Uniforms and Equipment of the Old Army - Cavalry - Mounted Rifles

From 1895 so-called dispatch-rider detachments were formed for special tasks. These wore the garderock in dark green. The shoulder straps were white and showed the Roman I for the I Corps.

In part, blackened steel helmets (with yellow fittings and a heraldic eagle) were already worn.

The K 89 and the army revolver served as armament. Later the ranks of the Mounted Rifle regiments were also equipped with carbines. The revolvers then remained only with the non-commissioned officers and trumpeters as well as with the officers.

In 1897 the dispatch riders were renamed "Detachment Mounted Rifles." The shoulder straps now generally showed the number of the respective army corps.

A gray-green koller was introduced as the new uniform. Gray-green tunics modeled on the cuirassiers were also issued.

The flat cap was initially white.

From 01.04.1905 the Mounted Rifle regiments were then formed as an independent branch of the cavalry and were continuously expanded.

The number of regiments in 1914 is shown in the following table.

The uniform of the Mounted Rifles as of 1914 was as follows:

The tunic was made of gray-green cloth and had a rounded collar. The sleeve cuffs were Swedish style. The facings ran forward down to the lower edge of the skirts and at the back to the pocket flaps. The collar and the sleeve cuffs were light green and had a contrasting braid with light-green stripes and yellow inner edges.

The buttons were made of nickel or tombak.

The koller continued to be worn for a long time even after the introduction of the tunic - also in parallel (see illustration below).

The coat was made of gray cloth and had light-green collar patches.

The cap was - from 16.04.1908 - made of gray-green cloth and had a light-green trim band. The facings were lemon yellow and were located around the top edge and around the trim band.

The riding breeches had a gray-green riding panel. Previously there were white riding breeches made of kersey. In addition there were gray-green cloth trousers. The latter had a light-green seam in the side seams.

The mounted rifles wore the aforementioned helmet of black-stained sheet steel with angular front and rear visor.

The fittings, spike top and ornamentation were, according to the respective button color, either of nickel silver or tombak, later only nickel-silver.

The helmets of Regiments No. 1 - 6 showed the dragoon eagle.

The ranks of the most recently formed Regiments No. 7 – 13 had a leather helmet modeled on the dragoon helmets.

Hair plumes were not worn.

In 1915 the leather dragoon helmets were exchanged for iron helmets with field-gray fittings.

The sabre belt and accompanying bandolier were dark brown. The riding boots were also made of dark brown leather and had strap-on spurs and spur leather. Regiments No. 7 - 13, however, had blackened boots.

On the bandolier two oval plates with the imperial eagle and the inscription W II together with the royal crown as well as a nickel-silver chain (with whistle and casing) were worn at the front.

The dark-brown cartridge pouch showed a silver hunting horn. In the King’s Mounted Rifle Regiment the cartridge pouches also bore the imperial monogram as decoration on the flap.

The equipment also included dark-brown gauntlet gloves, which were initially (until 22.02.1907) white.