Hessian Leib Cavalry
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Origin and History
The regiment was raised in 1684 as the Leibregiment zu Pferd from independent companies (Urff, Baumbach). In 1684, it counted six companies. In 1689, it had a theoretical strength of 600 men. By 1700, it had only four companies.
In 1703, during the War of the Spanish Succession (1701–13), the regiment took part in the Combat of Speyerbach; in 1704, in the Battle of the Schellenberg and in the Battle of Blenheim; in 1706, in the Battle of Castiglione; in 1707, in the unsuccessful siege of Toulon, before returning to Germany. In 1708, it took part in the Battle of Oudenarde; in 1709, in the Battle of Malplaquet; in 1712, in the siege and capture of Le Quesnoy.
During the Austro-Turkish War of 1716–1718, the regiment took part in the siege and capture of Belgrade in July and August 1717.
During the War of the Austrian Succession (1740–48), the regiment was attached to an Austrian corps serving in Saxony.
At the beginning of the Seven Years' War, the regiment counted 360 men formed into 2 squadrons.
During the Seven Years' War, the successive "chefs" of the regiment were:
- from 1751: Landgrave Wilhelm VIII
- from 1760: Lieutenant-General G.L. von Urff
- from 1760 to 1765: Major-General C.A. von Oheimb
During the Seven Years' War, the successive commanders of the regiment were:
- from 1753: Colonel C.A. von Uslar
- from 1759: Colonel E.L. von Hanstein
- from 1760: Colonel Heister
- from 1762-1765: Colonel von Schlotheim
In 1760, the regiment was renamed Gens d'Armes and increased to 400 men.
After the Seven Years War, the unit only saw service against the French Revolutionary forces in 1792. In 1813, the regiment was renamed "Leibkürrasiere-Regiment". It was disbanded in 1819.
Service during the War
On July 26, 1757, during the French invasion of Hanover, the regiment took part in the Battle of Hastenbeck where it fought in the centre of the second line.
On May 26, 1758, the regiment was with the corps of the Prince von Anhalt in the camp of Coesfeld. On May 31, this corps accompanied Ferdinand of Brunswick in his offensive on the west bank of the Rhine. On June 12, during the aborted attack on the French positions at Rheinberg, the regiment was in the Spörcken's (second) column of attack under Major-General von Urff. On June 23, the regiment took part in the Battle of Krefeld where it was deployed on the right wing under the command of the Erbprinz (Hereditary Prince) of Brunswick. Towards the end of the battle, the regiment, which was part of Urff's Brigade, counter-charged the pursuing Royal-Carabiniers, allowing Holstein's remaining squadrons to deploy. After a number of successive furious charges and melees, the French cavalry was completely broken. On October 10, the regiment took part in the Battle of Lutterberg where it was placed in the second line of the right wing.
During the first half of 1759, the regiment formed part of the Allied army of Ferdinand of Brunswick. It was attached to Urff's Brigade in the first line of the cavalry left wing. On April 13, it took part in the Battle of Bergen where it formed part of the second column under the Prince von Ysenburg. In June, the regiment was part of Imhoff's Corps operating in Hesse. On August 1, the regiment took part in the Battle of Minden where it was deployed in the first line of the 8th column under Lieutenant-General Duke of Holstein.
On July 16 and 17, 1761, the regiment took part in the Battle of Vellinghausen where it was attached to the division of Lieutenant-General Bremer in the second line of the right wing.
On August 25, 1762, the regiment fought in the Engagement of Grüningen. On August 30, it took part in the Combat of Nauheim where it formed part of Lieutenant-General Oheimb's column.
Uniform
By the 1740's the horse troopers did not wear a cuirass any more.
During the Seven Years War, the regiment used a temporary field sign of oak leaves. The use of the field sign was due to the French cavalry having regiments with similar coat and facing colours.
1756 Uniform
Privates
| Headgear | black tricorne laced yellow with oak leaves as a field sign and a black cockade fastened with a brass button | ||||||||||
| Neckstock | black | ||||||||||
| Coat | white with a brass button on each side in the small of the back
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| Waistcoat | white edged red | ||||||||||
| Breeches | pale straw | ||||||||||
| Leather Equipment |
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| Horse Furniture |
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Troopers were armed with a straight steel hilted sword, two pistols and a carbine. The carbine was slung from the shoulder belt on a swivel hook.
Officers
The officers had gold trim rather than yellow lace on their tricorne.
Musicians
Trumpeters wore white coats laced red with swallows nests (very similar to Prussian cuirassier regiment Prinz von Preußen). They were usually mounted on white or grey horses.
The bugle cord was made of interwoven white and red braids. Any banner from the trumpet would use the same markings as those on the sabretache.
1761 Uniform
Privates
| Headgear | black tricorne laced yellow with oak leaves as a field sign and a black cockade fastened with a brass button | ||||||||||
| Neckstock | black | ||||||||||
| Coat | buff edged with a white braid decorated with 2 red stripes
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| Sash | red worn over the coat | ||||||||||
| Sabretache | red edged with a white and red braid; decorated with the crowned cipher "FL" N.B.: it is also possible that the sabretache had been blue with yellow-red border | ||||||||||
| Waistcoat | light blue edged with a white braid decorated with 2 red stripes | ||||||||||
| Breeches | pale straw | ||||||||||
| Leather Equipment |
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| Horse Furniture |
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Troopers were armed with a straight steel hilted sword, two pistols and a carbine. The carbine was slung from the shoulder belt on a swivel hook. The cuirass was introduced only in 1764, after the war.
Officers
The officers had gold trim rather than yellow lace on their tricorne.
Musicians
Trumpeters wore white coats laced red with swallows nests (very similar to Prussian cuirassier regiment Prinz von Preußen). They were usually mounted on white or grey horses.
The bugle cord was made of interwoven white and red braids. Any banner from the trumpet would use the same markings as those on the sabretache.
Colours
The flag poles were red. The standards had golden fringe, a golden finial, red/white/blue cords with silver tassels. The regiment carried a white Leib (colonel) standard and a regimental standard.
Leib standard: white field; centre device consisting of the armed Hessian lion (composed of alternating silver and gold bands) surrounded by green palm branches; corner monograms consisting of the cipher “FL” in gold, surmounted by a golden crown
Squadron standard: red field; centre device consisting of the armed Hessian lion (composed of alternating silver and gold bands); corner monograms consisting of the cipher “FL” in gold, surmounted by a golden crown
Before the corner monograms probably consisted of crowned “LWL” ciphers (as on the infantry colours but without the palm branches). Furthermore, sources differ concerning the Hessian Lion: it is alternatively armed or unarmed; facing the pole or the opposite direction.
References
Henry, Mark, Hessian Army of the 7 Years War, Seven Years War Association Journal Vol. VII No. 3
Pengel & Hurt, German States in the Seven Years War 1740 to 1762, Imperial Press
Rogge, Christian, The French & Allied Armies in Germany during the Seven Years War, Frankfurt, 2006
Trenkle, K., Nix wie weg… die Hesse komme, Verlanganstalt Marburg
Witzel, Rudolf: Hessen Kassels Regimenter in der Allierten Armee 1762, bearb. u. hrsg. von Ingo Kroll, Norderstedt 2007, pp. 176-178
N.B.: the section Service during the War is mostly derived from our articles depicting the various campaigns, battles and sieges.
