Carel Frederik Krahmer de Bichin - Battle of Waterloo

Battle of Waterloo

After his release he entered the service of the by now again independent Netherlands in the "south Netherlands" (i.e. Belgian) part of its army in 1814. He received command, in the rank of captain, of a horse artillery battery, part of the combined 7th/8th company of the horse artillery corps. This battery was manned by Belgians. The battery was attached to the First Brigade (col. Detmers) of the Third Netherlands Division (general Chassé) on the eve of the battle of Waterloo.

Initially the Third Division was placed in reserve on the right wing of the Anglo-Allied army of the Duke of Wellington. Later it was ordered forward, behind the British troops of Sir Colin Halkett's Fifth Brigade. When Chassé noticed a slackening of the firing of one of the British artillery batteries (apparently due to lack of ammunition), he ordered Krahmer's battery forward to take this battery's place. He came in line behind the hollow road, to the left of Lloyd's battery, where Cleeve's battery had been.

Now the action unfolded that is depicted in Jan Hoynck van Papendrecht's painting, entitled De rijdende artillerie komt in stelling (The horse artillery unlimbers). He immediately engaged a French battery near La Haye Sainte that was enfilading the British artillery at the time, forcing it out of position. Next the battery started pouring a murderous fire into the French Middle Guard division, cutting lanes through its columns. When next the Detmers brigade performed a bayonet attack on the French Guards, Krahmer came forward to support it under the direction of Major Van der Smissen. As a consequence the French Guards faltered and eventually broke. This was the turning point in the battle. During the action, Krahmer's battery lost 27 men dead and 21 wounded.