Württemberg Leib Grenadier Regiment
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Contents
Origin and History
In 1758, the Garde zu Fuß was twice reorganised: on August 30, a second battalion had been erected; and on October 1, this second battalion became the core of the new Leibgrenadierregiment while retaining its two other battalions. The Leibgrenadierregiment then recruited other troops to bring its total force to 3 battalions.
In 1762 and 1763, two battalions were detached from the regiment to form independent grenadier battalions designated as Hausgrenadierbataillon and Herzogsgrenadierbataillon. The Leibgrenadierregiment now counting a single battalion was renamed Leibgrenadierbataillon.
During the Seven Years' War, the successive Kommandeure of the regiment were:
- since 1758: colonel Johan Friedrich Karl von Linckensdorff
- from 1761 to 1765: colonel Karl August von Lengefeld
In 1765, the Leibgrenadierbataillon was disbanded.
Service during the War
Only one battalion took part to the war. From July 1760 to January 1761, it campaigned in Saxony.
Uniform
The regiment probably retained the uniform worn when its two battalions were still part of the Garde zu Fuß.
Privates
| Headgear |
| ||||||||||||
| Neckstock | black | ||||||||||||
| Coat | dark blue in Prussian cut with 2 yellow buttons and 2 white buttonholes with white tassels under the lapel
| ||||||||||||
| Waistcoat | yellow | ||||||||||||
| Breeches | white | ||||||||||||
| Gaiters | black during campaigns | ||||||||||||
| Leather Equipment |
|
Troopers were armed with a musket and a sword.
Officers
NCO's tricorne was probably laced silver. Furthermore, they wore beige gloves and carried a baton and a partisan.
Officers wore a uniform quite similar to the troopers with the following exceptions:
- tricorne decorated with a gold lace
- gold gorget
- no turnbacks
- gold buttonholes
- gold sash
- brown and gold scabbard
- beige gloves
- spontoon
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
We don't know if Württemberger 'regular' Grenadier regiments had flags (converged Grenadiers regiments very probably didn't have flags). But, here, if this 'regular' regiment had flags, we suspect they could be like that :
Leibfahne would be like the one for the other regiments.
Ordinarfahne would have the same design than for the other regiments but with a grenade on each corner instead of the small crowned "mirrored C" monogram:
- 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. One grenade on each corner.
Leibfahne: white field with silver fringes
 Leib Grenadier Leibfahne - Source: Frédéric Aubert |
Ordinarfahne: carmine red field with silver fringes with, on the reverse, one grenade on each corner
 Leib Grenadier Ordinarfahne - Source: Frédéric Aubert |
References
- Becher, Johann Christian: Wahrhaftige Nachricht derer Begebenheiten, so sich in dem Herzogthum Weimar by dem gewaltigen Kriege Friedrichs II., Königs von Preußen, mit der Königin von Ungarn, Marien Theresen, samt ihren Bundesgenossen zugetragen, Weimar, ca. 1757-1760
- 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.
- Deutsche Uniformen, Bd. 1, Das Zeitalter Friedrich des Großen, 240 Bilder von Herbert Knötel d. J., Text and explanations by Dr. Martin Letzius, published by Sturm-Zigaretten GmbH, Dresden 1932
- Evrard P., Praetiriti Fides
- Großer Generalstab, Die Kriege Friedrichs des Großen. Der Siebenjährige Krieg, Berlin 1901-1914
- Kaufmann, Michael, Wurtemberg during the Seven Years' War, Nec Pluribus Impar
- Knötel, R., Farbiges Handbuch der Uniformkunde: Die Entwicklung der militärischen Tracht der deutschen Staaten, Österreich-Ungarns und der Schweiz, published in 1937 by Herbert Knötel d.J. and Herbert Sieg.
- Koch, A.U., Der modische Wandel der Uniform im 18. Jahrhundert. Reich und Württemberg. (Officer's portraits 1730 to 1790), in Zeitschrift für Heereskunde, Nr. 330, LI. Jg (1987), S. 33-36
- Kroll, I., Truppen der kriegführenden Staaten in Nordwestdeutschland 1757-1762, in Die Zinnfigur, Heft 12 (1987), pp. 361-362, 375-378
- Military Miniatures Magazin, Die Armee von Carl Eugen Herzog von Württemberg, Herzogtum Württemberg 1756 – 1763
- Rogge, Christian; The French & Allied Armies in Germany during the Seven Years War, Frankfurt, 2006
- Service Historique de l'Armée de Terre - A4 XXVII, pièce 22
- 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
