Prussian Army - Generals, Staff, Officers and NCOs ranks and uniforms.

The Uniforms of Generals and Staff Officers

Generals' uniform closely followed the infantry style. Their full dress consisted of a dark blue Kollet, the Generalsrock, which had long coat-tails and Swedish cuffs. The collar, cuffs and coat tails were faced in scarlet and the two fromer items were trimmed with golden oak leaf lacing. From the right shoulder, a golden knotted aiguillette was worn and on the left was a single silver Kaantille. The butons were gilded. The trousers were of the normal officers' pattern with a single red stripe. Staff officers had double red stripe replaced the single one down the outside seams; this distinction having been worn by staff officers of all grades from late 1814. The head-dress was a black felt bicorne, which was worn fore and aft, and to which was affixed a black cockade, below a golden agraffe, and a white and black feather plume. The officers' mixed silver and black sash was worn around the waist.

This full dress uniform was seldom worn in the field. campaign dress varied, but took the form of one of the other three uniforms that a General was permitted to wear. All these styles of dress were worn with the usual grey trousers and a soft, grey or blue, peaked Schirmutze piped in scarlet, there was a double breasted dark blue Leibrock with gold buttons and scarlet facings; an Interimsrock on which the collars and cuffs were laced in gold and silver Kantille were carried on each shoulder; and an Uberrock. The Uberrock was coloured grey for Generals of Infantry; and dark blue for Generals of Cavalry or Artillery. This distinction of colour between the mounted and dismounted branches of the army applied to the dress of staff officers of all grades, for whom this garment was the most popular form of field service wear.

1)General's epaulette (rigid bullion fringe). (1a) Generals' cuff embroidery (1b) General's collar embroidery (1c) General's epaulette, elevation (2) Epaulette for Colonels, Lieutenant-Colonels and Majors (3) Captain's epaulette (ground of facing) (4) Lieutenant's epaulette (5) Counter-epaulette of Colonel, Lieutenant-Colonel and Major (6) Captain's counter-epaulette (7) Lieutenant's counter-epaulette (8) Regimental officer's full-dress collar (9) Warrant Officer's collar.

Generals who were Colonels-in-Chief, could also wear their regimental uniform. This was a rare distinction that was usually reserved for members of the Hohenzollern family. At Waterloo, for example, the Commander of the IV Armay Corp's reserve cavalry was the King's brother, Prinz Wilhelm, and he wore the field uniform of the Brandenburg Dragoon Regiment.

Frequently, brigades were commanded by Field Officers. In this case the officer would wear the Liebrock uniform of his regiment, together with a cocked hat, instead of the regimental form of head-dress.

The King's Adjudant Generals, General-Adjutant des Konigs, wore a uniform with red facings, gold collar and cuff Litzen and gilded buttons. From the right shoulder hung a golden aiguillette. The tunic was a double breasted infantry officer's Kollet, but in 1808, all cavalry officers who held this position, were authorized to wear a white cavalry Kollet. Head-dress was a shako, but all cavalry officers in staff appointments were required to wear a cocked hat with a white tunic.

Even though Prussian general officers wore the gold lace at collar and cuffs which were the marks of senior officers throughout Europe, the whole effect of the uniform of the Prussian general is markedly simpler than that of their opposite numbers in the French and British services in 1815. In particular, the saddlecloth in black fur with its two silver badges** contrasts strikingly with the gorgeous shabraque of a French general or with the royal blue cloth trimmed with a double line of gold braid and ornamented with the crowned royal cypher that covered the back of a British general's horse of the same period.

Flugel-Adjutanten wore similar uniforms to those noted directly on the prior page but with silver Litzen, aiguillettes and buttons.

The Aide-de-Camps, the Adjutantur-Offiziere again wore the blue foot service uniforms or the white cavalry dress. Their blue KOllet had Swedish cuffs. The collar and cuffs were faced in bright green velvet and the coat tail turnbacks were red. On the white Kollet the facing were all piped in green until the end of 1812, when the collars and cuffs were covered in green velvet. In 1814 a Polish cuff was introduced onto the uniform and with it came gold lace that was added to the collars and cuffs of the blue tunic; at the same time, the white cavalry uniform was abolished.


Hussar officers who took up staff appaointments for which there was not a specific uniform, were required to wear their regimental Liebrock, dark blue with collar and cuffs in the dolman colour. This was to be worn with a cocked hat, but frequently, this instruction was ignored and they continued to wear the distinctive dress of their arm.

Officers of the General staff and the War Ministry wore the uniform of a Flugel-Adjatant but with crimson collars and cuffs. On the white uniform, these facings were coloured scarlet.

Field Officers

Apart from the obvious differences of uniform, officers were distinguished in three ways. They were armed with a sword to which was attached a silver and black mixed sword knot; around their waists they wore a silver and black net sash and on their shoulders they carried either shoulder straps or epaulettes which indicated their status.

Officers fell into four distinct rank groupings and within each group there was no attempt to indicate a specific rank see Table 9 below:

The insignia of the other three groups was complicated owing to the fact that between 1808 and 1815 there were three different systems in use. Shoulder straps coloured as for the men, piped in red and decorated with black-trimmed silver lace, were worn up to 1814. From mid-1814, however, epaulettes were introduced. These eventually replaced the shoulder straps. They were topped as for the other rank's shoulder straps and were trimmed with the silver/black lace, the metal crescent and fringe being in the button colour.

The Infantry - Non Commissioned Officers

These grades were distinguished by gold or silver lace, corresponding to the button colours; that was sewn to the upper edges of the collar and cuffs; prior to 1813, this collar lace was sewn to the lower edge. The Landwehr had an NCO's lace that was coloured black and white.

All NCO's wore special black and white mixed Troddeln. On the black or white parade Busch, the top quarter was always in the opposite colour, white over black or vice-versa.

An unteroffizier was distinguished by the details noted above. A Feldwebel additionally carried a cane looped from the second button on the Kollet. Senior NCO's wore the NCO's uniform but carried an officer's sword and sword knot. NCO's in colour guards were armed with a pike.

Fahnrich

This was a title given to an aspirant officer who had to serve a period of time in the ranks. They wore an NCO's uniform with an officers sword and sword knot.

NCO's rank lace - The different patterns of lace in use drawn as if mounted on the pre-1814 collar:
(A) Line Units, (B) Guard Units, (C) Landwehr, (D) Landwehr variation.

Prussian Army - Part 3 Jager & Freiwilligen Jager 1813-15

Prussian Jager & Freiwilligen Jager 1813-15

The Uniforms of the Jager Infantry

The 10 company 'Jager' Regiments were the  1st Guard and 2nd East Prussian 'Jager' battalions, to which the Silesian 'Schutzen' (sharpshooter) battalion was added as the 3rd in 1813. They wore infantry uniforms in green with red facings (Silesians, black piped red) and shakos with cockades; the Guard battalions the 'Guard Star' badge and yellow loops on the collar and cuffs. In 1814 a Guard 'Schutzen' battalion was formed, uniformed like the Silesian but with the 'Guard Star' and lace. All battalions had black leather equipment.


The Guard also had a Jager battalion since 1806, their uniforms were similar to their line counterparts with the exception of the Guard Star in brass mounted on the front of the shakos and that their facings were scarlet with gold lace on the cuffs and collar in the form of two bands. See illustrations below:

The Freiwilligen Jager

The volunteer Jager were formed into detachments then were assigned to regular formations, either to regiments or battalions. The purpose of this was to give the foundation for a military education that would be able these volunteers to fulfil the duties of NCOs of officers, at a later date.

The Jager detachments were under the control of their own officers and they varied in size considerably. In August 1813, for instance, the Guard Jager Battalion's Detachment numbered 237, all ranks, whilst that of the Silesian Schutzen battalion had a strength of only 39. The average detachment however had, however, some 100 to 150 men, irrespective of whether they were attached to an infantry or to a cavalry formation. 

Generally speaking, the volunteer 'Jager' companies wore dark green jackets, with the facing colours of the Regiment to which they were attached; Equipment was usually of the same pattern as that of the infantry, but of black leather, and sometimes brass powder-flasks were worn attached to the front of the cross-belts.

More unusual were the brass-hilted sword-bayonets carried by many units. Normal infantry shakos were worn by most, though some (for example the Silesian Volunteer Jager companies attached to the 10th and 11th Regiments) wore cloth caps, in that case with yellow bands and piping. However there were exceptions to the general rules; Jagers of the 2nd Regiment had red piping to their white facings, and those of the 9th Regiment had cloth caps with red bands and piping, their grey overalls having a double red stripe down the outer seams.

in September 1813, the following regular units had a Freiwilligen Jager Detachment as part of their established strength:

1 Grenadier zu Fuß
2 Grenadier zu Fuß
Musketeer Regiments 1,2,3,4
Fusilier 4,5,6,
Fusilier 7:1
Fusilier I/8,II/8,
Fusilier 9/1
Fusilier 11
Fusilier 12
All Grenadier Battalions
Garde Jager and Silesian Schutzen Battalions
Kurassier Regiments 1,2 and 3
Dragoon Regiments 1,2,4 and 5
Hussar Regiments 1,2,3,4 and 5
Uhlan Regiments 1 and 2

The Guard Light Cavalry Regiment had two complete Voluntar-Jager Squadrons.

The Garde-Voluntar-Kosaken-Eskadron was an equivalent to the Volunteer Jager units. It was attached at different times to either the Garde du Corps ofo the Guard Light Cavalry Regiment.

In addition to the above, there were detachments under the command of the Lutzow Freikorps, the Auslandische Jager Battalion, the Elbe Infantry Regigent, the 1st and 5th Reserve Infantry Regiments and the 3rd West Prussian Landwehr Cavalry Regiment. In September 1813 these were the only non-regular units to have volunteer detachments, but as the number of volunteers rose, so new formations were attached to an increasing number of Reserve and Landwehr units.

The following infantry regiments, for example, had volunteer 'Jager' companies in the Waterloo Campaign of 1815: 2nd, 6th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 14th, 15th, 24th, 25th, 27th and 28th.

The Volunteer Jager tended to be well equipped and clothed since they were from well-to-do families, and one of the conditions of service was that they provided the various items of clothing and equipment required. The armament was frequently the family's hunting rifle and the hunting knife (the Hirschfanger) was also frequently carried.

The regulations required that their uniforms should be similar to those of the units to which they were attached, but instead of the normal jacket, they were to wear a holly-green Kollet or Litewka, and a shako. The Litewka was invariably worn by the detachments of the Hussar regiments, in such acses being decorated with the facings and buttons as on the dolman. The shako was usually covered in a black oilskin. The infantry detachments wore blackened belts, often having a metal shield with pickers and chains on the front. In some units, the cartridge box was carried on the front of the waistbelt. Cavalry detachments were generally equipped in a regular fashion.

Owing to the rather loosely defined dress regulations, the uniforms of the Volunteer Jager varied considerably. Examples of the dress worn by specific detachments are noted below:

Erstes Garde Regiment zu Fuss - Black covered shako. Green Kollet with red facings and white or silver collar and cuff Litzen. White buttons and shoulder straps. Green Troddeln. Grey trousers worn with high high marching boots.

No. 2 Erstes Pommersches Infanterie Regiment - Shako with cloth cockade and yellow lace, peak bound in brass, green cords and plume. Green Kollet with the collar, Swedish cuffs and shoulder straps coloured white, piped with red. Brass buttons.

No. 3 Zweiter Ostpreussisches Infanterie Regiment - Green Kollet with orange collar and cuffs, the latter with a green cuff patch. Red coat-tail turnbacks and shoulder straps. Blackened equipment, cartridge box being worn at the front of the waist belt; it was decorated with a brass bugle horn.

No. 9 Colbersches Infanterie Regiment - A green cap, similar to the traditional German student's cap, with band and piping in red and with a black peak. Green Kollet with the regimental facings. Grey pantaloons with a double red stripe down the outside seams.

No. 1 Dragoner-Regiment Konigen - Green Kollet with red collar, cuff and coat-tail turnbacks. Leather-reinforced shako with a Prussian pompon and cockade, yellow cockade loop and white cords. Grey cavalry overalls. White waist and shoulder belts. Green saddle cloth edged in red.

No. 1 Westpreussische Ulanen Regiment - Shako in a black waxed cover. Green Kollet with white facings. Brass buttons. White cloth, brass-trimmed epaulettes. Green trousers with a broad white stripe down the outside seams. Blackened belts with brass mountings. Green saddle cloth with a double white trim. A short carbine was carried in place of the lance.

Westphalisches Landwehr Kavallerie Regiment - Green Kollet with bright green facings. Green epaulettes with a bras half-moon. Overalls with a double bright green stripe _ divided with a line of white _ down the outside seams. Shako with white metal chin scales, a black feather Busch and green hangings. Black waist and shoulder belts.

Garde-Voluntar-Kosaken - Uniformed similarly to the Garde-Kosaken-Eskadron, but with a red girdle.




The Freikorps and the Forreign Battalions - The emmergence of the Freikorps in 1813 evidenced the intense feeling of patriotism that existed at that time in Germany. Even in late 1812 there were tentatitve moves towards the recruiting of these volunteer units, and the first raised formations seem to have been the Westphalian Legion and the Pommeranian Freikorps, both of which were swallowed up in the reorganization of 1813.

The units of the Prussian Army that have not been covered so far in these pages come broadly under three headings __ they were recruited from either irregularly raised volunteers, or from non-Prussians, or the formation itself was of foreign origin. The organization, history and uniforms of the various units differed so widely that it is impossible to make any further generalization other than to note that most of these Freikorps, Legions and other formations were absorbed into the regular Prussian Army in 1815. Details relating to each of these units are set out below.

Prussian Napoleonic Army - Part 2 Landwehr uniforms

Prussian Landwehr 

The size, nature and conditions of recruitment of the Landwehr inevitably resulted in a force that was poorly equipped and clothed. The Prussian economy was fully extended trying to cope with the requirements of the regular and reserve formations even before the foundations of the Landwehr and it is , therefore, not surprising to find that in the first few months of existence, its state was truly lamentable. Initially, the men of the Landwehr wore clothing that was made of shoddy, their caps protected them against neither sword cuts nor rain, and even these poor garments were in short supply. By the autumn of 1813, the worst deficiencies had been overcome and by the time of Waterloo, the Landwehr can be said to have been adequately armed and clothed.

Regulations covering the dress and equipment of the Landwehr were drawn up in March 17, 1813. The Uniform was to consist of a 'Litewka' , made of blue or black cloth. The collar was in provincial colour; in the skirts were vertical pockets, each being closed by a single button and down the front of the garment ran either one or two rows of metal buttons. The length of the Litewka varied considerably and terminated at any point from mid-thigh, to well below the knee. There was a tendency to indicate battalions within a regiment with shoulder straps similar in colouring to those used by the regular army to indicate seniority. By 1815 it was normal for a regimental number to be embroidered onto the shoulder strap.

English shakos were used to a limited extent by at least some Silesian units. The Schirmutze cap was coloured dark blue or black and it had a band in the provincial colour. By an order dated May 31st, 1814, similarly coloured piping was to be used around the top of the crown and Stegen on the sides; Stegen were the chevron-like decorations sometimes found on this form of head-dress. Some caps were peakless but normally a leather peak was sewn into the front of this cap and to the front of the crown was attached a white metal, or cloth, Landwehrcreuz which bore the inscription, 'mit Gott fur Konig und Vaterland 1813'. A black and white Prussian cockade was worn on the cap band; usually this was placed at the front directly below the 'Landwehrcreuz', but it was sometimes worn affixed to the side above the left ear.

Breeches or pantaloons were made of dark blue or white cloth and were worn together with black gaiters and boots, although shoes and clogs were also used. In 1813, however, few gaiters were actually in use and it was not uncommon for Landwehr men to go barefoot.

Initially the Landwehr was armed with a mixture of captured muskets and eight foot long pikes, but these latter were replaced as more muskets became available and by June or July 1813, they had completely dissapeared. a cartridge box containing 60 rounds was suspended from a belt worn over the left shoulder and an axe with a long beech-wood haft, was worn on the opposite side.

Packs and haversacks were generally made from stout canvas; water bottles or gourds, on a cord or strap, were worn over the shoulder, and the practice of carrying a rolled blanket for protection, was widespread.

Landwehr officers were authorized to wear the "Interimsrock" of the regular army, together with an officer's normal clothing, but with the proviso that the head-dress was to be the standard Landwehr Schirmutze. On the Kollet the collar and cuffs were in Provincial colours. The Litewka was much favoured fro campaign dress. Some officers wore the dress of the regular regiment from which they were seconded, or the dress of the Stammregiment. Landwehr formations had a similar status in relation to the regular army, as was heldby the Reserve. Owing to the way in which the Landwehr had been raised there was little rgard for the authorized dress regulations and the haphazard way in which units were kitted out meant that there was often very little uniformity, even within the same regiment. Litewkas made from a variety of grey or brown cloth were used, many variations of the official patterns of Schirmutze and Litewka existed; trousers whilst being generally made in white were also coloured, grey or blue, and large quantities of captured French equipment were pressed into service.

The unusual extremes that were obtained was well illustrated by the train personnel attached to a Silesian formation who wore: 'red English hussar uniforms with a conical English shako.'

Landwehr rank was indicated in the normal way for officers, but NCOs had white lines of thin tape around their collars and cuffs. Most NCOs carried sabres.

Musicians wore red and white swallow's nests and were armed with a sabre.

WIP - Guard Mameluke band part 4

 Guard Mameluke band 

I continue to progress on the Mameluke band, up to the basing stage now, I plan to add plastic cobbled sheet with raised cobbles, then just add green stuff around each foot of the horse, hopefully will not be a big task ….

Cheers

Matt 

WIP- Guard Mameluke band part three

 Guard Mameluke band 

I feel embarrassed to say I have had these guys almost complete for almost a year, grey horses can be a challenge especially if they are for a guard unit that you want to look fabulous! A few days off this last week has allowed me to actually sit down and finish some part completed projects that have been in my project drawers for a long time. 

These guys are finally coming close to completion, they are from the fabulous Gringo 40 range. 

Cheers

Matt 

National Garde du Nantes - Garde d'Honneur de Nantes

 National Garde du Nantes 

I am currently working on my French Revolution and Napoleonic’s this month and I am planning some National Garde units for fighting the Chouan and Vendee royalist rebellions. 

To my surprise I also found a National Garde du Nantes uniform for the 1808 visit of Napoleon and Josephine to the capital of Brittany. The city of Nantes and the region had still not recovered from the counter revolution fighting in the region from 1793 to 1795, and some chouan were still active in Brittany and Maine/Mayenne departments. 

The honor Garde was raised as a volunteer unit, uniforms were paid for partially by the members. It consisted of a two companies of 84 cavalry and two companies of 120 infantry and a band of 26 musicians. The city also presented two standards the unit, the Nantes Garde of honor was commanded by colonel Pitier Deurbroucq, who had lead the defence of the city in the Revolutionary wars.

Cavalry Uniform 

Black bicorne, white plume over an amaranth base, national cockade, gilt twisted braid edging, tassels, and gold buttons. Green Chasseur à Cheval-style coat with pointed lapels, collar, lapels, pointed cuffs, and amaranth turnbacks, gold buttons with an eagle bearing "Garde d'Honneur de Nantes" , gilt braided aiguillettes on the left shoulder, gold trefoils on the right shoulder, gilt hunting horns on the turnbacks. 

Officers wear the aiguillettes on the right and an epaulette of their rank on the left. The bicorne is edged in gold.
Ochre gloves. White waistcoat with three rows of gold buttons. White breeches with gold trefoils and braid. Black boots with gold trim and tassels. Sabre with copper gilt scabbard, gold sword knot, black belt and loops, gilt buckle. 

The officers also have a dress uniform with a coat whose lapels are green piped in amaranth, the rest as above. Undress uniform White cashmere breeches, white stockings, black shoes with gold buckles, small sword.

A hunting-style black leather horse harness with white metal buckles. The halter is trimmed with amaranth cloth, and it includes a black fly whisk, an amaranth surcingle, and a breastplate adorned with an eagle. The shabraque is made of dark green cloth, edged with amaranth cloth, with a gold lace braid running along the edge. It has gilt hunting horns in the corners, no portmanteau was fitted, pistols are holstered under the saddlecloth.

The trumpeters wear a uniform with the colors reversed, as was customary during the early part of the empire. 

Mounted Chasseur Officer 

Flag Finial

The mounted company drapeau

Uniform habit  of a OR

Original officers habit in the Nantes Museum 

Cuff and flap detail 

Turn back detail 

OR habit veste