The Småland Light Dragoons (Nappy Cavalry Project Regiment #31)

So far as the Napoleonic Cavalry Project is concerned, 2018 has been the year of Swedish cavalry.  HaT’s five regiments contained within their Napoleonic Swedish Cavalry set have now all been painted over the course of this year. These regiments were;

• The Mörner Hussars
• The King’s Horse Guard
• The Scanian Carabineers
• The Life Regiment Cuirassier Corps
• The Småland Light Dragoons

Swedish Napoleonic cavalry. Left to right: Mörner Hussar; Life Guard; Scanian Carbineer; Cuirassier; Småland Light Dragoon.

I’ve enjoyed painting these Light Dragoons. Being perhaps the least remarkable of the five Swedish cavalry regiments painted this year, it would be forgivable perhaps if I found the painting almost a chore. Instead, it’s reaffirmed my love of painting Nappy cavalry; all that colour, detail and of course the horses.

Those details I mention have included painting a tiny silver and red badge on the centre of the shako in a nod to Småland’s symbol of the red standing lion with crossbow. There’s also yellow cord and a rosette plume holder.

There’s also yellow trim to be found on the shoulder flaps, facings, tunic and waistband.

The pouch belt is buff, not white, as are the overalls.

More yellow appears on the edge of the horses’ blue shabraques.

As with all the other regiments in this box, the poses were limited, the emphasis on the set being on providing a variety of regiments rather than poses. The two poses were nice enough, however.

Pose 1 – charging:

Pose 2 – At the walk:

There are plenty of other great kits I’m still intending to tackle in this long-term project, but with November looming, it’s probably the last cavalry regiment to be painted until the New Year. So, now it just leaves me to present the usual regimental biography!

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Biography: The Småland Light Dragoons

This regiment began its history in 1543 when raised in Kronoberg and Kalmar. Called the Småland Cavalry Regiment, the regiment’s name referred to its recruitment area of ‘Småland’ – a province in the south-east of Sweden.  During the Scanian War, the regiment took part in the battles of Lund (1676) and Landskrona (1677).

In its early days at the end of the 17th century, a ‘cassock’ had superseded the previous
buff coat and it was decided that the Swedish uniform should be only in one colour; the familiar Swedish blue. The regiment was also allotted grey greatcoats in 1701, with yellow lining, collar and cuffs. For headdress at this time, they wore a tricorn with a narrow gold braid edge. During the Great Northern War, the regiment fought at Klissow (1702), Pultrusk (1703), Warsaw (1705) and Holowzin (1708).

Uniform of the Småland Cavalry Regiment, c.1710

During the Seven Years War, the Småland cavalry took part in a number of minor engagements. One example is of a detachment of 50 men which joined a Swedish force despatched to chase away a force of Prussian cavalry reconnoitring the Swedish positions. During its approach of the Prussian scouting party, the Swedes were attacked by a large body of cavalry. The Swedish cavalry fled the field after firing a single volley. Another detachment of 60 men was part of the Swedish force defending the crossing at Nehringen which they did before undertaking a fighting retreat in good order without casualties.

Uniform c.1757.

In 1758 300 men of the Småland Cavalry Regiment, under Lieutenant-colonel Baron Klas Erik Silferhjelm, took part to the battle of Tarmow, being charged and routed by 5 squadrons of Möhring Hussars. Two days after this, four squadrons of the regiment took part in the successful defence of Fehrbellin against a Prussian assault.

Uniform, 1780.

In 1790, with the Revolutionary Wards looming, the Småland Cavalry Regiment (Smålands kavalleriregemente) became known as the Smålands Light Cavalry Regiment (Smålands lätta kavalleri- regemente). It was then subsequently renamed again in 1801 as the Småland Light Dragoons (Smålands lätta dragoner), being the subject of the HaT set of figures.

Uniform, c.1800

The regiment at this time had adopted a Russian-type shako with long yellow cords. On the shako was a yellow Swedish cockade and a cap plate featuring the provincial coat-of-arms. Swedish cavalry favoured buff instead of the more common white belts. Their standard was yellow with the heraldic sign of Småland, the standing lion with the crossbow, in red.

1750s Kompanistandar (ordonnance standard) showing the heraldic sign of Småland. Photo courtesy http://www.kronoskaf.com

In 1806, it received another new name; the Småland Dragoon Regiment, (Smålands dragonregemente) . In 1812 part of the regiment was converted into infantry – Smålands dragonrementes infanteribataljon (the Infantry Battalion of the Småland Dragoon Regiment).

Contemporary illustration showing Smaland Light Dragoon with shako.

The converted infantry battalion later became part of Karlskrona grenadier regiment. The remaining cavalry received its final name change to the Smålands Hussar Regiment (Smålands husar- regemente) in 1822. The regiment was located in Eksjö and was disbanded in 1927.

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Notable battles: Breitenfeld (1631), Lutzen (1632), Lund (1676), Landskrona (1677), Klissow (1702), Pultrusk (1703), Warsaw (1705) and Holowzin (1708), Tarmow (1758), Fehrbellin (1758)