Saturday 21 May 2022

Flags of French regiments disbanded 1749: Flags of French Regiment Beauce

First raised 23rd September 1684

One battalion.

 



Summary of service from Susane Volume 8:

1689-1697: Served on the coast

War of the Spanish Succession:

1701: Army of Italy; blockade of Mantua. Then into garrison in that city.
1707: Army of Flanders
1708: Battle of Oudenarde
1709: Army of the Rhine
1710: Army of Flanders
1711: Combat of Arleux
1712: Sieges of Douai, Quesnoy and Bouchain

War of the Polish Succession:

1733: Army of the Rhine; siege of Kehl
1734: Siege of Philipsbourg
1735: Combat of Klausen

War of the Austrian Succession:

1742: Army of Bohemia; taking of Prague. Defence of Prague. Stayed there after the departure of the army. Obtained an honourable capitulation 26th December.
1743: Army of the Alps
1744: The colonel killed at the battle of the Madonna of Ulmo
1746: Battles of Plaisance and Tidone
1747: Conquest of Nice; combat of Exiles. Stayed in Italy up to the peace

The illustrious Chevert entered the regiment in 1710 as a sous-lieutenant; he was a lieutenant-general by 1748

1749 10th February; The regiment was incorporated in the regiment of Talaru, which later took the name of Beauce, and the grenadiers went to the Grenadiers de France

And this was probably the uniform in the later 1740s:


 

Wednesday 18 May 2022

Kolin Prussian Flags Project - Flags of Prussian Infantry Regiment 22 Anhalt-Dessau

First raised March 1713.

Chefs: 31st May 1741-1760 Colonel Moritz, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau, later Field Marshall; 22nd April 1760-1768 Major General Balthasar Rudolf von Schenckendorf, later Lieutenant General



The regiment was with the King's army that took the Saxon army at Pirna; the grenadiers were at Lobositz. As IR22 was involved in the siege of Prague it missed the battle but was hard hit at Kolin 18th June 1757. It was part of the right wing under Bevern which should have been held back or "refused" to act as a reserve but Bevern's force "was plagued by misunderstandings which led to five of its battalions being led into an attack on the Prezerowsky Hill" (Duffy, By Force Of Arms). Although the decisive action of the battle was on the left wing, IR22 and its companion regiments suffered very heavy casualties in the final phase of the battle. IR22 lost 26 officers and 1165 men, four-fifths of its manpower. The grenadiers fought at Rossbach and Leuthen. (Duffy, Army of Frederick the Great, 1st Edition (henceforth Duffy AFG1) shows around 25% casualties for the grenadiers with IR17 at Leuthen.)

The prisoners taken at Kolin returned at the beginning of 1758 and IR22 joined the Pomeranian Corps that met up with  the King on August 22nd that year. On 25th August the army met the Russians at Zorndorf; IR22 was with its grenadiers. The regiment was in Kanitz's wing  and faced the Russian cavalry counterattack. Losses were heavy. (Duffy AFG1 shows around 25% casualties in both of IR22's musketeer battalions and 50& casualties in the grenadier battalion with IR17, which was in the advance guard.) The regiment was at the relief of Kolberg in October.

The grenadiers fought at Kay on July 23rd 1759 and the musketeer battalions took Frankfurt on the Oder under Wobersnow.  The grenadiers fought at Kunersdorf on 12th August. losing about 30% casualties (Duffy AFG1). The regiment marched from Pomerania under Kleist to join the King at Fürstenwalde.

It was with the King again in 1760 at the unsuccessful siege of Dresden July 10th to 22nd. The grenadiers were demolished at Landeshut. At Torgau on November 3rd it was in reserve with the main army. It was later part of the renewed attack under Hülsen that broke through and joined up with Zieten's attack, and decided the battle in favour of the Prussians, just when the Austrians were congratulating themselves on a victory. The commanders of both musketeer battalions received the Pour-le-merite.

IR22 was with the King again in 1761-2. At Burkersdorf 21st July 1762 it was part of the attack under Neuwied at Ludwigsdorf which stormed the defences there and captured them. Four company commanders were awarded the Pour-le-merite.

Christopher Duffy, Army of Frederick The Great, says of IR22: "Massacred at Kolin and suffered heavily at Zorndorf. On 5th January 1741 the regiment entered Breslau "in blue and red uniforms with straw coloured waistcoats... a splendid collection of men, with fine shining weapons that were a delight to see" (Steinberger)".

And this was the uniform in 1756 :




Sunday 15 May 2022

Flags of French regiments disbanded 1749: Flags of French Regiment Vexin

First raised 31st August 1684 or 21st September 1684 or 1st December 1684 (depending on the source of the information)!

One battalion.

 



Summary of service from Susane Volume 8:

1689: Army of the Alps
1690: Battle of Staffarde
1692: Army of Flanders; siege of Namur
1693-1696: Army of the Alps
1697: Army of Flanders; siege of Ath

War of the Spanish Succession:

1701: Army of Flanders
1703: Battle of Ekeren
1704: Army of the Alps
1705: Taking of Chivasso; battle of Cassano
1706: Siege of Turin; battle of Castiglione
1707: Defence of Toulon
1708: Army of Dauphiné
1709: Army of Flanders; battle of Malplaquet
1711: Combat of Arleux
1712: Battle of Denain; sieges of Douai, Quesnoy and Bouchain

1727: Camp of Sâone

War of the Polish Succession:

1734: November; to Italy by sea
1735: Taking of Guastalla, Reggiolo and Revere
1736: September; back to France


War of the Austrian Succession:

1742: Army of Flanders
1743: Army of the Lower Rhine; battle of Dettingen
1744: Army of Flanders
1745: Army of the Rhine
1746: Army of the Meuse; siege of Namur; battle of Rocoux
1747: Battle of Lauffeldt
1748: Siege of Maastricht

1749 10th February; Incorporated in the regiment of Vermandois and the grenadiers to the Grenadiers de France

And this was probably the uniform in the later 1740s: