Prussian Garrison Regiment VI

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Origin and History

The regiment was raised in 1741, during the War of the Austrian Succession, to garrison the recently captured fortress of Brieg (actual Brzeg) in Silesia. It initially counted 2 battalions. In May 1745, its first battalion was taken prisoners at the surrender of the Fortress of Cosel (actual Koźle). Until 1756, the regiment garrisoned the places of Cosel, Brieg and Namslau (present-day Namysłów).

On June 19 1756, the regiment was increased to 4 battalions. The 2 new battalions had no grenadier company and garrisoned Brieg and Breslau (present-day Wrocław).

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

• since December 10 1753: Christian Friedrich von Lattorf
• from April 4 1762: Gerhard Alexander baron von Saß

After the war, the regiment retained its four battalions and garrisoned the places of Brieg (15 coys) and Namslau (5 coys).

Service during the War

At the outbreak of the war, in 1756, the regiment was assuming garrison duties in Silesia. Its grenadiers garrisoned Brieg. On June 19 1756, it was increased to 4 battalions. The 2 new battalions had no grenadier company and garrisoned Brieg and Breslau (present-day Wrocław). On July 28, the regiment received orders to prepare itself to relieve regular field infantry regiments in the places they were currently garrisoning. Accordingly, 2 bns were sent to Cosel, 1 bn to Brieg and 1 bn remained in Breslau.

In November 1757, the first battalion took part in the defence of Breslau which surrendered on November 25. In December, its third and fourth battalions were at the siege and recapture of Breslau.

In April 1758, the third battalion of the regiment was at the siege and recapture of Schweidnitz. The fourth battalion then joined the army of Frederick II for the invasion of Moravia and the unsuccessful siege of Olmütz. On May 11, it guarded Frederick's headquarters at Schmirsitz. From July to November, the first and second battalions took part in the defence of Cosel.

In October 1760, the first and second battalions of the regiment once more took part in the defence of Cosel.

N.B.: During the war the grenadiers from the wing grenadier company were put together with the grenadiers of Garrison Regiment VIII, forming the Standing Grenadier Battalion Nr. VI (G-VI/G-VIII Plötz) (please refer to this article for the details of the service of the grenadiers during the war).

Uniform

As was the case for most garrison regiments, the musketeers and grenadiers of this regiment wore different uniforms. The present article describes the uniform of the musketeers. For the uniform of the grenadiers, please refer to the article dedicated to the Standing Grenadier Battalion Nr. VI (G-VI/G-VIII Plötz).

Privates

Uniform in 1756 - Source: Kronoskaf

Uniform Details

Headgear	Musketeer black tricone without lace with 1 pewter button, 1 orange pompom and 1 white tassel in each lateral corne Grenadier mitre cap with silver-plated front plate; orange headband edged with a white braid and decorated with silver-plated metal ornaments; orange backing piped with a white braid; white within orange within white pompom. In regiments with white metal, the front plates were to be coloured with a water-based silver paste which needed to be re-applied regularly lest the cap plates revert to their original brass colour. Therefore, during campaign, particularly in bad weather, it is possible that the silvering could have worn off and needed to be silvered again.
Neck stock	black
Coat	Prussian blue lined red with 6 pewter buttons on both sides on the chest, 2 pewter buttons at the waist on the right side and 3 pewter buttons on each side to fasten the skirts forming the turnbacks Collar none Shoulder Strap Prussian blue fastened with a pewter button Lapels none Pockets horizontal pockets piped red, each with 2 pewter buttons Cuffs orange "Prussian style" cuffs with 2 pewter buttons on each sleeve Turnbacks red
Waistcoat	Prussian blue
Breeches	Prussian blue
Gaiters	black
Leather Equipment	Crossbelt one white belt over the left shoulder for the cartridge box and one narrower white belt over the right shoulder for the haversack Waistbelt white Cartridge Box black Bayonet Scabbard brown Scabbard none Footgear black

Privates were armed with a short musket and a bayonet.

NCOs

NCOs wore uniforms similar to those of the privates with the following distinctions:

• tricorne with wide silver lace and a black and white quartered pompom
• silver laced cuffs
• no shoulder strap
• yellowish leather gloves
• black and white sabre tassel

NCOs were armed with a sabre and a white light half-pike measuring 7,5 Rhenish feet (2.37 m.).

NCOs also carried wooden canes (normally attached to a button at the top of the right front while carrying the half-pike).

Officers

Uniforms of officers were very similar to those of the privates with the following exceptions:

• black tricorne wearing a thin silver lace and 2 black and white tassels: 1 in each side corne of the tricorne (officers always wore tricornes notwithstanding if they were commanding musketeers, fusiliers or grenadiers)
• black neck stock
• no shoulder strap on the coat
• no turnbacks on the coat
• no trimming on the coat
• black and silver sash around the waist
• a silver and gold gorget

Officers carried white spontoons measuring 7 ½ Rhenish feet (2.36 m.) and an officer stick.

Musicians

Drummers wore uniforms to those of the privates with the following differences:

• no shoulder strap
• shoulders decorated with white swallow nests (4 vertical and 1 horizontal braids)

Drummers carried a side-arm.

The drum pattern had ???.

Colours

Colonel flag (Leibfahne): White field. Centre device consisting of a silver “FR” monogram surrounded by golden palm leaves and surmounted by a silver crown. Grenades in silver.

Regimental flags (Kompaniefahnen): Turquoise field. Centre device consisting of a silver “FR” monogram surrounded by golden palm leaves and surmounted by a silver crown. Grenades in silver.

N.B. the reverses of all colours were mirror images of the obverses

Colonel Colour - Source: Richard Couture from a template by Not By Appointment

Regimental Colour - Source: Richard Couture from a template by Not By Appointment

References

Bleckwenn, Hans: Die friderizianischen Uniformen 1756-1783, Bd. II., Infanterie II, Osnabrück 1984

Duffy, Christopher: Friedrich der Große und seine Armee, Stuttgart, 2. Auflage 1983

Engelmann, Joachim and Günter Dorn: Die Infanterie-Regimenter Friedrich des Grossen, Podzun-Pallas, 2000, pp. 146-147

Grosser Generalstab Kriegsgeschichtliche Abteilung II: Die Kriege Friedrichs des Grossen, Part 3 Der siebenjährige Krieg 1756-1763, Vol. 1 Pirna und Lobositz, Berlin, 1901, App. 1

Guddat, Martin: Die Infanterie Friedrichs des Großen, Herford 1986

Haythornthwaite, Philip: Frederick the Great (2), Men-at Arms-Series No. 240, Osprey

Hohrath, Daniel: The Uniforms of the Prussian Army under Frederick the Great from 1740 to 1786; Vol. 2; Verlag Militaria, Vienna: 2011, pp. 420-425

Horvath, Carl Christian: Friedrichs II. König von Preussen Armee-Montirungen, Potsdam 1789. Vierte Sammlung

Merta, Klaus-Peter: Das Heerwesen in Brandenburg und Preußen von 1640 bis 1806 - Die Uniformierung, Berlin 1991

N.B.: the section Service during the War is mostly derived from our articles depicting the various campaigns, battles and sieges.

Acknowledgments

Martina Hager for the initial version of this article.