British Army

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The British Army was a branch of the Armed Forces of the Kingdom of Great Britain. It was formed in 1707 with the Act of Union, and focused on land-based warfare.

Following Great Britain's triumph over the Kingdom of France in the French and Indian War, which ended in 1763, the soldiers of the British Army occupied Colonial America during the events of the American Revolutionary War.

The superior discipline, skill-at-arms, equipment, organization, and reputation of the British Army were major sources of intimidation to the initially amateur soldiers of the Continental Army during the American Revolution. During the conflict, the British Army received military support from their Hessian allies, mainly in the form of Jäger.

The soldiers of the British army – the British Regular – were often referred to as "Redcoats" or "Lobster-backs" during the American Revolution, due to their distinctive red-dyed uniform.

Arms and equipment

The British Regulars of the 18th century were armed with the standard British Army smoothbore flintlock musket, and a fifteen inch socket bayonet that could be locked onto the end of the musket barrel.

British soldiers were drilled extensively in the use of these primary weapons, until they could load and fire their muskets with their eyes closed. A well-trained infantryman could average around three shots per minute from his musket, whereas a sub-par soldier could accomplish perhaps two.

British officers usually armed themselves with flintlock pistols and sabers, although it was not unknown for light infantry officers to carry their own musket or rifle as the war progressed.

Tactics and warfare

When on patrol, British soldiers usually marched in groups of 6-9 men. These groups consisted of one Officer, a Drummer, four Regulars, and four Grenadiers. These numbers changed over the course of the Revolutionary War.

The British greatly emphasized mass line infantry fire and prized discipline. In this regard, punishment was strict for deserters and disobedience. At first, mass line infantry fire was an honorable tactic, but the British realized that the Rebel tactics of guerilla warfare was far more successful then previously thought.

Many pitched battles were focused around ranks of line infantry unleashing volleys of synchronized musket fire, and often in pursuit of an objective, many thousands of lives would be laid down for a small gain.

Trivia

Despite the British Army having retreated from Colonial America in 1783, remnants of British Regulars could still be found around the Frontier, Boston and New York.
The Grenadiers resembled a pioneer, which was a military unit whose tasks are specifically for construction and engineering, rather than actual grenadiers, who were used as elite troops to storm enemy battlements and fortifications.
In the The Tyranny of King Washington, British soldiers were part of the rebellion against King Washington.