"ex-Confederation of the Rhine landwehr uniforms" Topic

Sorry this will be long and .
Most of the members of the CofR changed side in the second half of 1813. They reconstituted their line units and created landwehr units. Few of them fought in any battles, but I want to paint the few that did. I have asked before about their uniforms and got the reply that they would have been dressed like Prussian landwehr.
I am not convinced this would be correct. There seems to be 3 legiitamate sources for uniforms.

1. Britain supplied uniforms to countries(notably Prussia). But I don't think there was time from when they changed sides to get uniforms to them in the middle of Germany.

2. Another would have been Prussia, but since they couldn't supply enough for themselves, I can't see them helping another country.

3 would be to make their own. If they made their own, wouldn't they make them like they were already making. So if like French uniforms, then their landwehr would look French( or Prussian). So, I could use french soldiers for them.

If you any idea why they would be clothed differently let me know. I just don't understand how every landwehr unit would be in a Litewka.

Litevkas must have been pretty common civilian wear. It seems to have been more a matter of "wear your litevka" rather than "you will be issued a litevka."

Members of the Rheinbund covers a lot of ground. Have you got a country in mind? From memory, Bavaria was litevka with a Tyrolean hat.

If you search Images for "Knotel German landwehr 1813 1814" you will find a number of examples of small German states landwehr and volunteer uniforms and there's quite a variety! Generally they seem to have avoided French style uniforms and kit for newly raised units but some of the older line units would've been stuck with them. I think it was Berg that were still wearing white French style uniforms at Waterloo!

Regarding Landwehr-images just try the link of my uniform portal at link … the Knötel plates, Glengarry mentioned, are included. But pay attention, also Austrian Landwehr is depicted.

Additionally you find the series of Neumann covering Landwehr troops on my site at link

Greetings from Berlin
Markus Stein

Thanks for your replies. I should have specified the units I am looking for. They are:

Bernburg
Weimer
Gotha
Schwarburg
Dessau-Kothen

Also Gotha Feiwillington jaeger zu fuss
Schwarzburg Freiwillington jaeger zu fuss
Weimer + Gotha jaeger

Wow! You do like the obscure units. Cool!

Tom

From Rawkins "Armies of the Confederation of the Rhine Part 1
The Rheinbund Contingents 1806 – 1813 – The Duchy of Nassau, Grand Duchy of Würzburg & The Saxon Duchies"

"UNIFORMS 1814

The uniforms worn by the standing bataillonen of the Sachsen-GothaAltenburg and Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach infantry regiments remained basically unchanged from those specified in the 1812 dress regulations with only very minor differences. For the most part the shakos were covered with black or grey waxed cloth covers for everyday wear, probably because they were of multiple patterns, some of the Germanic belled style and others captured French shakos and some may have been without the expensive brass plates when the regiments were quickly reformed in November 1813.

The uniformrock remained the same as before except that by mid-1814 the shoulder-straps had been replaced with Prussian style squared ‘shoulder-boards' of stiffened cloth. Both the Gotha and Weimar regiments were now issued with overall trousers to replace the breeches and gaiters, royal blue with a scarlet stripe on the outer seam for the Sachsen-Gotha regiment and dark grey or white for the Sachsen-Weimar troops for wear in the winter or summer respectively.

The only other change of note to the uniforms of the regular battalions was that in 1814 the officers adopted the Prussian style epaulettes with brass crescents and the strap coloured red for the Gotha regiment and yellow for the Weimar officers. The non-commissioned-officers appear to have continued to wear the French style sleeve insignia until the end of hostilities in 1814.

All equipment was as before except that the regiments reverted to carrying the bayonets ‘fixed' on the musket and were no longer issued with bayonet sheaths.

The uniforms of the landwerh-bataillonen of both the Sachsen-Gotha and Sachsen-Weimar regiments were, by dress regulations identical to those of the regular battalions, certainly this seems to have been applied to the Sachsen-Weimar landwehr battalion which was in fact raised in advance of the regular battalion.

The landwehr-bataillon of the Sachsen Gotha regiment should also have been dressed in the same uniform as their regular
counterparts, however, there is some evidence to suggest that some companies at least may have been issued with dark blue ‘litewka' frock coats early in 1814 and that other units may have been dressed simply in grey waistcoats and overalls and a greatcoat until dress uniforms were available.

THE FREIWILLIGER-KOMPAGNIEN 1813-1814
With the demise of the French alliance and the change of allegiance in October 1813 the Duke of Sachsen-Gotha-Altenburg authorised the raising of a company of Jäger-zu-fuß and a small halbe-schwadron of Jäger-zu-Pferde. An almost identical force was promised by Duke Karl August of Sachsen-WeimarEisenach, however, in January 1814 the half squadrons of Freiwilligen-Jägerzu-Pferde from each state were combined into a single squadron. At the same time the Freiwilligen-Jäger-zu-Fuß-Kompagnien from Sachsen-Gotha and Sachsen Weimar were brought together with the Freiwilligen-Jäger-zu-Fuß-Kompagnie, some 96 all ranks, from Schwarzburg to form a three company jäger battalion commanded by Major Freiherr von Seebach of Sachsen-Weimar.

As with the freiwillige companies of most other German states in 1813, the volunteer units were sanctioned by the state but were privately financed; the recruits were generally drawn from the merchant classes, students and academics from the larger towns and cities that were fired with patriotic fervour but had no military experience. Each man was required to furnish his own uniform, arms and equipment and to supply a suitable horse and it's accoutrements in the cavalry companies. For most of the freiwillige soldiers buying their rifles was the first time that they had held a weapon. Despite their privileged background and inexperience many of the freiwillige companies learned quickly and more than proved their worth in the struggle for German liberation. In April 1814 the Thüringer-Freiwilligen-Jäger-zu-Fuß-Bataillon was formed and ready for service and became part of the Anhalt-Thüringer Brigade.

The Uniforms 1814
Whilst the uniforms of the Sachsen-Weimar Freiwilligen units are well documented and illustrated by a number of different sources those of SachsenGotha are less so.

HEADGEAR The Sachsen-Weimar Freiwilligen-Jäger zu Fuß are depicted as wearing a French pattern shako of black felt with black leather trim at the upper edge, a black leather tightener band and versteifen at the sides. The front of the shako is shown as being decorated with a brass Germanic cross badge and the chinscales were brass with plain round bosses. The shako is usually shown decorated with wool pompon either ball shaped and dark green or semi-spherical and black within white.

The shako issued to the Sachsen-Weimar Freiwilligen-Jäger zu Pferde was almost identical except that a tall, drooping horsehair plume was worn instead of the pompon.

As far as can be ascertained the Sachsen-Gotha Freiwilligen-Jäger zu Fuß company and Sachsen-Gotha Freiwilligen-Jäger zu Pferde half-squadron wore the same headgear.

COAT & BREECHES The Jäger zu Fuß coat is shown as a ‘litewka' or frock coat, of dark green, described as ‘forest green'. The coat was double breasted with two rows of brass buttons on the chest and had a high upright collar and plain round cuffs with two buttons at the trailing edge. The collar and cuffs were lemon yellow for the Sachsen-Weimar company and dark green piped red for the Sachsen-Gotha company, although the collar and cuffs are also given as black piped red. Both companies appear to have worn shoulder-straps of the broad Prussian style with pointed inner tips red for the Sachsen-Weimar company and red or black piped red for the Sachsen-Gotha company.

The Sachsen-Weimar Freiwilligen-Jäger zu Pferde wore a ‘litewka' coat of black closed at the breast with hooks. [8] The upright collar and the pain round cuffs were black trimmed with wide yellow lace which extended down the front edges of the coat giving a double width trim. The shoulders were decorated with brass, scaled contra-epaulettes. Any special distinctives which may have been planned or worn by the Sachsen-Gotha element of the squadron are something of a mystery; at the point of conception it is possible that the uniforms were intended to be a dark green litewka coat with black facings as worn by the Jäger zu Fuß company, however, the two mounted Jäger companies were merged into a single squadron in less than a month after conception and all jägers regardless of recruitment appear to have adopted the black uniforms and yellow facings of the Sachsen-Weimar contingent.

The Jäger zu Fuß companies wore iron grey breeches with French pattern high, over the knee black gaiters with cloth covered buttons. A large amount of captured French uniform items, arms and equipment had been distributed to the various German landwehr and freiwillige units following the 1813 campaign and could be purchased cheaply by the ‘Bekleidung-offizier' of the volunteer units. The Jäger zu Pferde-schwadron wore black overall trousers, sometimes shown with black leather cuffs and inserts and a wide yellow stripe on the outer seam. All ranks wore black leather gauntlets.

OFFICERS & NCOs The non-commissioned officers of the Jäger zu Fuß companies appear to have been distinguished by a yellow lace band around the top of the shako, white for korporals, and mixed yellow and black sabre-straps. No firm evidence has been found for any special rank insignia worn on the coat.

The officers' shakos had all metalwork gilded but were otherwise as for the jägers. The litewka coat was dark green with all buttons gilded and the collar and cuffs as for the company. The officer's epaulettes of rank were as for the Prussian army with red shoulder-straps and gilded brass crescents. Officers are usually depicted wearing dark grey overall trousers.

The officers of the Jäger zu Fuß were armed with the curved light infantry sabre with gilded hilt and black leather scabbard with gilt fittings and sabre-straps were gold. The waistbelt was of the narrow light cavalry pattern with gilded S buckle with lions head bosses and supported the sabre on double narrow slings.

The NCOs of the Freiwilligen Jäger zu Pferde-schwadron were distinguished in the same manner as those of the Jäger zu Fuß.

Likewise the officers'uniforms of the mounted squadron were as for the troopers except that the yellow lace trim was gold, all metalwork was gilded and Prussian style officers' epaulettes of rank were worn. The officer's overall trousers were black with black leather inserts and cuffs and a double gold stripe on the outer seam.

The waistbelt and pouchbelt worn by officers was black leather with a gold edging and the picker and chain plate was replaced with an oval whistle plate. Officers did not carry the carbine but usually armed themselves with a brace of pistols carried on the saddle. The shabraque appears to have been of the same style as prescribed for the jägers, iron grey with rounded front and pointed rear corners but trimmed with a broad band of gold lace piped iron grey at the extreme edge.

MUSICIANS No record has been found of the details of the uniforms of the hornists of the Jäger zu Fuß companies or the trumpeters of the Jäger zu Pferde. If any special distinctions were worn these would probably have been restricted to swallows-nest epaulettes at the shoulders probably of the coat coloured edged yellow or red for the foot companies or yellow for the mounted jägers. Horns and trumpets would have been brass probably with either green or yellow cords and tassels.

NOTE: [8] Many 19th century illustrations of the Freiwilligen Jäger zu Pferde-schwadron are confusing as the uniforms tend to be shaded to appear grey rather than black."

I will post more information on other contingents from Part 2 – probably tomorrow as it does require some careful extraction/editing.

From Rawkins "Armies of the Confederation of the Rhine Part 2 The Rheinbund Contingents 1806 – 1813 – Anhalt, Lippe, Reuss, Schwarzburg, Waldeck Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Oldenburg & Frankfurt"

"Schwarzburg principalities

In November 1813 the Schwarzburg principalities each agreed to raise two regular infantry companies and two landwehr companies for service with the allied army. In January 1814 the regular companies from SchwarzburgSonderhausen and Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt mustered at Gotha where they were formed into a cohesive battalion and issued with new uniforms and equipment. The shako issued would appear to have been for the most part again replaced with a more Germanic style of shako based on the m.1808 Jäger shako worn by the Prussian army. The shako was black felt with black leather trim to the top edge, a black leather tightener band at the base and wide black leather ‘versteifen' at the sides. The peak was black leather and the chin-scales were brass with a plain round boss. The 1814-1815 shako furniture is not clear but appears to have been the same lozenge or octagonal plates worn previously or the shako may have been without a plate of any description. Pompons were now of the Prussian/Austrian style semi-spherical wool and were white with a red centre for the Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt units and white or yellow with a light blue centre for the Sonderhausen companies. Black or grey oilskin covers were predominantly worn throughout the 1814-1815 campaigns.

The Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt Landwehr companies would appear to have been issued with various patterns of French and Prussian shakos which could be obtained quickly in 1814 and were apparently worn with only a national cockade for decoration and were usually fitted with canvas or oilskin covers usually with a Wendish cross painted on the front in red or white. The SchwarzburgSonderhausen Landwehr may have had a distinctive uniform according to an illustration by Herbert Knötel who depicts a corsehut of black felt with a brass Wendish cross badge at the front of the crown and the upper edge of the left, turned up brim decorated with a light blue within yellow national cockade fastened with a yellow leather cockade strap.

The short lived Freiwilliger-Jäger-Kompagnie raised in 1814 in SchwarzburgRudolstadt was disbanded after only a few months and very little is known of the uniforms except that they were privately purchased and were similar to those of the regular infantry companies. The shakos were probably of Prussian style and appear to have been decorated simply with a national cockade with small yellow leather cockade-strap and a brass Wendish cross badge at the front.

The Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt Landwehr companies would appear to have been issued with kollets of the same style as those of the regular companies although the muster of 1814 indicates that there was a shortage of uniforms and equipment and some soldiers may have only been issued with a greatcoat of the 1807 pattern with a red Wendish cross stitched on the left breast. The Schwarzburg-Sonderhausen Landwehr may have had a distinctive uniform according to an illustration by Herbert Knötel who depicts a kollet of the same style was worn by the regular companies in late 1814-1815 but with mustard yellow collar, cuffs and turnbacks and plain Dunkelgrün round tipped shoulderstraps. The primary source for this illustration is unknown.

The uniform worn by the short lived Freiwilliger-Jäger-Kompagnie is unknown other than the jagere appear to have worn a kollet of the same style as those of the regular füsiliers but possibly with the collar, cuffs and trim to the turnbacks light green; a popular distinctive with volunteer jäger units of the smaller German states.

The Rudolstadt Landwehr-Kompagnien of 1814 appear to have been issued with mid or dark grey overalls and the Sonderhausen companies, according to Herbert Knötel wore white cotton overalls. The landwehr certainly appear to have been issued with greatcoats of the 1807 style in 1814 to make up for the shortfall in kollets and it is likely that the reserve units received the older pattern coats as the regular units were issued with the new 1814 pattern.

The landwehr companies, as in many smaller German states were desperately short of equipment and although belting was mostly of black leather some shoulderbelts were captured white patterns which were either redyed or painted black with various levels of success and some landwehr soldiers were issued with dyed canvas belting until supplies of leather belts were forthcoming. Issue of sabres was patchy until 1815 when the landwehr were supplied with quantities of captured French sabres."

Anhalt will follow later.

From Rawkins "Armies of the Confederation of the Rhine Part 2 – The Rheinbund Contingents 1806 – 1813 – Anhalt, Lippe, Reuss, Schwarzburg, Waldeck Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Oldenburg & Frankfurt "

"Anhalt

The landwehr battalion of the Infanterie-Regiment der Herzogtümer Anhalt were issued with shakos of the British subvention pattern which were being distributed to the German freedom fighters in large numbers. The hat was basically a m.1800 stovepipe shako of black felt with a black leather peak and a narrow black leather chin-strap. The shako was completely plain except for a large white metal A badge affixed at the front. The shako was cheaply made and became quickly misshapen when wet and it was quite common practice in some German armies to remove the stiffeners and crush the crown down to form a lumpy, but more comfortable cap. The Anhalt-Dessau-Kotha Jäger Korps and the appear to have worn the same style of 1811 pattern shako as the regular musketier battalion but the plate was replaced with a large dark green rosette cockade fixed at the centre with a brass button above a white metal A badge. The semi-spherical wool pompon of white with dark green centre was worn above the cockade.

The coats issued to the landwehr battalions of the Infanterie-Regiment der Herzogtümer Anhalt followed the style which had been adopted by Prussia and most German states in 1813. The coat was a forest green überrock, or frock coat, mid-thigh length with a double pleat at the rear and was double breasted with a double row of seven or eight plain white metal buttons closing the front. The collar was forest green and was decorated with the symbolic cross of freedom, the Wendish cross which had become the emblem of German Independence. A number of variations are noted, a white patch with a red cross, or the reverse, or a plain white metal or white cloth cross motif or badge. The cuffs were square-cut and forest green with two buttons at the trailing edge. Shoulder-straps had rounded tips and were plain forest-green. The coats were manufactured hastily from cheap wool cloth and the dye batches seem to have varied wildly; some coats appearing a very dark green, sometime mistaken for black and other quickly fading to a patchy lighter green.

The Anhalt-Dessau-Kotha Jäger Korps, wore a forest green überrock of the same style as the landwehr the only apparent difference being that the collar patches appear to have been rose-pink with a white cross.

The Anhalt-Bernberg Jäger Bataillon was in theory uniformed in the same manner as the Anhalt-Dessau-Kotha Jäger Korps, except that the collar was decorated with a brass cross badger. From the outset the battalion had difficulties in acquiring sufficient uniforms and although the regular companies were turned out in a uniform style of dress the landwehr were dressed in a mixture of civilian and military clothing, some forest green überrocks were issued but other men wore civilian coats, cut down greatcoats and shortened Prussian frock coats re-dyed mid to dark grey. As a result all landwehr soldiers of the battalion wore a red cross on the breast of the coat as identification.

With issue of the 1810 uniform the battalion was issued with a lager-tunic, for fatigue dress of whitened wool with rose-pink cuffs. The tunic was a sleeved waistcoat closed at the front with a row of large white metal buttons, with a high upright collar of white. The tunic replaced the sleeveless waistcoat as fatigue dress and was worn beneath the kollet in winter.

The Freiwilliger-Jäger-Kompagnien wore the same style of trousers as the regular infantry – (iIn 1813 the grey breeches and gaiters were officially replaced for everyday use with heavy dark grey overalls with a broad stripe of rose-pink on the outer seam and short ankle length black or dark grey half gaiters were worn over the boot tops)- and the landwehr companies were issued with a variety of grey, cream or white trousers, most of the Bernberg landwehr soldiers wearing either white cotton fatigue overalls or civilian trousers and boots.

The pattern of greatcoat issued to all companies of Anhaltische infantry remained unchanged from 1807 until 1814. The coat was single breasted and closed with a row of six large white metal buttons. The collar and Swedish pattern cuffs were coat colour as were the plain round tipper shoulder-straps. Coats were mostly pepper-grey wool until 1813 when new coats issued were pewter grey and of almost identical pattern except that the buttons were cloth covered and cuffs were plain and opened with a slit at the trailing edge fastened with a concealed button. The Freiwilliger-Jäger-Korps were issued with a pewter grey greatcoat which appears to have been double breasted with two rows of white metal buttons. The Landwehr-kompagnien had not been issued with greatcoat when they were mobilised in 1814 and the soldiers improvised using civilian coats and capes fashioned from blankets.

The landwehr-bataillon of the Infanterie-Regiment der Herzogtümer Anhalt were armed wherever possible with muskets in 1814 and these could be of various Prussian and French pattern, mostly captured or refurbished obsolete muskets and some civilian muskets and rifles.

In 1813 when the battalion was raised more than half of the landwehr troops were armed with pikes, although by the time the companies mustered for the 1815 expedition all companies had been re-armed with muskets mostly of captured French m.1777 pattern.

In theory all landwehr musketiere should have been equipped with black leather shoulder belts as issued to the regular companies but in reality although most soldiers received a sabrebelt until the end of the 1814 campaign many were without cartridge pouches or belt and those with firearms carried their cartridges in a plain brown leather or linen bag. The landwehr were armed with a variety of sabres, large quantities of the short broad bladed traditional German ‘Hirschfanger' or Infanterie-säbel were purchased with either solid brass cross bar hilts and pommels or black wooden grips and black leather scabbards with brass fittings. Some landwehr soldiers carried the ordinary infantry pattern French or Prussian sabre-briquet. The landwehr were not permitted to use sabre-straps.

The Anhalt-Bernberg Jäger Bataillon regular companies received the best of the available equipment and arms but the landwehr companies were particularly poorly equipped and upon joining the ‘Anhalt-Thüringen Brigade' in April 1814 over half of the soldiers were armed with pikes and most of the firearms were civilian muskets, shotguns and hunting rifles. Strangely the companies do appear to have received almost a complete issue of black leather shoulderbelts and cartridge pouches.

The Freiwilligen-Jäger-Kompagnien purchased their arms and equipment privately and were generally armed with the short scharfschützen rifle and were issued with a Hirschfanger sword with a solid brass hilt with eagle's head pommel and black leather scabbards with brass fittings. A black leather waistbelt was worn to support a black leather cartridge pouch or a smaller pattern than that issued to the line infantry with squared lid decorated with a brass buglehorn badge. The sword was worn on a wide black leather shoulder belt with brass buckle and fittings and a small black leather satchel was worn on a black leather shoulder belt over the left shoulder to hang beneath the right arm; the exact function of this small bag remains unclear but is depicted by Richard Knötel but is simply described as a ‘satchel' and was probably used to carry the rifleman's tools and cleaning kit; a brass powder horn with brass chains and pickers was worn attached to the front of the shoulderbelt."