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
|