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German Troops (Operationsarmee) in the 1st Schleswig War (1849 campaign)

Part 2: Brunswick (Braunschweig) troops

Text & colour plate by Jan Schlrmann(Please ask for permission if this article/colour plates (or parts of it) are used for publication of any kind.)

Braunschweigs policy pendled between Germanys two big powers: Austria and Prussia. Until 1848/50, Prussian-modelled uniforms were worn but Brunswick never trusted the big neighbouring brother like the kingdom of Hannover. This wasnt without reason because both North German principalities came under Prussian control (Hannover 1866) or had to accept Prussian military hegemony (Brunswick).

In 1849, Brunswick troops did not form a brigade of its own but the units were distributed among the 1st and 2nd brigade of the Reserve Division. The divisional and brigade commanders of the Brunswick troops came from Hessia-(Kassel), Nassau and Oldenburg:

(Combined) Reserve division GenLt Bauer (Hessia)

1st (combined) Brigade (Duke of Nassau)

Brunswick 6pdr Foot battery (6 guns)

2nd (combined) Brigade (GenMaj Count von Rantzau (Oldenburg))

Brunswick infantry regiment (1st and 2nd battalion)

Brunswick Regiment of Hussars (2 squadroons)

Uniforms

General captions

Brunswik uniforms worn in 1848/49 were a result of the mid-19th century nostalgia. In 1835, the infantry wore dark blue coats, red collar and cuffs, white trousers and bell-shaped shako a copy of the Prussian uniform.*

The 1848/49 introduced tunic was a commemoration to the famous black corps of duke Frederick Wiliam of Brunswik-Oels. He organized a Brunswik army-in-exile in 1809 which became famous for wearing all-black coats and silver skull and bones on their shakos. This was chosen as a new uniform in 1848 only with changes in details. The tunic was called Polrock in 1809/1848, the word derived from German Polnischer Rock (Polish coat). Similar to the Hussars attila, this coat imitated traditional Eastern/Polish folk dress. (Sympathy towards Poland was quite common among Germans in 1830/48 many students and revolutionaries fraternized with the Polish fight for independence against Russia.)

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*) One exception must be made from this: the Life jgers wore the 1809 introduced black uniform until 1849 without interruption.

Infantry & Life battalion (Leibjger)

Black Polrock with black laces, light blue collar, cuffs, shoulder bars and piping; black trousers with a single light blue stripe; black leather belts and ammunition pouch.

The shako was similar in shape to later Prussian jger shakos of 1866; the silver fittings and the light blue-yellow cockade were almost hidden by a long black horse tail. Usually, the shako was covered with a black wax cover.

The line infantry regiment (1st and 2nd battalion) were distinguished by the black unit number on the shoulder bars and a tin 8-pointed star with Maltese cross. The star was surrounded by the inscription IMMOTA FIDES.

An lite unit not taking part in the 1849 campaign but in 1848 was the Life Battalion or Leibjger. Their uniforms differed only in detail from the prescribed line infantry battalions. Instead of the 8 pointed star, the Life jgers showed the traditional skull & crossed bones symbol on their shakos; A reward granted after the Napoleonic wars was the title PENINSULA a metal band fixed just underneath the skull & bones to the shako.

A short-lived dark blue infantry tunic in 1844?

I have found a single colour plate showing a Brunbswik line infantryman in a dark blue tunic with red collar and cuffs, white trousers but with the 1848/49 shako with horsetail. This was the tunicized version of the 1835 frock coat uniform. Dating 1844, this may have been a short lived uniform because the introduction of the black Polrock for the line infantry in 1849 has been confirmed due to several sources.

Hussars

The hussars uniforms changed in 1850 so the dress worn in 1849 was still the one introduced in the 1830ies.

Dark blue attila with yellow (gold) laces and piping; dark blue trousers with a single gold stripe and black leather strengthning inside. Black kalpak with leather peak, red fittings and gold laces during campaigns worn with wax cover. Black sabre pouch with golden & crowned cypher W (Wiliam). The dolman was dark blue with yellow/gold piping and black fur.

Artillery

Brunswik also missed to dress its artillery in new uniforms for the 1849 campaign in time. (New black tunics after infantry style were introduced in 1850.) Thats why the artillery wore the obsolete frock coats in Schleswig-Holstein, distinguishing itself from their modern uniformed German allies.

The frock coat was dark blue with red shoulder bars, collar and cuffs with two rows of brass buttons; yellow/gold laces on collar and cuffs. Dark blue trousers with a single red stripe. The headdress consisted of a kaskett or Raupenhelm after Bavarian pattern: black leather and Raupe with brass fittings and light blue-yellow cockade.

Colour Plate

left.

Regiment of Hussars, field dress, Brunswik, 1849

center.

Life battalion, Brunswik, 1848 [similar to line infantry battalions in 1849]

right.

Sergeant, Foot Artillery, Brunswick, 1849 [sergeants rank indicated by gold lace around cuffs and collar)

1st row, left.1st Battalion, Regiment of Line Infantry, Brunswick, 1849.

2nd row, left.Regiment of Hussars (Dolman), Officer, Brunswick, 1849.

1st row, right.Foot Artillery, Brunswick, 1848/49.

Further readings & sources

Besides Volker Reschkes work, the excellent article written by Thomas S. Gudmundsen provided the base of this compilation:

Thomas S. Gudmundsen: Tyske troppers uniformering uder trerskrigen. In: Chakoten 53 (1998), no. 2, p. 48-52.

Thomas provides information on the Hannoverian, Brunswik, Mecklenburg and Oldenburg troops in the 1848 campaign.