Dannie, See pg 246 in Sjöström for the Norra skånska. Perhaps not lost, left on the field is a better translation. According to the descriptions in Sjöström, all three cavalry regiments wore the breastplate. You are probably correct that they were uncomfortable, and many could have been intentionall...

Thanks Stenbock. Perhaps the 3-männingregiments were never issued breastplates, but the fact that they were mistaken for dragoons would indicate that other cavalry still had breastplates as you indicated.

Dannie, you were correct about Sjöström. I found at least five references to breastplates and "harnesk" for all three Swedish cavalry regiments present at Fraustadt. Only one is footnoted and that relates to equipment losses of the Norra skånska which lost 83 "harnesk". It would seem that the Nordbe...

Thanks Dannie. I'll have a look.

Dan

I think the general consensus has been that Swedish cavalry did not wear the cuirass during the Great Northern War; however, I ran across the following in Vol.1 pg 846 of Jöran Nordberg’s “Konung Carl XII:tes Historia”: In early February 1708 “...the Lifregiment was ordered to hand in their “harnesk...

I apologize for resurrecting this thread, but I want to correct and hopefully clarify a few points. Firstly, I was wrong when I stated that the three Danish cavalry regiments serving in Ireland and Flanders during the Nine Years War wore the cuirass. They did not. Secondly, with respect to the use o...

I hesitate to get involved in what Barry would label a “fashion police/button counter” argument. I will say, however, that I have never run across any reference to the Guard Regiments having red hat lace. I am unaware of what source Lars-Eric used, but none of the sources that he cites make referenc...

Barry,

On the right side of the page there is a column that says READ. Under it is a list that has Read online, PDF, etc. Click on the PDF and it will download. It is free.

Dan

Barry,

Try this link: https://openlibrary.org/books/OL6937565 ... of_Ireland

It's the smaller file size mentioned by Mark. I downloaded it this morning.

Dan

For those who might be interested, George Story's book is available for download at http://www.askaboutireland.ie/reading-r ... al-histor/

It's a large file, 202 MB.

The Hartschiere did indeed carry a standard. Karl Staudinger (Geschichte des kurbayerischen Heeres, Vol. 1 pg.148 footnote 3) indicates that when formed in 1669, the Hartschiere inherited the standard of the old “Korbiner”. He states that little is known of its appearance, but he speculates that, “…...

This might help:

1682 Degenfeld (pearl gray with dark lilac facings), 1683 La Rosa (light lilac facings).
1682 La Perouse (blue with violet facings), 1683 Rummel (violet facings)
Richard Knötel, “Handbuch der Uniformkunde”, 1960.

I think you would be safe having your Swiss pikemen in cuirass and possibly a helmet. I think your information might relate to the Swiss in French service.

Reference pikemen armour, see page 23 of Boeri's book.

Dan

In addition to the book described above, GianCarl Boeri's book, "The Spanish Armies in the War of the League Of Augsburg", lists two Swiss regiments and one Grison regiment in the Spanish army of the State of Milan. His book, "The Army of the Duke of Savoy 1688-1713", has at least one Swiss regiment...