The Battle of Fontenoy, 11 May 1745, was a major engagement of the War of the Austrian Succession, fought between the forces of the Pragmatic Army – comprising mainly Dutch, British, and Hanoverian troops, as well a relatively small contingent of Austrians under the command of the Duke of Cumberland – and a French army under the titular command of King Louis XV of France, with actual field command held by Maurice de Saxe, commander of Louis XV's forces in the Low Countries.
When the two armies met on the field they were approximately equal in numbers.Browning: Austrian Succession, p. 212 Although there is not complete agreement among historians on the exact numbers, there is general agreement that there were about 50,000 men on each side with the French having more cavalry and the allies having more infantry. Some historians put the French as more numerous while others make the allies more numerous.Browning: Austrian Succession, 212, 392 Browning states both Colin and Chandler give the allies the larger force. Strengths differ depending on source. Weigley puts Allies strength at 46,000 and the French at 50,000 in a somewhat brief and garbled account without any attribution, p. 204, So too, Black p. 66. Townshend, Sir Charles Vere Ferrers. The military life of Field-Marshal George first marquess Townshend, London, 1901, pp. 51–52, gives the British as 21,000. Other sources put the figure of around 52,000–53,000. Duncan, Francis. History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery, London, 1879, Vol. 1, p. 127, "The strength of the allies did not exceed 53,000".
Complete agreement on the order of battle, sizes of the armies, precise returns on casualties is not possible as official returns are few and made by different countries with differing criteria and not all are made at the same time so that variations and disagreements will occur even in those returns of the same army. For example, Skrine points out his book in Fontenoy and Great Britain's share in the war of the Austrian Succession that most of the British troops that were listed as missing, in initial returns, turned out to have been killed or wounded.Skrine, p. 190. There are detailed, contemporary, official returns in various forms available for most troops in both armies except for the French cavalry for which there are some lists of officer casualties but the returns for the rank and file were apparently not made and the estimate generally accepted for their losses is the one made by Voltaire shortly after the battle. Wherever possible, names of units and numbers of casualties are given without any attempt to reconcile or synthesize the various sources.
Order of Battle for the Army of Louis XV of France at Fontenoy 1745
Historians give various estimates for the French army. With a general lack of primary source information just before the battle on the exact number of soldiers involved, the estimates rely on a better understanding of the numbers of battalions and squadrons present at the battle and multiply the total of battalions and squadrons by an average for each. Skrine arrives at his estimate by multiplying the number of battalions by 690 soldiers and the number of squadrons by 160 troopers. This approach can be flawed. Lucien Moulliard in The French Army of Louis XVMoulliard, Lucien. The French Army of Louis XV in the War of the Austrian Succession and the Seven Years War, Translated by Dr. George Nafziger, USA, 2004, , pp. 44, 68, 74. states that the regulation strength, or paper strength, of a battalion is 685 men and that of a squadron is 150 to 160. Actual field strengthField strength is the number of men present and under arms and any point in time in the field, such as a battle. is lower than regulation strength due to various forms of attrition such as illness, straggling, desertion death, wounds or capture in battle prior to the battle in question.
French Army UnitCommanderComplementKilledWoundedMissingTotal lossesArmy of FranceMarshal Maurice de Saxe52,000 ~ 47,000 engagedTownshend, p. 178, 5,000 detailed far to the rear at bridges.32,000 Infantry in 55 battalionsBoyle P. The Irish Brigade at Fontenoy from The Irish Ecclesiastical Record, Vol. XVII, 1905, Dublin, p. 429.14,000 Cavalry in 101 squadrons7,000Townshend, p. 189.-7,5005,161 InfantrySkrine, p. 188, cites Pajol and also Voltaire who gives 7,137; 5,337 infantry, 1,800 cavalry. Pajol, p. 386, Les Guerres, gives 5,161; Colin, Pièces Justificatives pp. 380–401, shows this as the official return for the infantry only - there does not appear to be return for the cavalry, other than the officers, an additional 31 killed and 142 wounded. Broglie gives 53 officers and 1,681 soldiers killed and 3282 wounded, including 323 seriously wounded, and estimates 1,800 cavalry casualties.2,300 CavalryColin, Fontenoy.V. 3, p. 149.Left of first French Infantry LineGeneral LutteauxRgt. Royal Corse1 battalionRgt. AngoumoisColonel Noël Jourda de Vaux1 battalion1 off.Brigade Normandie Comte de BerengerRgt. Normandie4 battalions4 off. 57 men19 off. 152 menGrassins in Bari Wood2 battalions98 men11 off. 132 menBrigade d'EuMarquis de Chambonas4 battalionsRgt. d'Eu in 2 redoubts1 battalion 4 gunseach redoubt1 man29 menIrish BrigadeMilord Thomond & Comte de Rooth6 battalions13 off. 261 menBoyle P. The Irish Brigade at Fontenoy from The Irish Ecclesiastical Record, Vol. XVII, 1905, Dublin, p. 442, infantry totals less Fitz James' cavalry.58 off. 324 menRgt. DillonColonel James Dillon1 battalion3 off. 51 men11 off. 70 menRgt. Bulkeley1 battalion20 men4 off. 34 menRgt. Clare1 battalion4 off. 56 men14 off. 72 menRgt. Rooth1 battalion2 off. 47 men8 off. 46 menRgt. Berwick1 battalion1 off. 52 men11 off.60 menRgt. Lally Colonel Thomas Arthur, comte de Lally1 battalion3 off. 35 men11 off. 42 menCenter of first French Infantry LineGeneral ChabannesLes Gardes Brigade Duc de Grammont6 battalionsGardes Françaises4 battalions2 off. 96 men17 off. 296 menGardes Suisses2 battalions1 off. 66 men10 off. 149 menBrigade AubeterreRgt. Aubeterre1 battalion129 men22 off. 177 menRgt. Courten3 battalions6 off. 75 menBroglie, p. 15. Gives 6 off, 75 soldiers killed; 14 off. 200 soldiers wounded. Some sources show killed & wounded numbers reversed. 14 off. 206 menCenter of first French Line in FontenoyBrigade DauphinGeneral VauguyonRgt. Dauphin3 battalions4 off. 45 men3 off. 60 menRgt. Beauvoisis1 battalion15 men5 off. 30 menRight of first French Infantry LineGeneral MontagneBrigade Royal Vaisseaux Comte de Guerchy4 battalionsRgt, Royal Vaisseaux3 battalions 3 off. 146 men29 off. 291 menRgt. Languedoc1 battalionoff. menoff. menBrigade du RoiDuc de BironRgt. du Roi4 battalions4 off. 79 men33 off. 299 menBrigade RoyalRgt. Royal4 battalions6 off. 136 men32 off. 509 menBrigade La CouronneMarquis de Croissy4 battalionsRgt. La CouronneDuc d'Havre3 battalions2 off.41 men35 off. 218 menRgt. Soissonais1 battalion2 off. 30 men16 off. 101 menBrigade Bettens4 battalionsRgt. Bettens3 battalions1 off. 50 men5 off. 50 menRgt. Hainault1 battalion1 off. 120 men18 off. 135 menRgt. Diesbach1 battalion2 off. 48 men2 off. 28 menRgt. Royal Artillerie1 battalion2 off. 18 men5 off. 36 menRgt. Auvergne1 battalionoff. menoff. menRgt.Tresneloff. menoff. menoff. menoff. menoff. menoff. menoff. menoff. menoff. menoff. menRgt.Touraine3 battalionsoff. menoff. menRgt. Nivernois1 battalionoff. menoff. menBrigade CrillonColonel Louis des Balbes de Berton de Crillon, 1st Duke of Mahón4 battalionsRgt. Crillon3 battalions20 men1 off. 101 menRgt. LavalRight of first French Line in AntoingBrigade Piedmont5 battalionsRgt. Piedmont4 battalionsRgt.Royal la Marine1 battalionoff. menoff. menRgt.Biron1 battalionoff. menoff. menFrench Horse31 off.Colin, pp. 399–405142 off. 330 menColin, p. 425, gives 330 wounded troopers in hospital at Lille.1,800 - 2,300Voltaire gives 1800 estimate as does Broglie. Colin gives 2,300, p. 149.Left of first French Cavalry LineCarabiniers10 squadrons60 off.Colin, Revue d'histoire rédigée à l'État-major de l'Armée, section historique, 1905/01 (A7, VOL17, N49)-1905/03 (A7, VOL17, N51), letter to the count of Langeron, p. 497. This statement is possibly the source for the estimate of the cavalry losses of 1,800. Broglie, La Journee de Fontenoy, p. 20. gives 6 off. killed 21 wounded. Skrine, p. 177, likely follows Broglie. 130 men22 off. men ?Maison du Roi9 squadrons4 off.Gailly, Fontenoy men24 off. menGendarmerie4 squadrons1 off. men2 off. menRoyal Rousillon4 squadrons1 off. men7 off. menRoyal Cravattes4 squadrons1 off. men6 off. menFiennes4 squadrons2 off. men13 off. menPenthièvre4 squadronsoff. men22 off. menNoailles4 squadrons3 off. men8 off. menBerryMestre de Camp Marc René, Marquis de Voyer de Paulmy d'Argenson4 squadrons1 off. men8 off. menColonel-Général4 squadrons1 off. men6 off. menBrancas4 squadrons1 off. men2 off. menMestre de Camps4 squadrons1 off. menoff. mend'Orleans4 squadronsoff. menoff. mende Pons4 squadronsoff. men7 off. menPrince Camille4 squadrons1 off. men4 off. menDragons du Roi4 squadronsoff. menoff. menCuirassiers du Roi4 squadronsoff. menoff. menCavalrie du Roi4 squadronsoff. menoff. menClermont-Prince4 squadrons1 off. men3 off. menClermont-Tonnerre4 squadronsoff. menoff. menEgmontoff. menoff. menFitz-James4 squadrons11 off.or woundedThe Irish Ecclesiastical Record, Vol. XVII, 1905, Dublin, p. 442. O'Callaghan, p. 365, gives 24 killed or wounded.7 off. menBrienne2 off. men2 off. menChabrillant4 squadrons1 off. menoff. menRoyal Étranger4 squadronsoff. men1 off. menTalleyrand4 squadronsoff. menoff. menoff. menoff. menFrench Artillery 90-110 guns, sources vary.Pichat, Le Campagne du Maréchal de Saxe, Paris, 1909, p. 331, shows an official return for Saxe's army with 100 cannon 8 × 12-pounder, 6 × 8-pounder, 86 × 4-pounder.M. du Brocard3 battalionsCasualties from Colin, V.3, Pièces Justificatives, pp. 397–398 and includes Brocard.8 × 12-pounders 6 × 8-pounder 36 × 4-pounder 50 × 4-pounder SuédoiseSources vary for the French from 90 to 110 guns, all show 75–80 × 4-pounder battalion guns in the total.4 off. 34 men10 off. 73 menFontenay1 battalion1 off. 13 men4 off. 29 menPumbeque1 battalion1 off.Richecourt1 battalion2 off. 21 men5 off. 43 men
Order of Battle for the Army of the Pragmatic Allies of Britain, Hanover, the Dutch Republic and Austria at Fontenoy 1745
The British army foot and cavalry regiments had a peacetime establishment, a wartime establishment, an effective strength and a field strength. Peacetime establishment was a much reduced strength that was increased during the war by Parliament. However, the wartime establishment was frequently unmet as there was always some variable number of purposely unfilled rank and file to provide the regiment with some flexible funding. The effective strength, therefore, was actual number of rank and file that was initially sent on campaign. The effective strength would immediately begin to vary as the campaign progressed due to sickness, wounds or death in battle, desertion, new reinforcement drafts, etc. and the resultant strengths at any given time are the field strengths. British foot regiments generally consisted of a single battalion made up of a variable number of companies, usually 9 or 10. Some foot regiments, such as the Guards, had more than one battalion but the battalions of a regiment rarely served together in the field. Cavalry regiments consisted of 1 to 4 squadrons.