Mecklenburg Uniforms 1808-14

The Army of Mecklenburg 1808-14

W.J.Rawkins

Contents

Brief History ..................................................................................................................................................3 The Infantry ...................................................................................................................................................3

Organisation..............................................................................................................................................3 7th Rheinbund Regiment.....................................................................................................................4 Garde-Grenadier-Bataillon................................................................................................................10

The Jägers.....................................................................................................................................................11 Mecklenburg-Schwerin Freiwilliger Fußjäger and Jäger zu Pferde 1813-14 ..............................11

The Cavalry .................................................................................................................................................13 Mecklenburg-Strelitz Husaren-Regiment 1813-15 .........................................................................13

The Artillery ................................................................................................................................................15 Appendix 1 - Flags and Standards ...........................................................................................................16

7th Rheinbund Regiment.......................................................................................................................16 Appendix 2 - Sources .................................................................................................................................17

THE DUCHIES OF MECKLENBURG-STRELITZ AND MECKLENBURG-SCHWERIN 1808-14

Brief History The Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz joined the Confederation of the Rhine on 18th February 1808 and the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin followed suit on 24th April that year, agreeing to supply to Napoleon a combined regiment of infantry and a detachment of artillery. The regiment was styled the 7th Rheinbund-Regiment and saw initial service with the French Army in 1809 when assigned to garrison duties at Dammgarten in Prussia, and the following year was expanded to three battalions which later became part of the 1st Corps of the Grande Armée in Russia during 1812. Following the return from Russia the Grand Duke Frederick Franz withdrew from the Confederation of the Rhine and joined the Allies against Napoleon and during the 1813 campaign the Regiment saw service in Saxony and at Leipzig. In 1810 a single battalion unit of Grenadier-Garde were raised as a personal bodyguard for the Grand Duke although the unit did not become part of the Rhine Contingent Regiment and failed to see active service until 1813 and in 1813 several further units were raised to fight with the allies, Mecklenburg-Schwerin

supplying a regiment of Freiwilligen Jäger-zu-Fuss, and a three squadron regiment of Freiwilligen Jäger-zu-Pferde and Mecklenburg-Strelitz raised a regiment of hussars with Freiwilligen Jäger detachment which were distinguished at Leipzig in 1813 by capturing the eagle of the Marines of the Imperial Guard. In common with most German states during 1813 the

Duchies raised several companies of Landwehr for home defence although these did not see active service.

The Infantry

Organisation

The Mecklenburg contingent regiment, 7th Rheinbund-Regiment, was organised basically on the French system the 1st and 2nd Battalions, Schwerin contingents, consisting of four companies of musketeers and two elite companies, grenadiers and voltigeurs, and the 3rd Battalion, Strelitz contingent (2nd Battalion prior to 1810), had a strength of four musketeer companies only. Regimental Staff (Mecklenburg-Schwerin Contingent)

1 Oberst 1 Oberst-leutnant

2 Majors 1 Regiments-adjutant

1 Regiments-Quartiermeister 1 Auditeur

1 Chirurg-offizier 2 Stabs-Chirurgen (Assistant Surgeons)

2 Fahnentragen (One per battalion) 2 Fuhren (Senior Warrant Officers)

1 Korporal-Tambour 1 Korporal-Zimmerman

4 Mastercraftsmen

Battalion Staff (Mecklenburg-Strelitz Contingent)

1 Oberst 1 Major

1 Bataillon-Quartiermeister 1 Auditeur

1 Chirurg-offizier 1 Fuhrer

1 Korporal-Tambour 4 Mastercraftsmen (Tailor, Breechesmaker,

Bootmaker, Armourer)

Company Establishment

1 Kapitan 1 Leutnant

1 Unterleutnant 1 Feldwebel

4 Sergeants 1 Kompanie-Quartiermeister

8 Korporals 1 Tambour (Hornists for the Voltigeur companies)

4 Zimmermannen (Sappeurs, attached to grenadier companies)

120 Soldaten

7th Rheinbund Regiment

Headgear

In 1808 the Mecklenburg infantry adopted the French style, bell-topped shako of black felt with black leather trim at the upper and base edges and black leather peak. The front of the shako was decorated with a brass 'FF' cypher badge surmounted by the national cockade of red within blue

within yellow that was without the usual cockade-strap and button. Knotel also shows the cockade as blue within yellow within red in 1808 although this normally reliable source is the only one to do so. The chin-scales were brass although in 1813 these may have been replaced for campaign wear with black leather chinstraps. Pompons, of the woollen ball style, were white for the four musketeer companies of each battalion and the elite companies, grenadiers and

voltigeurs had pompons of scarlet and green respectively although these latter were often of the carrot-shaped pattern. For full parade dress the musketeers had white shako cords and flounders and the elite companies tall plumes with ball pompon at the base and shako cords of scarlet or green.

Coat

The tunic was a Prussian style kollet of dark blue, double-breasted with short tails and high upright collar. The front of the coat was closed with a double row of sixteen or eighteen buttons, dependant upon the height of the wearer, white metal for the Schwerin contingent and brass for the Strelitz battalion. The collar, cuffs and turnbacks were faced scarlet for all battalions and musketeer companies wore dark blue shoulder straps piped scarlet. The grenadiers wore full-fringed scarlet epaulettes and the voltigeur companies green epaulettes.

Breeches etc.

Breeches were white for parade and summer wear until 1809, and were initially worn with black, over-the-knee gaiters with brass buttons, however, shorter knee-length gaiters of black with cloth-covered buttons were introduced in 1809 and the white breeches were replaced with breeches of dark grey for wear during campaign. Greatcoats were of the French pattern, mid-grey with high collar and deep turned-back cuffs and were single-breasted closing with a single row of white metal or brass buttons, and those of

the elite companies may have been decorated with epaulettes of company colour as was the fashion in the French army.

Equipment

From the time of the entry into the Rhine-Confederation the infantry adopted equipment of the French pattern. All companies wore twin shoulder belts of whitened leather to support the black leather cartridge pouch and the short French pattern sabre-briquet, carried in a double frog with

the bayonet. The sabres had brass hilts and scabbards and bayonet sheaths were black leather with brass heel and fittings, and sabre-straps were white for the musketeers, scarlet for the grenadiers and green for the light companies. Pouch lids were square cut and plain for the musketeers and with a brass grenade or buglehorn badge for the elite companies. Muskets were of the French pattern with blank iron bindings and the musket slings were whitened leather. Packs were brown hide with whitened leather straps and brass buckles and fittings.

Officers and N.C.O.s.

The non-commissioned-officers adapted rank distinctions of the French pattern in 1808, the senior grades being distinguished by a gold or silver band to the upper edge of the shako, according to button colour, Korporals and Sergeants having shakos as for the men, and all N.C.O.s had shako cords of mixed red, white and blue. The musketeer N.C.O.s had a white

pompon with the upper third dark blue and the non-coms of the elite companies had pompons of the company colour with the upper-third dark blue. Full dress tall plumes were white for the musketeer N.C.O.s, worn above the pompon with the tip blue and as for the other ranks with the upper tip blue for the N.C.O.s of the elite companies. Sleeve insignia followed the pattern worn

by the French non-commissioned-officers and the tapes were either gold or yellow, or silver or white according to button colour and the epaulettes of the elite companies of the Schwerin contingent were worked through with silver thread, those of the Korporals being as for the men. N.C.O.s of the musketeer companies had shoulder straps as for the other ranks. Sabre-straps were mixed red, white and blue for all non-commissioned-officers.

Feldwebel Two gold or silver diagonal stripes above each cuff.

Sergeant As above, one stripe only.

Korporal Two yellow or white diagonal stripes above each cuff.

Kompanie-Quartiermeister-Korporal As Korporal with inverted gold or silver chevron on upper right sleeve.

The officers of the Schwerin contingent wore the same pattern shako as the other ranks with silver lace trim to the upper edges, white metal chin scales and the peak was trimmed with white metal. The front of the shako was decorated with a gilded sunburst plate embossed in the centre

with the arms of the Duchy and the cockade had a gold outer rim instead of yellow. Junior officers had pompons of silver surmounted by a tall plume for parade of black, possibly tipped with the company colour for the officers of the elites and the field grade officers pompons were gold with full white plume for parade dress. Shako cords for all officers were mixed gold, blue

and scarlet. The officers of the Strelitz battalion had a shako of similar pattern with gold lace edging at the top, in the form of an oak-leaf garland for the senior grades, and the shako badge was the Mecklenburg coat of arms with ox and griffin supporters in gilt and the peaks were trimmed with gilded brass. Chin scales were gilt and shako cords were mixed gold, blue and scarlet and the cockade was as for the officers of the Schwerin battalions. All officers wore a tall plume of dark blue with the lower third scarlet.

Officers' coats were similar in pattern to those of the other ranks with longer tails extending to mid-thigh length and were dark blue with collar, cuffs and turnbacks facings of scarlet and all buttons were gilt or silver. Officers of the elite companies wore silver grenade or bugle patches on the turnbacks as for the French army and epaulettes of rank followed the French pattern and were gold or silver according to the button colour. The traditional waist-sash was worn by all officers and was gold with alternate horizontal lines of red and dark blue, four of each, worked through and was of the kummerbund pattern without the usual knot and trailing tassels. The Strelitz officers wore a large oval, gilt buckle-plate at the front of the sash embossed with the Ducal coat of arms. Officers' Epaulettes 1808-13

Oberst Two fringed epaulettes of gold or silver with heavy bullion fringe.

Oberstleutnant As above, with reversed colour straps.

Major Epaulettes with heavy fringe on the right, contre-epaulette on the left.

Kapitan As above, fine fringe to epaulette.

Leutnant As above, scarlet stripe on the strap.

Unterleutnant As above, double stripe on strap.

Adjutant As Kapitan only reversed.

In 1813 with the Mecklenburg troops lined with the Allies a move was made to revert to the Prussian style of rank insignia, however, many officers and N.C.O.s would appear to have continued to wear the above distinctions, although most had been issued with the new insignia by the end of the 1814 campaign. Officers were distinguished by epaulettes of the Prussian style with heavy metal crescents and fringes for the senior grades and contre-epaulettes with metal

crescents for the junior company officers. N.C.O.s wore silver or gold lace trim to the upper and leading edges of the collar and upper and trailing edges of the cuffs. A1l other distinctions remained as previous.

Officers' breeches were white for parade and mid-grey for campaign and were worn with black leather boots, shaped at the upper edge and trimmed with gold or silver lace and tassels. In 1813 dark grey overall trousers of the tight Prussian pattern say have been issued to officers for campaign wear over the breeches and boots. Greatcoats were dark grey and double-breasted with two rows of white metal or brass buttons.

The officers of the musketeers companies of the Schwerin battalions were armed with the straight-bladed epée and the elite company officers and those of the Strelitz contingent carried the curved sabre. Swords had plated hilts of the button colour and scabbards were black leather with gilt or silver plated heel and fittings. Officers' sabre-straps were as for the sash with gold knots and mixed gold, red and blue tassels. Narrow ‘Hungarian’ style waistbelts were worn by the officers of the elite companies and Strelitz battalion often decorated with gilt or silvered scales or lace and the officers of the musketeers companies of the Schwerin battalions wore a wider, whitened leather waistbelt with large silver buckle plate. During campaign most officers carried the sword or sabre on a white or black leather shoulder belt. Field officers were mounted and the shabraques were dark blue with squared front and rear corners and squared pistol holster covers and the edges of the shabraque were trimmed with a

double width of silver or gold lace, according to button colour and the 'FF' cypher appeared in the rear corners.

Musicians

The drummers wore the same basic uniform as the men except that scarlet plumes were worn by the musketeer drummers and either scarlet or scarlet and white shako cords. Drum carriages and aprons were whitened leather, the former having a brass drumstick plate on the breast and drums were brass with the hoops painted alternate stripes of red, yellow and blue. The hornists

of the voltigeur companies were uniformed as the other ranks with a scarlet tip to the plume and horns were brass with red, yellow and blue mixed cords. Musicians wore a single shoulder belt that supported the sabre-briquet that was their only armament. One source suggests that the drummers of the musketeer companies may have worn swallows-nest epaulettes at the shoulders of dark blue trimmed with white or yellow lace, however, other authorities do not confirm this.

Zimmermannen

The sappeurs were uniformed as for the grenadier companies of the Schwerin contingent but wore a bearskin bonnet of similar design to that worn by the French chasseurs with scarlet top patch decorated with either a white cross or white grenade badge, scarlet plume worn on the left side of the bonnet and scarlet cords and flounders. The coat was as for the grenadiers except that white crossed axe patches were worn on the upper sleeves of both arms and possibly on the turnbacks and a whitened leather apron was worn over the coat. Equipment was as for the men with scarlet sabre-strap and the pouch was decorated with a brass crossed-axe badge and a short carbine was carried in place of the musket. The sappeurs carried the traditional axe and wore a full beard.

Garde-Grenadier-Bataillon

Headgear

The Garde-Grenadier-Bataillon wore a bearskin bonnet of similar pattern to that of the infantry Zimmermannen, black-brown fur with scarlet patch decorated with a white lace cross, scarlet plume and cords of white.

Coat

The coat followed the pattern worn by the Confederation Regiment and was dark blue with white metal buttons and scarlet collar, turnbacks and ‘Brandenburg’ cuffs with dark blue cuff-

flaps. The collar was decorated with two white lace battons at the leading edge and the cuff-flaps had three points and three buttons which were also decorated with white lace battons. Full-fringed epaulettes of scarlet were worn at the shoulders.

Breeches etc.

Breeches were white and worn with black knee-length gaiters with white metal buttons.

Equipment

All as for the grenadiers of the Confederation regiment.

Officers and N.C.O.s

All distinctions as for the Schwerin infantry with lace silver or white and N.C.O.s plumes scarlet tipped white. Officers wore black plumes, white for the senior grades, and all lace was silvered including the decorative battons.

Drummers and Zimmermannen

All as for those of the Confederation Regiment.

The Jägers

Mecklenburg-Schwerin Freiwilliger Fußjäger and Jäger zu Pferde 1813-14

Headgear

The foot and mounted jägers were uniformed in an almost identical style, both wore the shako with white metal oval plate embossed with the coat of arms, brass chin-scales and yellow, blue and red national cockade. Plumes were black for both units.

Coat

The coat was a dark green kollet as worn by the infantry with brass buttons and scarlet collar, square-cut cuffs and turnbacks, the collar and cuffs decorated with two yellow lace battons.

Breeches etc.

Breeches were dark green for both the infantry and cavalry units, the latter having a wide scarlet stripe on the outer seam and were worn with black knee-length gaiters for the Fußjäger and

'Hungarian' style boots for the Jäger zu Pferde with shaped tops and yellow lace trim and tassels. Dark green overall trousers would also appear to have been worn by the mounted troops with black leather inserts and scarlet stripe on the outer seam.

Equipment

The Fußjäger were equipped basically as the infantry, however, both black leather and whitened leather belting would appear to have been worn, probably due to a general shortage of equipment, and although many of the jäger received the rifles with which the unit should have been armed many would also appear to have been issued with the infantry pattern musket. The Jäger zu Pferde were equipped with a black leather pouch belt which supported a small black leather cartridge pouch and sabres were supported by an narrow hussar-style black leather

belt. Carbines were of the short light cavalry pattern.


Officers would appear to have been distinguished in the Prussian manner as were the N.C.O.s and all rank lace was gold or yellow.

Musicians

Few details are available concerning the uniforms of the musicians, however, these would seem to have followed the pattern of the drummers of infantry and the trumpeters of the Jäger zu Pferde would appear to have worn black plumes with scarlet tips, scarlet shako cords and trumpets were brass with scarlet cords.

Horse Furniture

Saddle covers for the Jäger zu Pferde were black sheepskin with scarlet dogtooth edging and all

harness was black leather with brass fittings and buckles.

The Cavalry

Mecklenburg-Strelitz Husaren-Regiment 1813-15

Headgear

The hussars wore a shako of similar pattern to that of the infantry with black leather trim at the upper and lower edges and black leather stegen at the sides. The front of the shako was decorated with a brass ‘Wendish’ cross, surmounted by the national cockade and a tall black plume was worn for parade. Shako cords were yellow and the chin-scales brass, although a black leather chinstrap would appear to have been worn for campaign. The Freiwilligen-Jäger-Husaren company wore the same pattern shako with dark green cords and plume.

Dolman

The dolman was of traditional hussar style and was black with black collar and pointed cuffs piped yellow and the breast was decorated with fifteen rows of yellow braid and three rows of brass buttons. A barrel sash of alternate black and yellow vertical sections was worn at the waist. The Freiwilligen-Jäger wore a dolman of the same pattern of dark green with black collar and cuffs and yellow braid and lace, brass buttons and barrel sash of black and yellow.

Pelz

The pelz, or pelisse, was black with yellow braid and brass buttons and white fur trim for the regiment and the Freiwilligen-Jäger had a dark green pelz with yellow braid and black fur trim.

Breeches etc.

The hussar breeches were sky blue with large yellow lace Hungarian knots on the thighs and were worn with black leather Hungarian boots with shaped tops with yellow lace trim and tassels. The Freiwilligen-Jäger hussars wore dark green breeches with yellow knots and the boots were trimmed with green lace and tassels.

Equipment

Pouchbelts were black leather with brass fittings and supported a small black leather pouch with shaped lid. Waistbelts were of the narrow light cavalry pattern with brass ‘S’ buckles and supported the curved sabres by double slings. Sabres had brass hilts and black leather scabbards with brass fittings and sabre-straps were black for the regiment and green for the Freiwilligen-Jäger company. A black leather sabretache was suspended from the belt by treble slings and the front was decorated with a brass crowned 'C' monogram. Carbines were of the short light cavalry pattern with brass fittings.


The non-commissioned officers had gold or yellow lace trim to collar and cuffs and the plumes were tipped white. Officers had all lace and braid gold instead of yellow, dark blue plumes with the lower third scarlet and the distinctive shako cords and sabre straps. All metalwork was gilded and the pouch belt was decorated with a gilt picker and chains.

Musicians

Musicians had black plumes with scarlet tips and scarlet shako cords and the trumpets were brass with scarlet cords.

Horse Furniture

The hussars had a black sheepskin saddle cover with sky blue dogtooth edgings and the Freiwilligen-Jäger black sheepskins with green edging. All harness was black leather with brass fittings.

The Artillery The artillery contingent initially consisted of two regimental guns attached to the Schwerin battalion however, by 1812 this had been expanded to a full battery of six field guns and two

howitzers. The battery was organised and equipped in the French pattern and ordnance was painted dark green. Battery Establishment (Approx.) 1812

1 Major 1 Kapitan

1 Leutnant 1 Unterleutnant

4 Sergeants 1 Wachtmeister (Warrant officers)

8 Korporals 1 Quartiermeister

1 Tambour 64 Oberkannonier (Gunner 1st Class)

32 Kannonier

Uniforms were basically as for the musketeers of the Schwerin battalions except that the shakos had black pompons and plumes and the coat had black facings instead of scarlet. Buttons were white metal and all other details of uniform and equipment was as for the musketeers. Sabre-straps were black. Officers and N.C.O.s were as for the musketeer officers and non-coms with all rank distinctions silver or white and officers' shakos were decorated with silver lace trim, pompon and metal work, black plumes and gold, scarlet and blue cords. Officers' epaulettes were silver and waist sashes were as for the infantry. The officers of artillery were armed with the curved sabre with silvered hilt and black leather scabbard with silvered fittings and the white leather shoulderbelt was decorated with an oval silver badge on the breast embossed with the Ducal coat of arms. Drummers were distinguished in the same manner as those of the musketeers with plume black tipped scarlet and scarlet shako cords.

Appendix 1 - Flags and Standards

7th Rheinbund Regiment

The Mecklenburg infantry received two flags that had previously been carried by the former Mecklenburg Regiments of 1797. The flags were of identical pattern except that the one issued to the 1st Battalion was white and the 2nd Battalion flag had a field of mid-blue. The flags measured approximately 110 by 90 cm and were identical on obverse and reverse.

The border and corner cyphers and crowns were gold with scarlet lining to the crowns and the central motif consisted of an oval shield with gold edging surmounted by a gold crown with scarlet lining. The coat of arms showed a yellow field with black ox head with scarlet horns and ring ,2nd left; scarlet field with gold griffin, 3rd left; blue field edged silver, 4th left; scarlet field

with silver arm. The upper right section had a blue field with gold griffin, 2nd right; scarlet field with silver cross surmounted by a gold crown, lower right; yellow field with black ox head with scarlet horns and ring. The coat of arms supported by a gold griffin and black oxen and mounted on a green field with gold ribbons. The banner to the left was white and the right banner blue and the stands of pikes natural colours.

The Garde-Grenadier-Bataillon received a white standard almost identical to the above with the central shield rectangular with scalloped edges and the corner cyphers enclosed within oak and laurel wreaths. Staves were natural wood with a leaf shaped pikehead pierced with the cypher and crown in

brass.

Appendix 2 - Sources It would be almost impossible to list all sources used in the research of this work as much invaluable assistance has been given by the owners and staffs of many libraries, museums and collections in many parts of Europe over a period of many years during the compiling of the

authors notes and much is owed to their kindness and co-operation. This small work makes no pretence at being definitive and errors and omissions are inevitable but it is hoped that this booklet may be of interest and assistance to those interested in the

Napoleonic armies. Published Works: Uniformekude - Knotel Handbuch der Uniformekunde - Knotel & Seig Napoleons German Allies: Nassau & Oldenburg - von Pivka Geschichte der Grossherzoglich Hessichen Fahnen und Standarten - Beck Flags and Standards of the Napoleonic Wars - Over

Various editions of Tradition Magazine, Uniformes and other periodicals. The Plates and Illustrations of: Knotel, Hourtoulle, Rigo, Augsburger Bilder, Tritt, Beaufort, North, Weiland.

Special thanks are due to the National Army Museum for facilities and to the widow of the late Hans Strauss for the many reproductions of rare illustrations which were supplied and formed much of the basic research for this work.

WJ.R. ‘80.

Mecklenburg Uniforms 1808-14

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