Mainz Infantry

Hierarchical Path: Seven Years War (Main Page) >> Armies >> Austrian Army >> Mainz Infantry

Origin and History

Mainz (Lamberg) Infantry - Source: Herbert Knötel d. J. in Das Zeitalter Friedrich des Großen

At the outbreak of the Seven Years War, the Mainz army was comprised of the following infantry regiments: Wildenstein (1751-1770), Ried (1752-1757; from 1758 to 1775 Lamberg) and Preiss (1752-1770) garrisoning Mainz and Knorr (formed in 1733 from Ried, 4-5 half-strenght coys under the command of Colonel von Hagen, 1754-1772), garrisoning Erfurt together with the Austrian regiment Gaisruck.

On September 29, 1756 by an agreement between the Prince-Elector Archbishop of Mainz and Austria, a regiment organized on the Austrian pattern (2 field battalions with 6 coys each, 1 garrison battalion with 4 coys, and 2 coys of grenadiers) was drafted from companies of the regiments of Wildenstein and Ried. We don't know the composition of the regiment: however the company commanders were: von Dalwigk, von Fackenhofen, von Guttberg, von Hagen, von Harstall, von Hornigk, Klunckhard, Knodt, von Koffler, von Lamberg (Colonel coy), von Murach, von Ried, von Schmidt, Stamm, Stutzer, von Welsch, Werner, Wolff.

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

• Graf Raimund Kasimir von Lamberg

Service during the War

In 1757, the regiment was deployed partly in the Prague garrison, partly in the field. On May 6, two battalions of the regiment took part in the battle of Prague where they were deployed in Baron Wulfen's Brigade, in the second line of the left wing of infantry under Baron Kheul. They suffered very heavy losses. On September 7, when General Nádasdy attacked Winterfeldt's corps isolated in the combat of Moys, one battalion of the regiment was deployed in the first line of the infantry centre division under the command of Lieutenant-general Nicolaus Esterházy. On November 22, one battalion of the regiment took part in the battle of Breslau where it was part of the Reserve Corps in Baron Wolff's brigade. It then took part in the defence of Breslau and when the city surrendered on December 21, they became prisoners of war but were later exchanged.

In 1758, the regiment garrisoned Prague. On October 10 1758, its field companies (one battalion) of the regiment took part in the battle of Hochkirch where it was deployed in Colloredo's column to the southeast of Lauske.

On November 20 1759, the regiment took part in the battle of Maxen where it was attached to Brentano's corps initially posted at Röhrsdorf, 5 km north of Maxen.

In the last years of the war, the regiment served in Saxony with the Austrian corps attached to the Reichsarmee. It took part in several enagements: Strehla (August 20, 1760), Doebeln (May 12, 1762) and Freiberg (October 29 1760) where it was deployed in Campitelli's Corps.

Duffy gives the following data: out of 4,674 mustered. 1,860 were taken prisonier, 1,571 died in hospital, 1,010 deserted, 79 missing or discharged as invalids and only 154 killed in action.

After the war, the regiment returned to the Mainz garrison as Lamberg Regiment till 1775. Its subsequent lineage were: 1776-1779 vakant, 1780-1803 von Gymnich, 1803 disbanded.

Uniform

As far as we know, the main sources for Mainz uniforms are two cards in the Sturm-Zigarettenbilder-Alben "Deutsche Uniformen" by Knotel and Letzius which depicts a muskeeter of Ried regiment and a grenadier of Wildenstein regiments. The Knotel illustration 53, Band V of Uniformenkunde represents the same Wildenstein grenadier.

It is possible that the Mainz-Lamberg regiment was uniformed as Ried: moreover after the war it took its place and the "Kurfürstlich Erlass vom 05 September 1776" specified blue as its distinctive facing colour.

Privates

Uniform in 1758 - Source: Frédéric Aubert from a template made by Richard Couture.

Uniform in 1756-57

Headgear	Musketeer black tricorne laced white with a blue within white pompom Grenadier bearskin with a blue bag probably laced white and a white tassel
Neckstock	black
Coat	white lined blue with 3 white buttons under the right lapel and 1 white button in the small of the back on each side Collar small blue collar Shoulder Straps probably white fastened by a white button (left shoulder only) Lapels blue with 6 white buttons grouped 2 by 2 Pockets horizontal pockets, each with 3 white buttons Cuffs blue with 3 white buttons Turnbacks blue
Waistcoat	blue with 1 row of small white buttons and with horizontal pockets, each with 3 white buttons
Breeches	straw
Gaiters	probably one pair of black (for winter) and one pair of white gaiters (for summer and parade)
Leather Equipment	Crossbelt white Waistbelt white with a brass buckle Cartridge Box black Bayonet Scabbard black with brass fittings Scabbard black (grenadiers only) Footgear black shoes

Officers

To do

Musicians

To do

Colours

To do

References

Duffy, C.: By Force of Arms, Vol. II of the Austrian Army in the Seven Years War, Emperor's Press 2008

Letzius, Dr. Martin and Herbert Knötel d. J.: Deutsche Uniformen, Bd. 1, Das Zeitalter Friedrich des Großen, hrsg. von der Sturm-Zigaretten GmbH, Dresden 1932

Pengel, R.D. and G.R. Hurt: "Uniform of Swedish and German States, Line and Cannon of the Seven Years war", Birmingham 1978.

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