My armies XVIIth century French and Spanish are of DBA format and not BBDBA. They therefore comprise only twelve plates each in total.
 |
| "Régiment de Picardie" |
As a result, the French army that I line up has only 3 pincers. So I chose three regiments. The choice was made for the regiments of Picardy, Piedmont, and the Navy. I wanted to align the regiment of Picardy and the choice of the other two imposed itself on reading the stories of the battle. These regiments were in the same battle area (even if the extract below does not relate their best feat of arms)
 |
| "Régiment de Picardie" |
« Picardie to the "right of everything"; He is the dean of the French infantry. In the recriminations exchanged at the battle of Thionville, the conduct of this regiment had been severely condemned; He will recover brilliantly on May 19th. The mestre de camp, de Nangis, and Maupertuis, lieutenant-colonel, were present. Picardie is supported by "La Marine", created in 1636 and already ranked among "the old". (...) a new combat begins with the same issue as the first. In the midst of the smoke and dust, several enemy cortices pass without meeting our cavaliers, and arrive as far as Picardy, which, the wood cleared of the musketeers, was isolated in front of our line of battle. The wrapped regiment is formed in octagon and shows great firmness. »
Histoire des Princes de Condé par le duc d’Aumale.
 |
| Régiment de Piémont |
« Those who were at the battle of Rocroi, won by the Duke d'Enghien in the year 1643, were able to see the great efforts and service rendered by the regiment of Picardy in octagon form by the Sieur de Pedamons, One of his captains, who on this day signalized himself to the conduct of the Lost Children of that body.»
Colbert de Lostelneau, Le Maréchal de bataille.
 |
| Régiment La Marine |
« But as I was leaving to go, the Chevalier de La Valliere, marshal of battle, arrived, who brought an order to the troops which I had rallied from the wing commanded by the Marquis de la Ferte-Senneterre, and told them that the Battle was lost. These troops were the regiment of Picardy, that of Piedmont, that of the Navy, the Swiss of Molondin, and the regiment of Persian. These troops, who had been very ill-treated, readily obeyed the command given them by this marshal of battle. But seeing that they were abandoning me, I went to them; I asked them to stand firm»
Mémoires du Baron de Sirot
(The above excerpts are taken from the blog De Rohan à Turenne)
The regiments of Picardy, Piedmont, and the Navy are among the "old" ones, such as the old regiments which were not dissolved at the end of the campaigns.
The infantry in the service of France at the beginning of the year 1643
(Information from the site De Rohan à Turenne, a remarkable site devoted to this period)
- Regiments with 30 compagnies : Gardes françaises, Picardie, Piémont, Champagne, Navarre, Normandie, la Marine, Rambures, Vaubecourt, Lyonnais, Turenne, la Meilleraye, Langeron, Douglas-écossais, Roussillon, Enghien, Conti, Persan.
- Regiments with 20 compagnies : Gardes suisses, Auvergne, Nerestang, Sault, Poudens-St-Vallier, Lorraine, Plessis-Praslin, Bourdonné, Montausier, Castelmoron, Touraine, Vaillac, La Tour, Aiguebonne, Provence, Annevoux, Nettancourt, Espagny, Grancey, Effiat, Navailles, Tonneins, Vidame d’Amiens, Bussy-Lameth, Vervins, Houdancourt, Florinville, Grandpré, Roquelaure, Lamothe-Houdancourt, Guiche-étranger (Belgian), Lambertie, La Chabrouillaye, maréchal de Brézé, Rébé, Vandy, Huxelles, Roqueservières (German), Batilly, Quincé, Biscaras, Castelnau-Mauvissière, Roqueservières français, Bellefonds, Aubeterre, Montpezat, Bourgogne, Périgord, Clauleu, Bretagne, la Suze, Beauce, Bonne, Noailles, Roucherolles, Boissy, Melun, Marquis de Brézé, les Galères, les ïles, le Havre-de-Grâce, Béarn, Languedoc, Poitou, Saintonge, du Tot, Nangis, Espenan, Rasilly, d’Estrées, Villequier, du Passage, Ventadour, Courcelles, Mirepoix, d’Harcourt-Artois, Castrevieille, Castelan, Sauveboeuf, Clermont-Vertillac, la Couronne, Montpeyroux, Kaergroet, Kolhas (German), Gesvres, Tavannes, Dauphiné, la Douze, Guebriant, Grignols, Souvigny, Averne, Wall (Irish), la Feuillade, Oysonville, Estrades, Lesdiguières, Gonnor, Gaderousse, Lannoy, Matha, Sivron, la Mézanzère, Grammont, Fronzac, Laval, comte d’Alais, l’Eglise, Palliers, la Prée, Auduze.
- Regiment with 18 compagnies : Mignières.
- Regiment with 15 compagnies : les Vaisseaux, Schombeck (German).
- Regiment with 12 compagnies : Gardes-écossaises, Saint-Etienne, Brasseux, Boisse, La Jonchère-la Ferté, Axtein (German), Lignières, Praromann (Swiss), Roll (Swiss), Bridieu.
- Regiment with 10 compagnies : Mondejeu, Saint-Paul, Bellebrune, Molondin (Swiss), Coosle (Irish), du Buisson, Zillard (German), Feuquières, Rasilly (German), Notaf (German), Ehm (German), Fitz-Williams (Irish), Belings (Irish), Lenty (Scottish), Watteville (Swiss), Metz, Maleyssis, Lermont, Montécler, Am Büchel (Swiss), Mazarin-italien, Foulartou (Scottish).
- Régiment à 9 compagnies : Rhoon (Swiss).
