Answer 21

• Britain had the industrial resources to produce artillery
• Lack of trained gunners limited the number of guns which could be employed in the field

Question 22

What were the guns in a British batteries?

Answer 22

• 5 Cannons and 1 Howitzer
• Cannons had a flat trajectory and were usually 4-6 pounders
• Howitzers were used to lob projectiles on top of the enemy

Question 23

What are different types of projectiles?

Answer 23

• A round shot, solid iron ball capable of knocking down files of men
• Canister, small cast iron balls with a metal can which disintegrated on discharge, range was 274m
• New Shrapnel Shell effective at 640m, a metal ball filled with musket balls which exploded in front of its target
• Congreaves rockets, range of 2470m but hardly used as very inaccurate

Question 24

What did the shortage of have artillery mean for the army?

Answer 24

• Shortage of heavy guns which could take down walls and fortresses made it hd to undertake sieges

Question 25

What was the Royal Waggon Train and what was it replaced by?

Answer 25

• Responsible for the movement of supplies
• Neglected by the Gov. and in Spain and Portugal Wellington hired local mules and wagons

Question 26

What was the difference between Heavy and Light Cavalry?

Answer 26

• Heavy was large men mounted on big horses with straight swords used for shock actions
• Light cavalry had smaller mounts with a sabre and were used for screening, reconnaissance, escort and pursuit
• Wellington was unimpressed with the Cavalry and they were regarded as fox hunting

Question 27

What as a Brown Bess and what were the problems with it?

Answer 27

• A flintlock musket
• It was inaccurate, produced smoke giving away position and was slow to fire

Question 28

What formation did the Brits prefer, line or column?

Answer 28

• Stood in a line shoulder to shoulder
• Drummers and Bandsmen stood behind the line to act as stretcher bearers

Question 29

The French used a column formation, why was was this not ideal?

Answer 29

• 170 wide and 24 ranks deep
• Only the first two ranks could fire, 340 men out of 3000 could fire whereas all the British could fire

Question 30

When was the Square formation used, and when was it less used?

Answer 30

• Each side was 4-6 ranks deep and this was useful when attacked by Cavalry, on one knee and pointing bayonet to kill horses
• A square was vulnerable to enemy artillery and infantry attack

Question 31

What was the 95th Regiment?

Answer 31

• An Experimental Rifle Corps of the Light infantry

Question 32

What were key features of the 95th Regiment:

Answer 32

To match its opponents,
- Wore dark green to camouflage
- Had a baker rifle
- Trained in sharp shooting, riflemen were in the front line skirmishing with tirailleurs and enemy officers

Question 33

What was gangrene and dysentery, how did this affect the British?

Answer 33

• A lack of blood to body parts which causes body tissue to decay (gangrene)
• Infection of the bowel which can cause dehydration (occurs when there is poor sanitation)
• Due to amputation being standard practice, one in 9 operations ended in the death

Question 34

How many men were lost to disease during the Peninsular Wars?

Answer 34

24,930

Question 35

Did the British and French have civilised warfare between them?

Answer 35

• Spanish guerrillas and Portuguese partisans were often cruel to the Frenhc
• The British and French treated each other POW’s humanely and tried to free them in a system of exchange

Question 36

What reforms did the Duke of York introduce in the military?

Answer 36

• Stomped out the worst excess of the purchase system
• Established a military college and school for cadets
• Standardised tactical drill and manoeuvres
• Created light infantry regiments