Kolin Prussian Flags Project - Flags of Prussian Infantry Regiment 7 Braunschweig-Bevern

This is a very short mini-project as Prussian Infantry Regiments 7 and 22 are the only infantry regiments missing from my blog for the battle of Kolin 18th June 1757 (except for the flags of Prussian IR15 which I have been endlessly putting off doing as they are uniquely complicated and a lot of work... Must get them done sometime, though).

Chef: 1741-1781 Colonel August Wilhelm, Prince of Braunschweig-Bevern, later Duke and General of the Infantry, Governor of Stettin

First raised as a full regiment November 1676.

In the Seven Years War: At Lobositz on October 1st 1756 the regiment stormed the Lobosch Hill with the bayonet, having run out of ammunition, and the officers of the regiment received eight Pour-le-merite medals for its conduct that day. (Duffy, Army of Frederick the Great, 1st Edition (henceforth Duffy AFG1) shows around 15% casualties.) On 21st April 1757 the regiment spearheaded the advance through the mountains to Bohemia near Reichenberg. Having missed Prague on 6th May, the regiment was in the first line and leading brigade at Kolin on 18th June. It led the advance onto the Krzeczhorz Heights. In the afternoon it stormed an Austrian battery which had been doing great damage to it. After the Prussian cavalry had driven off an Austrian counterattack, IR7 threw itself at the enemy once more in a bayonet attack which captured some enemy guns. But the battle was already lost and IR7 suffered very heavy casualties in the final Austrian and Saxon cavalry attack. IR 7 lost 26 officers and 1018 men. (Duffy AFG1 shows around 75% casualties.) The regiment was not restored to full strength until the following winter.

At Zorndorf on August 25th 1758 the regiment suffered heavy casualties as part of Kanitz's wing which drifted to the right and hit the centre of the Russian position. (Duffy AFG1 shows around 40% casualties.)

1759 was a very bad year for the regiment, which took part in the defeat at Kay (Paltzig) on July 23rd and then on August 12th at Kunersdorf, where the grenadiers alone suffered 117 dead and 200 wounded. (Duffy AFG1 shows around 45% casualties amongst the grenadiers (with IR30) and about 15% in IR7 itself.)

At Torgau on November 3rd 1760 the regiment was with Hülsen and twice attacked the Süptitz Heights in vain, suffering heavy losses. At Freiberg on October 29th 1762 it tasted success, capturing five cannon and a flag, as part of the southern attack under General von Stutterheim.

Duffy AFG1 says of the regiment: "Saw especially heavy fighting at Hohenfriedberg, Kolin and Zorndorf. Frederick regarded it as a typically reliable Pomeranian regiment and one that "had done honour to the House of Brandenburg from time immemorial". The genial Duke of Bevern was Chef for 40 years."

And this was the uniform in 1756: