Prussian Dragoon Regiment Number 5 Bayreuth Dragoons
Encyclopedia
The Cuirassier Regiment "Queen" (Pomeranian) No. 2 was a Prussia
n cavalry regiment. Formed in 1717 as Dragoner-Regiment Nr.5 Bayreuth Dragoner it was originally a dragoon
regiment
and was part of the Prussian order of battle
until 1918. The Bayreuth Dragoons achieved fame for their role in winning the Battle of Hohenfriedberg
in 1745. In 1819 it was transformed into a cuirassier
regiment.
Apart from short interruptions, the regimental garrison was Pasewalk
in Western Pomerania
from 1721 to 1919.
and Bayreuth. by 1 June the regiment was formed, with 44 officers and NCOs and 295 cavalry troopers, all aged between 20 and 40 years old. By 1718, the regiment had expanded to four squadrons comprising 689 men.
It was not until 1730 that the regiment reached its full size, ten squadrons, a total of 62 officers, 120 NCOS, standard bearers, 30 drummers and 1,320 cavalry troopers. On 7 August 1731 the regiment was granted the honor title Bayreuth Dragoner (Bayreuth Dragoons) and was redesignated Dragoner-Regiment Nr. 5 Bayreuth Dragoner.
The regiment wore the standard powder blue coat of the Prussian dragoons with crimson turnbacks and facings.
The regiment first saw action during the War of Austrian Succession. At the Battle of Mollwitz
, six squadrons of the regiment were engaged on an attack on the Austrian's left wing. This attack caused the enemy to retreat and brought victory for the Prussian king, Frederick the Great.
At the Battle of Chotusitz
, the regiment did not fare as well. During two cavalry attacks, the Bayreuth Dragoons failed to break through the enemy lines and suffered heavy losses including 14 officers, and three standards.
The regiment won its reputation at the Battle of Hohenfriedberg
. The Austrian commander, Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine
, was holding against repeated Prussian infantry attacks. The commander of the Bayreuth Dragoons, Generalleutnant Gessler, saw an opportunity to attack a large force of Austrian infantry attacking the exhausted Prussian infantry. The ten squadrons of the regiment formed into two columns and charged into the Austrians. In the fighting that followed, the Bayreuth Dragoons destroyed 20 Austrian and Saxon
battalions, took 2,500 prisoners, and captured 67 regimental standards, losing only 6 officers and 28 men killed. Prinz Karl was forced to retreat in disarray, and the battle was won.
After the charge at Hohenfriedberg, the regiment was permitted to wear a golden 67 on their cartridge cases. They also received a diploma from Frederick the Great, naming all officers who took part in the charge and praising the regiment, as well as granting them their own regimental march, the Hohenfriedberger Marsch
, composed by Frederick himself.
Although the regiment was present at the Battle of Soor
, it did not see any action, arriving just before the Austrian defeat.
With the outbreak of the Seven Years' War
in 1756, the regiment was in the vanguard of the Prussian advance into Saxony. At the Battle of Lobositz
, the regiment was involved in the two failed cavalry charges against the Austrians on the Homolka-berg. The regiment performed as well as could be expected, with two squadrons rescuing the Gardes du Corps from annihilation.
The dragoons participated in the Siege of Pirna
, and on 6 May 1757 took part in the bitterly fought Battle of Prague.
In the French Revolutionary Wars
the regiment marched southwest in 1792 to fight in northern France
in Electoral Palatinate and Baden
. In the battle of Jena-Auerstedt
against Napoleon
it was almost routed.
of Prussia became Colonel-in-Chief
of the regiment. Subsequently it was renamed to Königin-Dragoner (The Queen's Dragoons) per royal order on 5 March 1806. After the death of the Queen a royal order from 4 August 1810 declared that the regiment should forever bear the name "Regiment of the Queen" (Regiment der Königin). Thus it was called Regiment Königin-Dragoner until 5 November 1816. On 6 November 1816 it was renamed to 1. Dragoner Regiment (Königin) (1st Dragoon Regiment (Queen)). From 28 May 1819 on it was restructured into a cuirassier regiment and was then called 2. Kürassier Regiment Königin. Its final name was awarded on 4 June 1860, Kürassier Regiment "Königin" (Pommersches) Nr. 2 (Cuirassier Regiment "Queen" (Pomerania
n) No. 2).
In the War of the Sixth Coalition
, the Queen's Dragoons fought in the battle of Ligny
, the battle of Waterloo
and at Meaux
in 1815/1816.
The regiment was mobilised in the Second Schleswig War and went to war but did not see considerable action.
In the Austro-Prussian war
of 1866, the cuirassiers took part in the battle of Königgrätz
amongst others.
During the Franco-Prussian war
, the regiment fought at Colombey
on 14 August and at Gravelotte
on 18 August 1870. From 1 September to 29 October 1870 the regiment was part of the army that besieged Metz and Thionville
. After that followed engagements near Beaume la Rolande, Monnaie
, Danzé
and on 6 and 7 January 1871 at St. Amand and Villechauvre-Villeprocher.
were mostly in cooperation with the 2nd Pomeranian Uhlan
Regiment No. 9 as part of the 3rd Cavalry Brigade/6th Cavalry Division. Engagements and tasks include:
After the ceasefire the regiment retreated home to Pomerania. It was formally disbanded in 1919.
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n cavalry regiment. Formed in 1717 as Dragoner-Regiment Nr.5 Bayreuth Dragoner it was originally a dragoon
Dragoon
The word dragoon originally meant mounted infantry, who were trained in horse riding as well as infantry fighting skills. However, usage altered over time and during the 18th century, dragoons evolved into conventional light cavalry units and personnel...
regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
and was part of the Prussian order of battle
Order of battle
In modern use, the order of battle is the identification, command structure, strength, and disposition of personnel, equipment, and units of an armed force participating in field operations. Various abbreviations are in use, including OOB, O/B, or OB, while ORBAT remains the most common in the...
until 1918. The Bayreuth Dragoons achieved fame for their role in winning the Battle of Hohenfriedberg
Battle of Hohenfriedberg
The Battle of Hohenfriedberg or Hohenfriedeberg, also known as the battle of Striegau, now Dobromierz, was one of the crowning achievements of Frederick the Great...
in 1745. In 1819 it was transformed into a cuirassier
Cuirassier
Cuirassiers were mounted cavalry soldiers equipped with armour and firearms, first appearing in late 15th-century Europe. They were the successors of the medieval armoured knights...
regiment.
Apart from short interruptions, the regimental garrison was Pasewalk
Pasewalk
Pasewalk is a town in the Vorpommern-Greifswald district, in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in Germany. Located on the Uecker river, it is the capital of the former Uecker-Randow district, and the seat of the Uecker-Randow-Tal Amt of which it is not part.Pasewalk became a town during the 12th...
in Western Pomerania
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is a federal state in northern Germany. The capital city is Schwerin...
from 1721 to 1919.
Pre-Napoleonic
The Prussian Dragoner-Regiment Nr. 5 was formed by a royal order on 2 April 1717. The new formation was to be sponsored by Oberst Achaz von der Schulenburg and raised from recruits in the Duchies of AnsbachAnsbach
Ansbach, originally Onolzbach, is a town in Bavaria, Germany. It is the capital of the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Ansbach is situated southwest of Nuremberg and north of Munich, on the Fränkische Rezat, a tributary of the Main river. As of 2004, its population was 40,723.Ansbach...
and Bayreuth. by 1 June the regiment was formed, with 44 officers and NCOs and 295 cavalry troopers, all aged between 20 and 40 years old. By 1718, the regiment had expanded to four squadrons comprising 689 men.
It was not until 1730 that the regiment reached its full size, ten squadrons, a total of 62 officers, 120 NCOS, standard bearers, 30 drummers and 1,320 cavalry troopers. On 7 August 1731 the regiment was granted the honor title Bayreuth Dragoner (Bayreuth Dragoons) and was redesignated Dragoner-Regiment Nr. 5 Bayreuth Dragoner.
The regiment wore the standard powder blue coat of the Prussian dragoons with crimson turnbacks and facings.
The regiment first saw action during the War of Austrian Succession. At the Battle of Mollwitz
Battle of Mollwitz
The Battle of Mollwitz was fought by Prussia and Austria on April 10, 1741, during the early stages of the War of the Austrian Succession. It was the first battle of the new Prussian King Frederick II, in which both sides made numerous military blunders but Frederick the Great still managed to...
, six squadrons of the regiment were engaged on an attack on the Austrian's left wing. This attack caused the enemy to retreat and brought victory for the Prussian king, Frederick the Great.
At the Battle of Chotusitz
Battle of Chotusitz
The Battle of Chotusitz, or Chotusice, sometimes called the Battle of Czaslau, was fought on May 17, 1742 in Bohemia between the Austrians under Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine and the Prussians under Frederick the Great. The battle was a part of the War of the Austrian Succession sometimes...
, the regiment did not fare as well. During two cavalry attacks, the Bayreuth Dragoons failed to break through the enemy lines and suffered heavy losses including 14 officers, and three standards.
The regiment won its reputation at the Battle of Hohenfriedberg
Battle of Hohenfriedberg
The Battle of Hohenfriedberg or Hohenfriedeberg, also known as the battle of Striegau, now Dobromierz, was one of the crowning achievements of Frederick the Great...
. The Austrian commander, Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine
Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine
Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine was a Lorraine-born Austrian soldier.-Background:Charles was the son of Leopold Joseph, Duke of Lorraine and Élisabeth Charlotte d'Orléans...
, was holding against repeated Prussian infantry attacks. The commander of the Bayreuth Dragoons, Generalleutnant Gessler, saw an opportunity to attack a large force of Austrian infantry attacking the exhausted Prussian infantry. The ten squadrons of the regiment formed into two columns and charged into the Austrians. In the fighting that followed, the Bayreuth Dragoons destroyed 20 Austrian and Saxon
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
battalions, took 2,500 prisoners, and captured 67 regimental standards, losing only 6 officers and 28 men killed. Prinz Karl was forced to retreat in disarray, and the battle was won.
After the charge at Hohenfriedberg, the regiment was permitted to wear a golden 67 on their cartridge cases. They also received a diploma from Frederick the Great, naming all officers who took part in the charge and praising the regiment, as well as granting them their own regimental march, the Hohenfriedberger Marsch
Der Hohenfriedberger
The Hohenfriedberger , also called Hohenfriedberger March, is one of the best known German military marches...
, composed by Frederick himself.
Although the regiment was present at the Battle of Soor
Battle of Soor
The Battle of Soor saw Frederick the Great's Prussian army defeat an Austro-Saxon army led by Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine during the War of the Austrian Succession...
, it did not see any action, arriving just before the Austrian defeat.
With the outbreak of the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
in 1756, the regiment was in the vanguard of the Prussian advance into Saxony. At the Battle of Lobositz
Battle of Lobositz
The Battle of Lobositz or Lovosice also Lowositz on 1 October 1756 was the opening land battle of the Seven Years' War. Frederick the Great's 29,000 Prussians prevented Field Marshal Maximilian Ulysses Count Browne 34,500 Austrians from relieving their besieged Saxon allies during the Siege of...
, the regiment was involved in the two failed cavalry charges against the Austrians on the Homolka-berg. The regiment performed as well as could be expected, with two squadrons rescuing the Gardes du Corps from annihilation.
The dragoons participated in the Siege of Pirna
Siege of Pirna
The Siege of Pirna took place in 1756 as part of the Prussian invasion of Saxony during the Seven Years War.Following the occupation of the capital Dresden by Frederick the Great on 9 September the Saxon army had withdrawn south and taken up position at the fortress of Pirna under Frederick von...
, and on 6 May 1757 took part in the bitterly fought Battle of Prague.
In the French Revolutionary Wars
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
the regiment marched southwest in 1792 to fight in northern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in Electoral Palatinate and Baden
Baden
Baden is a historical state on the east bank of the Rhine in the southwest of Germany, now the western part of the Baden-Württemberg of Germany....
. In the battle of Jena-Auerstedt
Battle of Jena-Auerstedt
The twin battles of Jena and Auerstedt were fought on 14 October 1806 on the plateau west of the river Saale in today's Germany, between the forces of Napoleon I of France and Frederick William III of Prussia...
against Napoleon
Napoleon I
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
it was almost routed.
Coalition wars and onwards
In 1806, Queen consort LouiseLouise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Duchess Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was Queen consort of Prussia as the wife of King Frederick William III...
of Prussia became Colonel-in-Chief
Colonel-in-Chief
In the various Commonwealth armies, the Colonel-in-Chief of a regiment is its patron. This position is distinct from that of Colonel of the Regiment. They do not have an operational role. They are however kept informed of all important activities of the regiment, and pay occasional visits to its...
of the regiment. Subsequently it was renamed to Königin-Dragoner (The Queen's Dragoons) per royal order on 5 March 1806. After the death of the Queen a royal order from 4 August 1810 declared that the regiment should forever bear the name "Regiment of the Queen" (Regiment der Königin). Thus it was called Regiment Königin-Dragoner until 5 November 1816. On 6 November 1816 it was renamed to 1. Dragoner Regiment (Königin) (1st Dragoon Regiment (Queen)). From 28 May 1819 on it was restructured into a cuirassier regiment and was then called 2. Kürassier Regiment Königin. Its final name was awarded on 4 June 1860, Kürassier Regiment "Königin" (Pommersches) Nr. 2 (Cuirassier Regiment "Queen" (Pomerania
Pomerania
Pomerania is a historical region on the south shore of the Baltic Sea. Divided between Germany and Poland, it stretches roughly from the Recknitz River near Stralsund in the West, via the Oder River delta near Szczecin, to the mouth of the Vistula River near Gdańsk in the East...
n) No. 2).
In the War of the Sixth Coalition
War of the Sixth Coalition
In the War of the Sixth Coalition , a coalition of Austria, Prussia, Russia, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Sweden, Spain and a number of German States finally defeated France and drove Napoleon Bonaparte into exile on Elba. After Napoleon's disastrous invasion of Russia, the continental powers...
, the Queen's Dragoons fought in the battle of Ligny
Battle of Ligny
The Battle of Ligny was the last victory of the military career of Napoleon I. In this battle, French troops of the Armée du Nord under Napoleon's command, defeated a Prussian army under Field Marshal Blücher, near Ligny in present-day Belgium. The bulk of the Prussian army survived, however, and...
, the battle of Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
and at Meaux
Meaux
Meaux is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located east-northeast from the center of Paris. Meaux is a sub-prefecture of the department and the seat of an arondissement...
in 1815/1816.
The regiment was mobilised in the Second Schleswig War and went to war but did not see considerable action.
In the Austro-Prussian war
Austro-Prussian War
The Austro-Prussian War was a war fought in 1866 between the German Confederation under the leadership of the Austrian Empire and its German allies on one side and the Kingdom of Prussia with its German allies and Italy on the...
of 1866, the cuirassiers took part in the battle of Königgrätz
Battle of Königgrätz
The Battle of Königgrätz , also known as the Battle of Sadowa, Sadová, or Hradec Králové, was the decisive battle of the Austro-Prussian War, in which the Kingdom of Prussia defeated the Austrian Empire...
amongst others.
During the Franco-Prussian war
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
, the regiment fought at Colombey
Battle of Borny-Colombey
The Battle of Borny-Colombey was a minor battle of the Franco-Prussian War. It saw the escape route of the French army under François Bazaine blocked when they encountered the First Army under von Steinmetz...
on 14 August and at Gravelotte
Battle of Gravelotte
The Battle of Gravelotte was a battle of the Franco-Prussian War named after Gravelotte, a village in Lorraine between Metz and the former French–German frontier.-Terrain and armies:...
on 18 August 1870. From 1 September to 29 October 1870 the regiment was part of the army that besieged Metz and Thionville
Thionville
Thionville , is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France. The city is located on the left bank of the river Moselle, opposite its suburb Yutz.-Demographics:...
. After that followed engagements near Beaume la Rolande, Monnaie
Monnaie
Monnaie is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France....
, Danzé
Danzé
Danzé is a commune in the Loir-et-Cher department of central France.-See also:*Communes of the Loir-et-Cher department...
and on 6 and 7 January 1871 at St. Amand and Villechauvre-Villeprocher.
World War I
The regiment's campaigns in World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
were mostly in cooperation with the 2nd Pomeranian Uhlan
Uhlan
Uhlans were Polish light cavalry armed with lances, sabres and pistols. The title was later used by lancer regiments in the Russian, Prussian, and Austrian armies....
Regiment No. 9 as part of the 3rd Cavalry Brigade/6th Cavalry Division. Engagements and tasks include:
- 1914: Advance through BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and subsequent fighting in northern France - 1915: Second Battle of the Masurian LakesSecond Battle of the Masurian LakesThe Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes, also known as the Winter Battle of the Masurian Lakes, was the northern part of the Central Powers' offensive on the Eastern Front in the winter of 1915...
- 1916: Static warfare in the swamps of PolesiaPolesiaPolesia is one of the largest European swampy areas, located in the south-western part of the Eastern-European Lowland, mainly within Belarus and Ukraine but also partly within Poland and Russia...
- 1917: Patrolling in Belgium and begin of infantry drill
- 1918: Abandoning of the horses and restructuring into a mounted infantry regiment within 6th Mounted Infantry Division. Fighting in FlandersFlandersFlanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
and at CambraiCambraiCambrai is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Cambrai is the seat of an archdiocese whose jurisdiction was immense during the Middle Ages. The territory of the Bishopric of Cambrai, roughly coinciding with the shire of Brabant, included...
.
After the ceasefire the regiment retreated home to Pomerania. It was formally disbanded in 1919.
Regimental Sponsors
- Generalleutnant Achaz von der Schulenburg - (2 Apr 1717 - 7 Aug 1731)
- Generalleutnant Markgraf Friedrich Erbprinz von Bayreuth (7 Aug 1731 - ? May 1763)
- Generalleutnant Friedrich Christian Markgraf von Bayreuth (? May 1763 - 2 Aug 1769)
- Generalleutnant Christian Friedrich Carl Alexander Markgraf von Ansbach und Bayreuth (2 Aug 1769 - 5 Mar 1806)
- Major Queen consort LouiseLouise of Mecklenburg-StrelitzDuchess Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was Queen consort of Prussia as the wife of King Frederick William III...
(5 Mar 1806 - 4 Aug 1810)
- From 1810 onwards the regiment was sponsored by the Prussian Queen until 1918.
Links - References
- Diploma issued by Frederick the Great to the regiment after Hohenfriedberg
- Prussian Dragoon Regiments