Södra Skånska Horse

Hierarchical Path: Seven Years War (Main Page) >> Armies >> Swedish Army >> Södra Skånska Horse

Origin and History

The regiment was raised in 1676 as Ramsvärds kavalleriregemente. Indelta in 1680 and received its name in 1695. It counted 8 companies for a total of 1,000 men.

In the Great Northern War shipped overseas in 1701. With the King's Army and captured after Poltava. Reraised but as the Norra Skånska used only as garrison troop. In the Norwegian campaign 1718.

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

• no information available yet

Service during the War

In 1757, the entire regiment was part of the expeditionary force sent to Pomerania under Field-marshal Mathias Alexander von Ungern Sternberg. It served in the successive Pomeranian campaigns until 1761.

On November 18 1758, a detachment of the regiment was part of General von Lingen's force at the combat of Güstow.

Uniform

Privates

Uniform in 1757 - Source: Kronoskaf

Uniform in 1757

Headgear	black tricorne without lace and with a brass button on the left side
Neck stock	black
Coat	medium blue lined straw with 12 brass buttons down the front and 2 brass buttons in the small of the back Collar straw Shoulder strap medium blue fastened with 1 brass button Lapels none Pockets horizontal pockets, each with 3 brass buttons Cuffs straw, each with 3 brass buttons Turnbacks straw
Waistcoat	straw
Breeches	buckskin or reindeer skin
Leather Equipment	Crossbelt natural leather bandoleer Waistbelt natural leather Cartridge Box n/a Scabbard black with brass fittings Bayonet scabbard none Gloves chamois Footgear black boots
Horse Furniture	Housings medium blue laced straw Holster caps medium blue laced straw Blanket roll medium blue

Troopers were armed with a sword, a pair of pistols and a carbine. They could also wear a polished steel breastplate bordered in yellow under their coat but this breastplate was rarely worn.

Officers

The officers wore the same uniform as the troopers with the following exceptions:

• a gold laced tricorne
• black breeches (sometimes)
• housings and holster caps laced gold

NCOs

The NCOS wore the same uniform as the troopers with the unique distinction of a narrow golden lace on the tricorne.

Musicians

The musicians wore medium blue uniforms with straw swallow nests laced (probably) white at the shoulders. The uniform had no additional laces.

The drums were made of brass with straw rims. The trumpets were made of brass with a medium blue banner.

Colours

The pikes used as staffs to carry the colours were always striped in blue and yellow. The standards had gold finials, and gold and silver cords, tassels and fringe.

Lifstandar (colonel standard): white field; borders heavily embroidered in gold and silver; centre device carried the crowned royal arms of Sweden flanked by 2 crowned golden lions; the upper inner corner carried a red griffin head wearing a gold coronet.

Kompanistandar (ordonnance standard): field separated into a yellow upper band and a cornflower blue lower band

• Obverse: centre device consisting of a red griffin head wearing a gold coronet.
• Reverse: borders heavily embroidered in gold and silver; centre device consisting of the golden royal cipher “AF” surmounted by a gold crown; 2 silver and green palm branches beneath tied with a golden ribbon.

Lifstandar - Source: rf-figuren using elements of a template by Hannoverdidi

Kompanistandar - Source: rf-figuren

The colonel's squadron carried the Lifstandar, each other squadron had a Kompanistandar.

References

This article contains texts translated from the following books which are now in the public domain:

• Großer Generalstab: Die Kriege Friedrichs des Großen - Dritter Teil: Der Siebenjährige Krieg 1756–1763. Vol. 6 Leuthen, Kriegsgeschichtliche Abteilung II (Publisher), Berlin 1904, pp.92-107, Annex pp. 11-16

Other sources

Brolin, Gunnar: 18th C. Swedish Military Flags - Part I: Standards and Guidons, 18th Century Military Notes & Queries No. 5

Högman, Hans: Svenska regementen under indelningsverkets dagar (broken link)

Höglund, Lars-Eric and Sallnäs, Ake: The Great Northern War 1700-1721, Colours and Uniforms, Acedia Press, Karlstadt, 2000

Pengel, R. D. and G. R. Hurt: Swedish Army in Pomerania – 1757-1763, Birmingham, 1983

Purky, Jim: Swedish Army Organization, Seven Years War Association Journal Vol. X No. 1

Schirmer, Friedrich: Die Heere der kriegführenden Staaten 1756-1763, published by KLIO-Landesgruppe Baden-Württemberg, Neuauflage 1989

Schorr, Dan: Uniforms of the Swedish Army, 1757-1762, The Courrier, June-July 1979

Schorr, Dan: Swedish Cavalry Standards 1757-1762, The Courrier, December 1979-January 1980

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