Wednesday 3 November 2021

The First Battalion, Lower Rhine Fusilier Regiment, No 39

The 39th Regiment had a relatively short history in the Prussian Army. Entering the army lists in 1818 as the 36th Regiment it had been formed from various elements of several garrison units. In 1820 it was redesignated the 39th Infantry Regiment and posted to garrison several cities in the Lower Rhine. In 1860 it was converted from line infantry to fusiliers and was retitled the Lower Rhine Fusilier Regiment, No 39.

It saw no action until the 1866 campaign when it formed part of the Beyer’s Division, Army of the Main, fighting at Hünfeld, Hammelburg, Helmstadt, Uettingen and Rossbrunn in the South German campaign, suffering 90 casualties in the fighting.

In the Franco-German War the regiment formed a part of 27th Brigade, 14th Division, VII Corps and was central in the fighting at Spicheren where it opened the action, suffering losses of 27 officers and 628 men, and the three companies of the third battalion that fought in for six hours in the Sriring Copse could count only 150 organised men in the ranks at nightfall from the 750 that went into action. It went on to participate in actions at, Colombey-Nouilly, Gravelotte-St. Privat, the Sieges of Metz, Thionville, Montmédy and Mézìeres, and at Mohon and at Ognon.

Although the regiment still retained the designation fusilier in its title by 1870 such titles meant little and there was no difference in the training of grenadiers and fusiliers from line troops. In fact in the early battles even the Jäger battalions were deployed and fought a line troops.

This representation of the 1st  Battalion, Lower Rhine Fusilier Regiment, No 39 has the black fusilier belts and its standards are in good condition.








16 comments:

  1. Those look wonderful Mark. What a great addition.
    Cheers
    Stu

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    1. Thanks Stu. I quite like the slightly sinister look of the Prussian uniform.

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  2. First class Prussians Mark, congrats!

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    1. Thank you Phil. I am looking forward to doing some French troops to oppose them.

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  3. Nice work Mark - the FPW collection grows at a steady pace!

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  4. Great work there Mark and a nice bit of background fluff too:)

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  5. Great work Mark. I can never look at pickelhaubes without visualising 70's English comedians sitting on them, and think they all must have done that at one stage or another. It's quite interesting to see how this uniform marks the transition from the Napoleonic era to the early WWI uniform, and how it is possible to pick out elements of both.

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    1. Yes I can almost hear the Benny Hill theme tune! The transitioin is more evident with the French, where epaulettes are still in use and they wear those magnigicent red tousers.

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  6. Another nice unit Mark…
    You are producing these with fine Prussian efficiency…

    All the best. Aly

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    1. Thanks Aly. Indeed the famed German efficiency has taken over…und all orders are being obeyed mitout qvestion at all times.

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  7. Replies
    1. Thanks Neil. It is so nice to work on such simple uniforms.

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