Kreisinfanterieregiment Baden-Durlach

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Origin and History

Uniform in 1782 - Source: Illustration by Raspe, Nürnberg 1782

The regiment had two battalions each with 5 musketeer companies and 1 grenadier company, two 3-pdr guns and an authorised strength of 1,690 men.

1st battalion: 2 grenadier companies from the Margraviate von Baden-Durlach, 1 company from the Imperial City of Heilbronn, 1 company from the Imperial City of Rottweil, 1 company from the Imperial City of Schwäbisch Gmünd, 1 company from the Imperial City of Schäbisch Hall
2nd battalion: 2 companies from the Imperial City of Ulm, 1 company from the Imperial City of Lindau, 1 company from the Imperial City of Nördlingen, 1 company from the Imperial City of Dinkelsbühl, 1 company from the Princedoms of Öttingen Spielberg and Öttingen Wallerstein
Furthermore, there were 21 additional small contingents. Officers were provided by 17 estates.

Grenadier of the Kreisinfanterieregiment Baden-Durlach - Source: Deutsche Uniformen

N. B.: the 2 grenadier companies contributed by the Margraviate von Baden-Durlach were in fact the third and fourth companies of the "Battailon Leib-Grenadiergarde," which had been raised in 1752 and had four companies for a total of 314 men. It usually garrisoned in Karlsruhe.

Until 1759 one battalion of the "Kreisinfanterieregiment Baden-Durlach" stayed in the City of Ulm. In August 1757 the field battalion included two grenadier companies and two guns with a strength of 757 men. In May 1758, its strength was 973 men.

The regiment was raised in 1683. The successive regimental Inhaber were:

• from 1683: Margrave Karl Gustav von Baden-Durlach
• from 1703: Margrave Karl Wilhelm von Baden-Durlach
• from 1712: Margrave Christof von Baden-Durlach
• from 1723: Hereditary Prince Friedrich von Baden-Durlach
• from 1732: Margrave Karl August von Baden-Durlach
• from 1766: Hereditary Prince Karl Ludwig von Baden-Durlach
• from 1772 till 1801: Hereditary Prince Karl Ludwig von Baden-Durlach

Service during the War

In 1757, one battalion of the regiment was with the Reichsarmee operating in Thuringia and Saxony. The other battalion was at Ulm. In August, this army combined with a French contingent under the Prince de Soubise to form the Franco-Imperial Army for the planned reconquest of Saxony.

By mid-August 1759, during the Austro-Imperial campaign in Saxony, 1 battalion of the regiment was attached to Zweibrücken's Corps. On September 21, this battalion probably took part in the Combat of Korbitz where it would have been deployed in Stolberg's Division.

To do: campaign of 1760

Uniform

Privates

Uniform - Source: Kronoskaf

Uniform Details
according to Boehm, Rottgardt, Weirich

Headgear	Musketeer black tricorne laced white, blue-white pompom Grenadier Prussian style grenadier cap with red frontplate with brass or only brass, red pompom, blue back, red headband with yellow flames and white seam.
Neckstock	black
Coat	dark blue in Prussian cut Collar red Shoulder Straps blue or red fastened with a yellow button Lapels red with yellow buttons Pockets probably horizontal pockets with yellow buttons Cuffs red (Swedish style) with yellow buttons Turnbacks red
Waistcoat	white
Breeches	white
Gaiters	black
Leather Equipment	Crossbelt white Waistbelt white, Grenadier with an additional small ammunition pocket with golden flame Cartridge Box black with 4 yellow flames, Grenadier with 4 yellow flames and round middle shield Bayonet Scabbard n/a Scabbard brown Footgear black

Troopers were armed with a brown musket and a sword.

N. B.: The various contingents of the Swabian regiments had partially their own uniforms. This is confirmed for the grenadiers of the Baden-Durlach contingent, who had uniforms similar to the uniform described above with the exception of straw-coloured waistcoat and breeches and the addition of lace and tassels on the buttonholes.

Officers

Black tricorne laced gold. Neckstock black. Buttons gold. Sash and sword knot. Gaiters white. Brown scabbard.

Musicians

n/a

Colours

Golden finial, yellow-black curled or brown flagpole.

Colonel Flag: white field; center device consisting of a black double eagle with silver beak and claws, silver halos, golden crown lined white, a silver sword with a silver handle in its right claw, a blue and silver Imperial orb in its left claw. In the shield on the breast of the double eagle: 1st and 4th cantons gold with red diagonal bar (upper left to lower right) known as Badischer Straß, 2nd and 3rd cantons red-white checkered field (Hochberg) like Baden-Baden.

Regimental Colours: yellow field with 6 double flames black-red-orange-orange-red-black (from top to bottom)

• obverse: centre device consisting of a large Baden coat of arms with golden rococo borders, flanked with 2 standing silver griffins, above golden ducal crown with ermine and red cushions, above a blue and gold globus cruciger.
• reverse: centre device consisting of a black double eagle with silver beak and claws, silver halos, golden crown lined white, a silver sword with a silver handle in its right claw, a blue and silver Imperial orb in its left claw. In the shield on the breast of the double eagle: 1st and 4th cantons gold with red diagonal bar (upper left to lower right) known as Badischer Straß, 2nd and 3rd cantons red-white checkered field (Hochberg) like Baden-Baden.

Baden crest of arms:

• upper part (from left to right): 1. yellow with red Lorraine cross, 2. blue with white cock, 3. red-white checkered field;
  

2nd row (from left to right): 4. yellow with blue-black conus, 5. heart shield gold with red diagonal bar (upper left to lower right) known as Badischer Straß, 6. white with red star;

• lower part (from left to right): 7. red with black-yellow vertical arrowhead bar, 8. upper part: yellow with red star, lower part: blue with 2 white fish, 9. yellow with horizontal red bar, 10. yellow with a black animal.

Here follow tentative reconstructions of these flags:

Colonel Colour - Source: PMPdeL

Ordonnance Colour - Source: PMPdeL

N. B.: the two grenadier companies of the Baden-Durlach contingent came from the "Battailon Leib-Grenadiergarde," which had its own colours. However, these colours were not taken into the field and were kept at the residence at Karlsruhe.

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. 1757-1760
  • Original (Stiftung Weimarer Klassik - Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek Weimar)
  • Copy (Bibliothèque nationale de France, De Ridder collection)
• Boehm, E.; Rottgardt, D.: Die Reichsarmee 1757-63. I. Teil: Zusammensetzung und Organisation, KLIO-Arbeitsgruppe 7jähriger Krieg, Friderzianische Epoche, Manuskript, o.J
• Boehm, E.; Rottgardt, D.; Weirich, W.-D.: Die Reichsarmee 1757-63. II. Teil: Die einzelnen Einheiten, ihre Stärke, Zusammensetzung, Uniform und Feldzeichen, KLIO-Arbeitsgruppe 7jähriger Krieg, Friderzianische Epoche, Manuskript, o.J.
• Deutsche Uniformen, Bd. 1, Das Zeitalter Friedrich des Großen, 240 Bilder von Herbert Knötel d. J., Text and explanations by Dr. Martin Letzius, published by Sturm-Zigaretten GmbH, Dresden 1932
• Knötel, R.: Uniformkunde, Lose Blätter zur Geschichte der Entwicklung der militärischen Tracht, Rathenow 1890-1921, volume VI, plate 7 - Die Truppen des Schwäbischen Kreises 1781
• Kühlmann, Hermann: Kurze Geschichte der Fahnen des schwäbischen Kreises, in: Die Zinnfigur, vol. 8 (1959), no. 1, page 12-14 and no. 2, page 37
• Soden, Karl Freiherr von: Nachricht von den Fränkischen Craistruppen. Nebst einem Anhang von den Schwäbischen Creisregimentern, Nürnberg, by Gabriel Nicolaus Raspe, 1782
• Söllner, Gerhard: Für Badens Ehre: Die Geschichte der badischen Armee von 1604-1832
  • Vol. 1, Info Verlagsgesellschaft, Karlsruhe 1995
  • Vol. 2, P.I.G. Zinn-Press, Meckenheim 2001
• Tessin, Georg: Die Inhaber der Fränkischen und Schwäbischen Kreisregimenter, in: Zeitschrift für Heereskunde, No. 319, Mai/Juni, IL Jg. (1985), page 81-83

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

Acknowledgements

Volker Scholz for additional info on the grenadiers of the Battailon Leib-Grenadiergarde