Help needed with WPS & WAS Austrians in Italy

[Zopenco]

Hello, long time lurker here! 

I am planning an Austrian army for the War of Polish Succession and the War of Austrian Succession in the Italian theater to fight the Spanish army I am currently painting.

Regretfully, this period is not as well supported as the Seven Years War. My research on the uniforms has been far from complete, so I wonder if anyone in the forum could please add his knowledge to the findings I list below.

Sources: Osprey Men-At-Arms 271, 276 & 280 by Philip Haythornthwaite and Bill Younghusband (MAA), the ever useful Kronoskaf web page (K) and bits and pieces found on the internet.

Bitonto order of battle (1734):
    • Gödlin IR: disbanded in 1747, red facings (MAA)
    • Carl Lothringen IR: red facings (MAA, K)
    • Alt-Wallis IR: perhaps that’s the later IR.11, with red facings before 1743, then changed to blue (MAA). But MAA also mentions another regiment called Wallis with red facings; this second unit was merged with Roth in 1748.
    • Valparaiso IR: no info
    • Traun IR: MAA says it was disbanded in 1748 and has “red or blue” facings. Very useful. Was this the personal regiment of Generalfeldmarschall von Abensperg und Traun?
    • Monteleone Grenadiers, Alcaudete and Carasquete Freikorps: no info. Neapolitan units that probably disappeared when Austria lost control of Naples as a result of this battle
    • “Recruits”: no info on the origin, organization or uniforms of the quite numerous detachments used to garrison the Convents of San Antonio and San Francesco di Paola in both Austrian rear flanks
    • Pignatelli di Belmonte Cuirassiers: no info
    • Kokorzowa Cuirassiers: the Spanish magazine Desperta Ferro Historia Moderna nº 55 depicts them in white uniforms, blue cuffs and turnbacks, white gloves, white laced tricorne, buff breeches, long black boots and red saddle-cloths bordered in white. I don’t know their sources.
    • Csáky Hussars: later known as Nádasti Hussars; MAA says that in 1726 it was “uniformed in red” without further details, then goes on to give conflicting details about post 1748 uniforms.
     

Camposanto order of battle (1743):
    • Alt-Wallis IR: see above
    • Roth IR: known as Sprecher, then Lacy in the Seven Years War; red facings (MAA); K, quoting Gustav Ritter Hubka, says that the regiment has “ponceau red cuffs and lapels from 1717 till 1767”.
    • Deutschmeister IR: blue facings (MAA, K)
    • Traun IR: see above
    • Diesbach IR: Colloredo since 1744, red facings since 1743 (MAA)
    • Piccolomini IR: red facings and turnbacks since 1743 (MAA), red facings (K)
    • Slavonier Grenz: no info
    • Miglio Cuirassiers (also spelt Emilier): named Schmerzing in 1745, red facings and breeches, white waitscoat, yellow buttons (MAA)
    • Berlichingen Cuirassiers (also spelt Berlinger): known as De Ville in the SYW; red facings and breeches, white waitscoat, yellow buttons (MAA)
    • Havor Hussars: known as Dessewffy since 1744; MAA gives the impression that the light blue and red SYW uniform was in use since 1740
    • Slavonier zu Pferd: no info
    • Maroser zu Pferd: no info

Also, I have read in a wargaming blog that the WAS Austrian infantry used to wear turnbacks and waistcoats dyed in the facing colour instead of white like in the SYW. Is that so? Was it a general rule? Or was it an Inhaber’s choice?

Cheers!

[Hwiccee]

I have some information which might help here and some speculation. It is worth saying I don't think you are going to get a definative answer to this.

Hall is a book on the Austrian army up to 1720 which may hold some info/clues.

Bitonto

Alt Wallis - This could be either unit you mention but I think is more likely the future IR11. This unit was in Italy at this time & it is not know if the other was.

Traun - yes this is that unit. Hall says it was formed in circa 1710 from various detachments from other units. These detachments all had various shades of red or blue facings. So maybe this is the origin of the red/blue thing. Hall says they had yellow facings in 1726, and sometimes before.

Valparaiso, Monteleone, Alcaudete and Carasquete - I think most likely these are as you suggest and so will be difficult. Italian sources might help.

Recruits -  these seem to be in 2 regiments called the O'Mulrian and Ariosti. They were about 1200 in total so more like battalions. This is pure speculation but some armies had 'recruit regiments' as temporary units sent to armies. Once there they were usually disbanded and individual soldiers sent to various units. I have not seen the Austrians doing this but maybe this is what they are.

Pignatelli - this unit was disbanded in 1735. Hall has it in 1710 as follows -

1710 White grey coat; buttons brass; waistcoat and breeches straw; Red Saddle-cloth with white edge with blue embroidery and yellow piping; initial JC crowned in yellow embroidery in the angles.

Trumpeter: coat blue with white lace; hat brown with white and blue feathers.

Kokorzowa - also disbanded 1735. Hall has it earlier as follows -

Coat buff, cuffs red with light blue edging, lining light blue, waistcoat and breeches red, neckcloth black, buttons white.

Trumpeter: coat, cuffs, lining, waistcoat and breeches light blue, lace golden, cap brown with silver lace and plumes light blue on top, white below.

1700 Saddlecloth and holster covers red border light blue piped yellow [Golberg: piped white] outside

1710 Border white with blue zigzag edges, piped red.


Camposanto:

Alt Wallis - I think this is the unit that disbanded in 1748. The IR11 only went to Italy in 1746. The 'other Wallis' unit is noted in the Roth regiments history (IR22 later) as being under Oliver Wallis and fighting at this battle.

This is in Hall but is a bit weird. Hall is a top notch source so this probably means there is little info on them. In any case he says of the unit -

"The regiment Georg Olivier Wallis, also known as “Alt-Wallis”, is described as having “completely white coats” in 1716. The little shield on the grenadier’s cap was more probably blue cloth when the drawings in the “Exercitium” are taken into account. The men are shown in the “Exercitium” with gaiters."

Traun - as above.

Slavonier Grenz/Pferd and Maroser Pferd - these units are still irregualr at this point and so I would guess not in uniforms as such.

I hope that is of some help.

[Zopenco]

I hope that is of some help.

It really is, thank you very much. I'll digest carefully your info!

Do you have anything to say on the matter of the coloured waitscoats/turnbacks?

[Hwiccee]

Sorry no idea on uniforms generally, I am more interested in the history/OOB's etc.

From the earlier material, up to 1720, on the Austrians they could have coloured waistcoats but it varied from unit to unit. They didn't have turnbacks at all then but the inside coatlining could be coloured, although you wouldn't normally see this. But it was also fairly common for them to have coloured trousers/breeches/gaiters back then so it may not be any guide to what they do in the WAS.