1632 LUTZEN - GREEN HESSEN KASSEL'S LEIBREGIMENT

 At the battle of Lutzen it is well known that 1 regiment belonging to Hesse Kassel fought alogside the Swedish Army. 

The info for this period - above all for minor units - are always difficult to obtain or to check.

So in the Osprey - Campaign Series Battle of Lutzen (nr. 068) in the order of Battle is indicated the Hessen Kassel Green Regiment, of Oberst Caspar Graf Eberstein, but actually under the command of Oberst (Colonel) Hans Heinrich von Guetherode, with 12 coys, 216 musketeers, 144 pikemen and 142 officers (dnd NCO); 

The same info is available from The Battle of Lutzen 1632 of Century of the Soldiers nr. 104 of André Schuerger. 

So I started to draw my template, according to the fact this regiment would be in green (also because it was a Leibregiment, so an elite unit ans surely already with uniforms paid by the Landgraf of Hessen-Kassel)

In this case the red and yellow (mainly) colours I took from the Leibregiment of the SYW that had these colours, (maily yellow).

But to do so, I went on my favourite site Kronoskaf, both in the WSS and in the SYW sections were I found that just 1 regiment was so ancient to go back to the TYW but also it added under the regiment Leibregiment zu Fuss that  "Originally raised during the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) by General Geyso as the White Regiment, the regiment took part in the battles of Lützen (16 November 1632), Hessisch-Oldendorf (8 June 1633), Alerheim (3 August 1645) and the last battle of the war, at Wevelinghoven (14 June 1648), also known as the Battle of Grevenbroich. At the relief of Hanau in June 1636, the regiment also distinguished itself gloriously. In 1648 the regiment numbered 12 companies, which were reduced to three companies after the end of the war"

So we have here this regiment that fought at Lutzen but was called White (and not green) Regiment. 

So the doubts about the real colour of uniforms remained.  I decided to go to the end of this intriguing riddle.

I found a very interesting book (readible on internet, even though you must master German and Gothic letters) that treats of the Hessen Kassel Army during the TYW: Sodenstern, Arthur von: Die Anfänge des stehenden Heeres in der Landgrafschaft Hessen-Kassel und dessen Formationen bis zum Ende des dreißigjährigen Krieges.

I found very intersting the fact that this Army underwent different reforms, the lattest to match with the requests of its new ally, Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden.

For what it matters I can confirm that the Leibregiment zu Fuss was Green Regiment (and not white)

It states (middle page) "Das gruene Leibregiment zu Fuss zum Beispiel hatte (wahrscheinlich in Sommer 1632) in 12 Compagnieen eine Effectivstaerke von 110 Rotten = 660 Mann Muskeriere und 52 Rotten = 312 Mann Pikeniere".

Translation: the Garde Foot Regiment, for example, had (probably in sommer 1632) in 12 Coys  a real strenght of 110 squads = 660 musketeers and 52 squads = 312 Pikemen.

So what is sure, at this point, that the Leibregiment that partecipated to the Battle of Lutzen in 1632 was the Green Regiment. (and not the white).

At the number 2 you can find a White Regiment (in 1631) on 12 coys, but it was not the Leibregiment that partecipated in the Battle of Lutzen.

Moreover the text says that the name of the Hessen Kassel Regiment, besides the name of their Colonels were known by the colours: there were the Green Leibregiment - as said - but also the White Regiment (nr. 2) the Dark Red Regiment (nr 3), the Blue and white regiment (nr 4), the black regiment (nr. 5), the Red Regiment (nr. 6), the brown regiment (nr 7), the Green and White Regiment (nr 8), the Yellow Regiment (nr 9), the Blue Regiment (nr. 10); the Rose/Orange (Leibfarbig in German so coloured as the body); (nr 11) and 2 more regiments without colours.

The source also states that that fact that these Regiments carried the colours was - very probably - because the uniforms were of that colour. It is important to note also that the Hessen Kassel Army was firstly under strong infulence of the Danish Army (that had coloured Regiments) and then of the Swedish that did the same.

Conclusion: the uniforms of the unique Regiment of Hassen Kassel that partecipated to the Battle of Lutzen were green:

1632 BATTLE OF LUTZEN - WILDENSTEINS'S BLACK REGIMENT

The topic concerning the Swedish uniforms is a typical one. Making things short, it seems evident from sources that not just the colours but even the uniforms (above all after 1626) were "uniformed" and provided by the central governament.

At the Battle of Lutzen in 1632 partecipated different coloured regiments: the Yellow Regiment, the Old Blue Regiment, the Green (Life) regiment , the White Regiment and of the new levied coloured regiments: the New Blue Regiment, the Black Regiment of Wildenstein and the Black Regiment of Thurn.

As far as we know, the Thurn's black Regiment had blue uniforms, while it has to be considered dressed in black the Wildenstein's Black Regiment.

The fact that the regiments had black uniforms is confirmed by the fact that Wallhausen in 1621 discourged to issue black uniforms. This means - at the contrary - that the black uniforms DID exsist at the epoch; we also know that in 1630 the Royal Wardrobe issued expensive uniforms for black regiments all confirming that there were Regiments wearing black uniforms and colours.

So I prepared my templates for 1 out of the 2 Black Regiment at the Battle of Lutzen (the second was by sure dressed in blue as majority of Swedish troops) and this regiment is the Wildenstein's Black Regiment.

I kept for all the blue plumes. I also started to prepare the first Colour. 

I went forward with pikemen:

and other mosqueteers:

I also prepared a new template, trasforming an English musqueteers into a Swedesh one:

1632 BATTLE OF LUTZEN - CONVERSION FROM A SPANISH TO A SWEDISH MUSKETEER

 As said, I would like to show how I transformed a Spanish Musketeer very well drawn by Mr. Mugnai to a Swedish one. I have no skills, and surely not those of Mugnai but I do like to transform the drawings and make usable for my (paper)battles.

Here the passages:

Here above the differences.

1632 BATTLE OF LUTZEN - COLOURS OF THE YELLOW BRIGADE

 I fund very challenging to find out the colours of the Yellow Brigade at the Battle of Lutzen. In my previous post I published one template, but now I want to increase them and so I decided to dedicate one post just for colours.

The template is taken from Berliner Zinnfiguren that I modified. (I will make a post also for this)

The Yellow Regiment had 16 Companies, hence I have to do 16 flags (one already done).

My source is this drawing:  

                     

I prepared then the second example for the Pikemen

(last flag on the top right)

Here another from the second top left

I did notice that I did not draw for these standard bearers any sash (blue for Swesen); so I provided new templates

I also prepared other templates, with some more colours: some directly copied, some with variation on the theme.

In the following case, I prepared one colour as parallel to one of the Blue Brigade

1632 BATTLE OF LUTZEN - NEW POSES AND COLOURS

 Going on with my project (also because one done for the Yellow Brigade it will be easier to duplicate for all the other Swedish Brigades) I prepared a new pose for musqueters. I am thinking to make a 6 rows formation: the first 2 rows firing like in my previous post, the 3rd still to be done as well as the 5th while for the 6th it will be this one. The template was taken from Osprey figure and then reelaborated, as usual.

Finally, elaborating a template from Zinnfiguren, and changing it (maybe I will prepare a post for this changing) I prepared a standard bearer of the Yellow Brigade. This is the colonel flag, with the insigna and monogramm of Gustavus Adolfus Rex Sueciae (Gustavus Adolphus King of Sweden)

On the right, the example I used to prepare this banner.

1632 BATTLE OF LUTZEN - YELLOW BRIGADE (MUSQUETEERS)

 I know I should stay on my project, but it is stronger than me to move from one historical period to another. So while I am still trying to finish the 3rd Battle of Ramla, I had the temptation to drift towards the Battle of Lutzen in 1632. In my previous post I publishe the pikemen; this time I drew the musketiers of that Brigade, with some interesting variations with the headgear and the coulours in general.

After this publishing them on TMP, I was suggested to avoid red stockings, used only by Imperialist troops.

So I decided to remake and to fix also the coat (that for the Swedish was a little longer), I reduced the trousers, making again fitter and more modern, added some cartouches hanging down from a new designed belt (and erased the sword to make it easier to trim later on)