Chefs: from 17th April 1747 Major General Hans Caspar Ernst von Schultze, later Lieutenant General, died 2nd December 1757 of wounds received at Breslau; from 5th January 1758 (to 1764) Major General Carl Gottfried von Knobloch, later Commandant of Schweidnitz
In 1756 IR29 was with Schwerin's 2nd Silesian Corps which withdrew on October. In April 1757 IR29 marched to join the King's Army. At Prague on May 6th, after the failure of Winterfeldt's attack, it was with Hautcharmoy's Division leading the breakthrough south of Kej but at the Rokenitz Brook suffered heavy casualties ((Duffy, Army of Frederick the Great, 1st Edition, henceforth AFG1, shows at least 25% casualties) until saved by the advance of Schwerin's wing of the army. At Kolin on 18th June it was given the task of taking the Krzeczhorz Heights on the left flank with the advance guard under Major General von Hülsen. After repeated attacks which appeared to have succeeded by 5.30pm, Austrian counter-attacks completely overcame the Prussians who were defeated with heavy losses on the entire battlefield. (AFG1 shows at least 40% casualties in IR29.)
With Bevern in August the regiment took up a fortified position on the River Lohe at Breslau, and in the defeat on 22nd November Lieutenant General von Schultze was mortally wounded. Breslau then surrendered to the Austrians. IR29 was reduced to only one-tenth of its numbers and the remainder retired to Berlin to be reformed.
In 1758 IR29 joined Prince Heinrich's Saxon Corps, whose task was to protect Saxony against much superior enemy forces. Major General C. H. von Wedell was its chef for only three months until transferred to IR26. At Hochkirch on October 14th the regiment lost at least 75% casualties (AFG1).
In the spring of 1759 the regiment was part of the advance into Franconia but then fought at Kunersdorf on August 21st and suffered heavy losses in the infantry fight on the Kuhgrund (AFG1 shows at least 45% casualties). One battalion was taken prisoner at Maxen on November 21st. The remaining battalion occupied Breslau in 1760 and the grenadiers fought at Liegnitz and Torgau (losses at Liegnitz were at least 20% (AFG1); the grenadiers of IR29 were combined with those of IR31).
Having been recruited up to full strength again IR29 joined the Goltz Corps in 1761 and experienced the advance through Gostin and Krölin and the subsequent breakthrough across the Spie Brook to the Württemberg Corps on October 2nd. But the regiment was then surrendered by its chef von Knobloch at Treptow on October 25th.
In 1762 it was in garrison in Breslau, and then both the regiment and the grenadiers took part in the siege of Schweidnitz from August 8th to October 10th; possession of Schweidnitz was crucial in deciding the ultimate control of Silesia by the Prussians at the end of the war.
Christopher Duffy (Army of Frederick the Great, 1st Edition) says: "Badly mauled at Kolin, Hochkirch and Kunersdorf. One battalion lost at Maxen". Of its grenadiers, he says: "Distinguished at Liegnitz. Suffered heavily at Kunersdorf and Torgau". Despite its unlucky record in the SYW, the regiment was in favour with Frederick after the war.
And this was the uniform in 1756:
Yet another fantastic set of flags and uniform details, once again David thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteWillz.
Beautiful as always.
ReplyDeleteNeil
Thank you, Willz. :-) More Austrian Charles VI flags soon plus a brief detour into my favourite French flags with those of the Arquebusiers de Grassin, later carried by the Volontaires de Hainaut. Just have to do the accompanying text!
ReplyDeleteAll the best,
David.
Thank you, Neil. :-) More on the way soon...
ReplyDeleteAll the best,
David.
Another beautiful set of flags.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ray. :-) Much more to come soon - the text writing simply can't keep up with the flag production!
ReplyDeleteAll the best,
David.