Post Infantry
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Origin and History
The regiment was initially raised in 1675 by Colonel von Ilten. It was disbanded in 1697.
In 1679, when Denmark established a blockade around the city of Hamburg, the regiment formed part of the Hanoverian and Celler troops sent to the Elbe who forced the Danes to retire.
In 1685, during the Great Turkish War (1683-99), the regiment was sent to Hungary where it took part in the siege of Neuhäusel (present-day Nové Zámky/SK), in the relief of Gran (present-day Esztergom) and in the capture of Eperies (present-day Prešov/SK), Kaschau (present-day Košice/SK), Sarawas and Zellnock. In 1686, it took part in the siege ans storming of Ofen (present-day part of Budapest) and in the capture of Colocka, Simontorna, Caposwar, Szegedin, Fünfkirchen, Sincloss and Darda; in 1687, in the Battle of Mohács. At the end of the campaign, the regiment returned to Lüneburg. In 1692, the regiment was once more sent to Hungary where it participated in the siege and capture of Grosswardein and in the unsuccessful siege of Belgrade before returning to Lüneburg. In 1694, the regiment was again sent to Hungary where it participated in the capture of Giula. In 1696, it took part in the siege of Temesvar, in the Battle of Ollasch; in 1697, in the Battle of Zenta. It then returned to Lüneburg.
In 1700, the regiment took part in the campaign in Holstein against the Danes.
In 1703, during the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-13), the regiment quenched unrest in Hildesheim. In 1704, it took part in the Battle of the Schellenberg and the Battle of Blenheim. In 1706, it fought in the Battle of Ramillies. From 1707 to 1710, it campaigned on the Rhine.
In 1711, the regiment occupied Hildesheim.
In 1742, during the War of the Austrian Succession (1740-48), the regiment served with the Austrian army in the Netherlands. In 1743, it fought in the Battle of Dettingen where Major von Tallard was killed and Captain Ritter von Estorf and Lieutenant von Goldacker were wounded. It then participated in the demolition of the lines at Gemersheim and Landau. In 1744, it served in the Netherlands. In 1745, it was posted on the Rhine. In 17436, it returned to the Netherlands and fought in the Battle of Rocoux. In 1746, it took part in the Battle of Lauffeld.
During the Seven Years War the regimental inhabers were:
- from 1749: Colonel Ernst August von Hammerstein (died in May 1756)
- from 1756 Colonel Joachim Wilhelm von Post (promoted to major-general in 1758, retired in 1761 as lieutenant-general)
- from 1761 Colonel de Sance (killed in action in the Battle of Vellinghausen on July 16, 1761
- from 1761: (late) Carl Ludewig Friedrich Prince von Mecklenburg-Strelitz (promoted to major-general in 1762 and to lieutenant-general in 1763)
In 1763, the regiment Monroy Infantry (No. 10B) was amalgamated to this regiment.
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 was deployed in the first line of the right wing under the command of General Block. At the end of the year, during the Allied counter-offensive in Hanover, the regiment was allocated to Diepenbroick’s Corps who drove the French out of the region of Bremen.
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 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. At 1:00 PM, the regiment followed the Hereditary Prince in his attack against the wood held by Saint-Germain Division. Towards the end of the battle, the Hereditary Prince and Gilsa rallied the battalion along with other Allied infantry units and advanced onto the plain. The Comte de Gisors at the head of 4 squadrons of Carabiniers charged these advancing battalions who let them close in to about 20 paces before firing a devastating volley mowing down in an instant most of the first rank. A single squadron managed to break through but the third rank of infantry knocked it down. On October 10, the regiment fought in the Battle of Lutterberg where it formed part of Major-general Post's Brigade deployed in the first line of the centre. It covered the retreat and then took post at Einbeck.
At the end of March 1759, during the 1759 - Allied spring offensive in Western Germany, the regiment took part in the attack on Meiningen The regiment formed part of the Allied army of Ferdinand of Brunswick. It was attached to Post Brigade in the first line of the infantry centre. On April 13, the regiment took part in the Battle of Bergen where it formed part of the second column under the Prince von Ysenburg, posted on the left wing of the Allied army. The Prince von Ysenburg, who had been a rallying point for Hessian resistance against the French, fell leading the repeated assaults up a steep slope against the abattis situated around the village. The French units in Bergen were strengthened by a reserve who blunted all attacks. After repeated attempts to storm the village of Bergen, the Hanoverian and Hessian troops finally withdrew. In June, the regiment was part of Imhoff's Corps operating in Hesse. It took part in the siege of Münster. However, on September 6, facing a much larger army advancing towards Münster under the command of d’Armentières, Imhoff raised the siege and retired by Telgte. On September 12, after reinforcing the garrison, d’Armentières retired to Wesel and Imhoff resumed siege operations and Münster surrendered on November 20.
In February 1760, the regiment took up its winter-quarters in Bentheim. In June, it was allocated to Sprörcken's Corps posted at Volkmissen. During the night of July 24 to 25, this corps was harassed by a French Corps under the Comte de Broglie. Spörcken's corps spent the night under arms near a narrow defile between Fischbach (unidentified location) and Wolfhagen, then Spörcken sent his cavalry in a wide turning movement of about 20 km around a hill. His infantry then passed the defile but before the Allied cavalry could join it, the rearguard (Post Infantry (1 bn), Estorff Infantry (1 bn) and 400 picquets) was attacked by French horse and foot. The Allied rearguard managed to gain a rising ground where it held for 2.5 hours till the arrival of Spörcken's cavalry (7 Hanoverian sqns and 2 Hessian sqns under Breitenbach). This cavalry attacked the French in flank and put them into disorder. During this action, the French lost about 1,000 men, the Comte de Vair was killed and the Comte de Belzunce and M. de Comeyras wounded. The Allies lost 200 men. On July 31, the regiment took part in the Battle of Warburg where it was deployed in the first line of the right wing, in front of Ossendorf, under the command of Lieutenant-General Hardenberg.
In mid-February 1761, during the Allied campaign in Hesse, the regiment was part of Oheimb’s Corps who ambushed Maupéou's Corps between Sachsenberg and Neukirchen, instantly putting it to flight and capturing M. de Maupéou along with a lieutenant-colonel, 5 officers and 50 soldiers. The regiment then took part in the siege of Kassel which was raised on February 29. On July 16, the regiment was present at the Battle of Vellinghausen where it formed part of Wolff's Corps detached by Spörcken from Herzfeld to reinforce Wutginau. Its colonel, de Sance, was killed during this battle.
On August 30, 1762, the regiment took part in the Combat of Nauheim where it was attached to Lieutenant-General von Hardenberg's column. Around 11:00 a.m., the regiment was part of those who passed the Wetter to attack the Johannisberg. On September 21, the regiment was present at the Combat of Amöneburg where it formed part of Zastrow's Corps occupying the ground immediately before the Brücker Mühle (Zastrow commanded in the absence of Lieutenant-General Hardenberg). In this combat, the regiment lost Captain-Lieutenant de Vaux, killed; and Ensign Backmeister, severely wounded. In October, it took part in the siege of Kassel. When the place surrendered, the regiment was assigned to its garrison.
In 1763, the regiment returned to Hanover.
Uniform
Privates
| Headgear |
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| Neck stock | black | ||||||||||||
| Coat | red with 2 pewter buttons and 2 white buttonholes under the lapels
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| Waistcoat | poison green with 2 horizontal pockets, each with 3 pewter buttons | ||||||||||||
| Breeches | straw yellow | ||||||||||||
| Gaiters | white | ||||||||||||
| Leather Equipment |
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Troopers were armed with a musket and a sword, and carried a dark brown haversack with a metal canteen on the left hip.
Officers
Officers had silver lace lining the cuffs and lapels, a black cockade hat, a gold gorget with the arms of Hanover in the centre and carried a yellow sash slung over the right shoulder. Sergeants wore straw gloves. Partizans were carried.
Musicians
Drummers wore a red coat with swallows nest and lace in white.
The drum pattern had hoops in alternating poison green and red diagonal stripes, white drum cords over a brass drum with the Arms of Hanover in the centre.
Colours
Colonel Colour: white field; centre device consisting of the Arms of Hanover (common to all Hanoverian infantry regiments).
Regimental Colours: dark green field; centre device consisting of an outstretched mailed arm with sword, the whole surrounded by a laurel wreath and a trophy of arms; a white scroll above carrying the motto CUI VULT. Hereafter, we present an illustration from the Reitzenstein Sammlung, dating from circa 1761 (left) and our own interpretation (right).
 Regimental Colour - Source: Interpretation of the Reitzenstein Sammlung (circa 1761) |
References
This article incorporates texts from the following books which are now in the public domain:
- Wissel, Friedrich v. and Georg von Wissel: Geschichte der Errichtung sämmtlicher Chur-Braunschweig-Lüneburgischen Truppen, sammt ihren Fahnen, Standarten und Pauken-Devisen ..., Zelle, 1786, pp. 645-664
Other sources
Biles, Bill: The Hanoverian Army in the 18th Century, Seven Years War Association Journal Vol. VI No. 3
Gmundener Prachtwerk, circa 1761
Knötel, H. der Jung, and Hans M. Brauer: Uniformbogen Nr. 45, Berlin
Niemeyer, Joachim, and Georg Ortenburg: The Hanoverian Army during the Seven Years War
Pengel, R., and G. R. Hurt: German States in the Seven Years War 1740 to 1762, Imperial Press
Reitzenstein Sammlung, Bomann Museum, Celle
Rogge, Christian: The French & Allied Armies in Germany during the Seven Years War, Frankfurt, 2006
Vial, J. L.: Nec Pluribus Impar
N.B.: the section Service during the War is mostly derived from our articles depicting the various campaigns, battles and sieges.
