1866 AUSTRIA - 13th UHLANEN REGIMENT GRAF von TRANI

 As it is well known, this regiment fought at the Battle of Custoza on 25th July 1866 and precisely under the command of Colonnel Maximilian von (Ritter) von Rodakowski charged furiously the famous "Quadrato di Villafranca" the Infantry square of Villafranca, arrayerd by the 49th Italian Line Infatry, inside which the Prince Crown Umberto di Savoia (future King Umberto I) recovered from the attack .A lot of painting from both sides represent this episode of the Battle, as well as I would love to do and hence I prepared the Italian Infatry (see my previous posts).

In the picture above, it is possible to see the moment of the charge. Please note that the Bersaglieri units wore at the battle the summer dress, i.e. white trousers. They formed little groups to defend themselves, while the real square was arrayed by infantry and not - like here depicted - by Bersaglieri.

This painting in any case in very intersting because it shows uniforms of the 13th Uhlanen Regiment, above all in the foreground the trumpeter (with white leather). It is also interesting to note that the painter represented the Regiment mostly armed with swords instead of lances. Starting from 1860  the carabine was withdrawn, and they were armed with lances (and swords). 

This regiment was raised in 1860  as Freiwilligen-Uhlanen-Regiment (volunteers Uhlanen Regiment) but was voluteer just in title; in fact its men were drwn from a single division of each of the regular Uhlan Regiments, nr. 1,2, 8 and 10 from Uhlans with at least 10 years of service.

In 1862 this regiment started to wear the blue/azure new uniform, abandoning the green regular one. The headgear was a low peakless cap called Tatarka with a lower portion of black lamswool and a square topped final part with a feather on the top of it (left side). Its size was reduced from 1863.

The overcoat (called "Uhlanka" was light blue, with a single row of 10 yellw buttons, bright red cuffs and badges; the coat was dark blue. 

They were armed with a lance without pennon, a pistol, and a light sabre.

Picture nr. 2

Here (picture nr. 2)  top the Colonel charging at the Battle of Custoza. Possible to see lancers and a Uhlan with sabre.

This unit was on 6 squadrons with 850 men and 775 horses (field strength), meaning that in wartime every suadron could rank on the battlefield 130 men.

I also found this (naif) painting representing always that episode (picture 3)

Picture nr. 3

It is interesting to see how little is the "tatarka"

Futher problem to understand was he saddle. In this paintings it seems quite simple (Black or brown) and little; from the following picture (nr. 4) it seems is was red, but I doubt in the field it was in this way

Picture 4

Nontheless it the following (Italian) painting of Raffaele Pontremoli (picture nr. 5) the saddle are very well represented (and there is some red) (see also the detail) with a sort of light white under saddle

Picture 5

I went on with my reasearches and I found this very clear image (in this case the saddle is all black!)

 and also

So finally, after all these researches and a lot of attempts I am able to present the tamplate of this regiment for the Battle of Custoza (picture nr. 8)

Please note that Osprey says the ulanka was without lapels, while all the other pictures I showed here represent the red lapels. I preferred hence to keep them, also because in the paintings of the battle, from people that saw personally that charge the lapels are represented.

This Regiment was in the Cavalry Reserve, 

based on 2 cavalry Brigades:

Brigade Pulz	Oberst Ludwig Pulz
Uhl.-Rgt. Graf Trani Nr.13, 1., 2., 5., 6. Escadrons	Oberst Maximilian Ritter von Rodakowsky
Husz.-Rgt. Fürst Liechtenstein Nr.13, 3., 4., 5., 6. Escadrons	Oberst Ladislaus Graf Szápáry
Husz.Rgt. Kaiser Franz Josef  Nr.1, 1., 3., 4., 5. Escadrons	Oberst Alexander Rigyitsky de Skrbestje
4pfd. Cavallerie-Batterie Nr.8/V
Brigade Bujanovics	Oberst August Bujanovics von Agg-Telek
Uhl.-Rgt. Sicilien Nr.12, 1., 2. Escadrons	Oberst Friedrich von Berres
Husz.-Rgt. Prinz Württemberg Nr.11, 2., 5., 6. Escadrons	Oberst Joseph Török von Erdöd
Husz.Rgt. Prinz Carl von Bayern Nr.3, 1., 3., 4.. Escadrons	Oberst Julius Gradwohl
4pfd. Cavallerie-Batterie Nr.8/V

So at the battle this Regiment fought with 4 squadrons (1 - 2 and 5 - 6, together in 2 divisions) where the 6th squadron suffered the most. At the end of the charge this Regiment had lost:

10 officers, 237 men and 301 horses. This unit fought with its standard at the battle (usually they did not)