Monday 16 November 2009

Dragoon of the Leib-Dragoner Regiment Kurfürstin von der Pfalz (Princess Elector)


From 1758, when it joined the Reichsarmee, the regiment had 5 squadrons of 2 companies each, with a total strength of about 800 men and horses.

I can find little record of the unit's service with the Reichsarmee; after joining in 1758 the next mention (in Pengel and Hurt) is in June 1760 when they were still at 5 squadron strength, with a suggested total of perhaps 500 men (at an average squadron strength of 100 for the entire cavalry of the Reichsarmee). The regiment does not appear to have been at Freiberg in 1762. If anyone knows more, please do let me know and from what source you have found the information.

There are 2 descriptions of the uniform, one from 1747 and one from 1777, but nothing directly from the SYW, unfortunately. The earlier one gives black-lined coats, the second red lined; the earlier also gives yellow shoulder knots, the latter black. No description of the horse furniture survives; Knötel shows the regiment with red shabraques laced yellow but we do not know what the source for this was so it is probably unreliable. I have chosen the colour scheme of the earlier uniform rather than the later one but it is possible that elements of the later uniform were already in use during the SYW. I have also used the colour scheme for the horse furniture shown by Knötel, for want of anything else.

6 comments:

  1. Goody,goody,goody nothing better than red coats with black facings. Ny absolute favorites!!!

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  2. Seem reasonable to me. I look forward to your postings, always well thought out; and yes I too love those red uniforms with black facing ;)

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  3. Nice work and interesting notes as always! I always learn something (which, given my level of knowledge of the period, isn't too difficult! LOL). And the color info is especially useful to me as it gives me a better idea of the usual colors of some of the not always easily identifiable bits I see on some of my minis.

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  4. Thanks, Bill. Thought you'd like it! :-)

    All the best,

    David.

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  5. Thanks, FB. :-) I've a few more things to say about this unit but wanted to get the templates posted fairly quickly. As so often with this period, they're a bit elusive in some ways.

    All the best,

    David.

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