Best armed, Well armed and Passably armed

The muster rolls and armoury records surviving from the 1560 to 1570 period provides detailed information about the armour worn by the Swedish soldiers during the Northern Seven Years War. When mustered the pikemen and halberdiers would be recorded as belonging to one of four categories based on the armour they possesed and paid accordingly.

To be regard as ”Best armed” the soldier had to be equipped with helmet, collar, breastplate with long tassets, backplate and complete arm harness with spaulders, couter and vambrace. 

German infantry harness from c. 1560

 The "Well armed" soldier had the same armour as above except for the arms which were only protected by the spaulders attached to the collar. As in the previous case a helmet was worn.

A German infantry harness from 1570-1580

The "Passably armed" soldier had helmet, breastplate, backplate and collar with spaulders but the breasplate was missing the tassets. 

A fourht category were the men listed as wearing ”mutser” or ”mutseharnesk” (also spelled ”mundser”, ”mundseharnesk”), the meaning of the name has been lost but from the armoury records it is clear that this type of harness was made up of breastplate, backplate and collar without either tassets or spaulders. In additon the muster lists show that the men recorded in this category lacked helmets as well. 

(I have no photo or drawing showing this level of armour I'm afraid)

The most common helmet used by the Swedish infantry  was the ”stormhufva” (Ger. ”Sturmhaube”) aka Burgonet followed by the ”Spansk hufva” (”Spanish hood”) aka Morion. 

Mid 16th Century Burgonet

German Morion from 1570

Brandenburgers, Imperialists and Poles in Denmark

The French envoy to Brandenburg have left us an interesting description of the troops of Brandenburg, the Empire and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in Denmark in 1658-1659.

“…Generalissimo Czarnecki with the bulk of his army of 6000 men, all brave men  and for the most part Polish Gentlemen, well mounted and equipped with arrows and pistols.”

The arrows were of course used together with bows and the continued usage of mounted archery by at least some Polish troops. I hope to share a Swedish first hand account of such archery in a later post on this blog. 

” The Austrian troops consisted of 6000 Horse, very well mounted and equipped with carbines and pistols, all old Reiters who had served the Emperor in Hungary some 26, others 27 years, I saw them all go through to Veilc go to Frederiksodde. In addition to this fine cavalry, there were about 5,000 infantrymen, all dressed in red cloth.”

While I doubt that all Imperial troopers had seen such lenghty service Montecuccoli's corps did contain regiment with had been in continous service since the early part of the 30-Years War. The use of uniforms by the infantry is noteworthy as is the fact that they were all of the same colour as well as the fact that the uniforms were red rather than the grey/off-white popular with the Imperial troops of the late 17th Century.  

” The troops of the Elector [of Brandenburg] totaled some 8,000 Horse that were not so well mounted as the Austrians and equipped with only pistols, and the infantry consisted of 3000 men, good soldiers, all dressed in blue cloth.”
Again the use of uniforms by the infantry is interesting, Swedish sources record the Brandenburgers using blue infantry uniforms as early as 1632 so the later blue uniforms of the Prussian army had old roots.

The uniform apperance of the Imperial & Brandenburg infantry suggests a diffrent approach than then one chosen by the Swedes with their numerous variations in the colours of the regimental uniforms.

The Swedish Army In Livonia Early 1601

The war in Livonia between Swedem and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth  saw Duke Karl raise one of the largest Swedish armies to date for the conquest of Livonia. However flawed tactics, poor equipment and overconfidence made the Swedish forces ill suited to facing the Lithuanian army in battle and Duke Karl would have very little to show for his efforts. 

*=Calculated unit strenght
**=Destroyed at Kokenhausen
   
The Infantry

Royal Guards
Hakeskyttefänikan: 319 (January 1^st )

Ångermanland

Sigvard Andersson: 200* (March)
Matts Eriksson: 200* (March)

Medelpad 

Sten Månsson: 238 (April 28^th )

Hälsingland

Lars Engelbrektsson: 200 (January 14^th)
Olof Hansson: 200* (January 7^th )

Uppland

Eskil Andersson: 147 (March 21^st)
Erik Bengtsson the Older: 241 (March 12^th )
Erik Bengtsson they Younger: 220 (March 12^th )

Dalarna and Bergslagen

Jöns Andersson: 200* ( March 14^th )
Lars Hansson: 200* (March 14^th)
Erik Mattsson: 59 (February 14^th)

Närke

Per Jönsson 175* (March 22^nd)

Västergötland

Anders Olsson (Hans Canthon): 239 (January 12^th)

Småland

Jöns Amundsson: 181 (April 1^st)
Karl Börjesson: 217 (March 12^th)
Måns Nilsson Kula: 245 (April 10^th)
Per Svensson: 130 (March 14^th)

Finland

Eriks Andersson: 400* (March 24^th)
Kristofer Andersson: 141 (April 1^st)
Lars Bengtsson: 103 (April 2^nd)
Isak Eriksson: 207 (April 3^rd)
Sven Eriksson: 200* (April 3^rd)
Ambrosius Henriksson: 134 (March 29^th)
Erik Humble (Hans Mikaelsson): 200* (March 13^th)
Lars Ingvaldsson: 172 (April 3^rd)
Sven Jönsson: 200* (February 15^th)
Per Mattsson: 200* (March 13^th)
Anders Nilsson: 296 (March 29^th)
Viborg Stadsfänika (Simon Nilsson): 200*
Per Persson: 200* (February 15th)
Per Torstensson: 33 (March 15^th)
Joakim Wentz: 200* (April 4^th)
Anders Öde: 130 (March 14^th)

German Mercenaries 

Hans Vegesack: 200* (March 22^nd)  

The Cavalry

 Royal Guards
  
Hovfanan (Anders Nilsson): 284 (Jan)

Adelsfanor (Nobel Levy)
Västergötland (Torsten Kristofersson): 160* (January)
Småland (Magnus Stolpe): 214 (January)

Uppland

Herman von Bjuren: 500 (January)

The Dukedom

Nils Germundsson (Didrik Yxkull): 300* (January)

Västergötland

Sigge Arvidsson: 329 (January)

Non-Provincial cornets

Arent Bengtsson: 150* (January 7^th)
Nils Bengtsson: 92 (March 13^th)
Bengt Nilsson: 200* (January 7^th)

Finland

Adelsfana

Anders Larsson: 250* (March 30^th)

Landsfanor

Hans Blank: 150* (January 7^th)
Göran Henriksson Horn: 150* (March 29th)
Kasten Skade (Jesper Mattson): 250* (January)
Velam Spegel (Mårten Klasson): 250* (March 29th)

Livonian, German and Scots

Heinrich von Ahnen: 300* (January 7th)
Godske von Alefeld: 110* (January)
Hans Berkhen: 60 (May 23rd)
Ewald von Meiden: 120* (January)
William Ruthven (Scots): Strenght unknown (January)
Frans Treiden: 150* (February 26^th)
Herman Wrangel: 64 (March)

Evert Horn's Campaign aginst the False Dmitry of Pskov

 

After his coup in Ivangorod False Dmitry III had been able to extend his domain to Kopore, Jama and Gdov. By July his army of 1500 was blockading Pskov. To combat ‘Dmitry’ De la Gardie formed most of his available troops into a corps led by Evert Horn

Cavalry

• Hans Boije’s regiment (6 corners of Finnish Cavalry)

• Evert Horn’s Cornet of Horse (Otto Grothusen)
• Hans Jönsson’s Cornet of Horse (Finnish Noble Levy)
• Erik Bertilsson Ljuster’s Cornet of Horse
• Lindved Klasson Hästesko’s Cornet of Horse
• Klas Kristersson Gyllenhierta’s Cornet of Horse
• Frans Strijk’s Cornet of Horse*

• Patrik Ruthwen’s Cornet of Horse (Scots)
• John Wacop’s Cornet of Horses (Scots)

Infantry

• Samuel Cobron’s regiment of Foot

• Samuel Cobron’s company (English)
• Richard Band’s company (English& Scots)
• Harry Elfingtum’s company (English& Scots)
• Jacob Frensham’s company (English& Scots)
• Nicholas Gent’s company (English& Scots)
• Robert Kinnard’s company (English& Scots)
• Robert Moore’s company (English& Scots)
• Oliver Popler’s company (English& Scots)
• Robert Popler’s company (English& Scots)  

As Horn approached Pskov ‘Dmitry’ raised his blockade and withdrew to Gdov.

After Horn’s attempt at conving Pskov to join the Swedes by diplomacy failed (the Swedish messenger was assaulted and beaten) he decided to take the city by force. However he not only lacked artillery but also men and equipment for mine warfare so a petardier had to be summoned from Novgorod. On the night of the 8^th of September the assault was begun.

The two petards not only destroyed the Zsofsky gate but also raze part of adjoining wall. The attack also came as a surprise for the Russians who were not expecting any assault at this point. The storm troops, 3 companies of Cobron’s regiment, advanced but at the breach the lead company recoiled and in the confusion was joined by the other two companies.

In a letter to De la Gardie  Horn afterwards accused the commander of the assault, Harry Elfingtum, of cowardice in face of the enemy and added that the Scots and English mercenaries were unreliable due to a lack of pay.  The failure of the assault gave the Russian defender much needed time to rally from the initial panic caused by the petard attack and to reinforce the position.

Dismayed and shamed by the failed attacks the soldiers of Cobrons demanded to be allowed to redeem themselves in a new assault. In broad daylight a full scale assault was launched with ladders against the walls. This assault too failed.

Horn decided to raise the siege and move against “Dmitry” at Gdov and on October 7^th Horn marched away from Pskov. Outside Gdov “Dmitry” made a diastrous attempt to fight the Swedes in open battle. Defeated the Pretender tried to flee to Ivangorod with remants of his force but he was caught on the road by pursuing Swedish  cavalry who scattered his weakend and demoralised troops. “Dimtry” himself barely managed to escape and reached Ivangorod with little more than s his life to show for his efforts. 

An Imperial regiment on the march 1627

In the cold dawn of November 8th 1627 the first men of the Duke of Holstein’s Imperial infantry regiment arrived in Stettin, as the regiment moved through town a carefull record of it’s strenght was made by observers which gives us a snapshot of an infantry regiment on the march in the 1620’s

The regimental column was made up of:

1361 musketeers

327 pikemen

282 horsemen and dragoons

897 women

267 baggage wagons

100 wagons with wounded

150 heads of cattle

The low number of pikemen is noteworthy as is large number of wagons following a single regiment. In addition to the adult men and women counted above there would have been a significant number of children as well. 

Duke Adolph of Holstein’s regiment of ”Hochdeutscher knechte” (High German infantry) was raised in 1626 with a strenght of 15 companies though in the end only 7 companies were formed. In 1627 the regiment was ordered to march to Poland to support the Polish army fighting Gustavus Adolphus in Royal Prussia but while encamped outside Pitschen (Byczyna) the regiment’s was attacked by Protestant cavalry in Danish service and badly scattered. It took no active part in the fighting with the Swedes and by November it was back inside the Empire in order to join Wallensteins army.

The regiment spent 1628-1629 invading and occupying Jutland during the final phase of the Danish war. 1630 found the regiment quarted in the Palatinate were it was recruited up to a strenght of 10 companies. In September 1630 it joined the forces blockading Magdeburg and became part of Jean T’serclaes Tilly’s army tasked with capturing Magdeburg and opposing the invasion of Gustavus Adolphus.

The regiment was very active during 1631, in February-March it took part in Tilly’s first campaign against Gustavus and was present at the storming of Neubrandenburg. It distinguised itself during the assault on Magdeburg and was part of Tilly’s army which confronted Gustavus at Werben. In the battle of Breitenfeld it was part of Pappenheim’s left wing and it’s defiant last stand was remarked upon by friend and foe alike.  Holding it’s ground even though the rest of the Imperial troops had been routed the regiment was only broken with a combined effort by Swedish artillery, musketeers and cuirassiers. The badly wounded Duke was captured by the Swedes and died two days later in Eilenburg.

Following the death of Duke Adolph Eberhard von Manteuffel assumed command of the remants of the regiment which would serve on as Manteuffel’s regiment until being reformed in 1637. 

The Leaugist Army at the Battle of Weisloch (Mingolsheim) 1622

Cavalry

The Leaugist cavalry companies had a papper strenght of 100 Horse plus officers and staff.

The Herberstorff-Pappenheim Companies of Horse

Lieutenant-Colonel Gottfried Heinrich von Pappenheim

7 companies:

Lieutenant-Colonel Gottfried Heinrich von Pappenheim (Cuirassiers)

Major von Montigni (Cuirassiers)

Captain Dominicus Vigilis, Freiherr zu Spor (Cuirassiers)

Captain Walkhun von Herberstorff (Cuirassiers)

Captain Mattias, Freiherr zu Kainach (Harquebusiers)

Captain Erasmus von Gera (Harquebusiers)

Captain Walraf Scheifrad von Merode (Harquebusiers)

Raised in 1619 Adam v. Herberstorff’s regiment of Horse had ceased to exist as a regimental unit by the autumn of 1621 however the regiment had never been officaly disband so the the individual companies remained  in service but were split and served in several different commands. By April of 1622 seven of the “Old” companies were serving with Tilly and were led by Pappenheim. Meanwhile Herberstorff was recruiting two new “half-regiments” and two independent companies as reinforcements for Tilly. Once all of the various units raised by Herberstorff had arrived in the Palatinate the old and new companies were reorganised into 3 regiments. (Herberstorff I & II and Pappenheim) (This occured in May 1622 after lenghty negotiations)  

The Würzburg regiment of Horse

Colonel Franz von Herzelles

6 companies:

Colonel Franz von Herzelles

Lieutenant-Colonel Otto Friedrich von Schönburg

Major Niedhard von Thüngen

Captain Horch

Captain Maximilian von Billehe

Captain Daniel Voit von Rieneck

Wertheim provides no information about the type of cavalry in each company. However in 1625 the regiment had 6 companies of Cuirassiers and 4 companies of Harquebusiers.

Raised by Johann Gottfried, the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg the regiment had been placed under Tilly’s command in 1620 and from then on served with the Bavarians. Lt-Col Schönberg became colonel of the regiment in June 1622 and it was under his command that the regiment earned the reputation as one of the finest regiments in the Leaugist army.

Winandt von Eynatten’s regiment of Horse

Colonel Winandt von Eynatten

6 companies (5 of which took part in the battle):

Colonel Winandt von Eynatten

Lieutenant-Colonel Nicolas von Cronenburg (Duke Maximilian’s Lifeguard company)

Captain Hermann Wipart

Captain Bernhard Hoengen, called Wassenberg

Captain Matthias Batalle (aka Badalin)

Captain Hans, Count Stolberg

The regiment was created in 1620 when 6 companies of Cuirassiers (the former regiment Herman von der Lippe) belonging to the Bishopric of Colonge was transferred to Bavarian service. In Bavarian service the regiment was reorganised, one company was transferred to Cratz’ regiment, Riz’ company was converted into a independent Croat company and a third company was divided into two companies which were then brought up to strenght with new recruits. Eynatten was promoted to colonel in Arpil 1622 as reward for his performance in the Action of Weingarten.

Cronenburg’s company of lifeguards became part of the regiment from 1620 onward but served separately until shortly before the battle of Höchst.

Lorenzo del Maestro’s regiment of Horse

Del Maestro’s regiment is another of those complicated Bavarian regiments. Del Maestro was orginaly the Lt-Col. of v. Boeninkhausen’s regiment of Cuirassier, in January 1622 he was promoted to colonel of a new Harquebusier regiment that was to be recruited in Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia. However Col. v. Boeninkhausen died unexpectedly in  February and del Maestro request and was granted the command of the regiment. However as Del Maestro only had a commision for 10 companies he had transfer 5 of his newly recruited Harquebusier companies to Desfours. As the new companies had yet to reach the Palatinate (they did so just before the battle of Wimpfen) Del Maestro had only the 5 “old” companies from Boeninkhausen’s regiment available for service. Of these 4 may have taken part in the battle of  Weisloch but this uncertain as there is no direct evidence that they did so.

The “Old” companies:

Colonel Lorenzo del Maestro (Cuirassiers)

Lieutenat-Colonel Ligain (probably identical with Joan Raspau) (Cuirassiers)

Captain Dietrich von Butterberg zu Boeninkhausen (Cuirassiers)

Captain Ludwig von Lülstorff (Col. V. Boeninkhausen’s old company) (Cuirassiers)

Captain Brugger (Harquebusiers)

Captain Juritzsch company of Croats (150)

One of two independet Croat companies recruited by Adam von Heberstroff, the company was supposed to be part of the convoy of troops led by v. Herberstorff but Juritzsch had disobeyed orders and hurried in advance to join Tilly.

Infantry

The Leaugist army mainly used the ‘standard’ German company which had a papper strenght of 300 soldier plus officers & staff. As far as arms & armour is concerned two different types of organisations can be identified, one where a company had 80 pikemen 20 halberdiers and 200 musketeers. The second had 100 pikemen, 20 halberdiers, 150 musketeers and 30 calivermen.  

Valentin Schmid von Wellenstein’s regiment of Foot

Colonel Valentin Schmid von Wellenstein

10 companies:

Colonel Valentin Schmid von Wellenstein

Lieutenant-Colonel Hans Heinrich von Reinach

Major Francesco de Magni

Captain Johann st. Julien

Captain Juan Baptista de Magni

Captain von Edlkirchen

Captain Capler, called Bautz von Eden (Killed in April 1622 before Neckargemünd)

Captain Eisenreich

Captain Hans Georg Schmid von Wellenstein

Captain Le Grand

Raised in August 1620 by Schmid who had previously led the Upper Austrian troops raised against the Emperor(!). Despit this background there seems to have been no distrust of Schmid and his and Anholts regiments were considered the best in the whole army by Tilly.

Levin von Mortaigne’s regiment of Foot

Colonel Levin von Mortaigne

10 companies:

Colonel Levin von Mortaigne

Lieutenant-Colonel Jakob Schöttl

Majort Hans Werner Escher von Büningen

Captain Johann dela Quadra

Captain Lem

Captain Andree Gottfried

Captain Martin (vacant)

Captain Franz Soier

Captain Tserclaes von Montigni

Captain Johann Schwab

Raised 1620

The Würzburg regiment of Foot

Colonel Wolf Dietrich Truchsess von Wetzhausen

8 companies:

Colonel Wolf Dietrich Truchsess von Wetzhausen

Lieutenant-Colonel Joachim Christian von Wahl

Captain Johann Wilhelm Öpp

Captain de Carne

Captain von Neinegg

Captain Jakob von Werdenau

Captain Karl Bosse

Captain von Guttenberg

Colonel Truchsess was a protestant and the former Lt-Col of the regiment, he had gained his postion despite the objections of the Bavarian high command thanks to the massive support he enjoyed among his officers and men who refused to accept any other colonel. Instead both single men and groups had approached Tilly in person to argue in favour Truchsess and all of the officers had signed a jointly written pettion to the Prince-Bishop Johann Gottfried. As the actual owner of the regiment the Prince-Bishop had intervened in  favour of Truchsess who was promoted to colonel.

The two Würzburg regiments had suffered the classic fate of auxiliary troops without their onw representation in the high command, they were badly paid despite the huge sum the Prince-Bishop raised for the Leauges war effort. The two regiments were also exposed to more than their fair share of suffering and danger. As a result the Bavarian high command was held in low regard by the Würzburg rank and file. (Hence the massive support for Lt-Col Truchsess)  After numerous complaints and the intervention of the Prince-Bishop the pay for  Würzburg no longer sent by way of Munich but rather sent directly to the regiments As a result they became the best paid soldiers in the army. 

In 1624 the regiment became the Life Regiment of Generalleutnant Jean T’serclaes Tilly, the famous Alt-Tilly regiment.

Theodor Viebeck von Haimhausen’s regiment of Foot

500 soldiers

Haimhausen’s regiment was in the middle of a reorganisation and only four companies were with Tilly’s army, four new companies had been raised replaced disbanded and transferred companies but these had yet to arrive.

The regiments presence at Weisloch is recorded as “500 haimhausischen knechten” which could indicate that soldiers were commanded musketeers rather than part of ordinary pike &shot companies.

In 1624 Werner T’serclaes Tilly assumed command of the regiment which became known as Jung-Tilly

Artillery

Two Falkonetts

“Falkonett” covered a wide range of light cannon with 1.5 to 3 pound caliber.

Two Scharffetinls

Very light cannon firing ¾ to 1 pound shot.

Found by the Leaugists in Weisloch so were probably 16^th Century pieces and the crew for them must have been improvised. 

Hans Georg von Arnim’s Imperial corps in Prussia 1629

In 1629 Wallenstein sent a corps commanded by Hans Georg von Arnim to aid
the Commonwealth. The following order of battle is the one reconstructed by 'Sveriges Krig 1611-1632 ' based on a letter from Wallenstein to King Sigismund (Aka Zygmunt III of Poland)

The strenght of Arnim corps is much debated, based on a report by the Dutch envoy in Stralsund it is estimated at 12.000 men when starting out. This is then reduced to 9000 by the time Arnim reached the Vistula in June 1629.However Robert Frost quoting Polish historian Janusz Staszewski say that barely 5000 turned up. Swedish reports from the summer of 1629 seems to put Arnims cavalry at 2000 men. This is of course prior to the arrival of the reinforcments.

Infantry (40 companies)
Hans Georg von Arnim's regiment of Foot: 12 companies
Hannibal von Dohna's regiment of Foot (1626): 9 companies
Duke Heinrich Julius von Sachsen-Lauenburg's regiment of Foot (aka
Alt-Sachsen, 1618): 9 companies
Rudolf von Tieffenbach's regiment of Foot (1619): 10 companies

Cavalry (28 companies)

Duke Heinrich Julius von Sachsen-Lauenburg's regiment of Cuirassiers
(aka Alt-Sachsen): 10 companies
Raised in 1625 as a regiment of Harquebusiers, converted to
cuirassiers in 1626. In 1629 the unit was commanded in the field by
Lieutenant-Colonel Bindauf.

Hans Georg von Arnim's regiment of Harquebusiers: 5 companies
Raised in 1627 as Stessel's regiment of harquebusiers

Count Ernst Georg von Sparr's regiment of Harquebusiers: 5 companies
Raised in 1627, fought the Danes at Wolgast. Suffered heavy losses in
Poland and was disbanded in late 1629.

Count Heinrich von Schlick's regiment of Harquebuisers: 5 companies
Raised in 1625 as Pechmann's regiment of Harquebusiers, in late 1629
Wengersky took over ownership of the regiment and in 1630 it was
converted to cuirassiers.

Duke Franz Albrecht von Sachsen-Lauenburg's regiment of Cuirassiers (aka Neu-Sachsen): 3 companies of Cuirassiers
Raised in 1625, the regiment was commanded in the field by Lt-col
Hatzfeld. Only a part of the regiment served in Poland.

Artillery
7 or 8 cannon of unknown calibre

Additonal reinforcements (arrived after the battle of Honigfelde)

Infantry:
Löb's regiment of Foot: 5 companies
Schönkirchen's regiment of Foot: 10 companies

Cavalry
Detachment of Haugwitz' regiment of Horse: 5 companies
The presence of this  regiment is a real problem as Haugwitz comission for rasing a
regiment is dated november 1629(!)

Detachment Dampierre's regiment of Harquebusiers: 5 companies
Raised in 1628. Dampierre had had several previous units hence it is
easy to misidentify it as one of the disbanded cuirassier regiments.