Franco-Prussian War Armies - Wurtemberg


Line Infantry


Headgear


The fatigue cap was worn by most arms of the Wurtemburg army. It was a tall cap rather like a shallow shako. It had a black leather peak and was piped red. A small black on red cockade was mounted on the front.

Tunic


The infantry wore a double-breasted dark blue tunic with red piping along the front edge, the hem and the back skirt. The collar, shoulder straps and wulste were red. The regiments were identified by way of a coloured patch on the collar. Regimental colours were as shown in the table

Tunic buttons were brass.

Regiment
Colour
1st
White
2nd
Black
3rd
Orange
4th
Green
5th
Light Blue
6th
Blue
7th
Deep Red
8th
Yellow

Trousers


These were dark grey with a red seam on each side.

Belts


All belts were in black leather,

Equipment

The infantry greatcoat was dark grey with two rows of buttons. It was piped red around the shoulder straps, collar and cuffs. A short sword was carried on the left hand side in a black leather scabbard. The black leather ammunition pouch was carried on the belt at the back but was generally moved to the front for access in battle. The haversack was of the Baden pattern, as was the pack. The greatcoat was rolled around all four sides of the pack.

Officers


On the whole the officers wore the same uniform as the men but without shoulder straps or wulste. The cap was black with silver piping and the steel hilted sword was carried in a steel scabbard from silver slings beneath the tunic. The greatcoat was worn rolled across the shoulder.

Musicians.


Drummers wore the standard line uniform with the addition of swallows nests in solid colour matching the regimental colour and edged either white or yellow. Shoulder straps were also edged white or yellow. The drum was brass and had black and red hound’s-tooth edging. A black apron was worn under the drum.

The Jäger .


The uniform was similar to that of the line except that the wulste, and piping were green and the collar blue with green patches. The trousers had a green stripe and green jäger  cords were looped across the chest between the top tunic buttons.

THE CAVALRY


Headgear


The helmet was of the Prussian Dragoon pattern but with the Wurtemburg State emblem in brass in place of the eagle.

Tunic.


The tunic was the same as that of the infantry piped red. The collar was blue piped red and with a coloured patch in the regimental colour: 1st ‑ light blue, 2nd ‑ yellow, 3rd ‑ red, 4th white.

Buttons were brass.

Trousers


These were grey‑black with a red seam and were worn tucked into the black boots.

Belts.


Both waist and pouch belts were white and the pouch black.

Equipment.


The cavalry were armed with a steel hilted sabre and a pistol. There was no shabraque, just a grey blanket. A piece of black bearskin covered the wallets and a pistol holster in front of the saddle.

The greatcoat was like that of the infantry but longer and was rolled at the rear of the saddle. A pair of linen saddlebags were hung one each side of the back of the saddle and a metal mess tin was strapped on the left hand side.

Officers


The officers uniform was of he same cut as the men but with gold braid pouch belts and sabre slings. Buttons and helmet devices were also in gilt. A black and red sash was worn about the waist. The tunic did not have wulste.

Artillery


The artillery wore the same uniform as the infantry but with red collars edged red. They also carried the shortsword in a brass tipped black leather scabbard. The mounted troops wore the same trousers as the cavalry.

Officers


Artillery officers wore the same uniform as the men but with silver pouch belts, sabre slings and buttons.

Pioneers


The uniform of the pioneers were the same as the artillery but with brass buttons.

GENERALS AND STAFF


The tunic was of the usual Wurtemburg cut and was black, as were the trousers. The collar was red as was the piping on the cuffs. Buttons were gilt and caps were black edged red. The saddlecloths were red with a gold edging and cipher. Staff officers wore the same uniform as outlined above but with black facings edged red and with gold litzen on the collar and cuffs.

No comments:

Post a Comment