JR-36A
John Jenkins Designs
Not yet released - expected in mid-August.
Highland regiments were traditionally organized by clan, and were officered by their own clansmen. This made some regiments impractically small and efforts were made to amalgamate clans to produce larger units. The units would keep their original captains and leaders which led to the Jacobite army having too many officers.
While the Lowland recruits were more successful in adapting an European style of training, the Highland military traditions were unsuitable to European army tactics.
Professional soldiers required constant training in firing and reloading, in which the Jacobites lacked time, weapons and ammunition. It is recorded that a simplified but effective form of drill was introduced for them.
Most Jacobite professionals had been trained in France, and infantry drill and tactics showed a French influence. This included movement in narrow columns, deployment of reserves in column, and firing in volleys by fire “a billebaude” (at will) as opposed to the rigid firing by platoon used by the British army.
The French emphasis on shock tactics, rather than massed firepower, suited the abilities and training levels of Jacobite troops.