Grenzers - Border Infantry.
"The most enthusiastic troops" and the only ones
looking warlike in the entire Austrian infantry. Napoleon Bonaparte
"Far from being passive conscript hordes, the Grenzer had a lively sense of their dignity and what was due to them, and in this respect they may be compared with the yeoman archers of late medieval England." (Duffy - "Instrument of War" Vol I, p 304)
Their uniforms and fierce demeanor gave them a brigandlike air that seemed to portend great deeds on the battlefield. The Grenzers came from military frontier between Austria and Turkey settled by Christian refugees. During peacetime the Grenzers spent 7 months of every year guarding the frontier. They were raised as militia but were considered by army officials as something between light and line infantry. The Grenzers were given training in marksmanship and skirmishing and basics of linear tactics. When attempts were made to train the Grenzer as line infantry they turned out to be not as good in this role as the regular regiments.
Organization
There were 17-18 Grenzer regiments each of two or three battalions. During wartime one battalion of every regiment was left to guard the border with Ottoman Empire. The other battalion or two joined the regular army and were part of advance guards.
Regiments:
1. Liccaner / Gospic
2. Otocaner / Otocac
3. Oguliner / Ogulin
4. Szluiner / Karlstadt
5. Warasdiner-Kreuzer / St. Belovar
6. Warasdiner-St.Georger / St. Belovar
7. Brooder / Vincovce
8. Gradiscaner / Neugradisca
9. Peterwardiner / Mitrovitz
10. First Banal / Glina
11. Second Banal / Petrina
12. Deutschbanater / Pancsova
13. Wallachian-Illyrian / Karansebes
14. First Szekler / Csik-Szereda
15. Second Szekler / Kezdy-Vararhely
16. First Wallachian / Orlath
17. Second Wallachian / Naszod
(In 1802 the soldiers of Grenz regiments from the regions around Glina and Petrina were mix of Orthodox and Catholics. The regiments from Lika and Petrovaradin were Orthodox, while the regiments from Varazdin, Slavonski Brod and Gradiska were made of Catholics.)
Quality of Grenzers
The Grenzers lacked weapons, uniforms, training and discipline. For these reasons the Austrian generals considered them as something well below the regular infantry. Despite the shortcomings however they performed quite well in combat (Malgaboreth, Eggmuhl, Wagram). When many Austrian regulars fled at Austerlitz the Grenzers fought hard and suffered 66 % casualties ! According to some experts, including Christopher Duffy, they were "the most enthusiastic troops" of the Austrian army. During retreat after Marengo (1800) when all order broke, two battalions of Grenzers (Warasdin-Kreuz and Ottocac) fended off all attacks and allowed the grenadier battalions to march to the Bormida. Together with the grenadiers they fought one of the last rearguard actions at Marengo.
The French had good opinion about the Grenzers and considered them as the only ones looking warlike in the entire Austrian army. Napoleon had no hesitation in using these wild men. After the defeat in 1809 Austria ceded some territories and the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 10th and 11th Grenzer Regiment went into French service. They served for Napoleon until 1814.
Below are two battles (of several) where the Grenzers deserved greater respect from the French:
Combat at Smarje (St. Marein-Slovenia) where the Grenzers defeated Italian Guard.
On 12th September 1813 Eugene took the Italian Guard, 2 battalions of Italian light infantry, 2 squadrons of Italian dragoons and horse battery and advanced on Smarje. The Austrians were under Oberst Milutinovich:
- 6 companies of Gradiscaner Grenzer
- 2 companies of St. Georger Grenzer
- 1/2 company of hussars and 2 3pdr light cannons
Eugene sent 1 battalion to turn Austrian left and 1 battalion against Austrian right flank. In the center after a short firefight the Austrian skirmishers (1/2 company of Grenzer sharpshooters) were pushed back by Italian skirmishers. Soon 1 battalion of the Italian Guard appeared on Austrian flank and Oberst Milutinovich detached 1 1/2 company to face them. The Grenzers delivered a volley and immediately attacked with cold steel. Although Milutinovich was wounded his Grenzers drove the guardsmen away !
(Nafziger/Gioannini - "The Defense of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Northern Italy, 1813-1814")
Combat at Austerlitz 1805 against French infantry defending Tellnitz and vineyards.
The village of Tellnitz was a very strong position, there were vineyards, a ditch, the garden walls and two rows of houses. It was defended by 3rd Line Regiment of GdD Legrand's division. The narrow space between the Goldbach stream and the Satchan Pond offered a very limited frontage to the Grenzers, the attackers. At 7 am, the fighting began. General Kienmayer sent forward the II/2nd Szekler Grenz Regiment (approx. 500 bayonets) under Mjr. Diveky "to sweep the French skirmsihers from the vineyards. The Grenzers marched over the hill with band playing. The French voltigeurs (3 companies) fired at them and fell back to the vineyards. The Grenzers continued their advance until the musket fire from the vineyards halted them. Vineyards were defended by the voltigeurs and several companies of fusiliers of 3rd Line. The musket fire was intense, and because the Grenzers were the attackers and in the open they suffered much heavier casualties than the French. The Grenzers fell back. Kienmayer ordered the I/2nd Szekler to support the II/2nd Szekler in a fresh effort. Three remaining Grenzer battalions were kept in reserve. Now the attackers penetrated nearly to the foot of the hill, at the open space between the vineyards and Tellnitz. The French veterans lining the ditch counterattacked and drove them back. The Grenzers rallied and attacked the third time. The French withdrew from the vineyards but made the Austrians pay dearly for their success. The two battalions of Grenzers swept through the vineyards and finally took the ditch. But the French held Tellnitz and its bridges over the Goldbach Stream. Kienmayer replaced the two battalions (they have suffered almost 50 % losses) with three fresh battalions of Grenzers.
At 8 am the three battalions attacked Tellnitz but without success. The French pursued them until the vineyards. Kienmayer rallied the three battalions and with two battalions of 2nd Szekler counterattacked. The Austrians took the ditch but both sides were equally exhausted and stayed where they were. Kienmayer reported the situation to his superior and recived support of Russian infantry. The Russian 7th Jagers and two battalions of the Grenzers attacked with a cheer and poured into Tellnitz. They also took a bridge over the Goldbach Stream.
(Goetz - "1805: Austerlitz" pp 122-130)
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