Degenfeld Dragoons

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Origin and History

Röder Dragoon circa 1760 - Source: Becher, circa 1760

The regiment was raised on October 28 1758 as the Dragonerregiment von Degenfeld.

The regiment counted four squadrons for a total of 512 men.

During the Seven Years' War, the regiment was owned by:

• from 1758: Colonel Christoph August Count von Degenfeld
• from 1759: Major-general August Gottlieb Reinhard von Röder
• from 1762: Major-general Wolfgang Heinrich von Rothkirch

During the Seven Years' War, the regiment was under the effective command of:

• from 1758: Colonel Christoph August Count von Degenfeld
• from 1759: Colonel Christian Eberhard von Georgii

Service during the War

In 1759, the regiment served in Hessen under French subsidies. On November 3, the Duke of Württemberg was instructed by Duc de Broglie to march to Gemünden with his contingent. On November 11, the Württemberger Contingent arrived at Gemünden. The duke then sent his hussars on the Kinzig river. On November 19 and 20, the Württemberger Contingent (about 10,000 men), led personally by the duke, arrived at Fulda and took up its winter-quarters to assist the French army. The duke sent a detachment, including 1 squadron of the regiment, to Hersfeld. This detachment took post along the Fulda River where it created a cordon to the Württemberg Army's quarters with each patrol in close touch to one another. On Friday November 30, an Allied force under the Hereditary Prince of Brunswick launched a surprise attack on Fulda, forcing the Würtemberger Contingent to retreat precipitously southwards on Bruckenau in the general direction of Frankenland and Württemberg. From December 19 to 23, the Württemberg contingent (now only 7 bns) was at Steinberg. On December 25, the Duke of Württemberg marched to Schotten.

In 1760, two squadrons of the regiment served in the campaign of Saxony against Prussia.

To do: details of the campaigns from 1760 to 1762

Uniform

Privates

Uniform in 1760 - Source: Frédéric Aubert

Uniform in 1760
as per Becher's Bilderhandschrift circa 1760

Headgear	Trooper black tricorne laced gold (scalloped lace) with a small yellow button Horse Grenadier no information available yet
Neckstock	black
Coat	white Collar white Shoulder Straps white with 1 yellow button, yellow aiguillette on the right shoulder Lapels black with 8 yellow buttons Pockets horizontal pockets with 3 yellow buttons Cuffs black with 3 yellow buttons Turnbacks black
Waistcoat	yellow
Breeches	white
Leather Equipment	Crossbelt brown Waistbelt white Cartridge Box brown Gloves straw Scabbard black Footgear black boots
Horse Furniture	Saddlecloth white with 3 waving stripes black - yellow - black on the border Housing white with 3 waving stripes black - yellow - black on the border

Troopers were armed with a sword and a musket.

Officers

Until 1750, the officer’s sash was in the imperial colours: gold/black. At the beginning of the 1750´s, probably in 1752, when the Württemberg Army received the new dark blue uniforms, the sash was changed to the new Württemberg Knüpfmuster (knotted pattern): white (silver for staff officers and generals), yellow and red. Gold and red were the original Württemberg colours since 1593. So, during the Seven Years’ War, the Württemberg sash was white (resp. silver), yellow and red.

Musicians

no information available yet

Colours

According to the Militaerplan of 1758: there were 4 Fähnriche (one per squadron) in this regiment.

No detail about the standards has been found in our sources.

References

Becher, Johann Christian, Wahrhaftige Nachricht derer Begebenheiten, so sich in dem Herzogthum Weimar by dem gewaltigen Kriege Friedrichs II., Königs von Preußen, mit der Königin von Ungarn, Marien Theresen, samt ihren Bundesgenossen zugetragen, Weimar, ca. 1760 (Stiftung Weimarer Klassik)

Deutsche Uniformen, Vol. 1, Das Zeitalter Friedrich des Großen, 240 images from Herbert Knötel d. J., text and explanations from dr. Martin Letzius, published by Sturm-Zigaretten GmbH, Dresden, 1932

Frederic, Jacques André, Etat des Trouppes de S.A.S. Monseigneur le Duc de Virtemberg et Theck sur pié en 1759, Augsburg, 1759

Koch, Ulrich, Der modische Wandel der Uniform im 18. Jahrhundert. Reich und Württemberg (Offiziersportraits 1730 bis 1790) ( Teil IV.), in: Zeitschrift für Heereskunde, No. 334, Nov./Dez., LI. Jg. (1987), page 152-159

Stadlinger, L., J. von, Geschichte des Württembergischen Kriegswesens – von der frühesten bis zur neuesten Zeit, Stuttgart, 1856

Zahn, Michael, Die Herzoglich Württembergische Armee im Siebenjährigen Krieg, Manuskript, Stuttgart: January 2008

N.B.: the section Service during the War is mostly derived from our articles depicting the various campaigns, battles and sieges.

Acknowledgement

Volker Scholz for the information on the sash of the officers