Nec Pluribus Impar

"Nec Pluribus Impar" was a great web-magazine focusing on the military history of 1650-1750s. It was lead by Jean-Louis Vial in 1998-2006s. Materials for the magazine were supplied by well-known experts like Partice Menguy, Jean Cerino Badone, Gian Carlo Boeri, Roberto Vela & many others. The magazine's archive is available here: (link). It contains a great stuff of the various materials on military matters.

В 1998-2006 г. был такой веб-журнал "Nec Pluribus Impar", который вел Жан-Луи Виаль. Затем по личным причинам владелец из-за недостатка времени временно приостановил работу над проектом, но так его и не запустил по-новой. А жаль... Журнал был очень хороший со множеством оригинальных и качественных материалов от признанных экспертов в своих темах. Архив журнала доступен здесь: (ссылка)  

Siege of Bethune, July 15 - August 29, 1710

Siege of Bethune, 1710
Engraving by unknown author
(British Museum, link)

French garrison of Bethune was under Governor Lieutenant General Antoine Le Prestre de Vauban, Comte de Puy-Vauban. He was the nephew of the "Great Vauban". Under his command also served Marechal de camp Michael Roth, Brigadiers de Mony, du Thil & de Saint-Sernin. The garrison was about 4,000 men:

Source: Pelet & Vault. Mémoires militaires relatifs à la succession d'Espagne sous Louis XIV. T. 10. P. 295.
Allied forces under General-Lieutenants Johann Matthias Graf von der Schulenburg (of Saxon service, commanded Imperial troops) & François Nicolas Baron Fagel (of Dutch service, commanded British-Dutch troops) totaled about 30-32,000 men:

Army of Munster in 1713 (detailed account)

Francis Arnold von Wolff-Metternich
Prince-Bishop of Munster 1706-1718

Army of Bishopric of Munster in 1713 composed of 23 coys, totaled about 1.500 men:
- Foot regiment GM Georg Livin von Nagel (8 coys)
- Foot regiment Obrist August Graf zur Lippe (5 coys)
- Foot regiment Obrist Daniel Janson (6 coys)
- Frei-kompagnie Kapitan Moritz von Donop (54 men)
- Frei-kompagnie Kapitan Johan Mathias Kuclelsheim (54 men)
- mounted squadron under Major Wilhem Greving (2 coys, 124 men)
See details below
Source: Beiträge zur westfälischen Familienforschung. Band 2. 1939.

French army under Marechal de Villar at the siege of Freiburg, 1713

Attaques de la ville et des forts de Fribourg en Brisgau commencés la nuit du 30e. 7bre [30th September] jusqu'au 16e. 9bre [16th November] 1713
(Click to a large copy: link)

French siege army under Marechal de Villar composed of 87 batts & 89 sqns:

Imperial garrison of Landau, June-August of 1713

Landau siege "coins" of 2, 1 & 1/2 of Florin issued by Prinz Carl Alexander of Wurtemberg in 1713
(Sources: 2 Florins, 1 Florin, 1/2 of Florin )

Imperial garrison of Landau under Governor FZM Prinz Carl Alexander of Wurtemberg totaled 6700 men at the outbreak of the siege (see details about French siege army: link). It composed of 11 batts of infantry & some detached troops (see details below). At the end of the siege the garrison numbered 5876 men on 22 August, 1713 (Feldzuge des Prinzen Eugen... B. 15, S. 203), the losses were about 13 officer & 920 of other ranks killed.
During the siege Prinz Wurtemberg met with a lack of money to pay salary to his garrison. So, he issued so-called Ersatz-money - a special silver stamps of 2, 1 & 1/2 of Florin (1 Florin = 4 Kreuzer).

French army under Marechal de Bezons at the siege of Landau, 1713

Attaque de Landau commencé la nuit de 24 au 25 juin et compris le 19 Aout 1713 quil a capitulé
(Link to a large copy: link)

Landau was besieged on 25 June of 1713 by a French army under Marechal Jacques Bazin de Bezons (see wiki on him: link). The operations were covered by an Observation army under Marechal de Villar. The garrison agreed to capitulate on 19 August of 1713 (see details on it here: link). I found two French BO's for the Landau siege, one from Quincy & the other from Feldzuge des Prinzen Eugen. They slightly differ from each other. According to the Feldzuge des Prinzen Eugen von Savoyen (Band 15, S. 516) Bezons had 63 batts & 73 sqns:

La bataille de Denain 1712 par Jean-Louis Legens

Very good article "La bataille de Denain... il y a 300 ans" par Jean-Louis Legens from "Gazette des Armes" Issue 446, Oct. 2012 (link). It's well-illustrated with photos of various arms.

Reich troops under Markgrafen Ludwig von Baden on Danube, Mid. of Aug 1703

Reich troops on Danube under command of General-Lieutenant Markgrafen Ludwig von Baden were of 56 batts & 107 sqns (ab. 50,000) in the mid. of August 1703:

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Source: Feldzuge des Prinzen Eugen von Savoyen. B. 5. S. 725.
They were divided into two Corps. One under von Baden himself & FM Markgraf zu Baireuth was of 23 batts & 53 sqns:

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Hans Herrmann Wostromirsky von Rockittnigk

I wrote a lot about Russian Auxiliary Corps on Polish-Saxon service in 1704-06. Now it's time for some words about it's commander who led it at Fraustadt.
Hans Herrmann Wostromimirski von Rockittnigk was born on 14 August 1647.
1664 - entered military service as a soldier in Mollison Foot (Luneburg)
1667 - soldier in Herzog Bernhard von Holstein Foot (Spain) in Flanders
1670 - Gefreiter in Torsay Foot (Holland), 1671 - Ensign in the same regiment, 1672 - Leutnant, 1673 - Kapitanleutnant, 1677 - Kapitan
1677 - entered Saxon service in a rank of Kapitan
1680 - Kapitan in Leibregiment zu Fuss
1690 - Oberstwachmeister in Reuss zu Fuss
1692 -Major in a new-raised Leibgarde zu Fuss
1694 - Oberstleutnant in Dohna zu Fuss
1697 - Oberstleutnant in Robel zu Fuss

Coastal defence around Toulon (Siege of Toulon, Part V)

Plan de la ville de Toulon et ses rades ou sont marquées les batteries des Canons et mortiers avec les Retranchemens fait sur la hauteur Ste. Anne et sur les Plages 
Engraving by Charles Inselin, Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal
(CLICK TO A 9,8 MB FILE IN A HIGH RESOLUTION, link)

Toulon's fortifications I described in a previous post (link). Toulon harbor was protected by a system of coastal batteries & forts armed with around 200 cannons & 30 mortars. Inselin mentioned only armament of coastal batteries in his list (see it at the left side of the map). Fort St. Marguerite was additionally armed with 17 cannons, Fort St.Luois - 4 12-pdr cannons. During the 1707 campaign Allies took & raised all fortifications between St. Marguerite & La Mitre. Fort on St. Marguerite island capitulated on 10 of August, St. Louis Fort fell on 18 of August after severe bombardment.  
Pay attention, that the most of beaches around Toulon were entrenched & protected with batteries to prevent landing of an enemy parties.  

Toulon fortifications in 1707 (Siege of Toulon 1707, part IV)

Toulon fortifications in 1707
from Kloot's drawing
(CLICK TO ENLARGE)

Toulon in 1707 was a well-fortified town with a modern earth wall with 7 bastions. They were well-armed with cannons from disarmed ships of Toulon squadron (link). There were two gates, one (St. Lazare) between Minims & St. Bernard bastions, & the other (New) between Royal & Arsenal bastions.   

Toulon fortifications (see at the left):

A - Mimins bastion

B - St. Bernard bastion

C - St. Ursule bastion 

D - De la Fonderie (Foundry) bastion

E - Royal bastion

F - Arsenal bastion

G - Du Marais a Gauche

H - batteries at New Dock

I - batteries at Old Dock

J - Ponche-Rimade bastion

K - earth redoubt at Minims bastion

L - entrenched field camp

Toulon bastion's armament in 1707 (from east to west):

Bastion	On bastion	On curtain	Mortars	Bullets	Bombs
Minims	22 24-pdr	9 24-pdr	2 16-inches	3100	400

Прогулка по Лазурному берегу: кампания в Провансе и осада Тулона союзниками в 1707 г.

Несколько лет назад я подготовил статью о кампании 1707 г. и осаде Тулона союзниками. Первая часть этого материала была опубликована в журнале «Воин»: Великанов В.С. Прогулка по Лазурному берегу: кампания в Провансе и осада Тулона союзниками в 1707 г. (Ч. 1) // Военно-исторический журнал «Воин». 2011. № 14. С. 30-34. К сожалению, издание журнала прекратилось именно на этом номере, и по соглашению с издателем «Воина» я решил выложить здесь у себя в блоге полною версию.

Port de Toulon, 1707
by Nicolas Guerard
(Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal, link)

Данная статья посвящена одному из эпизодов войны за Испанское наследство 1700-13 годов – летней кампании союзников на Лазурном берегу и осаде Тулона в 1707 году. После поражения под Турином в 1706 французы эвакуировали свои войска из Северной Италии, оставив лишь гарнизоны в занятых ранее Ницце и Сузе. Перед началом 1707 у союзников было два варианта развития наступления на этом фронте: на Тулон и в Савойю (Савойское герцогство являлось частью Пьемонта, и было утрачено в ходе кампаний 1702-3 годов). На последнем варианте настаивал савойский герцог Виктор Амадей. Великобритания и Голландия предлагали наступление вдоль побережья Лигурийского моря для занятия Тулона, главной французской военно-морской базы в Средиземноморье. Взятие этого города позволяло решить сразу несколько задач: уничтожить материальную базу французского флота, обеспечить господство союзной эскадры в Средиземном и Лигурийском морях, обеспечить поддержку сухопутным операциям в Испании. Учитывая зависимость Пьемонта от британских и голландских субсидий, союзниками в итоге был выбран второй вариант. Определенную роль также сыграла имевшаяся у союзников информация о слабости укреплений Тулона.

Bavarian cuirassier regiments 1701-1704

Gemeine of Arco Cuirassiers, 1702
by Anton Hoffman

At the outbreak of the War of Spanish Succession Bavaria had 3 cuirassier regiments: General de Cavalerie Johan Baptist Graf von Arco, GFML Graf von Thurn & Taxis (La Tour) & GWM Karl Johan Lothar von Wieckel von Wackerstein. Each regiment was of 12 companies in 6 squadrons. A company was of 75 men: 1 Rittmeister, 1 Oberleutnant, 1 Unterleutnant, 1 Kornett, 1 Wachtmeister, 1 Fourier, 3 Korporal, 1 Trompeter (Leibcompagnie +1), 1 Feldscherer, 1 Fahnensattler, 1 Fahnenschmied, 62 Gemeine. In April of 1701 cuirassier regiments were below authorized strength: Arco – 276, Wieckel – 275 & La Tour - 268. But by the opening of the hostilities in 1702 they reached the full staff. La Tour Cuirassier twice changed inhabers in 1702-03. First in 1702 it became obrist Gabriel Ferdinand Graf von Verita, then on 15 September 1703 – obrist Bartholomaus Graf von Costa.

The fourth cuirassier regiment was raised on 15 May 1702. Its inhaber became obrist Beit Heinrich Morits Graf von Wolframsdorff. Existing cuirassier & dragoon companies were reduced on 8 & 12 men respectively to create the new regiment, so now Bavarian cuirassier regiments became of 780 men.

Composition of the Bavarian cuirassier regiments on 1 January 1703 (list of companies):

French & Allied troops in the battle of Speyerbach, 25 November 1703

Plan de la bataille de Spire Gagnée par l'armée du Roy comandée par M. le Marechal de Tallard.
by Nicolas de Fer
(see the image in higher resolution at Gallica: link)

The battle of Speyerbach or La bataille de Spire took place on 15/25 of November 1703. Allied troops under Prince Frederik of Hessen-Cassel (later the king of Sweden) planned to relief the siege of Landau, & they took positions near Speyer waiting for reinforcements. But on 15/25 Allies were attacked & defeated by outnumbered French forces under Marshal de Tallard. See detailed description here (link).
Allied BO under Prince Frederik of Hessen-Cassel :

French BO under Tallard:

Duke Ormonde's troops at Cadis & Vigo, July-October 1702

Rook's squadrons sailed from England in July of 1702 with a landing troops under James Butler, Duke of Ormonde. They composed of  9 663 British & 3924 Dutch troopers. They participated in the battles of Cadiz & Vigo Bay.

Siege of Landau, 12 Sept - 25 Nov 1704

Imperial troops invested Landau on 9 Sept 1704. French garrison under General-Lieutenant Yrieix Masgonthier de Laubanie composed of 12 battalions of infantry, 3 coys of Artillery, 2 Frei-coys & 2 sqns of cavalry -  totaled ab. 5,000.
List of new destinations of the Landau garrison troops after its capitulation.

Source:  Marcin, Ferdinand de. Campagne de M. le Marechal de Marsin en Allemagne. B. 2. S. 265.
The siege started on 12 Sept, when the main forces under Louis von Baden came. He had 52 battalions & 48 squadrons.

French Bleinheim's remnats from Tallard's army, 10 Sept 1704

Villier wrote to Chamillart on 10 Sept 1704 from Octfeld that only the following troops of cavalry escaped after Bleinheim from the Tallard's army of Germany

Franco-Bavarian army at Augsburg, 22 July 1704

Soon after D'Arco's defeat at Donauworth allied Franco-Bavarian army under Kurfurst Maximilian & Marshal Ferdinand de Marsin took strong positions at Augsburg. Their combined forces were of 45 battalions & 35 squadrons.

Siege of Kaiserwerth, 15 April - 18 June 1702

Allied Dutch & Prussian troops under Dutch Field-Marshal Walrad of Nassau-Saarbrucken approached to Kaiserwerth on 15 of April before the official opening of the hostilities between France & Holland. They opened siege works on 18 of April. French garrison under marquis de Blainville was of 6 battalions according to Pelet. French BO in the "Feldzuge des Prinzen Eugen Savoyen" (B. 4, S. 735) presents the following troops: Royal (3), La Chatre (1), Artois (1), Agenois (1). At the same there are 11 battalions on the page 526 of the same work. 

Plan der Belagerung von Kaiserswerth
durch die Alliierten, 1702 by A.F. Pauli
The plan presents Allied troops after 11 of June
(Hessichen Staatsarchiv Marburg, link)

"Feldzuge des Prinzen Eugen Savoyen" mentions that Nassau-Saarbrucken had 12 foot & 7 cavalry Dutch regiments & 10 foot & 6 cavalry Prussian regiments at the start of the siege. According to my data he had only 6 Dutch regiments: De Mattha Dragoons (4 sqns), van Erbach (2), Wiser (2), Cralingen (2), graf van Nysle (2), Nassau-Weilburg (2). De Mattha Dragoons were of 4 squadrons & were divided into two parts in BO, that's why they were counted twice. Dutch infantry (12 regiments of a single battalion): Rantzau, Weyne, Capol (Swiss), Morall, Waldau, Strathnaver van Sutherland (Scottish), Colyear van Portmore (Scottish), Lochman (Swiss), Wilcke, Carls, Nassau-Weilburg, Dedem.
According to Jany's "Geschichte..." Prussian troops were under General von Heiden command. "Feldzuge..." mentions Prinz Leopold von Anhalt-Dessau.
Prussian infantry (10 regiments, 12 battalions): Prinz Philipp (2), Prinz Albrecht (1), Prinz Christian Ludwig (2), Lottum (1), Anhalt-Dessau (1), Anhalt-Zerbst (1), Varenne (1), Schlabern dorff (1), Endow (1), Canitz (1)

Siege of Hagenau, 28 Sept - 5 Oct 1705.

Siege of Hagenau, 28 Sept - 5 Oct 1705
by Schenck

French garrison under marquis de Pery was about 1,500-2,000 men. According to a list of officers there were the following infantry regiments in Hagenau during the siege: Chaux-Montauban, Chalmazel, Rose & Sorbeck Swiss (a battalion?). Source: Pelet & Vault's Memories militaires... T. 5. S. 801-806.
The fortress was besieged by Imperial troops under FM v. Thungen on 28 September 1705. They contained of 21 battalions (10 Prussian, 5 Saxon, 6 Wurtemberg) & 17 squadrons (nationality is unknown). French garrison easily agreed to capitulate on 5 October on a term of free passage to Strasbourg. Allies entered Hagenau on 6 Oct (that's why in some sources the siege ended on 6 Oct 1705)

Prussian contingent under GL Georg Abraham v. Arnim was of 10 battalions & unknown number of cavalry. Battalions: Grenadier-Garde (1), Fusilier-Garde (1), Kronprinz (3), Holstein (1), Lottum (1), Alt-Dohna (1), Jung-Dohna (1), Donhoff (1).
Source: Jany's Geschichte der Preusischen Armee. B. 1. S. 484, 487.

Saxon contingent under GL August Kristoffer v. Wackerbarth was of 20 coys from 3 infantry regiments (total about 3,000):
- 8 coys of Seiferitz Defension-regiment (land-miliz)