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

The Saxon field artillery consisted of 8 regiments (FAR No. 12, 28, 32, 48, 64, 68, 77, 78; see also the following table).

Helmet

The black-lacquered helmet was made of leather and had a crest ball. The fittings were yellow. The ornamentation corresponded to that of the Saxon infantry. The arched scale chains were arched. For parade a black horsehair plume was mounted (made of horsehair). This was red for the trumpeters.

The imperial cockade was worn on the right, the state cockade on the left of the helmet. The latter was white with a green ring.

The helmet cover showed the red regimental number.

Helmet Ornament

The helmet was adorned with the yellow heraldic star with the superimposed white Saxon coat of arms.

The Saxon artillery traditionally — since the 18th century — wore coats with a (dark) green base color; the coat also had Swedish-style sleeve cuffs.

The cut of the tunic corresponded to that of the infantry.

The collar of the tunic was rounded.

The collar, the sleeve cuffs and the swallow-tailed patches (of the trumpeter) were of ponceau-red cloth.

The tunic had red facings down the front and around the skirts and on the pocket flaps.

The shoulder straps were dark green and likewise had ponvceau-red facings. They displayed a seven-flamed round grenade and the regimental number in red.

The buttons were made of tombak and the plain braids were golden.

The braid trim of the swallow-tailed patches was silver or gold (for FAR 38).

The trumpeters' band was dark green with tassels of the same color.

Particularities

Some formations had special name inscriptions on the shoulder straps, namely the 1st Saxon Field Artillery Regiment No. 12 and the 3rd Saxon Field Artillery Regiment No. 32.

The 2nd Saxon Feldartilleire Regiment was given the name of its new chief (= Emperor Nicholas II of Russia) on 19.06.1914.

Field Cap

The cap was made of dark green cloth and had a ponceau-red trimming strip and facings around the crown rim.

Coat

The coat was made of grey cloth and had shoulder straps like those on the tunic.

Ponceau-red patches were shown on the collar of the coat (and on the Litewka).

Leg and Footwear and Leather Equipment

The leg and footwear corresponded to those of the Prussian field artillery.

The leather equipment was black.

The sabre belt was worn slung over the shoulder and was fastened with a belly-strap buckle as with the infantry.

Uniform of the Non-Commissioned Officers

The NCO uniform had the usual insignia of this rank group, in particular smooth gold braid.

Officers' Uniform

The officers' uniform corresponded in its particulars to that of the Prussian field artillery officers, i.e., it was made of finer cloth.

According to Wolfgang Friedrich (Die Uniformen der Königlich-Sächsischen Armee 1867-1918, Dresden 1996), officers wore gold scale epaulettes (like the Garde-Reiter) on the tunic.

The fittings on the helmet were gilded.

Officers furthermore had a bandolier and a cartridge box like cavalry officers.

The bandolier was trimmed with gold braid and had a red backing.

The officers' parade cloak was cut like that of the Prussian dragoons, but was dark green with a red facing and trim strip