"30th Chevau-legers lanciers" Topic

This was a Chasseur Regt that was formed in 1811, but dressed similary to the Polish Lancers (Vistula)but with green uniforms and armed as a lancer regt. Where did it serve and was it any good?

I think you may mean this regiment.

link

9e Regiment de Chevau-Legers-Lanciers
Formed by decree of 18 June 1811 with the 30e Regiment de Chasseurs a Cheval, which had been formed at Hambourg by decree of 3 February 1811.

Colonels

1811: Gobrecht (Martin-Charles) – Colonel
1813: Fredro (Jean-Maximillien) – Colonel

One of the above attained the rank of General-de-Brigade

Gobrecht, (Martin-Charles)

Born: 11 November 1772
Colonel: 14 March 1811

General-de-Brigade: 18 July 1813

Baron of the Empire: 3 July 1813

Died: 7 June 1845

Colonels killed and wounded while commanding the 9e Regiment de Chevau-Legers-Lanciers

Colonel Fredro: Wounded 30 August 1813, Kulm
Officers killed and wounded while serving with the Regiment during the period 1811-1814

Officers killed: Fourteen
Officers died of wounds: One

Officers wounded: Fifty-four

Regimental war record (Battles and Combats)

1812: Witepsk, Ostrowno, La Moskowa, and La Beresina
1813: Mockern and Kulm

1814: Vauchamps

Battle Honours: None given.

From:

link

And that would be a blue uniform.

That may answer my question then. In one of my reference books:
Nigel de Lee's "French Lancers", Nations in Arms volume
the 30th Lt Hs and 9th lancers are covered together for the art work, though nothing in the text. In the Osprey book, "Napoleon's Chasseurs" the first page mentions the regt being formed in 1811 as a Chasseur then converted to a Lancer regt with no other mention of the unit after that. In the "Napoleon's Dragoon and Lancers" volume there is no mention (didn't evolve from Dragoons).
Empire units listing (No comments please) only mentions the 9th Lancers (with the 7th & 8th-formally Vistula) but no 30th, so I have to assume the renaming to the 9th must be the answer.

thx

According to Hourtoulle's 'Borodino – The Moskova', the 9th Chevau-Legers were formerly the 30th Chasseurs. The accompanying plate shows a Polish lancer-style uniform consisting of a czapka with a deep red/crimson top with white edging, separated from the black lower half by a white band. There is a white and yellow metal sunburst plate on the front and a tricolour cockade on the top half. The uniform jacket is green with yellow facings (collar, cuffs, turnbacks and lapels). The breeches are deep red with a black stripe, as are the shabraque and valise. The lance pennant is yellow.

Haythornthwaite in 'Uniforms of the Retreat from Moscow' says that the unit, which was formed in Hamburg from members of the old Hanoverian Legion, was nicknamed 'the red lancers of Hamburg' because there was insufficient green chasseur cloth available and red cloth, that had been destined for the Hamburg dragoons, was used instead. He describes the uniform as a green kurtka with chamois facings and says officers apparently had green shabraques with wide chamois edging. Officers' lace was silver. He notes that the unit was eventually equipped with the blue Chevau-Legers-Lanciers uniform.

Transition uniform

picture

and

picture

Sorry Guys but I just cannot post that other picture for some reason

Fought in Russia in 1812 in Nansouty's 1st Cavalry Corps (Jacqunot's Brigade of Bruyeres' division). Wiped out in the retreat from Russia except a few officers and NCOs- so basically a new unit in 1813.
Not a bad unit in 1812, especially as a newly raised hotchpotch with men, horses and uniforms coming from a variety of makeshift sources.

They were however mentioned in the memoirs of Sgt-Maj Thirion of the 2nd Cuirassiers as having been routed by Russian Cuirassiers on the evening of the battle of Shevardino. Thirion says this was caused by their surprise at finding- in the gloom, that the Russians were wearing armour, which they had never encountered (it had only been issued a few weeks before). They obviously recovered their nerve as they were in the thick of it a couple of days later at Borodino.

I guess they would make an interesting unit to paint then as you could have them in a hodgepodge of uniforms due to the transformation from the 30th Chassuers/Chevau-legers to the 9th Chevau-leger Lanciers.

Definitely. Since looking them up to answer you query I have decided that I need to have a squadron of my own.

Thanks everyone. They are the pictures I'd seen before; my Uhlans arent suitable as there are too many differences.

Think we'd get away with the horse furniture as the latter pictures shows it similar to that of the Poles, but the Czapka is too different……………that is until my Uhlans in covered Czapka are released later this year.

I posted these on another thread about the 9th Lancers but seeing as the illustrations include the 30th, I have posted them here too.

paul :)

The pictures are bad, the painting is not the best and the lighting is a joke , but here are a few pictures of my 9th Lancers.

Runicus

link

Historie & Collection have them in their book of chasseurs. I good detail.

Claus