Prinz Karl von Zweibrücken Infantry
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Origin and History
The regiment was raised in 1725 as a Landbataillon. On May 13 1746, it was amalgamated with a battalion from Zweibrucken to form a regular regiment. During peacetime, it garrisoned Mannheim.
At the outbreak of the Seven Years' War, the regiment was not at full strength, totalling only some 1,000 men. It consisted of 2 battalions. Theoretically, each of these battalions should count 1 grenadier coys (100 men) and 5 musketeer coys (each of 140 musketeers). The regimental artillery consisted of 1 gun per battalion, each served by 20 artillerymen detached from the Palatine Artillery.
While campaigning, its grenadiers were usually formed into converged grenadier battalions.
During the Seven Years' War, the Chef of the regiment was:
- from May 8 1751 until 1775: Prince Karl August Christian von Pfalz-Birkenfeld-Zweibrücken
During the Seven Years' War, its commander was:
- from 1749 until 1765: de Roy
Service during the War
In 1757, the regiment was part of the 6,000 men strong Subsidienkorps (Palatine Auxiliary Corps) hired by France to serve in Germany. At the end of June, the Palatinate Auxiliary Corps advanced through Westphalia to join the French Lower Rhine Army commanded by maréchal d'Estrées. On July 26, the regiment took part in the Battle of Hastenbeck where it supported the leading columns of the left wing. After the victory, it encamped at Grosselsen near Hameln with the main body of the French Lower Rhine Army from July 31 to August 2. At the end of the year, it took its winter quarters in the towns of Detmold, Hamm, and Gütersloh; with the other regiments of the Palatine Auxiliary Corps. This position was in the fourth line of the French Army.
In March 1758, during the Allied winter offensive in western Germany, the second battalion of the regiment was part of the French garrison of Minden which was attacked by an Allied corps led by General Kilmansegg. On March 15, the garrison of Minden surrendered without opposing any serious resistance. The battalion was later exchanged but not before the end of the campaign.
On January 1 1759, French subsidies not being renewed because the Palatine troops had proven to be quite unwilling allies to the French, the regiment returned to Palatinate.
Uniform
Privates
| Headgear |
| ||||||||||||
| Neckstock | black | ||||||||||||
| Coat | blue coat with 3 pewter buttons under the lapels and 1 in the small of the back
N.B.: during summer, a linen smock was worn instead of the coat
| ||||||||||||
| Waistcoat | white with 15 pewter buttons | ||||||||||||
| Breeches | white | ||||||||||||
| Gaiters | black with 22 pewter buttons | ||||||||||||
| Leather Equipment |
|
Privates were armed with a musket, a bayonet and a curved sword.
NCOs
no information available yet
Officers
The officers wore the same uniform with the following exceptions:
- scalloped tricorne with a black cockade and no pompoms
- silver gorget (since 1755)
- silver buttons and laces
- white and blue striped sash (silver and blue for staff officers)
- white and blue sword frog (silver and blue for staff officers)
- buff gloves
- black cane
Grenadier officers used a musket instead of a spontoon. Therefore, they wore a little cartouche (laced gold with a golden front plate) at the waistbelt.
Musicians
no information available yet
Colours
Colours before 1760
Colonel flag (Leibfahne): white field bordered with white and blue flames; centre device consisting of an image of the Madonna of Dorfen standing on a snake, surmounted by a white scroll carrying the motto “Sub Tuum Praesidium Virgo Gloriosa”; each corner monogram consisting of the yellow cypher of Karl IV Theodor surrounded by a wreath.
Regimental flags (Kompaniefahnen): blue field; centre device consisting of the yellow cypher of Karl IV Theodor surmounted by a red and gold Electoral cap; each corner monogram consisting of the yellow cypher of Karl IV Theodor surrounded by laurel branches bound with a red ribbon.
Colours from 1760
Each battalion carried 2 colours.
Colonel flag (Leibfahne): white field bordered with white and blue flames; centre device consisting of an image of the Madonna of Dorfen standing on a snake, surmounted by a white scroll carrying the motto “Sub Tuum Praesidium Virgo Gloriosa”; each corner monogram consisting of the yellow cypher of Karl IV Theodor surrounded by a wreath.
Regimental flags (Kompaniefahnen): blue or yellow field bordered with blue and white squares in a checker pattern; centre device consisting of the Electoral arms on a shield resting on clouds and flanked by a lion passant holding a sword and by a cannon and a flag; each corner monogram consisting of the yellow cypher of Karl IV Theodor surrounded by laurel branches bound with a red ribbon.
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
- Original (Stiftung Weimarer Klassik - Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek Weimar)
- Copy (Bibliothèque nationale de France, De Ridder collection)
Bezel, Oskar; Geschichte des Kurpfälzischen Heeres ..., Bayrisches Kriegsarchiv, München, 1925
Pengel, R.D. And G. R. Hurt; Bavaria, Saxony & the Palatinate Supplement: Uniforms and Flags of the Senen Years War, Hopewell: On Military Matters, 1981
Rogge, Christian; The French & Allied Armies in Germany during the Seven Years War, Frankfurt, 2006
N.B.: the section Service during the War is mostly derived from our articles depicting the various campaigns, battles and sieges.
Acknowledgments
rf-figuren for the initial version of this article.
