Luzzara Infantry
Hierarchical Path: Seven Years War (Main Page) >> Armies >> Austrian Army >> Luzzara Infantry
Origin and History
The regiment was originally a Spanish Habsburg unit raised at Zaragoza in 1705, during the War of the Spanish Succession, and placed under the command of Colonel Pertús. After his death, the regiment "Ciudad de Zaragoza" (Town of Zaragoza) was placed under the command of Don Antonio Ãlvarez de Toledo, Count of Alcaudete, son of the Count of Orpesa [sic] (Oropesa?). In Austrian sources his name has become Anton Didacus. By 1713, the regiment was operating in Lombardy.
In 1721, troops from 3 other Spanish regiments (Ahumada, Faber and Marulli) were incorporated into the regiment who became part of the Austrian army. The Count Alcaudete died at Prague in September 1734 and was succeeded by Juan Jacinto Vazquez y Vargas (aka Jacob Count Vasquez de Binas) at the head of the regiment.
From 1737 to 1739, the regiment fought against the Turks in Bosnia, Serbia, Banal and Transylvania.
In 1740, the regiment was stationed in Lombardy.
On December 23 1755, Count Vasquez de Binas died and was succeeded by Juan Manuel Luzán (aka Emanuel Count de Luzzara). The regiment incorporated recruits from the Duchy of Mantua.
As per the Etat nouveau des Troupes de sa Majesté Impériale Royale comme elles se trouvent effectivement l'an 1759 and Etat général des Troupes qui servent sa Majesté Impériale et Royale Apostolique sur pié en 1760, the regiment counted 4 battalions (2 grenadier coys and 16 fusilier coys) for a total of 2,300 men. This was the administrative organisation of the regiment. However, the tactical organisation differed: 2 field fusilier battalions, each of 6 companies; 2 grenadier companies (usually converged with grenadiers from other battalions into an ad hoc unit); and 1 garrison battalion of 4 companies (see Austrian Line Infantry Organisation for more details).
During the Seven Years' War, the chef of the regiment was:
- since December 1755 until 1765: Juan Manuel Luzán (aka Emanuel Count de Luzzara)
During the Seven Years' War, its colonel-commanders were:
- till November 1757: Guido di Bagno
- from November 1757: Marquis Gaggi
In 1765, it became "Ried Infanterie Regiment".
Regimental numbers were introduced only in 1769 when this regiment was designated as "I.R. 48". In 1769, the regiment was known as Caprara. It was disbanded in 1796.
Service during the War
In October and November 1757, the regiment participated in the siege and capture of Schweidnitz where it lost its commander Colonel Guido di Bagno. On November 22, one battalion of the regiment took part to the battle of Breslau where it was deployed in the first line of the infantry centre of Nádasdy's Corps. On December 5 at the battle of Leuthen, one battalion of the regiment was deployed in the second line of the Reserve of the left wing under Marshal Forgách as part of Nádasdy's Corps.
By August 2 1758, the regiment was part of the reserve of the main Austrian army under the command of Count Leopold Daun near Jarmeritz. Daun was following up the Prussian army retiring through Bohemia after the failure of the Prussian invasion of Moravia.
By mid August 1759, the regiment was part of Beck's corps posted on the Lusatian border. On September 2 1759, one battalion of the regiment was at the combat of Sorau.
In July 1760, 1 battalion of the regiment took part in the defence of Dresden as part of the garrison. On August 20, 1 battalion took part in the combat of Strehla where it was assigned to the reserve under the Prince of Stolberg.
To do: more details on the campaigns from 1761 to 1762
Uniform
Until recently we had a very vague description of the uniform at the outbreak of the Seven Years' War. Thanks to the kind authorisation of the Heeresgeschichtliches Museum in Vienna, Dal Gavan, a member of our group, has had access to the Delacre Bilderhandschrift, a rare contemporaneous manuscript depicting the uniforms of the entire K. K. Army around 1756-57. For this reason, we present the uniforms of privates circa 1757 and in 1762.
Privates 1757
| Headgear |
| ||||||||||||
| Neckstock | one red and one black (for parades the regimental commanders agreed before on the colour of the neckstocks) | ||||||||||||
| Coat | white lined white with 3 white buttons under the right lapel and 1 white button in the small of the back on each side
| ||||||||||||
| Waistcoat | dark green with 2 rows of 9 white buttons (3-3-3) and with horizontal pockets (each with 3 white buttons) | ||||||||||||
| Breeches | white | ||||||||||||
| Gaiters | one pair of black (for winter) and one pair of white gaiters (for summer and parade) | ||||||||||||
| Leather Equipment |
|
Rank and file were armed with a musket (Model 1745 for fusiliers, Model 1754 for grenadiers). Grenadiers carried a sabre while fusiliers carried only a bayonet.
Privates 1762
 Uniform in 1762 - Copyright: Frédéric Aubert from a template made by Richard Couture. |
| Headgear |
| ||||||||||||
| Neckstock | one red and one black (for parades the regimental commanders agreed before on the colour of the neckstocks) | ||||||||||||
| Coat | white lined white with 3 yellow buttons under the right lapel and 1 yellow button in the small of the back on each side
| ||||||||||||
| Waistcoat | white with 2 rows of small yellow buttons (3-3-3) and with horizontal pockets, each with 3 yellow buttons | ||||||||||||
| Breeches | white | ||||||||||||
| Gaiters | one pair of black (for winter) and one pair of white gaiters (for summer and parade) | ||||||||||||
| Leather Equipment |
|
Rank and file were armed with a musket (Model 1745 for fusiliers, Model 1754 for grenadiers). Grenadiers carried a sabre while fusiliers carried only a bayonet.
NCOs
no information found yet
Officers
The officers wore the same uniform as the privates with the following exceptions:
- tricorne laced gold with a white and green cockade
- black neckstock
- no turnbacks
- yellow and black silk sash
Senior officers carried sticks identifying their rank:
- lieutenant: bamboo stick without knob
- captain: long rush stick with a bone knob
- major: long rush stick with a silver knob and a small silver chain
- lieutenant-colonel: long rush stick with a larger silver knob without chain
- colonel: long rush stick with a golden knob
Sergeants carried a halberd and a wooden stick.
Corporals carried a halberd.
Musicians
Until 1760, despite the new regulation of 1755, the musicians wore coats of reversed colours with white swallow nests and white turnbacks. From 1760, they wore uniforms identical to those of the privates with the following differences:
- apple green swallow nests on the shoulders probably edged yellow
- apple green cuffs probably edged yellow
The drum had a brass barrel decorated with black flames at the bottom and with a black double headed Eagle on a yellow field. Rims were decorated with red and white diagonal stripes. The bandolier was white.
Colours
All German infantry regiments carried identical colours: a white Leibfahne (colonel) and yellow Regimentsfahne. The hand painted colours were made of silk and, according to some sources, measured 178 cm x 127 cm. However, a flag kept at the Heeresgeschichtliches Museum in Vienna shows different proportions (unfortunately we do not know the exact measurements) which we have used for our illustrations. The 260 cm long flagpoles had golden finial and were decorated with black and yellow spirals of cloth.
The colonel colour was carried by the first battalion.
Colonel flag (Leibfahne):
- field: white
- border: alternating white and yellow outer waved triangles pointing inwards, red and black inner waved triangles pointing outwards
- obverse (right): the Immaculate Mother of God (which had been declared the patroness of the army by kaiser Ferdinand III) on a cloud, crushing a snake under her foot and surrounded by rays
- reverse (left): crowned and armed Imperial double-eagle with the "Lothringen-Toscanian" arms on a shield and the initials of the Emperor CF (Corregens Franciscus) on the left wing and IM (Imperator Magnus) on the right
The so-called "armed" Imperial double-eagle on the reverse of the Leibfahne seems to have been represented in two different variants:
- with a sword in its right claw and the sceptre in its left (no Imperial Apple with this design)
- with a sceptre and sword in its right claw and the Imperial Apple in its left.
The first variant seems to have been more common.
Regimental flags (Regimentsfahne):
- field: yellow
- border: alternating white and yellow outer waved triangles pointing inwards, red and black inner waved triangles pointing outwards
- obverse (right): crowned and armed Imperial double-eagle with the "Lothringen-Toscanian" arms on a shield and the initials of the Emperor CF (Corregens Franciscus) on the left wing and IM (Imperator Magnus) on the right
- reverse (left): unarmed and crowned Imperial double-eagle with the arms of Hungaria and Bohemia on a shield and the initials M on the left wing and T on the right
Some publications represent an "armed" Imperial double-eagle on the reverse of the Regimentsfahne but we followed Hausmann's paper of 1967 which also matches with the insignia seen on Austrian artillery barrels of the period.
In fact, the situation on the field was slightly more complex than this, since colours were usually replaced only when worn out. By 1756, only a few regiments had actually purchased sets of flags of the 1745 pattern; so many regiments, who had been issued colours of the 1743 pattern, were still carrying them at the beginning of the Seven Years' War. For more details, see Austrian Line Infantry Colours.
References
This article contains texts from the following sources, which are now in the public domain:
- Seyfart, Kurzgefaßte Geschichte aller kaiserlich-königlichen Regimenter zu Pferde und zu Fuß, Frankfurth and Leipzig, 1762, p. 38
Other sources
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 auf Kosten der Raspischen Buchhandlung. Ao. 1762
Dihm, Dr. Hermann; Oesterreichische Standarten und Fahnen zur Zeit des 7 jährigen Krieges, Die Zinnfigur, Klio
Donath, Rudolf; Die Kaiserliche und Kaiserlich-Königliche Österreichische Armee 1618-1918, 2. Aufl., Simbach/Inn 1979
Etat nouveau des Troupes de sa Majesté Impériale Royale comme elles se trouvent effectivement l'an 1759
Etat général des Troupes qui servent sa Majesté Impériale et Royale Apostolique sur pié en 1760
Hausmann, Friedrich, Die Feldzeichen der Truppen Maria Theresias, Schriften des Heeresgeschichtlichen Museums, vol. 3, Vienna: 1967
Knötel, Herbert d.J.; Brauer, Hans M.: Heer und Tradition / Heeres-Uniformbogen (so-called „Brauer-Bogen"), Berlin 1926-1962, Österreich-Ungarn – 1756-63
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
Muhsfeldt, Th.; Abzeichenfarben der K. und K. Regimenter zu Fuss im Jahre 1757 und früher, in Mitteilungen zur Geschichte des militärischen Tracht, No. 12, 1904
Regiment Alcaudete in 11 Setembre 1714
Schirmer, Friedrich, Die Heere der kriegführenden Staaten 1756-1763, hrsg. von der KLIO-Landesgruppe Baden-Württemberg, überarb. u. aktual. Neuauflage 1989
Seidel, Paul; Nochmals österreichische Standarten und Fahnen zur Zeit des 7 jährigen Krieges, Die Zinnfigur, Clio
Thümmler, L.-H., Die Österreichiches Armee im Siebenjährigen Krieg: Die Bautzener Bilderhandschrift aus dem Jahre 1762, Berlin 1993
N.B.: the section Service during the War is mostly derived from our articles depicting the various campaigns, battles and sieges.
Acknowledgments
User:Zahn and Luc Antonelli for gathering most of the information about this regiment
Juan for additional information on the origins of the regiment
