Osprey Men-at-Arms 339 : The King's German Legion (2) 1812-1816

This book is the completion of a two-part study of the King's German Legion - the largest and most respected of the foreign corps which fought as integrated elements of the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars. The light and heavy cavalry, light and line infantry, and horse and foot artillery of the KGL made major contributions to Wellington's victories in the latter part of the Peninsular War, and several units covered themselves with glory at Waterloo. The formation of the King's German Legion resulted from the occupation of Hanover, their homeland, by the French in 1803. After assorted expeditions including Copenhagen in 1807 and Moore's retreat to Corunna, the Legion joined Sir Arthur Wellesley in the Peninsula. It was here that they were to earn undying renown as the crack corps of Wellington's army. The Legion represented about twenty percent of Wellington's fighting strength and distinguished itself in all the major actions, including their famous charge at Garcia Hernandez during the Salamanca campaign. Drawing upon new research in British and Hanoverian archival sources, Mike Chappell's detailed text and meticulous illustrations offer unprecedented details of this impressive fighting organisation.

Contents

• Introduction
• Chronology
• The Light Infantry Brigade
• The Line Infantry Brigades
• The Cavalry Brigade
• Artillery and Engineers
• Bibliography
• Colour Artwork