The Uniforms of the French Army under Napoleon I (1800 - 1815) - Imperial Guard - 2nd Guard Chevau-légers Lancers

The 2nd Guard Chevau-légers Lancers were formed on September 13, 1810.

The unit was formed from former Dutch cavalrymen, namely hussars of the Guard and of the Garde du Corps.

The regiment belonged partly to the Old Guard (squadrons 1 - 5) and partly to the Young Guard (squadrons 6 - 10).

Initially only 748 men strong, the regiment grew to 1,400 men by 1812 (1,406, including 171 velites), but suffered enormous losses during the Russian campaign.

Afterwards the unit was effectively reconstituted and soon again comprised 8 squadrons of 250 men each. Only a few squadrons still consisted of Dutchmen.

In 1814 the unit was incorporated into the royal army with 4 squadrons.

In the summer campaign of 1815 the formerly three uhlan regiments of the Imperial Guard were employed in a mixed formation with a total of 5 squadrons (including 1 Polish squadron).

In the fall of that same year the formation was disbanded.

The uniform of the 2nd Guard Chevau-légers Lancers was characteristically marked by a scarlet red color.

This color had already been characteristic of the Dutch hussars.

The style of uniform corresponded to that of the 1st (Polish) Guard Chevau-légers Lancers.

The tschapka (chapka) was adorned with an emblem in the form of a rising sun with a crowned N in the center.

On the side a white plume was worn on the left.

In the field the tschapka was worn with a waxed-cloth cover.

The velites wore a simpler variant of the tschapka.

The rank badges were made of yellow wool (brigadiers) or of gold braid (non-commissioned officers).

The red kurtka and overpants were worn with dark-blue trim (collar, lapels, sleeve cuffs and facings).

The (pointed) dark-blue lapels could be buttoned over or overlapped.

In the field later fawn-brown overpants with a side button placket were worn.

Also recorded for the tunic was a dark-blue pair of overpants with red facings at the scalloped pockets and a red side button placket. The leather inset was black.

The epaulettes (only one, worn on the right) as well as the braids and the aiguillettes were of yellow wool and were held by a trefoil.

The aiguillette was worn on the left.

There also existed a marching outfit consisting of a kind of double-breasted blouse of sky-blue color with a red collar.

This was also worn as stable dress, together with the camp cap.

The trumpeters wore a special white uniform with scarlet-red insignia.

The trumpeter flags are illustrated further below.

The timbalier was dressed in an Oriental style.

The kettle-drum flag was red with yellow (gold) braids and showed a crowned eagle in a laurel wreath, above it a white band with the designation of the unit.

The officers' uniforms were of course more splendid than those of the ranks.

The epaulettes, the trim (braids/piping) and the aiguillettes of the officers' uniform were gold, and the leather equipment for parade purposes was also edged in gold.

The coats (riding coats) of the ranks were sky-blue with red collars (sometimes also shown without colored collars), those of the officers dark blue.

The leather equipment was white.

Knötel supplies an illustration of a red uhlan in field uniform; he wears the belt under the kurtka (kutka).

In addition to the lances one pistol and a sabre with an iron scabbard (Model XI) were carried as armament.

Later only the first rank had lances.

For this reason — from 1813 — carbines were introduced additionally.

The pennons on the lances were red-white (white above, red below).

The saddlecloths were dark blue with yellow borders and yellow braid trim. In the rear corners there were yellow — crowned — eagles.

It is also often shown that an N (with or without crown) appeared in the front corner of the saddlecloth.

Alternatively, saddlecloths of black sheepskin with red points were used.

The officers' saddlecloths were edged in gold.

The greatcoat roll was red with a yellow round trimming band of wool braid.

Cdt. Bucquoy, Les Uniformes du Premier Empire, L`Infanterie, Paris 1979 ff..

Fallou, L., La Garde Impériale (1804-1815), Paris 1901 (reprint Krefeld 1975).

Liliane and Fred Funcken, Historical Uniforms. Napoleonic Era, vol. 2, Munich 1978.

Philipp Haythornthwaite/ Michael Chapell, Uniforms of the Napoleonic Russian Campaign, Munich 1977.

Philipp Haythornthwaite, The Uniforms of the Battle of Waterloo, Munich 1976.

LA VIEILLE GARDE IMPÉRIALE. Illustrations de JOB.

Knötel/ Sieg, Handbook of Uniform Studies, Hamburg 1937.

Paul Martin, The French Army 1789 - 1807, Stuttgart.

Rogers, H. C. B., Napoleon's Army, Stuttgart 1976.

Lucien Rousselot, Napoleon's Army 1800 - 1815, Berlin 2010.