Uniforms and Equipment of the Old Army - Artillery - Field Artillery - Hesse

Field artillery units with Hessian tradition in the Imperial Army were

the 1st Grand Ducal Hessian Field Artillery Regiment No. 25 (Darmstadt) and

the 2nd Grand Ducal Hessian Field Artillery Regiment No. 61 (Darmstadt/ Babenhausen).

They formed the Grand Ducal Artillery Corps and belonged to the XVIII Army Corps and the 25th Division, forming the 25th Field Artillery Brigade.

Hessian field artillery units essentially wore the uniform of the Prussian field artillery regiments.

FAR No. 25 had yellow camel-hair braids (Litzen) with Kapellen and a white facing on the collar of the tunic/coat and the sleeve cuffs of the tunic.

Ponceau-red shoulder straps were worn on the tunic and coat.

FAR 25 displayed a name inscription and a small, round, smooth grenade on the shoulder straps.

FAR 61 bore on the shoulder straps a round, smooth grenade with a flame and the regiment number in yellow.

The collar patches on the coat were black and had a ponceau-red edging.

At FAR 25 the braids were patterned.

The helmet showed the typical Hessian heraldic lion in a semi-open wreath of oak leaves and laurel.

FAR 25 carried black horsehair plumes for parades. The trumpeters' plumes were red.

The decorative fittings were made of brass.

The leather equipment was black. The belt buckle on the waist belt was that of the Hessian infantry.

The cartridge box was adorned with a pyramid of balls with two crossed cannon barrels.