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Spanish Succession War
UniformInfo - Military Modelling magazine
Q.
Sirs,
Having read with interest your 'Uniforminfo' Desk. I would like to ask your help. Recently, I have begun a wargames army of the period of the Spanish Succession War (1702-13): while there is a wealth of information on the British troops available, I have been able to find nothing on the following; French line cavalry, dragoons, and especially artillery; Austrian infantry and cavalry (especially Fugger's Cuirassiers) and dragoons; and also any other troops which served under Marlborough on the march to the River Danube. Could you please supply me with some of this information — I am most interested in the names and facing colours of definite regiments.
Rowlands Castle, Hants. A. V. Exelby.
A.
It is not surprising that you have found little information on French and Imperial uniforms during the period of the War of the Spanish Succession. It must be remembered that the war took place before the science of the provision of uniforms with national identities and characteristics had really commenced.
Louvois had certainly introduced reforms into the French army and Louis XIV had approved a homespun type of grey clothing for his infantry, distinguished by a great variety of facing colours and a complicated regimental arrangement of the pockets and buttons. Coloured coats were reserved for the foreign regiments. The French heavy cavalry also mostly wore grey coats in these early years although some wore dark blue or red. However, the regiments of élite Gendarmerie all wore red coats, waistcoats and breeches trimmed with white braid.
The French dragoons wore red, blue, green or grey coats and heavy jacked boots and wore either the three cornered hat or ʺstocking capsʺ with fur brims similar to those worn by the British dragoons.
The French artillery wore blue faced red from the beginning.
The Austrian cavalry wore light grey clothing with coloured facings. Their cuirassiers wore steel breast and back plates and had three cornered hats under which an iron cross-shaped reinforcement was worn called the ʺkasketʺ. The Austrian dragoons also wore grey although Knötel states that some regiments wore red, green, light green and even dark blue coats. Under the coat a buff leather ʺkollerʺ was worn and the dragoons had three cornered hats, wide crossed belts supporting a sword, bayonet and cartridge box. They also had heavy jacked boots with buckled on spurs. The Austrian infantry wore grey in the beginning with a great variety of coloured facings. The traditional white Austrian clothing came in later.
These sparse notes have been culled from a variety of sources but more detailed information on precise regimental facings is not easily available without consulting the Army museums of the countries concerned. The Dutch Military Museum at Leiden is sponsoring the production of a series of plates on the uniforms of the adversaries of Louis XIV produced by two young men who have put a tremendous amount of work into their project. One is Claus-Peter Goldberg who writes prolifically on the ʺSpanischen Erbfolgekriegʺ. Information on his work can be obtained from the ʺDeutsche Gesellschaft der Sammler und Freynde Kulturhistorischer Zinnfigurenʺ, 3500 Kassel, Mulangstrasse 8, Frankfurt/Main.