Difference between revisions of "Württemberg Garnisonsregiment"

Latest revision as of 05:28, 20 January 2019

Hierarchical Path: Seven Years War (Main Page) >> Armies >> Württemberg Army >> Württemberg Garnisonsregiment

Origin and History

In November 1759, the detachments garrisoning the various fortress of Württemberg consisted mostly of soldiers unfit for service in the field. They were organised in 4 garrison companies, totaling about 400 men.

In December 1760, the so called Stabsregiment or Garnisonsregiment, consisting of a single battalion, was formed from the garrison companies.

During the Seven Years' War, the regiment was under the command of:

• 1759: captain von Siegfried
• 1760: lieutenant-colonel Philipp Friedrich von Rieger
• 1762: major Johan Jacob von Scheler (interim)
• 1763: major Karl August von Gemmingen

From 1765, the garrison companies became independent once more.

Service during the War

The unit did not participate to any campaign. It rather assumed garrison duty in the various fortresses of Württemberg.

Uniform

Privates

Garrison Regiment - Source: Frédéric Aubert

Garrison trooper in 1760 - Source: von Stadlinger, 1856

Troopers were armed with a musket and a sword.

Officers

Officers wore a uniform quite similar to the troopers with the following exceptions:

• no turnbacks
• black and gold sash
• beige gloves

Musicians

no information available yet

Colours

Information about the colours of the Württemberger infantry regiments are very scarce. The following descriptions represent an "educated guess" based on these few sources

Both Leibfahne and Ordinarfahne would have the same design :

- on the obverse side, a red ribbon with the motto "Provide et constanter", the arms of the duke of Württemberg, surmounted by a gold and red ducal crown. The arms consisted of an oval shield surrounded by a "Ordenskette" necklace holding the "Militär Carls Orden" star.

The oval shield with the armories had 5 fields : Upper left canton: yellow and black checkerboard pattern (Teck arms), Upper right canton: yellow flags on a blue field (Reichssturm), Lower right canton: brown head with a red bonnet on a yellow field (Heidenheim arms), Lower left canton: two gold fish on a red field (Monbéliard arms), Central escutcheon: left side = 3 black stag antlers, right side = a black eagle, both sides on a yellow field

The necklace had 8 blue 'W' depicting precious stones, each linked with a golden eagle

- on the reverse side, in the center, a gold "mirrored CE" monogram with a gold and red ducal crown. A small gold "mirrored C" monogram with a gold and red ducal crown on each corner.

Leibfahne: white field with silver fringes

Ordinarfahne: blue field with silver fringes

Garnisonsregiment Ordinarfahne - Source: Frédéric Aubert

References

Deutsche Uniformen, Bd. 1, Das Zeitalter Friedrich des Großen, 240 Bilder von Herbert Knötel d. J., Text und Erläuterungen von Dr. Martin Letzius, hrsg. von der Sturm-Zigaretten GmbH, Dresden 1932

Frederic, Jacques André, Etat des Trouppes de S.A.S. Monseigneur le Duc de Virtemberg et Theck sur pié en 1759, Augsburg, 1759

Knötel, R.: Farbiges Handbuch der Uniformkunde: Die Entwicklung der militärischen Tracht der deutschen Staaten, Österreich-Ungarns und der Schweiz. Begründet von Prof. Richard Knötel. Grundlegend überarbeitet und bis zum Stand von 1937 fortgeführt von Herbert Knötel d.J. und Herbert Sieg. Dem Stand der Forschung angepaßt und ergänzt von Ingo Pröper, überarbeitete Neuauflage, Stuttgart 1985

Stadlinger, L., J. von: Geschichte des Württembergischen Kriegswesens – von der frühesten bis zur neuesten Zeit, Stuttgart, 1856

Zahn, Michael, Die Herzoglich Württembergische Armee im Siebenjährigen Krieg, Manuskript, Stuttgart: January 2008