Prinz Wilhem Erbprinz Cavalry
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Origin and History
In 1672 three cavalry companies existed under Major von Hornumb. In 1673 they were increased to four and in 1676 to five companies. In 1683 the regiment was created from four of these companies and four new companies. From 1685 to 1702, the number of companies of the regiment fluctuated between four and six.
During the War of the Spanish Succession, the regiment took part in the battles of Speyerbach (November 15, 1703), Blenheim (August 13, 1704), Castiglione (September 8, 1706), Oudenarde (July 11, 1708) and Malplaquet (September 11, 1709).
During the War of the Austrian Succession, the regiment was attached to an Austrian corps.
In 1753, the regiment became the property of Prince Wilhelm of Hessen-Kassel.
At the beginning of the Seven Years' War, the regiment counted 360 men formed into 2 squadrons. In 1760, it was increased to 400 men.
During the Seven Years' War, the regimental "Chef" was:
- from 1753 to 1813: Prince Wilhelm von Hessen (hereditary prince from 1760)
During the Seven Years' War, the effective commander of the regiment were:
- from 1758: Colonel J.L. von Stein
- from 1760: Major-General F.C. Wolff
- from 1762 to 1774: Colonel W.E. Wehner von Offenbach
In 1765 the regiment was amalgamated with the cavalry regiment (K3) von Schlotheim (former v. Miltitz, v. Oheimb, v. Einsiedel, Heister) to form a dragoon regiment.
In 1774 the regiments were again separated and the regiment was renamed Carabinier-Corps, then Carabinier-Regiment.
In 1813 the regiment was incorporated in the regiment Gens d'armes (K2) and ceased to exist.
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 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. On October 10, it fought in the Battle of Lutterberg where it was placed in the second line of the centre.
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. The infantry in the column were fed into the initial assaults on Bergen and beaten back while this regiment, along with the rest of the cavalry, protected their flank. 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 von Holstein. On November 28, the regiment was part of the force under the Hereditary Prince destined to dislodge the Württemberger Contingent from Fulda and then to reinforce Frederick II in Saxony. This force set out from Marburg and marched to Kirtorf. On November 29, they force marched to Angersbach and Lauterbach. On Friday November 30, this force launched an attack on Fulda, forcing the Württemberger Contingent to retreat precipitously southwards on Bruckenau in the general direction of Franconia and Württemberg. During this action, the regiment guarded the baggage. On December 18, the Hereditary Prince at the head of his corps arrived at Erfurt. On December 25, the Hereditary Prince formed a junction with Frederick II at Leipzig in Saxony.
On July 10, 1760, the regiment was part of Lieutenant-General von Gilsa's Reserve at the Combat of Corbach. This reserve did not take part in the engagement.
On July 16, 1761, the regiment was present at the Battle of Vellinghausen, where it formed part of Wolff's Corps detached by Spörcken from Herzfeld to reinforce Lieutenant-General Wutginau.
On June 24, 1762, the regiment took part in the Battle of Wilhelmsthal.
Uniform
By the 1740's the horse troopers did not wear a cuirass anymore.
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 | ||||||||||
| Neck stock | black | ||||||||||
| Coat | white with a brass button on each side in the small of the back
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| Waistcoat | white edged blue | ||||||||||
| 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 reversed colours. They were usually mounted on white or grey horses.
The bugle cord was made of interwoven white and blue braids. Any banner from the trumpet would use the same markings as those on the housing.
1761 Uniform
Privates
| Headgear | black tricorne laced yellow with oak leaves as a field sign and a black cockade fastened with a brass button | ||||||||||
| Neck stock | black | ||||||||||
| Coat | buff edged with a white braid decorated with 2 blue stripes
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| Sash | blue worn over the coat | ||||||||||
| Sabretache | blue edged with a white braid decorated with 2 blue stripes; decorated with the crowned cipher "FL" | ||||||||||
| Waistcoat | blue edged with a white braid decorated with 2 blue stripes | ||||||||||
| Breeches | pale straw with white knee covers | ||||||||||
| 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 reversed colours. They were usually mounted on white or grey horses.
The bugle cord was made of interwoven white and blue braids. Any banner from the trumpet would use the same markings as those on the housing.
Standards
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 in gold.
Squadron standard: blue field; centre device consisting of the armed Hessian lion in gold.
Sources differ concerning the Hessian Lion: it is alternatively illustrated 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
Witzel, Rudolf: Hessen Kassels Regimenter in der Allierten Armee 1762, bearb. u. hrsg. von Ingo Kroll, Norderstedt 2007, pp. 173-174
N.B.: the section Service during the War is mostly derived from our articles depicting the various campaigns, battles and sieges.
