Uniforms and Equipment of the Old Army - Cavalry - Heavy Riders - Saxony - Carabinier Regiment

The Saxon Carabinier Regiment (2nd Heavy Regiment) belonged to the XIX Army Corps. This was the II Royal Saxon Corps.

In this structure the aforementioned regiment was part of the 42nd Division / the 4th Saxon Division and part of the 42nd Cavalry Brigade / the 4th Saxon Cavalry Brigade.

R. v. Haber (Die Cavallerie des Deutschen Reichs. Derselben Entstehung und Geschichte, nebst Rang-, Quartier-, Anciennitäts-Liste und Uniformierung, Hannover 1877, p. 284) describes the prehistory and formation of the unit as follows:

"On November 1, 1849 the regiment was formed from detachments of the Guard Cavalry, the first and second regiments, into five squadrons under the name § . Cavalry Regiment. On April 1, 1867 a 6th squadron was formed, the Prussian drill regulations were introduced and the regiment reorganized into a heavy regiment, after 110 lighter horses were exchanged for an equal number of heavy ones from the 2nd Cavalry Regiment. The 2nd and 4th squadrons were transferred to the newly established 2nd Uhlan Regiment No. 18, the 6th squadron became the 2nd, on October 1, 1867 the 4th squadron was reorganized."

According to Hugo F. W. Schulz (Die Bayerischen, Sächsischen und Württembergischen Kavallerie Regimenter 1913/1914, Augsburg 1992, p. 70) the core troop of the unit in question was a corps of the bodyguard formed in 1704 under Elector Frederick Augustus I, King August II of Poland (1694–1733).

The Saxon Carabinier Regiment was formed as a heavy regiment from 1867 following the reorganization of the Saxon army on the Prussian model.

However, November 1, 1849 was regarded as the date of foundation.

The garrisons of the unit were Borna and Pegau.

As of 1877 the regiment received recruits from the districts of the Royal Saxon 3rd and 4th Infantry Brigades.

The required remounts were purchased from the horse dealer Rose in Connewitz near Leipzig (as of 1877).

The uniform was a cornflower-blue tunic with a white tunic braid (hanging down the front) with black stripes and yellow buttons.

The collar and the Swedish-style sleeve cuffs were black.

The coat and the trousers had white piping.

On the shoulders brass shoulder pieces with scale decoration were worn. These were also worn by the so-called sword ensigns on the overcoat.

The shoulder flaps on the coat were light blue with white piping. They bore no number.

The tabs on the collar of the coat or on the collar of the litewka were black.

The cornflower-blue cap had a black trim band with white piping. The national cockade was green-black.

The helmet used was that of the Prussian cuirassiers, however decorated with the typical Saxon star.

Previously the typical Saxon Bügelhelm had been worn.

For parade a white plume was worn, not a lion crest as on the Guard Cavalry.

Gauntlet gloves were not worn.

For officers the buttons and the epaulettes on the tunic were gilded.

The bands on the cap, collar and sleeve cuffs on the tunic were of velvet for officers.

The trumpeters had a trim of white cords on the chest of the tunic (see the photo further below).

The usual swallow's nests were worn on the litewka.

The trumpeters, incidentally, rode only black horses.

The regiment also had kettle drums.

As a bladed weapon they used not a pallasch but the KD 89 with the Saxon coat of arms. For officers its hilt was silver-plated.

From 1913 the officers received a bladed weapon with a straight blade resembling the pallasch of the Prussian cuirassiers.

The unit returned home in December of 1918 and was then disbanded.