5/20 Jung-Billerbeck Grenadiers
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Origin and History
At the beginning of the Seven Years' War, Frederick II converged the grenadier companies of his infantry into elite battalions. Thus the grenadiers from the Braunschweig (2 coys) and von Zastrow (2 coys) infantry regiments were converged into the Grenadier Battalion 5/20 counting four companies.
In August 1759, after the battle of Kunersdorf, this grenadier battalion was temporarily converged with Grenadier Battalion 7/30.
In 1760, after the battle of Torgau, this grenadier battalion was temporarily converged with the Grenadier Battalion 1/23.
During the Seven Years' War, the regiment was commanded by:
- since 1756: major C. von Billerbeck (Jung Billerbeck)
- August 12 1759: major J. A. von Ripp
- September 21 1759: major von Lubath
- Winter 1759-1760: major von Billerbeck
Service during the War
On August 26 1756, when the Prussian army was ordered to enter into Saxony, the battalion was part of Ferdinand of Brunswick's column which had concentrated at Halle and advanced unopposed through Leipzig, Chemnitz, Freyberg and Dippoldiswalde, to the village of Cotta (reached on September 9) south of the Elbe near Pirna. On October 1, at Lobositz the battalion was assigned to the brigade of lieutenant-general prince von Bevern. It led the counter-attack at midday from Lobosch down to the river Elbe. Three guns were captured. However, the unit paid a heavy tribute of 98 dead, 14 wounded and 16 missing for this action for which the king awarded three Pour-le-mérite to the regiment. On October 23, when Keith's army left Lobositz to return to Pirna, the regiment who was stationed on the neighbouring heights joined the rearguard. It reached the area of Pirna on October 28 and took its winter quarters soon afterwards.
On May 6 1757, the battalion did not take part to the battle of Prague. It was rather deployed on the left bank of the Moldau near the Weissenberg as part of Keith's corps. At the end of August, the battalion was part of the small Prussian army hastily assembled at Dresden by Frederick to head towards Thuringia and to offer battle to the Franco-Imperial army invading Saxony. On November 5, at the battle of Rossbach, the battalion was deployed at the extremity of the first line of the infantry left wing under lieutenant-general prince Henri. When the French tried to break through, the massive Prussian artillery fire and the fire of the infantry stopped them 40 steps before the Prussian line. At the end of the year, the battalion was detached to the corps of field marshal Keith in North Bohemia.
On August 12 1759, at Kunersdorf, the battalion was in the vanguard which successfully attacked from the Walkberg through the Bäcker-Grund the Russian Grenadier Regiment of the Observation Corps on the Mühlberg as an intermediate objective. The Observations Corps was annihilated between the Mühlberg and the Kuh-Grund but thereafter the ongoing attack collapsed under the heavy Russian fire on the slope above the Kuh-Grund. The battalion lost 91 dead and 244 wounded. After this battle, it was temporarily converged with Grenadier Battalion 7/30.
At Torgau (Nov. 3), after a long flanking march, the battalion attacked "in a thin line" the centre of the enemy on the Süptitzer hills under heavy artillery fire. It suffered heavy casualties and, after the battle, was temporarily converged with the Grenadier Battalion 1/23.
In 1762, the battalion took part to the battle of Freiberg.
Uniform
The grenadiers wore the uniform of their own regiments. For details about these uniforms, please refer to the articles related to regiments Braunschweig and von Zastrow.
Mitre Caps
| Braunschweig: mitre with yellow metal frontplate, blue headband laced red/white, straw back with white piping laced red, straw/white/red pom pom | von Zastrow: mitre with brass frontplate; red headband with white/red piping and decorated with brass ornaments; blue backing with white/red piping, red within white within green pompon |
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Colours
The converged grenadier battalions did not carry any colour.
References
Fiedler, Siegfried; Grenadiermuetzen der Armee Friedrichs des Grossen, Schild Verlag GmbH, Munich, 1981
Riehn, R.; Linear Tactics Part III - Grenadier Battalions 1756-1763, The Courier Volume 2 No. 6, May-June 1981
Schirmer, Friedrich; Die Heere der kriegführenden Staaten 1756 - 1763. Edited and published by KLIO-Landesgruppe Baden-Württemberg e.V., Magstadt: 1989, pp. 30-32
N.B.: the section Service during the War is mostly derived from our articles depicting the various campaigns, battles and sieges.
