Infanterie-Regiment Kurprinz in Bayern
Electorate of Bavaria, 1756–1763
The Inhaber of Infantry Regiment Kurprinz was the current electoral prince of Bavaria. With the accession to the throne of Charles Albert, Elector of Bavaria, as Holy Roman Emperor Charles VII Albert, on 12 February 1742, Infanterie-Regiment Kurprinz adopted the name of the electoral prince, which it kept until 20 August 1745. By decree of 28 August 1753, the regiment was reduced from three battalions to two battalions with 2 grenadier and 8 Füsilier companies. The supernumerary companies were used to raise a new regiment, which the elector Kurfürst offered to Generalmajor Ludwig Graf Holnstein aus Bayern by executive ordinance of 4 Mai (SGBH, 121).
From April 1757, the Kurprinz regiment deployed one field battalion for service with the Auxiliar-Korps of the Austrian army. The battalion returned to Austria in August 1758 for rest and recuperation, and it soon returned to its Amberg garrison via Straubing, reaching Amberg on 1 September. Due to the low strength of the field battalion, the regiment was permitted to even the number of rank and file of both battalions.
On 16 May 1759, the Kurprinz regiment deployed one battalion to Ingolstadt, one grenadier company and three officers with 100 Füsiliers to the Rothenberg Fortress to thwart a possible incursion of Prussian troops into the Upper Palatinate (Oberpfalz). A detachment of one officer and 50 men was sent to Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz. On 20 August, the regiment was able to withdraw its battalion from Ingolstadt and the two detachments at Neumarkt and Rothenberg (partially) to Amberg. The grenadier company remained on the Rothenberg. On 22 February 1761, 150 Füsiliers of the regiment deployed to the Rothenberg and relieved 180 men of Infanterie-Regiment Herold, who returned to their Garrison at Amberg. Kurprinz and Herold now took turns guarding the Rothenberg for three months tours of duty.
Owners
- Max Joseph Kurprinz in Bayern, 28 March 1727
- Ludwig Carl August Kurprinz in Bayern, 21 February 1799
- Ludwig Carl August Kronprinz in Bayern, 1 January 1806
- Maximilian Kronprinz von Bayern, 13 Oktober 1825
Following the accession to the throne by Kurprinz Max Joseph, the regiment kept its name until it received Kurprinz Ludwig Carl August as the new Inhaber.
Commanding Officers
- Oberst Johann Martin von Lacolonie, January 1744
- Oberst Johann Albrecht von Krays, 15 July 1744
- Oberst Franz Richard Gattermann, 1757–1759
- Oberst Ferdinand Freiherr von und zu Freyen-Seyboltstorff, 1759
- Oberst Bernhard von Dury, 1759–1763
- Oberst Kaspar Joseph von Peckhofen (Peckhoff), 1763
- Oberst Franz von Reinberg (Reinberger), 1771
- Oberst Anton Freiherr von Onz, 1775
Garrison
- Straubing (staff and 6 companies)
Stadtamthof (3 coys.), and Amberg (8 coys.), September 1752 - Amberg (staff and 1 Btl.), and Rothenberg (1 Btl.), 20 June 1756
- Amberg, February 1757
- Straubing, August 1757
- Amberg, May 1758
- Ingolstadt (1 Bataillon), Rothenberg (1 grenadier company, 3 officers and 100 Füsiliers),
Neumarkt (1 officer and 50 men), 16 May 1759 - Amberg (regiment) and Rothenberg (1 grenadier company), 20 August 1759
- Amberg, 1 March 1760
- Straubing, September 1764
Organisation
- Regimentsstab (staff)
- I. Leib-Bataillon
- 1. Grenadier-Kompanie
- 1. (Leib)Kompanie
- 3. Kompanie
- 5. Kompanie
- 7. Kompanie
- two 3-pounder battalion guns
- II. Obristen-Bataillon
- 2. Grenadier-Kompanie
- 2. Kompanie
- 4. Kompanie
- 6. Kompanie
- 8. Kompanie
- two 3-pounder battalion guns
Two companies formed a division of the regiment, numbered from the flanks toward the center. Battalion guns were deployed on both flanks of a battalion, or on the flanks, and between the 3rd and 4th division of the regiment.
Uniform
- white coat with yellow buttons
- white collar
- white lapels with 8 buttons and buttonholes right and left
2 buttons below the right lapel, and 2 buttonholes below the left - white cuffs with three buttons
- white turnbacks
- white shoulder strap on the left
- black stock
- white vest with yellow buttons
- white breeches
- black gaiters with yellow buttons
- black tricorne hat with yellow edging, black cockade, white/blue pompom (SGBH, 291), and company pompoms (SGBH, 293)
- dark brown fur cap for grenadiers, with red bag, white lace and pompom
- drummers wore dark blue uniforms, with narrow blue lace, arranged horizontally
- duty officers wore a golden gorget
- officers’ horses had a dark blue shabraque edged yellow (SGBH, 308), and the same pistol covers
The Old Glory 15 mm miniatures pictured here are mouted on a 76 mm wide and 38 mm deep wargame base, called regimental stand in Volley & Bayonet. The buildings in the background belong to a 100 × 150 mm city block compatible with this game system, which may be occupied by two regiments or one infantry brigade stand.
Available Miniatures
- Austrian Infantry, 1:72 Miniatures Revell 02574
- Austrian Infantry, 15 mm Miniatures Old Glory SYA01
- Austrian Grenadiers, 15 mm Miniatures Old Glory SYA02
Campaign History
- The grenadier company deploys to Rothenberg fortress, 10 September 1756
- The battalion on the Rothenberg is relieved by one battalion of Régiment d’Infanterie Pechmach (without grenadiers), 11 February 1757
- II. Bataillon is mobilized for service with the Auxiliarkorps, 6 April 1757
- Siege of Schweidnitz, 1757
- Battle of Breslau, 1757
- Battle of Leuthen, 1757
- Capture of Troppau, 1758
- Siege of Olmütz, 1758
- Return from campaign, 26 August 1758
- Detachment of 150 Füsiliers deployed on the Rothenberg, 22 February 1760
- The grenadier company on the Rothenberg is relieved, 1 March 1760
- The Füsilier detachment on the Rothenberg is relieved, March 1763
Lineage
- 2. Bayerisches Infanterie-Regiment Kronprinz, 1902
- 19. (Bayerisches) Infanterie-Regiment, 4., 15. und 16. Kompanie, 1921
Régiment d’Infanterie Kurprinz in Bayern looks very attractive in its blue uniform with white facings. Wargamers may use Austrian Seven Years’ War figures if there are no dedicated Bavarian miniatures available in the chosen figure scale.