I felt I mustn't miss noting that today is the anniversary of the Austro-Hungarian victory over the Prussians at Kolin on 18th June 1757. Here's my version of a flag of the Grenze light infantry, the specialist troops from the Borders of the Empire; although in the War of the Austrian Succession they tended to dominate the kleine krieg, by the Seven Years War the Prussians were at least their equals and some sources suggest they beat them at their own game.
The flag is a legacy version from the War of the Austrian Succession, with the name of Maria Theresa's father Charles VI; at the beginning of the War of the Austrian Succession there was neither the money nor the time to reflag the Austro-Hungarian army. I wonder if any of these survived into the Seven Years War?
For detailed accounts of the various units, Kronoskaf is, of course, the place to go.
Having fought the battle of Kolin on its anniversary before, the date is etched in mind. This is a terrific looking flag. I did not known Grenze carried flags. I must do so with mine!
ReplyDeleteNow that is a special flag! I had no idea light units such as the Grenzers even carried flags, much less ones with swallowtails. Stunning.
ReplyDeleteI had already decided to give standards to my ImagiNation light units, but I never thought about a swallowtail. The shape will allow it to stand out from the square standards of the line infantry. Perfect.
Thank you for your research David, and bringing this to our attention.
Bill
Thanks, Jon. Kronoskaf suggests that the Grenze regiments did not actually carry flags in the field even if issued with them but I wonder; they were just the sort of units that would make up their own rules, I think. And I think it is our duty as wargamers to have our troops carry as many attractive-looking flags as possible! ;-)
ReplyDeleteAll the best,
David.
Thanks, Bill. I think the jury's out on whether or not they did actually carry them in the field, as I said to Jon (above) but I think they should on the wargames table. Swallowtail flags were quite common in the older Austro-Hungarian army even amongst infantry units; it was all that boring standardisation in the SYW period that tended to wipe out such anomalies.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, glad you like it and that you'll use the idea. I have also created a flag for the French light troops the Volontaires Royaux, which is blue with fleurs de lys in the 4 corners. I just have to write the text and do the uniform plate and I shall post that too. And some of the Prussian Kleist FreiKorps units had flags and I hope I'll get round to them in time too. :-)
All the best,
David.
P.S. Jon - how did the refight of Kolin that you played go? Do you have any pictures? :-)
ReplyDeleteD.
Another nice flag and even if they didn't carry them in battle, it is rather tempting to add them to a unit, just to make them look even more splendid on the table:)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Steve. Yes, the more the merrier, I say. :-) When you think that up to the WAS in e.g. the Austrian army (and many others) every company had a flag or even flags, then the display of flags must have been phenomenal. So I think as wargamers it is our duty to saturate the games table with flags...;-) (This is, of course, coming from a confirmed vexillomaniac so YMMV... ;-))
ReplyDeleteAll the best,
David.