Grote Infantry
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Origin and History
The regiment was raised in 1675 by Prince Carl Alexander of Modena.
In 1679, the regiment campaigned on the Elbe to force the Danes to lift the siege of Hamburg.
In 1688, at the outbreak of the Nine Years' War (1688–97), the regiment formed part of the Hanoverian contingent sent on the Rhine by Duke Ernst August. The regiment was soon recalled because of troubles between Denmark and Holstein-Gottorp. In 1689, it marched to the Elbe. In June, after the Treaty of Altona, it was sent back to the Rhine where it took part in the capture of Mainz. In 1690, it campaigned in the Netherlands.
In 1692, the regiment formed part of the corps of 5,000 Hanoverians sent to Hungary to fight the Turks. In 1693, it took part in the siege of Belgrade. In 1696, it fought in the Battle of Ulaş; in 1697, in the Battle of Zenta.
In 1700, the regiment was sent to Holstein to drive the Danes out.
In 1702, during the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-13), the regiment went to the Netherlands where it took part in the capture of Venlo and Roermond. In 1703, it campaigned with the Allied army. In 1704, it took part in Marlborough's march to the Danube]], in the Battle of the Schellenberg and in the Battle of Blenheim before returning to the Netherlands. In 1706, the regiment took part in the Battle of Ramillies and in the siege and capture of Ath. In 1708, it was sent to the Rhine where it campaigned till the end of the war.
In November 1715, the regiment formed part of the Hanoverian force sent to garrison Maastricht. In September 1716, it returned to the Electorate of Hanover.
In 1719, the regiment was part of the force that General von Bülow brought to Mecklenburg. It took part in the action of Wallsmühlen where the Mecklenburger and Russian corps were taken prisoners.
In 1733, the regiment was once more sent to Mecklenburg to quench troubles.
In 1742, during the War of the Austrian Succession, the regiment campaigned in the Austrian Netherlands. In 1743, it was transferred to the Main and fought in the Battle of Dettingen. In 1744, it served in Brabant. In 1745, it returned to the Rhine. In 1746, it returned to the Electorate of Hanover. In 1747, it marched once more to Brabant where it served till the end of the war.
During the Seven Years War the regimental inhabers were:
- from 1738: Colonel Georg Ernst vom Midachten
- from February 1751: Otto von Grote (promoted to major-general in 1757, retired as lieutenant-general in 1759)
- from 1759: Ernst Werner von Laffert (retired as major-general in 1762)
- from 1762: August de la Motte
Service during the War
In December 1757, during the Allied counter-offensive in Hanover, the regiment took part in the capture of Harburg. It was then attached to the corps of Major-General von Diepenbroick who made a diversion against Bremen. On May 26 1758, the regiment was with Ferdinand's main force in the camp of Nottuln. On May 31, it accompanied Ferdinand in his offensive on the west bank of the Rhine.
In June 1759, the regiment was part of Wangenheim's Corps who had taken position at Dülmen in Westphalia to observe the movement of a French corps under the Marquis d'Armentières. On August 1, the regiment took part in the Battle of Minden where it was deployed in Lieutenant-General Wangenheim's Corps between Kutenhausen and the Weser, in the first line of the infantry centre. It took part in the assault of the village of Todtenhausen on the right flank. In this battle, Lieutenant-Captain von Plato and Lieutenant von Reisswitz were wounded. The regiment later took part in the siege of Münster. It then took up its winter-quarters in Werl.
In February 1760, the regiment took up new quarters in Münster. On July 10, it took part in the Combat of Corbach where it was deployed in the right column under Lieutenant-General Count von Kilmannsegg. It suffered heavy losses in this battle. On September 19, the regiment valiantly fought against a superior French force
On February 15, 1761, the regiment fought in the Combat of Langensalza as part of General von Spörcken's Corps. On March 21, the regiment took part in the engagement of Grünberg where it was attached to the Corps of the Hereditary Prince of Brunswick. On July 16, during the Battle of Vellinghausen, it belonged to Spörcken's Corps who remained at Herzfeld on the left bank of the Lippe and did not take part in the battle.
By May 23, 1762, the regiment formed part of the main Allied army where it was attached to Colonel von Rhoedern's Brigade. On June 24, the regiment took part in the Battle of Wilhelmsthal. In October, it was at the siege and capture of Kassel. In November, it undertook the siege oz Ziegenhain.
Uniform
Privates
| Headgear |
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| Neck stock | black | ||||||||||||
| Coat | red lined gold yellow with 2 pewter buttons and 2 white buttonholes under the lapels (hidden by the sleeve in our plate)
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| Waistcoat | gold yellow with 2 horizontal pockets, each with 3 pewter buttons | ||||||||||||
| Breeches | straw yellow | ||||||||||||
| Gaiters | white | ||||||||||||
| Leather Equipment |
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N.B.: Some sources mention buff as the distinctive colour and yellow for laces. Wissel mentions that the waistcoat was changed from yellow to white in 1761.
Troopers were armed with a musket and a sword (brass hilt) and carried a dark brown haversack with a metal canteen on the left hip.
Officers
Officers had gold lace lining the cuffs and lapels, a black cockade hat, a gold gorget with the arms of Hanover in the centre and carried a yellow sash slung over the right shoulder. Sergeants wore straw gloves. Partizans were carried.
Musicians
Drummers wore a red coat with swallows nest and lace in yellow.
The drum pattern had hoops in alternating gold yellow and red diagonal stripes, white drum cords over a brass drum with the Arms of Hanover in the centre.
Colours
Colonel Colour: White field bearing the arms of Hanover (common to all Hanoverian infantry regiments except 10-B).
Regimental Colour: Yellow field; centre device consisting of a wreath surrounding a lion bearing a sword and buckler; a scroll above carrying the motto HAUD ANIMO TREPIDANS. Hereafter, we present an illustration from the Reitzenstein Sammlung, dating from circa 1761 (left) and our own interpretation (right).
 Regimental Colour - Source: Interpretation of the Reitzenstein Sammlung (circa 1761) |
References
This article incorporates texts from the following books which are now in the public domain:
- Wissel, Friedrich v. and Georg von Wissel: Geschichte der Errichtung sämmtlicher Chur-Braunschweig-Lüneburgischen Truppen, sammt ihren Fahnen, Standarten und Pauken-Devisen ..., Zelle, 1786, pp. 471-480
Other sources
Biles, Bill: The Hanoverian Army in the 18th Century, Seven Years War Association Journal Vol. VI No. 3
Gmundener Prachtwerk, circa 1761
Knötel, H. d. J. and Hans M. Brauer: Uniformbogen Nr. 45, Berlin
Niemeyer, Joachim, and Georg Ortenburg: The Hanoverian Army during the Seven Years War
Pengel & Hurt: German States in the Seven Years War 1740 to 1762, Imperial Press
Reitzenstein Sammlung, Bomann Museum, Celle
Rogge, Christian: The French & Allied Armies in Germany during the Seven Years War, Frankfurt, 2006
Vial, J. L.: Nec Pluribus Impar
