Swedish Foot

The Swedish infantry often wore long coats, smocks or cassocks. The basic cut was a peasant coat that reached from to just beyond the waist or almost to the knee. The hat was often gray felt. Buff coats, when worn, were sleeveless as were most buff coats of this period. Armor was blackened. Militia and pre-1626 coats were tended to be tawny orange and or light gray with a white trim. Native Swedish troops tended to wear blue but there are also references to red and yellow coats. The Swedes were one of the first to try to match the pants to the coat color. As a field sign, many Swedes wore a yellow hatband with a blue edging on the band. They also used temporary field signs of bundled straw or sprigs of green foliage. In addition, officers often wore blue, yellow, or green sashes to identify Swedish and Allied troops. There are many references to the Red, Green or Blue regiments, which were in the early war years, references to the color of the flag and not to the uniform of the regiment. Only later did the jacket color begin to match the color of the flag.

Unit History – The Hovid or Yellow IR
The regiment is based on the German Yellow Regiment which was raised in 1624 and spent most of its early service with the Swedes. It was first commanded by Frans Bernhard v. Thurn in 1625. Later in 1627 command passed to Teuffel, an ex-Imperial colonel who was a close advisor to Gustavus Adolphus. The regiment was part of the Pomeranian campaign (September 1630 to January 1631) and Gustavus’s 2nd invasion of Mecklenburg. The regiment later fought at Werben (August 1631) and Breitenfeld (September 1631). At Breitenfeld, Teuffel was killed by a stray shot whilst checking a firefight between the Imperial Alt-Tilly Brigade and the Swedish Blue Brigade.
Commanded by Nils Brahe after Breitenfeld, the regiment then saw action at Lech (April 1632) and Lutzen (November 1632) where it took heavy casualties including Brahe who was shot above the knee. The wound festered and Brahe died fourteen days after the battle. He was considered by Gustavus Adolphus as one of the best generals that the Swedes had. With Brahe’s death in 1633, command of the regiment went to Lars Kagge. As part of Kagge’s Brigade, it fought in the center at the battle of at Hessich-Oldendorf (July 1633).
At Nordlingen (September 1634), the regiment was commanded by Lt-Col. Schonbeck. In 1634 after the Frankfurt muster, the Yellow regiment was disbanded and reformed as the Schonbeck regiment. This regiment transferred in 1635 to French service. At this point the regiment no longer retained any semblance to the unit it once had been.

 

Three Flags of the Yellow IR using the 1620's design

 

Sources

Text: Uniforms of the Thirty Years War by Bill Boyle in Time Portal Passage Summer 2000
Osprey’s The Army of Gustavus Adolphus (1) Infantry (Men-at-Arms 235)

Battles of the Thirty Years War From White Mountain to Nordlingen, William P. Guthrie, Greenwood Press, 2002.
Osprey's Lützen 1632, (Campaign Series), Richard Brezezinski, 2001.

Scottish Volunteers

There were many Scots who went to serve the Swedes and others during the war. Scottish troops did not wear tartan. They wore ‘hodden gray’ as did the English and the Irish and a blue bonnet. The color, ‘hodden gray’, could be anything from gray to red brown or dark green. Most Scots serving Sweden were quickly given uniforms, although ‘redshanks’ volunteers hoping to join sometimes followed the army in more traditional clothing. All of the Scottish regiments of Denmark and Sweden were financed by English, Dutch and French subsidies. In terms of service, the Scots usually served the Protestant while the Irish served the Catholic. English volunteers served in both. The Scots had entire regiments in Danish, Swedish and French armies. The English and Irish had regiments in the Army of Flanders. English troops serving in the Palatine under Mansfield, or the Duke of Hamilton are mentioned as wearing blue coats, and gray stockings. Occasionally, the Scots in Germany carried a flag with the cross of St. Andrew. However, as the Scots were under contract, a more typical flag carried would have had the cross of St. Andrew in the canton.
 

Unit History – Leslie IR

The regiment, Leslie, is based on one of the many Scottish regiments serving the Swedes. It was raised in 1626 for Danish service and transferred to Swedish service when the Danes withdrew from the war. Commanded by R. (‘Young’) Leslie, it served under Knyphausen at the siege of Wolgast in 1630. Fought under Kagge at Hoxter (March 1632) and later, at Lutzen (November 1632), the unit was part of the Green Brigade.
In 1633, the regiment was in Duke Bernhard Sachsen-Weimar Corp’s. A detachment fought at Pfaffenhofen (August 1633) under Horn.
After being engaged at Nordlingen (September 1634), the regiment was disbanded and reformed along with other Scottish regiments into a new regiment - Green Infantry regiment. This new regiment then saw action as part of the Weimarian Army of 1635-39. Fought at Wittstock (October 1636) in the center under Leslie and Karr. Was part of the force under Baner that broke out of Stettin in 1638.

The particular flag shown below is based on a description found in Osprey’s book on Swedish infantry as well as the book on ECW Scots. Using the canton with the St. Andrew cross seems to have been common for Scots troops fighting in the TYW. Another common flag was just the St. Andrews cross. One reference has Mackay’s regiment flying the St. Andrew cross at the battles of Breitenfeld and Alte Veste. The other possible flags would have been blue and white variations of horizontal stripes.

 

Unit History – Spens IR
The regiment, Spens, was raised in 1624 for Swedish service in Poland. A detachment joined the Swedish forces in their June 1630 invasion. Commanded by Lt. Col. Lumsden, the regiment was part of the Pomeranian campaign (September 1630 to January 1631) and Gustavus’s muster against Frankfort-an-der-Oder. Later the regiment fought at Werben (August 1631), Breitenfeld (September 1631), Lech (April 1632) and Alte Veste (September 1632).
After Lutzen, the regiment fought at Pfaffenhofen (August 1633) and Nordlingen (September 1634) under Horn. With the defeat at Nordlingen, the regiment was disbanded and reformed along with other Scottish regiments into a new regiment - Green Infantry regiment. This new regiment then saw action as part of the Weimarian Army of 1635-39.

Flag for Leslie IR, Spens IR

King’s Regiment of Horse (1634-1638)
The unit is based on a unit which fought under John King (1589-1652). Raised after Nordlingen, the regiment was a mix of German and Scottish troops. As part of the cavalry force on the left wing at Wittstock (1635), the 2 squadrons arrived late to the battle as dusk was falling. 

In 1638, the regiment fought in the Palatinate army under Karl Ludwig being engaged at Vlotho. The unit was part of a small force loaned out by Baner under the command of John King.
The trumpeter banner is based on the common Scots banner of a white saltire on the blue background on the left hand corner on a field of red. The cornet itself is based on a Scot Covenant cornet from the 1650 Dunbar campaign.

John King was a Scottish soldier of fortune who later served the English Royalist cause gaining the title Baron Eythin. He was a competent and cautious commander serving both the Swedes under Baner and Saxe-Weimar, as well as the French with the transfer of forces.
John was the son of David King of Warbester in Orkney; his mother Mary was the daughter of Adam Stewart, an illegitimate son of James V of Scotland. King's military career began around 1609 when he joined the Swedish service. By 1630, he was lieutenant-colonel in a Scottish regiment in the Swedish army commanded by Patrick Ruthven and in 1636 he served as lieutenant-general in Alexander Leslie's army in Westphalia. In 1637, King commanded an army for the Landgrave of Hesse in an attempt to drive Imperial forces out of his territory. The following year, he joined forces with Charles Louis, the Elector Palatine, and his brother Prince Rupert against General Hatzfeld, but their army was defeated at the battle of Vlotho in October 1638 and Rupert taken prisoner. King made an orderly withdrawal with the only part of the army not to be routed. He blamed the defeat squarely on Rupert's impetuosity.
King retired from the Swedish service in 1639, receiving a Swedish knighthood and pension. He was unwilling to join the Covenanters in the Bishops' Wars against Charles I and became Charles' agent in raising money and forces from Europe in preparation for the civil war in England. In March 1642, he was created Lord Eythin and was persuaded by Queen Henrietta Maria to take up a command in the Royalist army. Eythin accompanied the Queen to Yorkshire in February 1643 and was appointed lieutenant-general and commander of infantry in the King's northern army. He acted as chief military adviser to the Marquis of Newcastle in the campaigns of 1643-4 against the Yorkshire Parliamentarians.
With the signing of the Solemn League and Covenant between Parliament and the Scots, Eythin was placed in the invidious position of fighting against his fellow countrymen and his former commander Alexander Leslie, now Earl of Leven. Eythin held Newcastle-upon-Tyne against the Covenanters but his failure to prevent them from advancing south led to the expression of doubts regarding his loyalty.
From April 1644, Eythin directed the defense of York, which was besieged by the forces of Lord Leven, Lord Fairfax and the Earl of Manchester. The siege was lifted by the arrival of Prince Rupert in July 1644. Recriminations over the battle of Vlotho six years previously still soured relations between Eythin and the Prince. Eythin opposed Rupert's plan to fight the Allied army and was slow to obey the order to bring the infantry up from York. His hostility to Rupert and lack of co-operation in marshaling the army was a factor in the defeat of Marston Moor, which shattered the Royalist military presence in northern England. Regarding the King's cause as lost, Eythin advised Newcastle to escape abroad and accompanied him to Hamburg. He later learnt that Rupert had considered charging him with treason and wrote to the Prince in January 1645 protesting his innocence.
Eythin settled in Sweden and was created Baron Sandshult in Kalmar. In 1650, Charles II commissioned him lieutenant-general under the Marquis of Montrose. He was expected to lead a force of mercenaries in Montrose's projected invasion of Scotland, but only a small advance party ever sailed and Eythin himself never left Sweden. He died in June 1652 and was buried at Stockholm.

Sources
Flags: Osprey’s The Army of Gustavus Adolphus (1) Infantry (Men-at-Arms 235)
Building a Wargames Army for the Thirty Years War by Mark Allen in Wargames Illustrated #101
Text: Uniforms of the Thirty Years War by Bill Boyle in Time Portal Passage Summer 2000
Battles of the Thirty Years War From White Mountain to Nordlingen, William P. Guthrie, Greenwood Press, 2002
http://www.british-civil-wars.co.uk/biog/eythin.htm

Germans in Swedish Service

Many of the Swedish units in the Swedish army were actually Germans and Scots serving the Swedish crown. The levels of Germans and Scots recruits increased steadily throughout the war as the Swedish conscripts either died or deserted. The conscripted Swedish recruit had a poor chance of returning to Sweden. In a study by J. Lindegren, of the 230 men conscripted from the parish of Bygdea, only 15 ever returned alive to the parish. In German, there still exists the expression ‘Alte Schwede!’ (Old Swede) and it is used to express surprise around something unusual.

Many of the Protestant troops in the Swedish army were actually troops loaned from the various German States to the Swedes.  In terms of a general uniform, the Protestants favored a blue coat but wore many variations.   The Hessian foot favored the dark blue coats with red stockings and possibly red or silver cuffs. Red or gray coats with gray pants were also worn by the Hessian troops.

Most of the German regiments were raised by their colonel or a local prince and lent to the Protestant cause. The flags of these German troops varied widely. Some were similar to the Swedish and used simple geometric designs.

Unit History – Green IR
The Green regiment was the most junior regiment of the four original Swedish color regiments. It was originally raised from Prussians as part of the feudal obligations of the Duke of Brandenburg to the Polish crown. In 1627, when the regiment was marching to join the Poles, it was intercepted by the Swedes. In Isreal Hoppe’s chronicle of the Prussian campaign the following is said to have occurred:
‘Count von Thurn shouted out: “Friends or Enemies?”. To which the infantry replied: “Friends!”. The count continued: “Then shoulder your muskets!”. When this was done, he rode up and said: “Are you the King of Sweden’s men?”. “Ja, Ja!” they answered’.
Gustavus Adolophus incorporated this regiment into his army, but send the officers back to the Duke of Brandenburg with the comment that he ‘take more care of his men in the future’.
The regiment was first commanded in 1627 by Hans Kasper v. Klitzing. In 1629 command was assumed by John Hepburn. With the command of the regiment by a Scot, it has often been assumed that the entire regiment was Scottish but muster rolls show that it was primarily Prussian.
Under Hepburn, the regiment was part of the Pomeranian campaign (September 1630 to January 1631) and Gustavus’s muster against Frankfort-an-der-Oder. Later the regiment fought at Werben (August 1631), Breitenfeld (September 1631), and Lech (April 1632).
After the battle of Lech, command was given to Adam v. Pfuel. Under his command, the regiment fought at Alte Veste (September 1632) and joined Horn’s corps after the Swedish defeat at Lutzen. In Horn’s corps, the regiment fought at Pfaffenhofen (August 1633) and Nordlingen (September 1634). At Nordlingen, the regiment was brigaded with Baner, Vitzthum and Birkenfeld regiments into Pfuhl’s brigade. After the battle, the regiment was combined with the Baner regiment and went north as part of Baner’s corps. The regiment disbanded in 1635.

Three Flags for the Green IR using the 1620's design

 

Unit History – Red IR (Swedish 1624 – 1634)

This German regiment raised by the Swedes before their invasion of Germany fought at Breitenfeld (September 1631) in the 1st echelon as part of the Red brigade along with the Yellow, Swedish and Blue Brigades under the overall command of Teuffel. Teuffel, himself, was killed by a stray shot whilst checking a firefight between the Imperial Alt-Tilly Brigade and the Swedish Blue Brigade.

Later in 1634, the regiment was part of Horn’s forces campaigning against the Bavarian forces of Aldringer. The rough size of the force would have been roughly 8 companies. Prior to Nordlingen (September 1634), the regiment was sent to Mainz to act as a garrison force and then disappears from the records.
 

 

 

 

 

 

Three Flags for the Red IR using the 1620's design

 

Unit History – Thurn (or Black regiment; Swedish 1624 – 1639)

The Thurn regiment is based on one of the many German regiments serving the Swedes. The regiment was also one of four units alternatively known as the Black regiment because of its flag. The Thurn regiment was often reported as wearing blue coats. Raised for Danish service in 1624 in Northern Germany in the area around Emden, the regiment joined the Swedes in 1629 and was under the command of Claus Dietrich ‘Sperreuter’. Later in 1630 command was assumed by H. Jr. V. Thurn; after which, the unit saw action in the Pomeranian campaign (September 1630 to January 1631). Later in action at Werben (August 1631), Breitenfeld (September 1631), Bamberg (March 1632) where it counterattacked the Imperial advance but was later withdrawn, Lech (April 1632), and Alte Veste (September 1632).  

At Lutzen (November 1632) the regiment was placed in reserve and helped lead Bernhard’s final assaults in the late evening after Gustavus Adolphus’s death. At the battle the regiment was commanded by Oberst Hans Jakob Graf von Thurn.

In 1633, the regiment was part of Duke Bernhard Sachsen-Weimar Corp’s which supported Horn. After being virtually destroyed at Nordlingen (September 1634), the shattered regiment was reformed in 1634 along with Limbach, Tiesenhausen, King and Cratz Infantry Regiments into a new regiment under the command of Thurn. This new regiment then saw action as part of the Weimarian Army of 1635-39.  
 

 

Three flags for the Thurn (Black) IR using the 1620's design

Unit History – Ruthven IR (Swedish 1631 – 1639)

The Ruthven regiment is another one of the many German regiments serving the Swedes. The commander, Patrick Ruthven, was a Scottish soldier of high standing with Gustavus Adolphus. A mercenary, Ruthven, first commanded the Smaland regiment. He later served the Royalists in the English Civil War and was made Earl of Forth and Brentford by Charles I.

The regiment itself first is mentioned in 1631 as part of Christian’s army likely being a Scots Levy from 1629. In October 1631, the size was roughly 16 companies. As part of the Swedish forces it saw action at Alte Veste (September 1632).  

The regiment was not at Lutzen (November 1632) but, in 1633, the regiment was part of Duke Bernhard Sachsen-Weimar Corp’s which supported Horn. After being virtually destroyed at Nordlingen (September 1634), the shattered regiment was attached to Baner’s corps. It fought at Wittstock (October 1636) where it helped defeat the Saxons and Imperialist forces. After the battle, the regiment joined Torstensson’s corps where it was merged into other units.

 

 

 

 

 

Two Flags for the Ruthven IR
 

Sources

Text: Osprey’s The Army of Gustavus Adolphus (1) Infantry (Men-at-Arms 235)

Battles of the Thirty Years War From White Mountain to Nordlingen, William P. Guthrie, Greenwood Press, 2002.

Osprey's Lützen 1632 (Campaign Series), Richard Brezezinski, 2001. 

Saxon Allies

The Saxons fought for both the Swedes and the Imperialists in different stages of the Thirty Years War.  Most of the units listed are from the Swedish period. Saxon units often used a dark green sash as a field sign after 1630.

 

Unit History – Bose IR (Saxon 1631 – 1639)
Raised in 1631, it was 8 companies strong in 1632 at the battle of Lutzen. At the battle, it fought brigaded with the Saxe-Weimar regiment Wilhelm Leib IR and the Saxon Pforte IR under the command of Karl von Bose.
In 1634, the unit was part of the forces at Liegnitz and was 10 companies strong.
Fought at Wittstock (1636) as part of the Imperial army in the 3rd echelon and covered the Imperial retreat at the end of the battle.
The unit was disbanded in 1639.

Unit History – Pforte IR (Saxon 1631 – 1639)
Originally raised as the regiment von Starschädel in 1631.
At Breitenfeld, the raw unit was part of the Saxon center under Duke Sachsen-Altenburg. During the battle, the unit’s commander, von Starschädel was killed.
Later, under the command of Oberst Hans von der Pforte it fought at Alte Veste and was one of the Saxon regiments in the rear line at Lutzen. At Lutzen, it was 8 companies strong and fought brigaded with the Saxe-Weimar regiment Wilhelm Leib IR and the Saxon Bose IR under the command of Karl von Bose.
In 1634, the unit was part of the forces at Liegnitz and was 10 companies strong.
Fought at Wittstock (1636) as part of the Imperial army in the 3rd echelon and covered the Imperial retreat at the end of the battle.
The unit was merged into the Löser IR in 1639.

Unit History – Dam von Vitzthum IR (Saxon 1632 – 1638)  Raised in June 1632 Damien (Daniel) von Vitzthum is one of the Saxon regiments at Lutzen. At the battle, the unit was under the command of Oberst Damien v. Vitzthum-Eckstädt and the 6 company strong unit was probably detached to guard the camp at Naumberg as it took no casualties. 

In 1634, the unit was part of the forces at Liegnitz and was still 6 companies strong.
The unit was merged into the Schwalbach IR in 1638; the flag’s motto was “Me Me Vindico” or “I Deliver Myself”

Unit History – Gersdorff Horse (Saxon 1634 – 1638) 
Raised in 1634, the unit was part of the Saxon forces at Liegnitz later that year and was 6 companies strong under the command of Oberst Christoff.
5 companies fought at Wittstock (1636) as part of the Imperial army in the 3rd echelon under the command of Wildberg.
The unit was disbanded in 1638 and merged into the Kalkstein Horse.

Unit History – Sachsen Lauenburg Horse (Saxon 1634 – 1640)
The regiment of horse was raised in 1634 by Duke Franz Albrecht von Sachsen Lauenburg. In 1634, the unit was part of the Saxon forces at Liegnitz and was 8 companies strong under the command of Oberst Gamla.
In late 1634, the unit became the Trauditzsch Horse as Franz Albrecht was imprisoned for assisting Wallenstein’s attempts to gain power. Franz Albrecht remained in prison until 1635. By 1640, Franz Albrecht had regained the trust of the Imperial crown, was commanding a corps and nearly freed Schlesien for the Imperialists.
June 1642, he fought the Swedish General Torstenson near Schweidnitz suffering serious wounds before being captured. He died shortly after his capture.
The remaining squadron fought at Wittstock (1636) in the 1st echelon under the command of Marrazino.
The horse unit was disbanded in 1640 and merged into the Taube Horse.

Unit History – Bindauf Horse (Saxon 1631 – 1650) 
The unit was raised in May 1631.
At Breitenfeld, the raw unit was part of the Saxon left under von Bindauf. On the Saxon left were the Sachsen-Altenburg, Bindauf and Steinau horse. These green units initially resisted the attack of the Imperial Baumgarten Horse and Alt-Sachsen Cuirassiers wavering under the pistol fire but broke when attacked in the flank by the Cronberg Horse. The unit’s commander and lead of the left flank, von Bindauf, was killed in the Saxon retreat. Von Steinau and the majority of his horse were captured during the Saxon retreat.
After the battle, the unit saw a series of transitions, 1632 becoming Prinz Holstein, 1633 Fürst v. Sachsen, before becoming the Hanau Horse in 1635.
Part of the Saxon forces opposing the 1634 Imperial invasion under Holk, it had a strength of 12 companies.
10 companies fought at Wittstock (1636) as part of the Imperial army in the 3rd echelon under the command of Wildberg.
At Schweidnitz (1642), a squadron fought and was part of a sound defeat. The squadron then fought at 2nd Breitenfeld (1642) on the left wing in the 2nd echelon commanded by Schleinitz.
At Jankow (1645) the squadron was in the 2nd echelon in the center under the overall command of Callenberk.
The unit was disbanded in 1650.

Unit History – Hoffkirchen Arquebusiers (Saxon 1631 – 1638)
The unit was raised in June 1631; it was not present at Breitenfeld.
The regiment was part of the Swedish army at Alte Veste.
At Lützen, the unit was part of the 2nd echelon on the Left Wing under Ernst v. Anhalt. They supported the Swedish center counterattacking the advancing Imperialists.
After the battle, the unit became the Geisto Horse in 1633 before becoming the v. Stein in 1635.
Part of the Saxon forces opposing the 1634 Imperial invasion under Holk, it had a strength of 5 companies. The remaining squadron fought at Wittstock (1636) in the 1st echelon under the command of Marrazino.
The unit was disbanded in 1638. The cornet’s motto was “Spes Mea Christus” or My Hope is Christ.

Unit History – Ernst von Anhalt (Saxon 1631 – 1650) 
The unit was raised in November 1631 after Breitenfeld.
The regiment was part of the Swedish army at Alte Veste.
At Lützen, the unit was part of the 2nd echelon on the Left Wing under Ernst v. Anhalt. They supported the Swedish center counterattacking the advancing Imperialists.
After the battle, the unit saw a series of transitions, 1633 becoming Schirrstadt, 1637 Jung-Schleinitz, 1647 Seydewitz, before becoming the Naso Horse later in 1647.
The single squadron fought at Wittstock (1636) in the 1st echelon under the command of Marrazino.
The squadron then fought at 2nd Breitenfeld (1642) on the left wing in the 2nd echelon commanded by Schleinitz.
At Jankow (1645) the squadron was in the 2nd echelon in the center under the overall command of Callenberk.
The unit was disbanded in 1650.

Additional Saxon cavalry flags from the Von der Milbe Horse, Mounted Jagers and the Schmidt Horse       

Sources
Text: Uniforms of the Thirty Years War by Bill Boyle in Time Portal Passage Summer 2000
Battles of the Thirty Years War From White Mountain to Nordlingen, William P. Guthrie, Greenwood Press, 2002.
Osprey's Lützen 1632 (Campaign Series), Richard Brezezinski, 2001

Flags: Fahnen und Standarten zur Zeit des Dreißigjährigen Krieges Band I – Kursachsen, Antje & Jürgen Lucht, 2013. (www.peterstor.de).

Cavalry

Like the Imperial cavalry, there were four main branches of cavalry: cuirassier, harquebusier, dragoon and Finnish.
The cuirassiers were usually German Reiters equipped in 3/4 armor but the troop type was very infrequent due to the cost of the armor.
More common was the harquebusier. The Swedish harquebusier often wore blackened breast plates front and back. The coats tended to be either blue or red in color. Buff coats were not as common as the elkhide used in the coat was exported for the necessary cash to fuel the Swedish war machine. The native Swedish cavalry was reliable but the German cavalry was very mixed in quality from hardened veterans to hastily recruited units that had yet to be issued standards. The German cavalry was distinctively inferior to the Imperial. As a result, Gustavus Adolphus stengthened the cavalry by attaching commanded shot to the squadrons.
Dragoons were mounted infantry only rarely remaining mounted in a battle.
The Finnish cavalry, like their Croatian counterpart, were useful in skirmishing and harrassing the enemy.

Courville Cuirassiers
Formed in 1628, the unit was first commanded by Hünecken. In 1631 command transferred to Nicolas de Courville. Fought at Werben (August 1631), Lech (April 1632) and Lutzen (November 1632) where the unit was in the first line on the left wing which was commanded by Duke Bernhard of Sachsen-Weimar.
At Nordlingen (September 1634), the unit was part of the left wing under Bernhard. After Nordlingen, the regiment was disbanded along with the Anhalt Horse and reformed into the regiment Bodendorf. This reformed regiment transferred to French pay in 1635.

Anhalt Horse
This Saxon Regiment was raised in 1632 and commanded by Prince Ernst von Anhalt-Bernburg. At Lutzen (November 1632), the unit fought alongside the Löwenstein Horse.
At Nordlingen (September 1634), the unit was part of the left wing under Bernhard. After Nordlingen, the regiment was disbanded along with the Courville Cuirassiers and reformed into the regiment Bodendorf. This reformed regiment transferred to French pay in 1635.


Ostgota (East Gothland) Horse
The regiment was raised in 1623. It was shipped to Germany in July 1630. The regiment was commanded by Claus Dieter Sperreuter to late 1631 and by Lennart Nilsson Baat until his death at Lutzen (November 1632). The unit carried a red standard.
The unit was part of the Pomeranian campaign (September 1630 to January 1631) and was present at the battles of Breitenfeld (September 1631) and Lech (April 1632). At Lutzen (November 1632), the unit was in the first line on the right flank along side the Smaland Horse. Later joined Duke Georg von Braunschweig-Luneburg and was on the right wing at the battle of at Hessich-Oldendorf (July 1633). In 1634, the regiment was commanded by Axelson and was part of Baner’s army. It remained with Baner and participated in the breakout from Stettin in 1638.
Fought in as part of Torstensson’s corps at Schweidnitz (May 1642) and later the unit was part of the standing Swedish army which supported Wrangel in his 1648 advance into Bavaria.

Smaland Horse
The regiment was raised in 1623. It was shipped to Germany in July 1630. The regiment was commanded by Count Per Brahe from 1630 to 1631 and by Fredrik Stenbock from July 1631. The unit carried a blue standard until 1635 when it switched to a yellow standard.
First participated in the Pomeranian campaign (September 1630 to January 1631) and later at the battles of Breitenfeld (September 1631) and Lech (Apirl 1632). Commanded by Stenbock at the battle of Lutzen (November 1632), the unit was in the first line on the right flank. During the battle, Stenbock was shot in the foot and Gustavus Adolphus assumed command of the regiment. Charging into the fog, the King was separated from the troopers and killed by a detachment of Piccolomini’s Arkebusiers.
Later joined Duke Georg von Braunschweig-Luneburg and was on the right wing at the battle of at Hessich-Oldendorf (July 1633).
At Wittstock (October 1636), the unit was part of Baner’s corps but seems to have missed the battle as it is not part of the Order of Battle. It then fought in as part of Torstensson’s corps at Schweidnitz (May 1642) and later the unit was part of the standing Swedish army which supported Wrangel in his 1648 advance into Bavaria.

Uslar Horse
Originally formed in 1630, the unit was first commanded by Sigfrid v. Damitz. In 1631 command went to Fr. Moritz v. Uslar. In late 1632 the unit was transferred to Markgraf von Baden and then to Wendt von Cratzenstein.
This Hessen-Kassel unit was also known as Landgraf Wilhelms Liebgarde. The unit was part of the Pomerania campaign (September 1630 to January 1631). At Lutzen (November 1632), the unit was in the second line on the right and guarded the Swedish camp.
The regiment was disbanded in 1633.

Henderson Dragoons
Formed in 1631, this Scottish unit was raised by Henderson for the Duke Wilhelm of Weimar. The unit was on foot in the front line reserve in the center at Lutzen (November 1632) as the Dragoons had no horses at this time. See Forlorn Hopes for a better idea of how the unit performed at Lutzen.

Kagge Dragoons
Originally raised in 1630, the unit was commanded by Lar Kagge. It was disbanded in 1635 after the defeat at Nordlingen.
At Hessich-Oldendorf (July 1633), the unit was on the right wing which was commanded by Duke Georg von Braunschweig-Luneburg.



Comments
The attached cavalry colours are speculative and are based on the coat of arms of the respective region or commander. The names stem from Protestant units at the battle of Lutzen.



Isenburg Horse, Löwenstein Horse

Sources
Flag images: http://www.ngw.nl/indexgb.htm
Text: Osprey’s The Army of Gustavus Adolphus (2) Cavalry (Men-at-Arms 262)
Uniforms of the Thirty Years War by Bill Boyle in Time Portal Passage Summer 2000
Osprey’s Lützen 1632 (Campaign 68)
Battles of the Thirty Years War From White Mountain to Nordlingen, William P. Guthrie, Greenwood Press, 2002.

Forlorn Hopes

Description
Being in a forlorn hope was a dangerous enterprise as the name implies. They were created by amalgamating musketeers from various infantry units or using dismounted dragoons. The formation was more mobile than the traditional pike and shot but very vulnerable to horse.
The formation was used in a number of the early battles. At Wimpfen (May 1622), the Margrave of Baden detached his extra musketeers to fight as a forlorn hope. At Hoechst (June 1622), Tilly employed three forlorn hopes to screen his advancing tercios when these tercios advanced across the Sulzbach creek.
The Sulzbach creek, which is a prominent feature of the battle of Hoechst, is a stream that flows pretty close to the office where I work. Unfortunately most of the area has been developed in the last fifty years. The stream itself is only really active after snow melts and heavy rain showers. In the summer it is a trickle but has over the years carved out a small valley. It is on the west ridge that the Protestants placed their forces. The Imperial tercios advanced up the eight foot (3m) embankment to attack two redoubts near Sossenheim.
At Alte Veste (September 1632) the Swedes advancing against the earthworks found the woods too difficult for their pike and sent the musketeers forward as a forlorn hope. At Lutzen it could be argued that Henderson Dragoons acted as a forlorn hope in that they were on foot in the second line.



Protestant Forlorn Hope including a couple of Halberdiers identified by their blue sashes

Source
Text: Battles of the Thirty Years War From White Mountain to Nordlingen, William P. Guthrie, Greenwood Press, 2002.

Artillery

 
Mortars

Description
Artillery was a dangerous enterprise left often in the hands of civilian levies combined with hired experts. There was never a general uniform for the artillery units.

Sources
Text: Uniforms of the Thirty Years War by Bill Boyle in Time Portal Passage Summer 2000
Battles of the Thirty Years War From White Mountain to Nordlingen, William P. Guthrie, Greenwood Press, 2002.