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Dragoon in Field UniformSabre and steel scabard

THE DANISH ARMY

JYDSKE REGIMENT LETTE DRAGONER
(LIGHT DRAGOON REGIMENT OF JUTLAND)

By David de Keresley


Jydske Regiment formed part of the Auxilliary Corps under the command of Prince Frederik of Hessen. The Corps in turn were attached to the 13th. French Army Corps led by Marshall Davout. Whilst Napoleon's ill fated Russian Campaign of 1812 went on, the 13th. were stationed at Holstein, as a peace keeping force, in particular to prevent a Prussian uprising They remained there throughout the Peace of 4th. June to 16th August of 1813. On 16th August 1813, when the Treaty ended, Davout advanced in support of other troops marching on Berlin. The Jutland L. Dragoon Regiment marched on the left flank toward Lubeck Krummesse. Two weeks later, on 1st September Davout was to learn of the French defeat of Oudinot at Grasbeeren and accordingly decided to retreat to Hamburg, covering the southern boundary of Denmark. In the course of this retreat, the Jutland Light Dragoons, with the French 105th and 111th Infantry regiments soundly defeated a strong contingent of the Freicorps von Lutzow at Zarrentin. (2nd to 26th September 1813).

Further engagements by this Regiment included Gudow on 12th October and Alt-Rahlstadt on 6th December 1813. Circumstances led them to become detached from the Danish Corps, (leaving them to force their way through the Allied army as they attempted to trap Davout). The Danes succeeded and re-joined the Corps at Rendsborg. The greater part of the Officers were killed in these actions. At Alt-Rahlstadt, even heavier losses were sustained when the Regiment went to the aid of the French 28th. Chasseurs a Cheval; the latter had gone too far in pursuit of a body of Cossacks and ended up in serious trouble. A final headcount revealed that the Regiment had lost almost 1/3 of its strength, including Lt. Colonel B. Bonnichsen and his trumpeter in the four months of combat. The Auxilliary Corps commanded by Prince Frederik comprised :-

ADVANCED GUARD:
      Commander Colonel S. Waldeck
      Slesvigske Jaegercorps II
      Holstenske Skarpskyttecorps I & II
      2nd. & 6th. Hussar Squadrons
      One driven battery of 3 pounders

FIRST BRIGADE:
      C.O. Major Colonel G.L. Graf von der Schulenberg
      Lt. Company from III
      Holstenske Infanteriregiment .
      Dronningens Livregiment I and Lt. Company from III
      Holstenske Regiment Ryttere
      One foot battery of six pounders

SECOND BRIGADE:
      C.O. Major General J. C. Lasson
      Fynske Infateriregiment I & II
      Slesvigske Infanterieregiment I & II
      Jydske Regiment Lette Dragoner
      One driven battery of 3 pounders
      One foot battery of 6 pounders

They formed into 13 battalions, 2 independant light infantry companies, 10 squadrons of cavalry and 4 batteries with 40 cannon — altogether about 11,000 men.


The standards. Lettering on scroll and Latin numerals, the crown and Iaurels are all worked in gold.
The lion is blue; the nine hearts are red and the 3 ciphers are gold.
Upper part of Dragoon's trouser overalls showing black lacing and buttoning.

AN OFFICERS SADDLECLOTH Lace is silver thinly edged in the dark green facing colour. The main cloth was scarlet.

A DRAGOON'S SADDLE CLOTH: The lace is white without edging.

The Jydske Regiment Lette Dragoner was commanded by Colonel N. Engelsted. Each squadron had 12 Flankers specially trained in use of rifles and ideally each of the four squadrons should have had a strength of 160 dragoons, 2 trumpeters, 11 N.C.O.'s and 4 officers. In practice however, they fought most of the time with 50 to 100 dragoons squadron.

The jacket was red with dark green plastron, collar, epaulettes and cuffs, all piped in the lining colour, yellow. The part of the jacket below the belt was often cut off and used to mend the remainder of the uniform. Trousers/ overalls were dark grey with leather "chaff pieces" and bottoms, and were buttoned down the outside leg seam. For parades, tight white trousers were worn, tucked into calf length boots; officers wore dark blue trousers with two 1" wide red seam stripes.

In 1810 the red cloaks were changed to dark grey, but as they were intended to last 12 years, both colours were to be seen in the Regiment. Trumpeters were mounted on white horses. All men were issued with two pistols a carbine and a sabre 0.98 metres long. All belts and webbing were in white leather for the men and black leather for Officers.

Each squadron took the same standard into battle. The standard measured 0.55 metres x 0.64 metres, on a staff 2.50 metres long.

A longer crest was common on the casque until 1809, although there is no known date when it was officially discontinued as it was often seen on parades after that year. The cloth band around the casque was in the same dark green as the collar and distinctives.

The standard was a dark green background with the Danish National flag in the top staff corner; four yellow flashes, a gold red and blue centre piece a red scroll with gold lettering and three Royal Ciphers in gold. Tassels and cords were in red and gold.

Men had black sword knots; Officers gold sword knots. They were further distinguished by the tail coats of the same style as the 3rd. Infanteriregiment of Jutland (Article in Issue 8) and it appears to have been fairly common to almost all Danish Officers.


Source: Sword and Lance Magazine


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