17th Reichsarmee Template: Trooper of the Hohenzollern Cuirassier Regiment (Swabian Circle)

Having mentioned the splendid conduct of the Hohenzollern Cuirassiers at Freiberg in the previous entry on the Bayreuth Cuirassiers and as their uniform is very similar, I had to produce a template of their uniform. Like so many of the Reichsarmee they fled at Rossbach after the Prussian cavalry's flank attack. However, they seem to have improved immensely over the course of the Seven Years War. In the combat of Löthain 21st September 1759, they formed part of the decisive Austrian counter attack against Wunsch and Finck's Prussian corps; in his description of that fight Christopher Duffy says of them that "they were probably the best heavy mounted arm of the Reichsarmee" ("By Force Of Arms", p.190). At Strehla, 20th August 1760, they rescued the Austrian Esterházy Infantry Regiment from an attack by Prussian dragoons; "a wholesale massacre was averted only by Captain Seeger of the Austrian staff, who "advanced with the Swabian Circle regiment of the Hohenzollern Cuirassiers, forcing the enemy cavalry to cease hacking away and finally driving them off" " ("By Force Of Arms", p.275). And we have already heard of their performance in the battle of Freiberg.

First raised 1683. Made up of 61 contingents. Inhaber: Fürst Friedrich von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen 1756-1785. Composition: 4 squadrons with a theoretical strength of c.600 all ranks.

Uniform: Black tricorne, white or silver lace, white bob with red centre. Black stock. White coat with red collar, lapels, cuffs and turnbacks. White metal buttons. Light straw waistcoat and breeches. Red shabraque with wide white border; border with central dark blue or black stripe. 2 variants are shown - one with cuirass and one without.