German & other foreign regiments in Swedish pay

Conflict between the Swedes and their various neighbours between 1670s and 1721. Including topics on Danes, Saxons, Saxon-Polish, Russians and anyone else the boys in blue were mixing it with!
Post Reply
Captain of Dragoons
Major General
Major General
Posts: 624
Joined: Sat Oct 08, 2005 2:18 am
Location: Trenton, Ontario, Canada

German & other foreign regiments in Swedish pay

Post by Captain of Dragoons » Mon Dec 16, 2019 11:34 pm

Would German and other foreign regiments in Swedish pay, such as Saxon POWs and French Horse Grenadiers, been dressed in blue uniforms? Or more like brown or grey uniforms? Would foreign “enlisted” infantry battalions also use pikes?

Thanks

Edward
Last edited by Captain of Dragoons on Tue Dec 17, 2019 2:06 am, edited 2 times in total.
Captain of Dragoons
Dfogleman2
Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Posts: 428
Joined: Wed Apr 27, 2005 4:45 pm

Re: German & other foreign regiments in Swiss pay

Post by Dfogleman2 » Tue Dec 17, 2019 12:07 am

Do mean Swiss or do you mean Swedish?
Captain of Dragoons
Major General
Major General
Posts: 624
Joined: Sat Oct 08, 2005 2:18 am
Location: Trenton, Ontario, Canada

Re: German & other foreign regiments in Swedish pay

Post by Captain of Dragoons » Tue Dec 17, 2019 2:07 am

‘Swedish”,

Good Catch.
Captain of Dragoons
User avatar
Friedrich August I.
General of the Army
General of the Army
Posts: 2182
Joined: Fri Apr 29, 2011 4:23 am
Location: Vienna, Austria

Re: German & other foreign regiments in Swedish pay

Post by Friedrich August I. » Tue Dec 17, 2019 6:41 am

When Sweden invaded Saxony they started with mass "recruiting" Saxon Troops and Citizens to bolster their Army for the March to Russia. So they all got Blue Coats as the Saxon Red would have been too hard of a Contrast in the Ranks of the Swedish Infantry.

Presumably, even in sticking those POW's into separate Units, they would have had Blue Coats.

Only in the subsiding System within the HRE those "borrowed" Troops would have fought in their parent Countries Uniform - as long as they were not sold to them.
„Macht Euch Euren Dregg alleene“

"Sort your filth out by yourself!" The King of Saxony Friedrich August III., at his abdication 1918, referred to the quarrels in the parliament and the squabbling within the provisional government.
Dfogleman2
Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Posts: 428
Joined: Wed Apr 27, 2005 4:45 pm

Re: German & other foreign regiments in Swedish pay

Post by Dfogleman2 » Tue Dec 17, 2019 12:44 pm

Hoglund does not give any information on the uniforms of the Swiss and French regiments raised from soldiers in Saxon service following Fraustadt. Since the uniforms of the “Saxon” battalions also raised from Saxon prisoners were blue, and the whole army received new uniforms about that time, I would think that blue would be a good guess. Also, since the “Saxon” regiments did not have pikes the Swiss and French probably did not, either.
Dfogleman2
Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Posts: 428
Joined: Wed Apr 27, 2005 4:45 pm

Re: German & other foreign regiments in Swedish pay

Post by Dfogleman2 » Tue Dec 17, 2019 12:52 pm

Further, Hoglund says that the German regiment, also called the Bajerska regiment raised in 1706, probably wore blue. He also cites a letter from Rehnskiold dated July 22, 1706, which says that the three newly raised regiments and battalions were dressed in blue coats with blue, red and aurora linings. This probably referred to this regiment and the French and Swiss regiments.
User avatar
Friedrich August I.
General of the Army
General of the Army
Posts: 2182
Joined: Fri Apr 29, 2011 4:23 am
Location: Vienna, Austria

Re: German & other foreign regiments in Swedish pay

Post by Friedrich August I. » Tue Dec 17, 2019 5:42 pm

According to Schuster&Francke the Swiss Regiments were never brought to full strength while the French POWs formed a Battalion.
Maybe Swiss and French formed later One Regiment where as 'several Regiments' seems more than unlikely. Dan Schorr stated the Uniform of the French as being Red Standard with blue Facing, Breeches and Stockings. Swiss remain in the Dark.

Altogether...all "acquired" Troops of foreign origin would have received Standard Uniforms.
„Macht Euch Euren Dregg alleene“

"Sort your filth out by yourself!" The King of Saxony Friedrich August III., at his abdication 1918, referred to the quarrels in the parliament and the squabbling within the provisional government.
Captain of Dragoons
Major General
Major General
Posts: 624
Joined: Sat Oct 08, 2005 2:18 am
Location: Trenton, Ontario, Canada

Re: German & other foreign regiments in Swedish pay

Post by Captain of Dragoons » Tue Dec 17, 2019 9:08 pm

Thanks for the answers.

Would Swedish ‘German’ regiments such as the Bremen Regt and the Pomeranian Regt have been issued pikes?

Thanks

Cheers

Edward
Captain of Dragoons
Dfogleman2
Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Posts: 428
Joined: Wed Apr 27, 2005 4:45 pm

Re: German & other foreign regiments in Swedish pay

Post by Dfogleman2 » Tue Dec 17, 2019 9:15 pm

Probably not. The German regiments at Gadebusch, (Elbing and Stralsund regiments) did not.
Post Reply