Flags of the line infantry regiments of the Prussian Army

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pattern I., II., IX. and Xth Army Corps
Pattern V., VI., XVI. and XVII. Army Corps
Pattern VII., VIII., XVIII. and XX. Army Corps
Pattern XXI. Army Corps
Pattern (hunter)

The middle field of the flags of the line infantry regiments of the Prussian Army was wrapped in silver laurel branches , at the top of which was the royal crown with the silver banner underneath , " Pro Gloria et Patria ". The middle field itself was adorned with the old Frederician armored black eagle. In the four corners, executed in gold or silver, the names of the kings ruling at the time of the award, wrapped with palm branches and also crowned, stood. There were four side flames between the corner medallions. These were found for the first time on the flags awarded in 1808.

Armpit flaps

For the large number of line infantry regiments, Kaiser Wilhelm II ordered by decree of December 18, 1890 that the color of the flag should be based on that of the armpits. That was not the case for guards , grenadiers or royal infantry regiments. This achieved uniformity within the corps. In contrast to these , the green color for the flags of the Jäger battalions and light infantry was determined according to the line pattern.

The new XXI built in October 1912. Corps should wear green armpits. Since the flags of the hunters were already green, the flags that were to be awarded to the units of this corps had to be designed a little differently. They were therefore not given flags with straight wedges, but rather with a slightly wavy shape. These new flags were only used in two cases - the III. Battalions of the Infantry Regiment "Hessen-Homburg" No. 166 and the 10th Lorraine Infantry Regiment No. 174 - for the award.

Design of the flags

In addition, basic regulations were issued regarding the future design of the flag and standard cloths. The flags were then embroidered in gold or silver, depending on the button color of the troop unit, because the cloths that had been painted up to that point were not very durable. It was also ordered that the flags should be reduced in their dimensions by 16 cm, i.e. in their area to 126 cm². The “Prussian war eagle” in the middle field retained its Frederician form. The eagle's crown, sword pommel and lightning bolt were always to be kept in gold.

In the period that followed, four types of flags were distinguished:

  1. Guard flags
  2. Guard grenadier flags
  3. Flags for the grenadier regiments
  4. Flags for the new line regiments

The middle field, the four corner medallions (they were interwoven with the color of the button) and the banner were the same color as the armpit tabs. The four wedges were white with black borders.

On the occasion of the centenary, the emperor issued the order to renew the cloths of those flags and standards that had gloriously stood in the field. Over the next seven years, the new standards were solemnly consecrated in the hall of fame of the Berlin armory . After that, the renewals mostly took place at the location of the general command of the troops participating in the imperial maneuver. They were then ceremoniously handed over to the troops on the occasion of the imperial parade that preceded the imperial maneuvers.

Flag decorations

The flagpoles were black and measured about three meters including the tip. At the top was the name of the king who was ruling at the time of the award. Since the flag was a symbol, it was awarded decorations and medals, just like the officer and man at the front.

So were on the orders of Friedrich Wilhelm III. after the wars of liberation those flags that had stood at the front were awarded an Iron Cross . In place of the name, the mentioned award surrounded by two laurel branches appeared in a slim tip. The fusilier battalions that had marched out without a flag did not receive this award.

After the war of 1870/71, on the occasion of the entry of the victorious troops in Berlin on June 16, 1871, it was ordered that the flags of the troops that took part in the war should be given one if they did not yet have an 1813 cross. However, this was not surrounded by laurel branches, but, standing in a broader point, by a laurel wreath. On April 11, 1872, this award was also given to those troops who, as intended, had left their flags behind when marching out. The only flag that did not receive this award was that of the 2nd Battalion of the 8th Pomeranian Infantry Regiment No. 61 , because it had been captured by the enemy in the Battle of the Lisaine near Dijon .

Each flag also had a 3.7 cm wide band, which was called a banderole . It wore the black and white national colors and ended in two tassels of the same color. It was attached to the flag by twisting it around the top. If the standard received a war band, this replaced the band. The following flag ribbons were awarded:

In addition to ribbons, the Prussian standard symbols were also decorated with rings, recognition or memorial rings.

The identification rings indicated the owner of the unit in question in black letters on brass rings, e.g. B. II IR 162 = II. Battalion Infantry Regiment 162. They were introduced in 1837 because the flags were difficult to distinguish because of the identical appearance of the cloths. Under King Wilhelm, the battalion designation was added in addition to the regimental designation.

The flag mentioned, at that time still that of the Fusilier Battalion of the 2nd Hanseatic Infantry Regiment No. 76 (III./76), was damaged in the battles of Loigny , for example . When it was presented to the emperor in Berlin on May 23, 1872, together with the other flags that had been in the field , the latter decreed that they receive a silver commemorative ring with the engraving "Loigny (Orleans) December 2, 1870" next to the Iron Cross.

The AKO of December 14, 1899 ordered a clasp to be attached to the black and silver ribbons of the banderole as close as possible to the tassels . This consisted of gold-plated metal plates and should be a visible sign of the unity of the empire. On the front it bore the crowned signature (WR) and on the back the foundation day of the unit and the date January 1, 1900.

Web links

Commons : Flags of the Line Infantry Regiments of the Prussian Army  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

literature

  • Martin Lezius : flags and standards of the old Prussian army. Franckh'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Stuttgart 1935.
  • Reinhold Redlin: Standard, Part I - The Royal Prussian Guard Corps. Collection of the Defense History Museum in the Rastatt lap, Freiburg 1982.
  • Reinhold Redlin: Standard, Part II - Grenadier flags of the Royal Prussian I and II Army Corps. Collection of the Defense History Museum in the Rastatt lap, Freiburg 1986.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Gustaf Lehmenn: History of the Royal Prussian flags and standards since the year 1807. ES Mittler & Sohn . Berlin 1895.
  2. ^ Martin Lezius : flags and standards of the old Prussian army. Franckh'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Stuttgart 1935.
  3. ↑ Here, for example, the flags of the IX. AK new cloths on August 28, 1904. As the Lübeck advertisements reported, the 2nd Battalion of the 3rd Hanseatic Regiment also received a new flag there.
  4. ↑ On the morning of the imperial parade of IX. AK in Altona , the new flags were handed over to their regiments by a flag company on September 4, 1904 and wielded for the first time in the subsequent parade.
  5. ↑ Such as B. the Jäger Battalions No. 1-11