Saturday 2 May 2009

Grenadier of Württemberg Infantry Regiment Roeder

Württemberg grenadiers looked so like their Prussian counterparts that they wore white cloth covers over their grenadier mitres to distinguish them from the enemy.

Musketeer of Württemberg Infantry Regiment Roeder

The Württemberg Infantry Regiment Roeder was at the centre of the position on the left flank of the Austrian army that took the brunt of the initial Prussian attack at Leuthen and lost more casualties that day than all the other Württemberg infantry battalions combined - 219 compared with "no more than 10 officers and 65 men by the end of the battle" (Duffy, Prussia's Glory, pp. 152-3) amongst the other battalions. The Württembergers and Bavarians were made scapegoats for the Austrian defeat and unfairly made to take almost all the blame for the defeat - until eventually Maria Theresa was made to realise that it was the army command that was primarily at fault, particularly her brother-in-law Prince Charles. She had to sack him in January 1758 after giving him broad hints that he should resign.

The Württemberg infantry were dressed in a very Prussian-style uniform, dark blue with different coloured facings. Regiment Roeder was raised as Füsilierregiment von Röder in 1754 and had a short life as it was disbanded in 1765. Full details of composition and service can be found at the following Kronoskaf page:
http://www.kronoskaf.com/syw/index.php?title=Roeder_Infantry