Rossbach French Flags Project - Flags of French German Regiment Saint Germain

First raised 1st July 1747. Colonel Le Comte de Saint-Germain.

One  battalion. Rank 114th in the SYW.

This was a short-lived German regiment which does not seem to have especially distinguished itself in the 13 years of its existence. Apart from the Kronoskaf account, I have found little detailed information on its history. Still, the flags are attractive ones. (I have taken some of the detail from the 1757 MS e.g. the white border to the central device on the Ordonnance flag.)

1748 Flanders: Siege of Maastricht

1755 On the coast of Flanders

1756 In the Camp at Dunkirk

1757 Germany with the Army of the Lower Rhine under Maréchal d'Estrées. At Hastenbeck on July 26th.  Eventually transferred to the army of Soubise and was at Rossbach 5th November 1757. (Christopher Duffy's detailed account of the battle makes no mention of the regiment suggesting its performance there was less than spectacular.)

1758 the regiment was with Clermont's army in Germany but was then transferred to Soubise's army by July. In October it was at the battle of Lutterberg in the centre of the first line. According to Kronoskaf, on 1st December the regiment pulled off a coup when it captured the town of St Goar, some troops having scaled the walls to take it and capturing 50 prisoners. It then went on to summon and take the castle of Rheinfels, making its 700 strong garrison prisoners.

1759 In April it was at the battle of Bergen, supporting the artillery. With the main French army under the Marquis de Contades in western Germany, it fought at Minden on 1st August under its colonel the Comte de St Germain. It and other regiments of the Anhalt Brigade covered the retreat of the French army.

Incorporated in Nassau Infantry in January 1760 as its third battalion.

I have taken the uniform details from the 1757 MS which shows the coat unlaced. Here is the uniform in 1756: