Kurpfalz Cuirassiers
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Origin and History
In 1757, the Elector Palatinate contributed 2 cuirassier squadrons to the Reichsarmee. They were combined with 1 squadron initially contributed to the Upper-Rhine Circle to form the "Kurpflaz Cuirassiers", a regiment of 3 squadrons (book strength of 460 men) taken from two of his regular regiments:
- Reiter Regiment Prinz Friedrich Michael von Zweibrücken (2 sqns of 3 coys each = 2nd and 3rd squadron of the original regiment)
- Oberrheinische Kreiseskadron (1 sqn of 3 coys)
This regiment was also known as the von Hatzfeld Carabiniers. Its proprietor was Prince Friedrich Michael von Pfalz-Zweibrücken.
During the Seven Years' War, the regiment was commanded by:
- from 1757: Colonel Friedrich Ludwig Count Wittgenstein
- from October 16, 1757: Colonel Anton Baron Stechinelli von Wykenburg
Service during the War
1757
On May 25, 1757, the regiment, which had been assigned to the Palatine Reichskontingent, left Mannheim and marched by Mosbach, Boxberg, and Weikersheim to the camp of the Reichsarmee at Kitzingen. Immediately upon arrival, the contingent received the order to march to Fürth, where it arrived on July 25.
By August 5, the regiment counted 340 men fit for duty.
On August 23, in the order of battle of the day, the regiment was deployed with the Austrian Bretlach Cuirassiers and Swabian Kreisregiment Württemberg Dragoons in the first line of the right wing, led by Major-General Prince von Zollern. On the same day, the first corps of the Reichsarmee (including the present regiment) under Count Egon von Fürstenberg left the camp and marched to Thuringia, to make a junction with a French contingent under the Prince de Soubise to form the Franco-Imperial Army for the planned reconquest of Saxony. Soubise rated the various units of the Reichsarmee, considering this regiment as "mediocre".
On September 15, the Reichsarmee reached Eisenach. On September 18, the present regiment, along with some other troops reinforced the corps of Major-General Loudon at Mechterstädt.
By October 10, the Reichsarmee (including the present regiment) was encamped near Langensalza in very poor conditions, it had no tents, only a provision of two days of straw for the horses, and had to spend the nights under rain and snow.
On November 5, the regiment (304 men) fought in the Battle of Rossbach, where it was deployed in the first line of the right wing under the Prince von Hohenzollern. In the cavalry battle around 3:30 p.m., the regiment distinguished itself. However, it suffered heavy losses during this battle (10 men killed, 6 wounded and 31 missing) and its colonel, Count Wittgenstein, was taken prisoner by the Prussians and sent to Merseburg.
On November 12, the entire regiment, now led by Colonel Anton Baron von Stechinelli von Wykenburg, marched to Steinbach. On November 14, during a review, it numbered 447 men and 419 horses. On November 24, when the Reichsarmee took its winter-quarters, the regiment went to Salzungen, Barchfeld and Alten-Breitungen.
1758
On January 9, 1758, the regiment marched towards Upper Palatinate.
On March 29, the entire regiment encamped in Schwandorf, Kallmünz and Regenstauf.
On May 8, the regiment reached the camp of the main army at Alt-Bayreuth. On May 15, when the army marched to Eger (present-day Cheb/CZ), the regiment (now 257 men in 3 squadrons) formed part of the first line of the right wing.
On May 29, the regiment, along with some other troops, reinforced General Luszinsky's detachment at Theusing. It then operated with this detachment for the next few months.
On September 8, the army encamped between Pirna and Krieschwitz. The regiment formed part of the second line.
By September 26, the regiment was still in the camp of Struppen.
On November 20, the regiment formed part of the third line under General von Riedesel.
By December 8, the entire regiment was positioned around Hippolstein and Heideck.
1759
On April 1, 1759, the regiment was brigaded with the Trautmansdorf Cuirassiers under General Roth and was posted in Stadtlauringen.
On May 8, the regiment reached the camp of Stadt-Steinach, after marching from Lauingen. On May 11, the Reichsarmee, led by the Prince of Zweibrücken, left its camp and marched in two columns to Kasendorf, the present regiment marching at the head of the first column. By May 31, the army was encamped near Forchheim, the regiment being deployed in the third line.
During the entire month of July, the regiment, deployed in Dombasle's Corps harassed the Prussians. On July 25, the entire regiment marched to Erfurt. On July 28, it joined the main army in Weimar for the during the Austro-Imperial campaign in Saxony.
On July 31, the regiment was part of the vanguard of Prince Baden-Durlach, which marched to Auerstädt.
On August 19, the entire regiment (378 men) encamped with the Reichsarmee north of Eutritzsch on the road to Halle, By August 24, the regiment was in Leipzig, as part of the corps of FZM St. André.
On September 8, St. André's Corps was attacked by the corps of the Prussian Major-General Wunsch. During the Combat of Zinna, the regiment was deployed in the first line of the cavalry left wing. It came under heavy fire from the Prussian artillery and suffered heavy losses.
On September 21, the regiment was present at the Combat of Korbitz where it was deployed in Kleefeld's Division, which was not involved in fighting.
On October 2, the Reichsarmee encamped near Dresden, remaining there until October 20.
On November 25, when the Reichsarmee took its winter-quarters, the regiment went to Döbra and Wallersdorf.
On December 3, the troops proceeded by way of Bohemia to Franconia to their final quarters, the entire regiment was quartered in Weißenburg, in the County of Coburg.
1760
In 1760, the regiment, as most of the cavalry, remained in its winter-quarters longer than usual.
On June 3, when the regiment was reviewed, it numbered 330 men fit for service. On June 8, it marched with the Reichsarmee to Saxony by way of Kulmbach, Münchberg and Hof and proceeded to Zwickau, the present regiment forming part of the vanguard of the corps of Count Stolberg.
On July 10, 100 men of the regiment had to haul boats between Pirna and Dresden on the Elbe.
On July 13 at night, when Zweibrücken retreated with the whole army by way of Lockwitz to Dohna, the entire regiment was attached to the rearguard.
By August 9, the regiment had been allocated to the Reserve in Gourcy's Corps.
On August 20, the regiment took part in the Combat of Strehla. On August 27, it was at the capture of Torgau.
From October 3 to 14, during the Siege of Wittenberg, the regiment was in second line.
On October 31, when the Reichsarmee marched to Freiburg, the regiment, along with some other troops, remained at Lucka and later marched to Altenburg.
By December 22, the regiment had taken its winter-quarters near Kronach.
1761
By February 15, 1761, the regiment was in Arnstadt. On April 14, when the Reichsarmee encamped between Berneck, Kronach and Sonnenberg, the entire regiment was at Neustadt an der Heide with the cavalry, now subordinated to FML Bretlach.
On June 4, the regiment encamped at Eisleben.
On December 14 and 15. December, when the army took to its winter quarters, the regiment was allocated to the corps of FML Luszinsky, which was posted in Zeitz and Naumburg to secure the winter-quarters.
1762
By April 30, 1762, the regiment (now 351 men) was in Penig.
At the end of July, the Austro-Imperial army retreated to Franconia, and – after receiving new orders from Vienna – returned to Saxony. The regiment, now part of Rosenfeld's Corps took position near Hof.
By the end of December, the regiment occupied outposts near Ostheim, Meiningen and Fulda.
1763
In the beginning of February 1763, after the signature of a treaty of neutrality between Prussia and Elector Karl Theodor of Palatinate, Palatine troops returned to their homeland. The regiment was reduced to two squadrons of 150 men – without horses.
Uniform
Each contingent forming this regiment (Prinz Friedrich Cavalry and the Oberrheinische Kreiseskadron) retained its own uniform.
Standards
no information found yet
References
Bezzel, O.: Geschichte des Kurpfälzischen Heeres, Bayrisches Kriegsarchiv, IV. File, part 1 and 2, Munich 1925
Grosser Generalstab Kriegsgeschichtliche Abteilung II: Die Kriege Friedrichs des Grossen, Part 3 Der siebenjährige Krieg 1756-1763, Vol. 5 Hastenbeck und Roßbach, Berlin, 1903, Appendix 8
Rogge, Christian: The French & Allied Armies in Germany during the Seven Years War, Frankfurt, 2006
Vial, Jean-Louis: Nec Pluribus Impar
N.B.: the section Service during the War is partly derived from our articles depicting the various campaigns, battles and sieges.
Acknowledgements
Harald Skala for the translation and integration of info from Bezzel's work
