Regiment of Swiss Infantry

REYDT
1742 - 1798
 

King Charles Emmanuel III signs the 12 jenuary 1742 a convention with Colonel Johan Reydt to raise a swiss infantry regiment called Reydt. The regiment has a strenght of two battallions, raised with people from swiss confederacy and Grisone. In 1742 the Regiment is ready in Turin inside the Citadel. In february the regiment has a strenght of 3 battallions.

Service during the Austrian Succession War

In 1742 Reydt is still in garrison inside the Citadel of Turin, while the main sabaudian army is campaigning in the Padanian Plain. A spanish offensive in Savoy is stopped in a first time when the enemy's second attempt in autumn compells King Charles Emmanuel III to move all the aviable regiments in the savoiard theatre. Reyd in november 1742 leaves his quarters in Turin to reach the Army in Savoy. The winter operetions has no success and the sabaudian army has to withdraw again in Piedmont in jenuary 1743, suffering heavy losses. In 1743 the renewed french-spanish offensive has launched in the western Alps, in Varaita Valley. The Regiment Reydt is lined up in the right wingh of the entrenched line that closes the valley near the village of Castello, inside a secondary valley called Vallone di Vallanta. In this particullary well chosen position a french assault is easily repulsed the 7 october 1743.

The follow year Reydt is in the Mediterranean Front; in spring its 1st batallion is near Ventimille, and beetween 18 and 21 march 1744 it is lined up in Roja Valley, at the Col de Brouis. In the summer Reydt is again in the bloody Varaita Valley, in the reserve corp during the combat of Pierrelongue (19 july 1744), when the front is break in the Stura di Demonte Valley. The Conti's army is able to obtain the surrender of the fortress of Demonte in less than a week and it begins the siege of Cuneo. During the battle to break the siege at Madonna dell'Olmo (30 september 1744) Reydt's 1st and 2nd battallion are in the first line, left wingh.

The year 1745 is the more intense of the regimental history; since the well planned Maillebois' offensive opens a grate gap in the south defence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, Reydt has to leave the western front to reach the new defensive position, a line formed by the new great Citadel of Alessandria, the rivers Tanaro, Po and the Placefort of Valence. The 27 september 1745 the french-spanish army is able to defeat the piedmontese army lined up this strategic line in the Battle of Bassignana. Reydt is in the Brigade Saluces, and it has to defend the village of Rivarone over the Tanaro, but a wrong tactical movement give the possibility to the enemy columns to conquer the village. The Brigade has to reach as soon as possible the walls of Valence. The 1st and 2nd battallions are so transferred inside the Citadel of Alessandria. The city is easily conquered, but the great new exagonal citadel is another matter. Maillebois, since his siege artillery park is in Milan, chooses to block the fortress. From october 1745 to march 1746 the garrison is completely alone, and the food is about tho finish when the Leutrum's counter offensive is able to break the siege.

Since the difficulty of this block (after horse, dogs and even rats, soldiers has tho eat their shoes!) Johan Reydt died and the regiment has, since april 1746, a new colonel, Thomas De Salis Baron d'Haldentein. The unit changes its name in Salis.

With it new name and colone, the 3rd battallion is marching in the the mediterranean theatre during the winter offensive in 1746. The regiment finishes the war in this sector of the front.

After the war in 1748 the 3rd battallion is disbanded toghether with 2 companies of each surviving battallions. So the whole regiment has a total strenght of 12 companies. A new capitulations is renewed for other six years. In 1750 it becomes Sprecker and in 1756 the capitulation is renewed again for other six years. In 1772 the regiment is renamed Schwartz.

In 1751 the capitulation is extended for other twelve year. In 1760 the Regiment becomes Regiment Tscharner. In 1763 the previous capitulation is confirmed.

Commanders of Regiment Fusiliers under Charles Emmanuel III      

Johan Reydt

30- 5- 1742

Thomas De Salis Baron d'Haldenste

27- 4- 1746

Jacob Hulderick Sprecker

19- 6 -1750

Otto Schwartz

04- 2- 1772

Uniforms 

 

1730-1750: Red coat with red lining, black cuffs, collar, red waistcoat and breeches. White gaiters for fusilier, black for grenadiers. Six brimmed buttons on each side of the coat, four on the cuffs. Horizontal pockets. Tricorne with dark blue cockade on the left brim and yellow hem for fusiliers, bearskin cap for grenadiers.

 

 

1750-1773 (only principal differences from the previous issue): Dark blue coat, red lapels, lining and collar. Seven brimmed buttons on lapels, in ranks of two and one on the top. Tricorne with white hem, black, yellow and red pompon. Bearskin cap with red tail, yellow hem and black, yellow and red pompon.

 

Colours

 

Colonel's Colour: Blue with black eagle in the centre decorated with the Savoy's cross and overhanged by royal crown.

 

Regimental Colour: White cross with black, red, blue and yellow flames.

 

 

 

Jean Cerino Badone