Wednesday 9 January 2008

Austrian Jäger zu Pferd


Raised in 1758 for the duration of the war, the horse jäger unit was 300 strong and commanded by "Obrist Graff von Kockorswa". It was recruited from trained shooters ("schützen") and was used for convoy/guard duties, carrying dispatches and foraging.

Uniform (slightly speculative as the Bautzen manuscript of 1762 shows only the back of the uniform and some of the colours, as in the casquette, differ from the Albertina MS of the foot jäger) : Green casquette with yellow? double eagle on front, yellow? lace edging to front, black plume. Black stock. Hechtgrau coat with green collar, cuffs and turnbacks, yellow metal buttons. Aiguillette black and yellow. Waistcoat not visible but possibly hechtgrau or green. Buff-coloured breeches. Black boots. Green shabraque and pistol covers with red lace edging.

5 comments:

  1. Great Work!

    Thanks for bringing this obscure unit to our attention...

    Quick question. The Aguillete is on the left shoulder?

    Cheers,

    Ioannis

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Ioannis,

    Thanks! :-)

    Yes, I thought it odd that the aiguillette is on the left shoulder but that's how the Bautzen MS shows it - so I have too. ;-) The sword is also shown on the left so I'm assuming this is not a simple inversion of the image by the artist but that he intended it to be so. Very odd, I agree.

    All the best,

    David.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks David!

    Left it is then...

    Cheers,

    Ioannis

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hello there David,

    You've done it again! Another wonderful template that's got me thinking about possible conversions I might try with some of my plastic Revell Austrian dragoons. Hmmm, I guess I could use the heads from late Napoleonic English infantry. . . Is there no end to this madness?

    Best Regards,

    Stokes

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Stokes,

    Thanks! :-)

    No, no end at all, I'm afraid... ;-)

    Actually, using a British Napoleonic Waterloo shako head would be very appropriate as it was probably directly inspired by the Austrian casquette!

    All the best,

    David.

    ReplyDelete

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