kuk Uhlans

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Colonel Maximilian Ritter von Rodakowski and the Uhlan Regiment No. 13 in the battle of Custozza . (Painting by Ludwig Koch , 1908. Oil on canvas, Heeresgeschichtliches Museum Vienna)

The kuk Uhlans (or kk Landwehr Uhlans) formed next to the dragoons and hussars between 1867 and 1918 the cavalry of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy .

organization

The Imperial Army possessed before the First World War over 11 Lancer regiments kk Landwehr six lancers regiments. Traditionally, the majority of the Uhlans were recruited from the Kingdom of Galicia and the Kingdom of Lodomeria . The regiments were all stationed with a few exceptions there.

The 1st and 2nd Brigade belonging to the Polish Legion (Polish: Legiony Polskie ), founded in 1914 , also had 1 Uhlan regiment ( 1 puł LP (1 Pułk Ułanów Legionów Polskich) , 2 puł LP ). The Polish Legion was part of the Austro-Hungarian Army; from 1916 it was subordinate to the German army and fought on the Eastern Front against the troops of Tsarist Russia .

In 1914 the kuk cavalry regiments consisted of 2 divisions ( battalions ) each with 3 squadrons

The kuk Uhlans (11 regiments)

Numbers 9 and 10 remained free due to changes in the course of the Austro-Hungarian compensation . In 1873 the Austrian Uhlan Regiment No. 9 was converted into a Dragoon Regiment, the Austro-Hungarian Dragoon Regiment "Prince of Liechtenstein" No. 10 . The previous Dragoon Regiment No. 10 had been converted into a hussar regiment and the number had become vacant. The Uhlan Regiment 10 was also dissolved and rebuilt in Hungary as Hussar Regiment No. 16 .

kk Landwehr Uhlans

  • Landwehr Uhlan Regiment No. 1
Assigned as division cavalry :
1st + 2nd Esk. Of the 11th Infantry Division
3rd + 4th Esk. Of the 30th Infantry Division
5th + 6th Esk. Of the 43rd Landwehr Infantry Division
Nationalities: 65% Ruthenians - 30% Poles - 5% various
Complementary District: Lviv
Garrison: Lviv
  • Landwehr Uhlan Regiment No. 2
Assigned as division cavalry:
1st + 2nd Esk. Of the 26th Landwehr Infantry Division
3rd + 4th Esk. Of the 29th Infantry Division
5th + 6th Esk. Of the 10th Infantry Division
Nationalities: 58% Czech - 42% various
Complementary district: Leitmeritz
Garrison: Hohenmauth
  • Landwehr Uhlan Regiment No. 3
Assigned as division cavalry:
1st + 2nd Esk. Of the 45th Landwehr Infantry Division
3rd + 4th Esk. Of the 24th Infantry Division
5th + 6th Esk. Of the 2nd Infantry Division
Nationalities: 69% Poles - 26% Ruthenians - 5% Various
Complementary district: Przemyśl
Garrison: Rzeszów
  • Landwehr Uhlan Regiment No. 4
Assigned as division cavalry:
1st + 2nd Esk. Of the 5th Infantry Division
3rd + 4th Esk. Of the 12th Infantry Division
5th + 6th Esk. Of the 46th Landwehr Infantry Division
Nationalities: 85% Polish - 15% Various
Complementary District: Krakow
Garrison: Olomouc
  • Landwehr Uhlan Regiment No. 5
Assigned as division cavalry:
1st + 2nd Esk. Of the 4th Infantry Division
3rd + 4th Esk. Of the 25th Infantry Division
5th + 6th Esk. Of the 13th Landwehr Infantry Division
Nationalities: 97% German - 3% different
Supplementary district: Vienna
Garrison: Stockerau
  • Landwehr Uhlan Regiment No. 6
Assigned as division cavalry:
1st + 2nd Esk. Of the 3rd Infantry Division
3rd + 4th Esk. Of the 8th Infantry Division
5th + 6th Esk. Of the 44th Landwehr Infantry Division
Nationalities: 60% German - 39% Czech - 1% different
Complementary District: Prague
Garrison: Wels

uniform

Ulan in winter march adjustment
Tschapka of a subaltern officer of the kkUlanenregiment No. 2

The kuk and kk uhlans were basically adjusted equally .

  • Ulanka (tunic)
The ulanka was made from a skirt and had ten large buttons, so-called compassels, in the front. The seams connecting the back and front laps were each covered with a curly cloth flap (each with three heads).
Two pockets were cut into the front in the chest and lap area. The sleeves were provided with so-called Polish lapels in the madder red color. The stand-up collar was made in equalizing color. There was an armpit loop on the left shoulder. The officer's version was lined with madder red Tibetan in the lap and decorated with bouillon-like fringes (waterfall) at the back of the waist.
The Pelzulanka M 1907 was made of the same material and lined with white lambskin , the turn-down collar was covered with black lambskin and closed with a neck clasp and a coat loop.
  • Chapka
The Tschapka served as headgear for both normal service and parade . It consisted of a cap with a parasol, a scale band, the side walls (so-called attachment), the lid and the emblem with a horsehair bush and roses.
The cap was made of Terzen leather, pressed in one piece, painted black on the outside and cut out around 11 centimeters at the top. The lower edge of the cap was trimmed with black sheepskin. The sunshade was also painted black on the outside and was fitted with a tombak frame for the teams . The side walls of the attachment consisted of 4 millimeter thick, waterproof felt parts in the leveling color. The top open attachment was closed with a lid made of black lacquered calfskin. Attached to the lid was a horizontal horsehair bush which ended in the middle of the front left edge of the lid. The scale band as in the dragoon helmet. An emblem in the shape of a double-headed eagle was attached to the front . It had a smooth breast shield with the regimental number. The horsehair bush consisted of black (red for trumpeters) horsehair 26 centimeters long. The bush was held together by a wooden disc, on which was a brass rosette 3.5 centimeters in diameter and the Most High's name FJI in openwork. A loop of iron wire was attached to the back of the disc, which could be pushed into the hair bush. With the help of a tombak chain, the hair bush on the left side of the chapka was held together. The non-commissioned officers' instructions were, similar to the hussarenchako, attached to the side walls of the chapka. The non-commissioned chapka also had a decoration of black and yellow mottled cords at the connection points of the cloth cover and along the diagonals of the lid.
The officer's chapka was similar in shape to that of the men. However, the lid was covered with cloth in the equalizing color. At the connecting seams of the attachment and around the edge of the lid ran a trim of 7 millimeter wide golden, black drawn cord. The front edge of the parasol was covered with a 1 centimeter wide gold strip. The base of the attachment was covered by a dull gold chain with black openwork, the tip of the umbrella on the cap with a double black and yellow cord. Distinction braids as in the hussarentschako. A curb chain with three gold-metal (in the 2nd regiment in silver) lion heads served to hold on to the sooty bush. The rosette of the hair bush consisted of gold bouillons with the initials FJI in the black velvet middle part.
  • Field cap
The field cap was worn for work and light duty. It was made of madder red cloth and was made according to the pattern of the infantry, with the exception that the parasol was made of double cloth in the same color as the cap. Officers wore the infantry officer's field cap.
  • Boot pants
The trousers, like the rest of the cavalry, were madder red in color. Cut wide in the buttocks, the calves were tight. A sloping pocket was let into each of the front legs. The pants could (the second pants or utility trousers had to ) be reinforced on the seat with matching pants fabric.
Officers were allowed to wear saloon trousers made of fine, blue-gray cloth with madder-red passepoils - in cut and shape like the pantaloons of the infantry officers. The permission to carry only related to the office work and the time off duty.
  • Boots
“Budget” (standardized) cavalry boots, as worn by all mounted men, with the exception of the hussars.

Equalization of the Austro-Hungarian regiments

regiment Button color Tschapka cover
1 yellow imperial yellow
2 yellow dark green
3 yellow madder
4th yellow White
5 yellow light blue
6th White imperial yellow
7th White dark green
8th White madder
11 White cherry red
12 yellow dark blue
13 White dark blue

The kk Landwehr Uhlans wore the same uniform, but they all wore a madder red capka suit. They could only be distinguished from one another by the number on the shako and the number on the (uniform) white buttons.

Adjustment

Parade tunic Uhlan Colonel
  • Parade adjustment for officers
The Uhlan officer had to appear on horseback with the Tschapka, in summer with the Ulanka and the pelzulanka slung around the neck (dressed in winter), the madder-red ankle trousers and the cavalry boots. The cartouche and all decorations , but the grand crosses had to be laid out without ribbons. Arming according to regulations.
On foot as described above, but the fur clothing was never allowed to be worn around the neck.
  • Parade adjustment for NCOs and men
On horseback, the ulan had to be fully equipped with a chapka and the dressed ulanka alone, or at the same time with a pelzulanka slung around his neck. The field devices were not carried. The coat had to be taken in summer only in doubtful weather, but always in rain. The horse was saddled and bridled in accordance with the regulations, pack sacks and menage bowls were not carried. The same rules applied on foot. Arming with the saber.
  • March adjustment for officers
In any case, the fur lankas were taken along - dressed or slung around their necks. the coat was always strapped onto the saddle when not worn. Should it rain in summer, the coat could be exchanged for the ulanka, which then had to be strapped onto the saddle instead of the coat. Additional armament was the revolver and bag. A map case made of black-brown leather and binoculars could be carried.
  • March adjustment for NCOs and men
Similar to that of the officers, but without the separate pieces of equipment. Arming according to regulations.

Armament

  • Firearms
As standard, all cavalry regiments were equipped with the Mannlicher M 1890 repeating carbine with straight-pull piston lock and box magazine for five cartridges in the center shaft. This weapon wielded the four youngest corporals, the mounted and unmounted Uhlans, patrol leaders and driving soldiers - with the exception of the staff of the staff cavalry and the telegraph patrol. Officers wielded the officer's revolver , men and officers who were not assigned a rifle carried the Gasser Army revolver M 1870/74 . This was housed in a revolver pouch made of brown upper leather with a shoulder strap. As a rule, the paramedics, the bandage wearers, the butchers , the clerks, the blacksmiths , the gunsmiths and the squadrons were armed with no firearms .
  • Edged weapons
The cavalry saber M 1869 was used as a saber . The officer's saber was similar to that of the men, but the handle was tied with silver-plated wire, and the basket was pierced, decorated and polished. The cavalry saber was prescribed for all officers, NCOs and men with the exception of the paramedics, butchers and driving soldiers, who wore the pioneer saber. The pouch belt was made of brown upper leather and had a length of 110 centimeters and a width of 5.3 centimeters. At the end of the buckle it had a widening that served as a base for the tinned roller buckle. The open end was tapered and had 5 pin holes. This belt was only used by the crews armed with revolvers. Because of the cartridge pouches, the strap was strapped around the body so that the clasp came to rest behind the left hip. For the riders equipped with carbines, the body strap had an additional strap that was used to fix this weapon on the body.
The lances , which are actually typical for Uhlans , had already been abolished by the entire team in 1884.
  • Portepee
The portepee of the cavalry officers was similar to that of the infantry officers, but had an additional push loop and was attached to the saber in the same way as the non-commissioned officers.
The sergeants wore portepees made of imperial yellow and black sheep's wool on their sabers, while cadets wore portepees made of silk.
Instead of the portepees, the teams carried saber hand straps made of red, yuchten-like leather, consisting of the hand strap with tassel and the two braided rings.

Remarks

Uhlans of the Polish Legion

The Austrian (later Austro-Hungarian) cavalry regiment initially consisted of four, later of three divisions

A division consisted of three squadrons in a cavalry regiment . The three divisions (battalions) of the regiment were (theoretically) led by the colonel, the lieutenant colonel and the major. This is where the name comes from. (The former 4th Division was referred to as the 2nd Majors Division.) In 1860–67 the cavalry regiments were again reduced to two divisions.

Until 1798, the regiments were named after their respective owners (who did not also have to be the commanders). There was no binding regulation of the spelling. (e.g. Count Serbelloni regiment - or Serbelloni regiment.) After 1798, the numbered designation prevailed, which could possibly be linked to the name of the owner. Due to this constant renaming, the regimental histories of the Austro-Hungarian cavalry are very difficult to follow. In addition, there is the constant and apparently arbitrary, sometimes multiple reclassification of the associations. (For example: Bohemian Dragoon Regiment "Prince of Windisch-Graetz" No. 14 )

In 1915, all honorary names were deleted without replacement. From then on, the units were only designated with their numbers (for example "Uhlan Regiment No. 1"). However, this could not be enforced in practice, on the one hand because no one adhered to it, on the other hand because the very thrifty Austro-Hungarian military administration had ordered all of them at first Use up any existing forms and stamps!

literature

  • Johann C. Allmayer-Beck, Erich Lessing: The Kuk Army. 1848-1914 . Bertelsmann publishing house, Munich 1974, ISBN 3-570-07287-8 .
  • The Imperial and Royal Army in 1895 Writings from the Army History Museum in Vienna - Stocker Verlag, Graz 1997
  • kuk war ministry “Dislocation and division of the kuk army, kuk navy, kk landwehr and ku landwehr” in: Seidel's small army scheme - published by Seidel & Sohn Vienna 1914
  • “Adjustment regulation for the kuk army, kk landwehr, ku landwehr, the associated institutions and the corps of military officials” from 1867 published by the kuk war ministry Vienna. Version from 1911/1912

swell

Web links

Footnotes

  1. With "Division" a sub-unit in battalion strength was referred to. Regular divisions, on the other hand, were called "Cavalry Troop Division".
  2. according to “Announcement of the Quartermaster's Department” of Army Group Command FM. Archduke Eugen / Q.Op. No. 665/15. Issued by the field post office 512