"Prussian Landwehr Infantry in shakos?" Topic

When were they introduced?

I have seen the hybrid cap/shako but were regulation shakos worn by 1813-15 Landwehr?

If so, I will have to dig out the razor saw!

Hofschroer, using the Elberfeld pictures, shows a Kurmark, a Berg and a Westphalian LW in shako which could be regulation or captured French. These are certainly shakos rather than the hybrid shown in some other pics.
Some of the Silesians apparently wore British stovepipes according to Knoetel. Don't know his source.

S.

While not quoting any aprticular source, but just a general observation from my reading as I build my 25mm III Prussian Korps for second half of 1813:

Prussian landwehr would probably wear whatever head cover they could get – regulation Prussian shakos (with or without oiled covers, including some made from straw), schirmutze, captured French shakos (most with all "decorations" stripped off), and British supplied stovepipe shakos. I wouldn't be surprised for there to have been some in captured French cavalry headgear (especially shakos).

So unless you have a specific source for a specific unit, then have your landwehr in whatever headgear you want. Who is really to know?

Jim

ColCampbell is right, the Landwehr equipped when and as they could. A couple of Silesian LW Kavallerie Regiments wore captured Polish czapkas.

Thanks.

I am not yet as advanced as you ColCampbell as I am recreating 8th Brigade c1813.

I would have thought a smattering of "weird" bits and pieces would be OK. I fancied a few Landwehr Officers sporting their Jena-Era headgear or Shakos.

Jena-Era headger or REGULATION Shakos

Many Landwehr units used obsolete British shakos, often from stocks left over from the Spanish campaign.

Chris

I am painting up 15s with Waterloo OoBs. I haven't started on the Prussians yet, but I have been collecting information for when I do. So far as I can discover, while some of the regulars (the former reserves and former freikorps) wore a variety of headgear at that time (including some British stove-pipe shakos and one regiment in Russian coal-scuttle shakos), apparently all the LW wore the feldmutz caps, or were supposed to. Hope that helps.

In the above I was speaking strictly of the LW infantry, not LW cavalry.

Landwehr or reserve infantry. Some prussian reserve infantry supposedly was uniformed in uniforms of the portuguese army. Britian redirected some supplies. IIRC one unit was dress in a uniform similar to the rifles.
Now I have to go and find out.

Kurmärkischer Landwehr, wore shakos at Großbeeren, Großgorschen and Leipzig, 1812>1813.

They have an origional one in the museum at Leipzig.

(Also the Lützowers had shakos, but as you said Landwehr, I have not bothered to go further into that).

But as to when the order became effective and how long it took for all men to be issued is, as normal, a difficult question.

I am enquiring about Landwehr not the Ersatz units.

"Bronze Goat
I am enquiring about Landwehr not the Ersatz units."

Your terms of reference?

Landwehr and Ersatz/Reserve are two different things.

>"Landwehr and Ersatz/Reserve are two different things."<

Right.

According to Haythornthwaite's Uniforms of Waterloo in Colour, "The old Reserve infantry regiments were taken into the line in March 1815, being numbered 13 to 24; the various independent Legions and `Freikorps' which had formed part of the Prussian Army were also taken into the line, being numbered 25 to 31." These units, as well as the 12th of the Line, which had been raised only in 1813, wore a wide variety of uniforms, often even differing from battalion to battalion of the same regiment. Some wore Prussian-style shakos, some French style, some British stove-pipe style. According to the same source, the Landwehr (militia) all wore the "Schirmutze" porkpie cap, some with rain-proof covers and some with stiffeners that made them look somewhat like a shako (but not much).

I would not expect to see many Landwehr infantry in Prussian style shakos in 1813. Priority for shakos went to the Reservists and Landwehr Cavalry as I recall. I have seen no plates of Silesian Landwehr Infantry in Prussian/French shakos only the British Stovepipe style and I think the use of these has been called into question.

So for your 8th Brigade Landwehr I would advise going for the schirmutze with and without covers. Some may have had the yellow piping around the top but this was common only in 1814/15.

Thanks Gents, I reckon the variety of different troop types in 8th Brigade will be sufficient without complicating the Landwehr headgear.

I reckon once I have completed the brigade I may go onto a Freikorp/Freiwillige formation to act as a supplement.