Benedikt Daun Cuirassiers

From Project SYW

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Contents 1 Origin and History 2 Service during the War 3 Uniform 3.1 Privates 3.2 Officers 3.3 Musicians 4 Colours 5 References

Origin and History

The regiment was raised in 1682 for colonel Gondola.

The regiment counted 6 squadrons and a company of carabiniers. For battles, the latter was usually converged with other similar companies to form an elite unit.

During the Seven Years' War, the regiment inhaber was:

• since 1751: Julius Caesar count Radicati (killed at Lobositz on October 1 1756)
• October 1756: Fürst Christian von Löwenstein-Wertheim
• from 1758: Benedikt count Daun

During the Seven Years' War, the regiment was commanded by:

• 1756 Franz Xavier count von Zollern
• 1758 Varl baron von Ziegesar

The regiment was disbanded in 1802

Service during the War

In June 1756, at the outbreak of the war, the regiment was stationed in Slovakia and counted 791 men and 780 horses. In September, the regiment was in Northern Bohemia with Piccolomini's covering force in the Königshof-Kolin region.

On May 6 1757, the regiment took part to the battle of Prague where it was deployed in prince von Modena's brigade, in the second line of the left wing of cavalry. On December 5 at the battle of Leuthen, the regiment was deployed in Woellwurth's brigade in the first line of the cavalry right wing under general Lucchesi.

By August 2 1758, the regiment was part of the reserve of the main Austrian army under the command of Daun near Jaromirs. Daun was following up the Prussian army retiring through Bohemia after the failure of the Prussian invasion of Moravia.

To do: description of the actions during the campaigns from June 1759 to 1762.

Uniform

Privates

Uniform Details
as per the Albertina Handschrift of 1762
completed with other sources where necessary

Headgear	Trooper black tricorne (no lace) with a black cockade fastened with a small brass button Carabinier black tricorne (no lace) with a black cockade fastened with a small brass button
Neckstock	black
Coat	white with 15 brass buttons on the right side Collar none Shoulder strap white fastened with a brass button Lapels none Pockets horizontal pockets with 3 brass buttons Cuffs red with 3 brass buttons Turnbacks red
Waistcoat	white with two rows of brass buttons
Breeches	red
Leather Equipment	Crossbelt white Waistbelt none Cartridge Box black Scabbard black with brass decorations Footgear black boots
Horse Furniture	Saddlecloth red laced with a white braid bordered red and decorated with red vertical bars (according to an illustration of the Bautzener Bilderhandschrift of 1762) Sabretache red laced with a white braid bordered red and decorated with red vertical bars (according to an illustration of the Bautzener Bilderhandschrift of 1762) Blanket roll white and red (according to an illustration of the Bautzener Bilderhandschrift of 1762)

Troopers were armed with a black breastplate (worn over the coat), a pallasch (sword) and a pair of pistols. Carabiniers also carried a carbine and had a sabre instead of a sword.

Other interpretations

Raspe shows 13 buttons on the coat instead of 15. It also illustrates only one row of button on the waistcoat.

The Bautzener Bilderhandschrift presents a few diffrences:

• laced tricorne
• red neckstock
• straw breeches

Officers

The officers (according to the Bautzener Bilderhandschrift of 1762) wore the same uniform with the following exceptions:

• laced tricorne with a green and white cockade
• light green saddlecloth and sabretache both laced in dark green and fringed in yellow

Musicians

The aprons of the trumpets were yellow and bore arms to the House of Daun. The apron of the kettledrums were yellow with silver emboideries.

Colours

Leib Standard: no information found yet

Regimental Standard: rectangular light pink standard, brown flagpole

• Obverse: a central scene depicting a landscape with a dragon, a thunderbolt and a motto
• Reverse: crossed flags, cipher and crown

References

Bleckwenn, Hans; Die Regimenter der Kaiserin, Gedanken zur "Albertina Handschrift" 1762 des Heeresgeschichtlichen Museums Wien, Köln: 1967

Funcken, Liliane and Fred , Les uniformes de la guerre en dentelle

Grosser Generalstab, Die Kriege Friedrichs des Grossen, Hiller, Berlin, 1830-1913

Knötel, Richard: Uniformkunde. Lose Blätter zur Geschichte der Entwicklung der militärischen Tracht, 18 Bde., Rathenow 1890-1919

Kornauth, Friedrich, Das Heer Maria Theresias: Faksimile-Ausgabe der Albertina-Handschrift, "Dessins des Uniformes des Troupes I.I. et R.R. de l'année 1762", Wien: 1973

Raspe, Accurate Vorstellung der sämtlichen Kayserlich Koeniglichen Armeen zur eigentlichen Kentnis der Uniform von jedem Regimente. Nebst beygefügter Geschichte, worinne von der Stiftung, denen Chefs, der Staercke, und den wichtigsten Thaten jedes Regiments Nachricht gegeben wird., Nürnberg: 1762

Schirmer, Friedrich, Die Heere der kriegführenden Staaten 1756-1763, hrsg. von der KLIO-Landesgruppe Baden-Württemberg, überarb. u. aktual. Neuauflage 1989

Thümmler, L.-H., Die Österreichiches Armee im Siebenjährigen Krieg: Die Bautzener Bilderhandschrift aus dem Jahre 1762, Berlin 1993

Zahn, Michael, Oesterreichische Kürassier und Dragoner Standarten in Siebenjährigen Krieges, Zusammenstellung, 1988