Pechmann Infantry
Hierarchical Path: Seven Years War (Main Page) >> Armies >> Bavarian Army >> Pechmann Infantry
Origin and History
Raised on Oct. 1st 1753 from the Leibregiment.
The regiment consisted of 2 battalions. Each of these battalions counted 4 fusilier companies (140 men each) and 1 grenadier company (100 men). Furthermore, each battalion had 2 light 4-pdr battalion guns.
Since 1753, the regiment garrisoned the city of Munich.
During the Seven Years' War, the regiment Inhaber was:
- since September 17 1753: "Generalwachtmeister" Joseph Heinrich Baron von Pechmann
- from March 28 1759: Major-general Friedrich Adolph Baron von Meinders
- from January 26 1761 to February 5 1780: Major-general Johann Christian Joseph Baron von Herold
During the Seven Years' War, the regiment was under the command of:
- since 1756: Colonel Johannes Siegmund Baron von Montgelas
- from 1758 to 1763: Colonel Ferdinand Count von Pechmann
On October 29 1764, the regiment was transferred to Braunau to assume garrison duty.
Service during the War
On June 20 1756, it was transferred from Munich to the towns of Ingolstadt and Donauwörth. On September 1 of the same year, one company was transferred to Wemding. Then a few week later, on November 11, four companies were transferred to Rothenberg.
In June 1757, the regiment together with the first battalion of Holnstein Infantry formed the Infantry Regiment Kurbayern which joined the Reichsarmee. However, the two grenadier companies of Pechmann infantry remained at the fortress of Rothenberg. In July, the grenadier companies went to Stadtamthof for recruitment. The Kurbayern regiment was sent to Freiberg and did not take part to the battle of Rossbach in November, being stationed at Weißenfels.
In 1758, the regiment, as part of the Kurbayern regiment, served at Sebastiansberg and at the fortress of Sonnenstein near Dresden. On May 6, the two grenadier companies, who had been recruiting in Stadtamthof, returned to the fortress of Rothenberg.
In 1759, the regiment, as part of the Kurbayern regiment, served at Dresden, Meissen and Dippoldiswalde.
In 1760, the regiment, as part of the Kurbayern regiment, was at the battles of Strehla and Torgau (September 27, 1760) and at the engagement near Wittenberg. On February 22, the two grenadier companies were transferred from the fortress of Rothenberg to Amberg.
In 1761, the regiment, as part of the Kurbayern regiment, was at Plauen.
In 1762, the regiment, as part of the Kurbayern regiment, took part to the battle of Freiberg on October 29.
In February 1763 the regiment returned to Cham in the Upper Palatinate. On April 8, it went to its garrison towns in Bavaria: Burghausen (staff and 6 coys), Neuötting (4 coys) and Reichenhall (100 men).
Uniform
Privates in 1756
| Headgear |
| ||||||||||||
| Neckstock | red | ||||||||||||
| Coat | Austrian style blue coat with 3 yellow buttons under the lapel and 1 yellow button in the small of the back
| ||||||||||||
| Waistcoat | straw | ||||||||||||
| Breeches | straw | ||||||||||||
| Gaiters | black | ||||||||||||
| Leather Equipment |
|
Other interpretations H.Knötel, Schirmer and Böhm / Rottgardt / Weirich mention white tricorne's lace.
Schirmer and Böhm / Rottgardt / Weirich mention white buttons.
Privates from 1757
The uniform of infantry regiment Pechmann changed in Spring 1757, to adjust with the uniform of infantry regiment Holnstein, in the Kreisregiment Kurbayern.
Becher, a very accurate source from 1759, is showing a grenadier from the Kurbayern regiment with the uniform here detailed. The color of the distinctives is a pale red (or "old rose") color, which seems to be the same color shown by H.Knötel for infantry regiment Holnstein.
 Uniform in 1757 - Copyright Kronoskaf |
| Headgear |
| ||||||||||||
| Neckstock | red | ||||||||||||
| Coat | Austrian style blue coat with 3 yellow buttons under the lapel and 1 yellow button in the small of the back
| ||||||||||||
| Waistcoat | straw | ||||||||||||
| Breeches | straw | ||||||||||||
| Gaiters | black | ||||||||||||
| Leather Equipment |
|
Officers
The officers were distinguished by a gold lace on the tricorne which was also decorated with a black cockade fastened with a gold lace, and a gold gorget decorated with golden arms of Bavaria.
Junior officers were to carry a thin, hollow "spanish reed", with which to discipline soldiers.
Senior officers were to carry a cane that was to taper from at most the width of a thumb to at most the width of a finger.
NCO's
NCO's were distinguished from the privates by the wearing of a "broadsword". On deployment, the sergeants were to carry the Kurzgewehr, whereas the corpoals carried a musket, bayonet, and cartridge pouch.
Beyond that, all NCO's carried a wooden cane for discpline, of suitable thickness for discpline, but without mauling the soldiers (infantry regulations, page 14). This was to be thinner than the cane used by officers.
Musicians
Drummers wore the uniform of the troopers with the following distinctions:
- yellow Prussian style chevrons on the sleeves
- coat edged yellow
- buttons laced yellow
- yellow laced swallow nest at the shoulders
- yellow laced cuffs
White bandolier edged yellow.
The white drum barrel was decorated with the crowned arms of Bavaria. The hoops were decorated with white and blue stripes.
Colours
About the colours of the Bavarian infantry regiments , we know some models in use during the first part of the 18th century, before 1740; we know 4 models of flags which were in use between 1742 and 1745 and we also know the two models created in 1786 after the reunification of the bavarian and palatinate armies. So, between 1745 and 1786, information are unfortunately very scarce. The following descriptions represent an "educated guess" based on these few sources.
As this regiment was raised in 1753, perhaps the flags were of the 1750s pattern :
For more details on the various patterns of Bavarian colours used during this period, please refer to our article on the Bavarian Line Infantry Colours.
N.B.: From circa 1748, the Inhaber of the regiments had the possibility to influence the design of the Leibfahne after their wish, using individual images of the Madonna.
Exceptionally, since 1757, the Leibfahne of Pechmann Infantry carried the crowned golden coat of arms of Bavaria in each of its corners :
References
Boehm, E.; Rottgardt, D., Die Reichsarmee 1757-63. I. Teil: Zusammensetzung und Organisation, KLIO-Arbeitsgruppe 7jähriger Krieg, Friderzianische Epoche, Manuskript, o.J
Boehm, E.; Rottgardt, D.; Weirich, W.-D., Die Reichsarmee 1757-63. II. Teil: Die einzelnen Einheiten, ihre Stärke, Zusammensetzung, Uniform und Feldzeichen, KLIO-Arbeitsgruppe 7jähriger Krieg, Friderzianische Epoche, Manuskript, o.J.
Funken, Liliane and Fred, Historische Uniformen, Vol. 2
Schirmer, Friedrich: Die Heere der kriegführenden Staaten 1756-1763, hrsg. von der KLIO-Landesgruppe Baden-Württemberg, überarb. u. aktual. Neuauflage 1989
Staudinger, Karl, Geschichte des kurbayerischen Heeres unter Kurfürst Karl Albrecht - Kaiser Karl VII. - und Max III. Joseph 1726 - 1777, (Geschichte des bayerischen Heeres 3), J. Lindauer, Munich, 1909
Acknowledgments
rf-figuren for the initial version of this article
