Nick Stern  | 25 Aug 2021 9:56 a.m. PST |
Did each battalion of a Prussian regiment carry its own standard during the Franco Prussian War? |
| Dave Gamer | 25 Aug 2021 11:50 a.m. PST |
I was of the understanding that only the 2nd battalion carried a standard. Same for the French regiments. |
 ColCampbell | 25 Aug 2021 12:43 p.m. PST |
Osprey Men-at-Arms 416, German Armies: 1870-1871 (1), Prussia by Michael Solka, (on page 38) has information about colors carried by the Prussian foot units. It is fairly well detailed for the Guard and indicates that each battalion carried a flag. But it is not as detailed for the line infantry just stating that there were "three different patterns because of the different dates of award." But it doesn't state if there was only one flag per regiment or one per battalion. In my Prussian forces, each battalion of the four regiments I have carry a flag, but not the divisional jager battalion. Jim |
GildasFacit  | 25 Aug 2021 12:54 p.m. PST |
I think ColC has it right. I do have a long list of which pattern each regiment carried and the condition they were in in 1870 (many were nothing more than a few rags on a pole) but I have no idea where it is at the moment. Technically speaking, cavalry carry standards, infantry have flags (fahne). |
 Old Contemptible | 25 Aug 2021 9:16 p.m. PST |
All my Prussian battalions carry a flag like they did in previous wars. Then I was told that only the second battalion carried a flag. Now I hear that every battalion did. Which ever I am not changing them. In my French regiments only the 2nd battalion carries a flag. Fairly certain that is correct. |
| nickinsomerset | 26 Aug 2021 5:24 a.m. PST |
I am with Old C, I read when building up my chaps that all Prussian Bns carried colours, whereas with the French only the 2nd Bn carried a colour. Tally Ho! |
| williamb | 26 Aug 2021 8:22 a.m. PST |
In some cases the flags were so badly damaged the units only carried the poles.
See the seventh, twelfth and other posts in this discussion TMP link |
| NapStein | 26 Aug 2021 8:56 a.m. PST |
Yes, each infantry battalion took a colour into the field – and indeed, some of the flags were rather old and "rotten", some poles had to be repaired. I want to publish a thorough study about the German flags on my site similar to the firearms at link … this will have details like in my answer at TMP link But the time is rare due to job and some publication reasons, looking forward for 2022 as I'm starting a 4-days working week :-) Greetings from Berlin
Markus Stein |
| Old Contemptible | 27 Aug 2021 4:42 p.m. PST |
"Regimental colors of the German armies in the war of 1870-71" link |
| NapStein | 28 Aug 2021 7:53 a.m. PST |
Great find – thank you :-) |
scratchbuilds another Victorian flying machine.
