Structure and organization as well as uniforming of the Old Army - Cavalry - The Prussian Uhlan Regiments (Guard No. 1 -3, Line No. 1 -16).

Before the outbreak of the First World War (1914) there were 23 Uhlan regiments,

including 2 Bavarian (separate numbering),

3 Saxon (No. 17, 18 and 21) and

2 Württemberg formations (No. 19, 20). 

On the uniforming of the Prussian Uhlans. The Ulanka.

From 1853 the kollet was replaced by the ulanka.

The double-breasted ulanka had a special - traditional - cut and shorter skirts than the tunic, e.g. of the infantry.

The collar was rounded (square for the Guard).

The sleeve cuffs were Polish, i.e. cut pointed with a button.

The ulanka had pleats on both front sides, likewise around the bottom, on the back and sleeve seams and also on the pocket flaps.

Not only the Guard Uhlan regiments had litzen on the collar and the sleeve cuffs, but for example Mecklenburg, Hessian and Württemberg units as well.

The Uhlans did not wear shoulder straps, but epaulettes. Instead there were corresponding holders (= passants) on the shoulders of the ulanka. These had facings in different colors.

The epaulettes had a rectangular - bevelled at the top - slider as well as an epaulette field bordered by a metallic half-moon.

The button displayed the number of the corresponding squadron.

The half-moons were - like the scale trim - always yellow, even when the regiment had white buttons.

Under the epaulette there was a hook for additionally fastening it to the ulanka. There were eyelets on the ulanka for this.

The epaulettes showed - except for the Guard - as a rule the regimental number (with crown: No. 2). Some regiments, however, had special name ciphers: No. 1, 3, 6, 13, 16.

The lining had the respective insignia color.

The epaulettes of the one-year volunteers in Prussia were edged with a black-and-white wool cord.

The base color of the Prussian and Württemberg ulanka was dark blue. That of the Saxon Uhlans was light blue.

The individual regiments differed by the respective insignia color.

This was for the line:

Ulanen-Regiment Nr. 1 - ponceau red - buttons yellow

Ulanen-Regiment Nr. 2 - ponceau red - buttons yellow

Ulanen-Regiment Nr. 3 - ponceau red - buttons yellow

Ulanen-Regiment Nr. 4 - ponceau red - buttons yellow

Ulanen-Regiment Nr. 5 - ponceau red - buttons white

Ulanen-Regiment Nr. 6 - ponceau red - buttons white

Ulanen-Regiment Nr. 7 - ponceau red - buttons white

Ulanen-Regiment Nr. 8 - ponceau red - buttons white

Ulanen-Regiment Nr. 9 - white - buttons yellow

Ulanen-Regiment Nr. 10 - carmine red - buttons yellow

Ulanen-Regiment Nr. 11 - lemon yellow - buttons yellow

Ulanen-Regiment Nr. 12 - light blue (with white pleats) - buttons yellow

Ulanen-Regiment Nr. 13 - white - buttons white

Ulanen-Regiment Nr. 14 - carmine red - buttons white

Ulanen-Regiment Nr. 15 - lemon yellow - buttons white

Ulanen-Regiment Nr. 16 - light blue (with white pleats) - buttons white

The insignia color was shown on the collar, the buttoned parade flap for the ulanka and for the tschapka, the sleeve cuffs, furthermore the facing and the pleats on the cap.

The buttoned parade flap to be buttoned on the ulanka had pleats for some regiments:

1st Guard Uhlan Regiment: ponceau red,

No. 12 and 16: white

and for

No. 1, 3 to 5, 7 and 8: ponceau red.

Also the epaulette fields were, like the above passants, in the insignia color.

Furthermore the buttons served as a distinguishing feature: white or yellow or silver or gold.

Also the waist sash belonging to the ulanka, called the pass belt, was dark blue, but had facings in the respective collar color.

In Uhlan Regiments No. 12 and 16 the facing stripe of the waist sash had white pleats.

On the uniforming of the Prussian Uhlans. The Tschapka.

The typical headgear of the Uhlans was the black lacquered leather tschapka, to which a white linen chin cord (edge cord) was attached.

It consisted of the bell and a rectangular headpiece.

Sliders, mirror and tassels were white and black for the non-commissioned officers.

For parade a white - hanging - plume was worn. For the trumpeters this was red. The plume was about 30 cm long.

As a counterweight the tschapka was worn tilted to the right.

As ornament of the tschapka the heraldic eagle was worn at the front for the three Prussian Guard regiments and for Uhlan Regiment No. 13 of the Guard. The eagle of the latter regiment additionally bore helmet bands: Waterloo - Peninsula - Garzia Hernandez.

Uhlan Regiment No. 7 had a (silver) Guard eagle without star (awarded on 16.06.1913).

Otherwise the helmet ornament was the reduced typical heraldic eagle with the letters FR on the breast.

In Uhlan Regiments No. 1, 2 and 3 this had a breast shield with the intertwined name cipher FWR.

In Uhlan Regiment No. 14 the aforementioned helmet bands (UR 13) were attached to the heraldic eagle. Both regiments (UR 13 and 14) stood in the Hanoverian military tradition.

For parade purposes there was also the above-mentioned tschapka flap in the respective insignia color.

Furthermore the cap badge was worn at the front on the lid of the headpiece of the tschapka (as with the hussars).

On the uniforming of the Prussian Uhlans. The Litewka.

The litewka had collar tabs like those on the coat. Likewise corresponding shoulder straps.

On the uniforming of the Prussian Uhlans. The Coat

The coat was made of grey cloth and had collar tabs in the insignia color. The color of the shoulder straps was that of the epaulette lining.

When a coat was worn, the chin cord of the tschapka lay over it.

On the uniforming of the Prussian Uhlans. Drill garments.

The drill garments of the Prussian Uhlans corresponded to those of the Prussian dragoons.

On the uniforming of the Prussian Uhlans. Riding and cloth trousers.

The riding and cloth trousers were made of dark blue-mottled cloth.

The riding trousers had a black leather trim.

The cloth trousers had a ponceau-red side stripe.

However, this was carmine red for Uhlan Regiments 10 and 14.

On the uniforming of the Prussian Uhlans. Riding boots and lace-up shoes.

Riding boots, lace-up shoes and the harness were like those of the Prussian dragoons.

The blackened cavalry boots had fixed spurs.

On the uniforming of the Prussian Uhlans. Belt, shoulder strap, cartridge box and fist strap.

The white (sabre) belt was for unbuckling. The carrying strap (bandolier) was also white.

The cartridge box basically - except for the Guard - had no lid decoration.

But Uhlan Regiment No. 13 had the name cipher WR II with crown in brass as an ornament.

The Guard Uhlan Regiments had the nickel silver - 1st and 3rd GUR - or the golden - 2nd GUR - 1st Guard star.

On the uniforming of the Prussian Uhlans. Characteristics of the non-commissioned officers.

Although the non-commissioned officers had a white plume on the tschapka, at the end of it there were black hairs.

Sliders and chin-cord mirrors were braided black.

The tassels had black and white fringes.

Moreover, the non-commissioned officers wore, according to their rank, the usual braid trimming in gold or silver. In the line units these were plain braids.

Sword-ensigns were allowed to wear the officers' greatcoat, but only with the enlisted men's epaulettes.

On the Uniforms of the Prussian Uhlans. The Trumpeters.

The trumpeters were, as usual, distinguished by swallow's-nests.

These were red in Uhlan Regiments No. 1 - 8.

In the other Uhlan regiments they had the respective badge color.

On the Uniforms of the Prussian Uhlans. On the Officers' Uniform.

On the czapka the heraldic eagle was generally worn in a reduced form on the line regiments, but, of course, gilded or silvered.

Since the A.K.O. of 10.05.1860 the patriotic ribbon (Vaterlandsbandeau) was to be affixed on all eagles.

The officers' czapka had some further peculiarities.

For example, the hook — on the right — on the top of the czapka was silver.

The chin cord consisted of silver cord interwoven with black silk.

On the officers' ulanka the passants were trimmed with braid.

On the epaulettes the moons were either silver or gold depending on the color of the buttons.

In addition the officers had the greatcoat. In Uhlan Regiments No. 12 and 16 this had white piping.

The officers' sabre, as with the dragoons, served as the edged weapon.

The bandolier was also like that of the dragoons, but with dark blue lining.

The cartridge box also corresponded to that of the dragoons. The name cipher on the cartridge box of Uhlan Regiment No. 13 was gold.

Dress trousers were dark blue with a stripe and trimming strip in the respective collar color. In Uhlan Regiments No. 12 and 16 with white stripe.

On the Uniforms of the Prussian Uhlans. Armament.

The cavalry sabre M 89 served as the edged weapon. Previously the cavalry sabre M 52.

There was also a special Uhlan sabre that had only a simple iron guard (bow sabre, the so-called chasseurs' sabre of French origin - M 1873).

On the Uniforms of the Prussian Uhlans. Bridles, Saddles.

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The Individual Uhlan Regiments of the Old Army.

Below, only the Prussian Guard and line Uhlan regiments will be briefly presented.

For the Saxon Uhlan regiments,

for the Württemberg Uhlan regiments and

for the separately numbered Bavarian Uhlan regiments

reference is made to the separate articles in this themed focus.

There is also a supplementary separate article for the Prussian Guard Uhlan regiments.

1st Guard Uhlan Regiment (Potsdam).

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2nd Guard Uhlan Regiment (Berlin).

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3rd Guard Uhlan Regiment (Potsdam).

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Uhlan Regiment Kaiser Alexander III of Russia (West Prussian) No. 1 (Militsch).

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Uhlan Regiment von Katzler (Silesian) No. 2 (Gleiwitz).

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Uhlan Regiment Kaiser Alexander II of Russia (Brandenburg) No. 3 (Fürstenwalde).

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Uhlan Regiment von Schmidt (Pomeranian) No. 4 (Thorn).

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Westphalian Uhlan Regiment No. 5 (Düsseldorf).

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Thuringian Uhlan Regiment No. 6 (Hanau).

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Uhlan Regiment Grand Duke Friedrich of Baden (Rhenish) No. 7 (Saarbrücken).

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Uhlan Regiment Graf zu Dohna (East Prussian) No. 8 (Gumbinnen).

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2nd Pmmersches Uhlan Regiment No. 9 Demmin).

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Uhlan Regiment Prince August of Württemberg (Posen) No. 10 (Züllichau).

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Uhlan Regiment Graf Haeseler (2nd Brandenburgian) No. 11 (Saarburg).

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Lithuanian Uhlan Regiment No. 12 (Insterburg).

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King's Uhlan Regiment (1st Hanoverian) No. 13 (Hanover).

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2nd Hanoverian Uhlan Regiment No. 14 (St. Avold).

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Schleswig-Holstein Uhlan Regiment No. 15 (Saarburg).

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Uhlan Regiment Hemmings v. Treffenfeld (Altmark) No. 16 (Salzwedel/ Gardelegen).

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Württemberg (Nos. 19 and 20), Saxon (Nos. 17, 18 and 21) and Bavarian Uhlan regiments (Nos. 1 and 2).

Reference is made to the separate contributions on these formations in this special focus.