Chris’ Curious Regiments
This weeek the Oldenburg cavalry contingent.
19th Dragoon Regiment (Oldenburg)
This weeek the Oldenburg cavalry contingent.
19th Dragoon Regiment (Oldenburg)
The Oldenburgisches Dragoner-Regiment. Nr.19 was officially formed on 26 April 1849 as the Großherzoglich Oldenburgisches Reiter-Regiment and was in the reserve against Denmark in 1849-50. It was the only cavalry regiment of the Grand Duchy, although Oldenburg had previously raised a cavalry unit serving as part of the Hanseatic Contingent against France in the War of Liberation.
In the Austro-Prussian War, Oldenburg sided with Prussia and the regiment joined the Army of the Main against the South German states’ where they clashed against squadrons of the Baden Life-Dragoons and put them to flight. During the Franco-Prussian War they saw heavy action at the Battle of Mars la Tour where the regiment took part in the large cavalry melee towards the end of the day, finally securing victory over the French horsemen. They were later also deployed at the Siege of Paris. Meanwhile, the regiment was incorporated into the Prussian system as the 19th Dragoon Regiment in 1867.
They were garrisoned at Oldenburg as part of the X Army Corps. They began the First World War on the Western front in the push for the Marne but were transferred to Poland and the Eastern Front in November 1914. The 4th Squadron remained in the East, in Ukraine, until the end of the war while the rest of the regiment was transferred back to the Western Front in 1917 for rearguard duties.
Helmet: Dragoon style Pickelhaube with white metal fittings
Helmet Plate: White metal Prussian dragoon eagle with yellow metal star bearing the Oldenburg coat of arms in white metal
State Cockade: Oldenburg (blue/ red/ blue)
Parade Plume: Black
Tunic: Cornflower blue dragoon style Waffenrock
Collar: Black piped in cornflower blue with rounded front corner
Cuffs: Swedish style in black
Piping Colour: Black
Button Colour: White metal
Shoulder Strap: White with from 1867, a red crowned A monogram for Grand Duke August of Oldenburg
Field Cap: Cornflower blue with back hatband and piping
Other Distinctions: As part of the Oldenburg contingent, officers had blue and red threads on their lace belt but other insignia was as for Prussia. The lance pennant was red over blue for other ranks or blue with a black Prussian eagle with the Oldenburg coat of arms as seen on the Pickelhaube plate for NCOs.
*Text from the upcoming ‘Traditions of the Imperial German Cavalry Regiments’.
*Photo from the Fort de la Pompelle Museum
** Painting by Richard Knötel