French mass skirmisher tactics during the Revolutionary Wars

by Geert van Uythoven

What the French generals favoured most during the Revolutionary Wars was the tactic to engage the enemy frontline with thousands of skirmishers, operating 'en debandade', replaced after a while for new swarms. These were closely supported with artillery that was deployed in front of the enemy, as close as possible, not counting its losses. In this way the Allied units in their first line, especially their light infantry which was not easy to replace, suffered heavily. The French generals were able to do this because of first: the enormous amount of men available to them, enabling them to replace the frontline troops several times during their fight against the weakly held, seventy hours long cordon of posts; secondly, the basic of the system of terror utilised by them, not to spare their soldiers, while every loss was immediately replaced, and they had not to account for those losses: only the results would count. An example for this tactic is the combat which took place on 16 July 1794 at the canalized river Neete, were near Waehlem village the French attacked the Anglo-Allied cordon. The Allied first line was positioned behind the cover of a dike along the river:

Source: H.P.R. von Porbeck, "Kritische Geschichte der Operationen welche die Englisch-combinirte Armee zur Vertheidigung von Holland in den Jahren 1794 und 1795 ausgeführt hat" Theil 1 (Braunschweig 1802) pp. 143-144:

"(…) Five times the enemy relieved their forward troops, and our side received a replenishment of cartridges several times. In addition, these also were relieved a few times, which was difficult because of the open space which had to be crossed before the dike was reached.
Around noon, the enemy deployed a number of cannon and mortars on the churchyard of Waehlem village and inside the Rosendael Abbey. On our side, beside both Austrian 12-pdr's and the regimental guns, an additional four 12-pdr's and a complete English battery of eight guns were deployed, after which beside the continuing musketry, a heavy cannonade started. It rained bullets, grenades, and stones, and the artillerymen and horses suffered heavily; already an Austrian gun and an ammunition caisson were demolished. But finally our artillery defeated the enemy artillery in such a way, that when evening fell it was completely silenced. The musketry however continued with all its fierceness during the whole night. Finally, the jäger and fusiliers had to be withdrawn to Lazarus-Capelle around 10 o'clock in the evening, because of lack of ammunition and necessary repairs to their rifles. Their place had to be taken by infantry-commands drawn from the reserve. (..) On the 17th, in the morning, the enemy continued its fire with the same fierceness."

© Geert van Uythoven