"Prussian 27th Regiment Uniforms 1813-1815" Topic

Hi Gents,

The Mont St Jean website has the following uniforms for 1815, with the 2 battalion in white uniforms.
I know they are pretty accurate, but white?

link

Summerfield has them as white as well

The idea is that they still wore old Westphalian uniforms.

I don't think this can be proven by a primary source.

According to MAA 496 The Prussian Army of the Lower Rhine 1815 the 27th was made up of the Freikorps of Reiche and Hellwigs and the Elbe reserve battalion in green and blue. Because there wasn't enough to go around some of the men were issued white British made jackets, but just how many is unknown. Like much of the Prussian army in 1815 it was scarce on resources and motley in appearance!

Just started doing some Waterloo Prussian cavalry for a mate and although not that knowledgeable about the Prussians ( my thinking was all in dark Prussian Blue white or black X belts and grey trousers and that's it;) boy was I wrong its a lot more intriguing and colourful than I thought. So white for at least 1 battalion of Prussians cannot go amiss I say.
Cheers and thanks for the info.

Prussians in dark green (and I do not just mean jagers), white, light grey or black (as in Rod Steiger…."French Blue or Prussian Black?") for various infantry, are all correct it seems. They were in a "period of transition" (for which read chaos, but did not stop them fighting superbly on the day..)

The 27th Regiment is very colorful, grey/blue for the first battalion, white for the second and green for the third.
Half the third being rifles and the other half fusiliers.

I wonder if they were dressed this way in 1813-14?
Thanks for the information gents.

The 27. Infanterie-Regiment couldn't be dressed like this in 1813-14, as it was created as late aa March 1815. ;-)

Thanks Oliver!!

I had a look in the regimental history (Kreuzwendedich von dem Borne, 1896).

On 10 June 1815, the 27. Infanterie-Regiment had an effective strength (without 4 officers, 153 rank and file, who were ill or detached):

1st battalion: 23 officers, 730 rank and file
(all the soldiers and a few NCOs from the former Ersatz-Bataillon Nr. 7, most NCOs from the former battalions Reiche and Hellwig)

2nd battalion: 20 officers, 527 rank and file
(about 300 men from the Reserve-Bataillon of the Elb-Infanterie-Regiment, which was formed in early 1814 from the remnants of the former Royal Westphalian 1. Infanterie-Regiment, the rest from rank and file of the former battalions Reiche and Hellwig)

Füsilier battalion: 19 officers, 746 rank and file
(9th and 10th company from the former Jäger-Bataillon von Reiche, 11th and 12th company from the former Jäger-Bataillon von Hellwig.

The Royal Westphalian 1. Infanterie-Regiment took part in the 1812 campaign (X corps, Macdonald) and then was trapped in Danzig, which was handed over to the Allies on 28 December 1813. Their uniforms had been issued mid-1812 or earlier, so they were due to be replaced mid-1814 or earlier. I presume (no positive evidence) they were issued the regulation uniform of the Elb-Infanterie-Regiment: dark blue with red facings and yellow shoulder straps.

The Ersatz-Bataillon Nr. 7 was raised in late 1813 in the provinces between Elbe and Weser. Its men were destined for the 2. Westpreußisches Infanterie-Regiment and the 7. Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment, so they should have worn dark blue uniforms with carmine facings and red shoulder straps. There is no explicit info about their uniforms.

The so called "reservist uniforms" of spring 1813 were an improvisation of that period only, and I don't know of any Prussian unit in gray uniforms during the 1815 campaign.

The regulation facings of the new 27. Infanterie-Regiment were "lichtblau" (clear blue) with red piping, and red shoulder straps.

According to the regimental history, the fusileer battalion retained its green uniforms, but added the light blue "collars" [and probably cuffs as well] in May 1815. The former Hellwig companies retained their white buttons and shako chinscales until August 1815.

The other battalions had coats of Prussian and British cut, and of "completely different blue colours" (shades of blue). No white, let alone gray uniforms are mentioned. At least the "correct facings" were added. However, as late as mid August 1815, "the last red collars" were replaced with the correct light blue ones.

When the Jäger-Bataillon von Reiche marched out of Berlin on 6 April 1813, its uniforms were not yet ready. Therfore it marched out in white jackets of British origin. These jackets (a kind of counterpart to the gray "reservist jackets") were meant to be worn under the uniform in winter, or off duty. The regimental history doesn't mention any of them in 1815, but some of them may still have been in use in the 9th and 10th companies, worn under the uniform or when off duty.

Concerning weapons, in April 1813 the Jäger-Bataillon von Reiche received new Prussian muskets, only NCOs and the detachment of Freiwillige Jäger (dissolved after the 1814 campaign) had rifles.

When it was formed, in the 27. Infanterie-Regiment English, Dutch ("Holländische") and old Prussian muskets were found. Before the outset of the 1815 campaign, many, but not all were replaced with new French muskets.

In mid August 1815, the still remaining English, Dutch and old Prussian muskets were also replaced with new French muskets.

In 1818, the whole regiment received new Prussian M 1809 muskets.

Prussian NCOs carried rifles, whenever available.

PS. As far as I know, green trousers were worn only by the Freiwillige Jäger detachment of the Jäger-Bataillon von Reiche in 1813/14. The battalion itself has the usual gray trousers.

Oliver you are most kind to relay all this information. Thanks again!

While our group is painting up Prussians for Ligny and Waterloo next year, I would like to use these figures for 1813-14 as well. Thus I'm trying to determine which regiments would be the best to paint for both.