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.

16th Reichsarmee Template: Trooper of the Bayreuth Cuirassier Regiment (Franconian Circle)

The Franconian troops were "collectively the least reliable element of the Reichsarmee" (Duffy, Prussia's Glory p.31). The Bayreuth Cuirassiers had a bad experience at Rossbach, where they were taken in flank by Prussian cavalry when attempting to deploy and were swept away. At Freiberg on 29th October 1762 they performed magnificently: "GM. Tresckow did wonders with the under-strength Reichs Bayreuth Cuirassiers, "which hewed into the enemy cavalry, put it to total flight, made many prisoners and then reformed by squadrons thirty paces from the wood to cover my flank; the two squadrons of the Hohenzollern Regiment [of Cuirassiers] had come up to hack into the rear of the same enemy cavalry, and likewise reformed" "(Duffy, By Force Of Arms, p.387).

First raised 1682. Made up of 23 contingents. Inhaber: Markgraf von Brandenburg-Bayreuth 1735-1763. Composition: 5 squadrons with a theoretical total of nearly 700.

Uniform: Black tricorne, yellow or gold lace, black cockade, yellow or gold button, white bob with red centre. Black stock. White coat with white collar, poppy red lapels, cuffs and turnbacks, gold or yellow metal buttons. White and red aiguillette on right shoulder. Poppy red cummerbund. Straw waistcoat and breeches, poppy red lace. Black boots. Black painted metal cuirass. Poppy red shabraque with white edging, red "worm" of lace on the white edge.

14th and 15th Reichsarmee Templates: Grenadier and Musketeer, Infantry Regiment Baden-Durlach (Swabian Circle)

Unit details: To follow

Uniform: Grenadier (above): Prussian-style grenadier mitre cap with brass front plate, blue sack, red base with yellow grenades, white lace, red pompom. Musketeer (left): Black tricorne, white lace, white with blue pompom, yellow metal button. Both: Black stock. Prussian-style uniform with dark blue coat, red collar, lapels, cuffs and turnbacks, blue or red shoulder straps. White waistcoat and breeches. Yellow buttons.