Husaren-Corps
Landgrave Carl recognized the value of these highly mobile troops and, in 1702, established the first Hessian hussar company of 54 horses under Major Bamfy at the outset of the War of the Spanish Succession. During this conflict, Hesse-Kassel provided approximately 8,000 auxiliary troops for England and 3,000 for the Netherlands.
Later, the hussars were attached to the “Prince Friedrich Dragoons” and the “Spiegelsche Reiter Regiment.” In 1744, they were again organized as an independent unit and deployed to Scotland. They distinguished themselves in the fighting around the Killicrankie Pass in 1746. In 1756, the hussars were expanded to four squadrons and were primarily employed alongside light infantry (jäger units). In 1758 they defended the village of Bettenhausen, and in 1759 they captured four enemy standards at Tann. In 1763, the unit was reduced to a single squadron.
In 1786, the hussars were merged with the Hanseatic Hussars to form a regiment. From 1792 to 1794, they participated in the Revolutionary Wars, including the storming of Frankfurt. In 1792, under their commander Prince Solms-Braunfels, they broke through the Kronweißensche lines in a bold cavalry attack.
The regiment was disbanded in 1806.
However, as early as 1808, the Elector in exile re-established a small hussar detachment, which was expanded into a regiment of four squadrons in 1813. It fought at Luxembourg, Sedan, and Charleville.
In 1821 it became the 1st Hussar Regiment, in 1832 the Leib-Dragoner, and in 1845 the 2nd Hussar Regiment. It saw action in Schleswig in 1849. During the Prussian occupation of Kurhessen, the 2nd Hussars were the only Hessian troops engaged in combat at Aschaffenburg.
Thereafter, the unit became the Prussian 2nd Kurhessisches Hussar Regiment No. 14 “Prince of Hesse-Homburg.” In the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, a squadron under Rittmeister von Colomb was the first German troop to enter Paris.
During the First World War, the regiment initially served in Belgium and, from 1916 onward, in Poland as a cavalry security regiment “Prussia.” In 1918, it returned from Ukraine to its home garrison. In 1919, elements of the regiment were formed into the “Volunteer Hussar Regiment Hesse-Homburg” for operations against unrest in Silesia, Thuringia, and Munich. This unit later became the Reichswehr Cavalry Regiment No. 11.
Source: Nix wie weg ... die Hesse komme: Hessen-Kasseler Uniformen 1730–1789, Karl Trenkle, Verlag-Anstalt Marburg, 2000
