Chris’ Curious Regiments
The oldest Prussian regiment wasn’t the 1st, 2nd or 3rd Grenadiers but strangely the 4th…
4th Grenadier Regiment “King Frederick the Great” (3rd East Prussian)
The Grenadier-Regiment König Friedrich der Grosse (3.Ostpreußisches) Nr.4 was formed on 1 May 1626 to serve under Elector Georg Wilhelm of Brandenburg as the Regiment zu Fuss von Kracht. As such they held claim to being the oldest regiment in the Prussian army (elements of the 1st Grenadier Guard Regiment also traced their roots to that same day but their official formation date was much later. The 115th Hessian Life-Guard Infantry Regiment traced their origins to 1621 and were therefore the oldest regiment in the Germany army as a whole).
They served in the Thirty Years War and the 1658-60 Swedish-Polish War against Sweden, then against Ottoman Turkey 1684-86. In the 18th Century they saw action in the War of Spanish Succession, the Great Northern War, the War of Polish Succession, both Silesian campaigns of the War of Austrian Succession and the Seven Years War. They were also deployed for the War of Bavarian Succession and the Polish Rebellion of 1794. They fought throughout the Napoleonic Wars including the 1806 campaign against the French, the 1812 Invasion of Russia alongside the French and the Battles of Leipzig and Ligny against the French. In 1808, they were titled the 3. Ostpreußische Infanterie Regiment then from 1816 the 4. Infanterie Regiment (3. Ostpreußisches). In the Austro-Prussian War they fought at the Battle of Königgrätz against Austria and Saxony. During the Franco-Prussian War they saw action at the Siege of Metz.
In 1889 they were given the title König Friedrich II which was changed to Friedrich der Grosse in 1901. This was in memory of the eighteenth century King Friedrich II of Prussia, also known as Frederick the Great.
In 1914 they were garrisoned at Rastenburg (modern Kętrzyn in Poland) as part of the I Army Corps. During the First World War they initially served on the Eastern Front including the Battle of Tannenberg. They transferred to the Western Front in early 1917.
Helmet Plate: Yellow metal Prussian Grenadier Eagle replacing the Old Grenadier Eagle from 1911. A yellow metal scroll bearing their formation date of scroll 1626 was awarded above the eagle in 1888.
State Cockade: Prussian (black/white/black)
Parade Plume: Black
Tunic Buttons: Yellow metal
Shoulder Straps: White with a red crowned FR II monogram for King Friedrich II of Prussia, Fredrick the Great.
Collar: Red piped along the upper edge in dark blue with white single Litzen
Cuffs: Brandenburg style in red with white Litzen piped in white around the vertical panel
Other Distinctions: Officers wore ornate yellow metallic Litzen in the form of a single horizontal bar with zig-zagged bands across it and a single lace loop at the end. The cuffs had similarly decorated embellishments with a loop on each of the three buttonholes of the Brandenburg cuff.
*Text from ‘Traditions of the Imperial German Infantry Regiments’ available worldwide on Amazon.
http://imperialgermanuniforms.co.uk/
http://imperialgermanuniforms.co.uk/
*Photo from the Fort de la Pompelle Museum