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Mounted Personnel of the Marine infantry
Officers of the Marine Infantry were often
mounted. Two units of the III. Seebataillon based at Tsingtao were also mounted:
the 5th Company and the drivers of the marine field artillery battery. Both units were usually mounted
on Chinese ponies rather than imported horses. The field artillery used
mules to pull their guns and limbers.
5th Mounted Company
The 5th Company of the III.
Seebataillon was organised as mounted infantry. It was first formed as a
mounted detachment in 1900, later named the 5. berittene Kompanie.
As there were no mounted
infantry units of the Imperial Army in Germany (they had clearly defined
mounted cavalry and dismounted infantry only), there was no
precedent upon which to base their uniforms. The mounted company of the
III. Seebataillon wore some items of mounted uniform (such as riding
breeches) but maintained other infantry items (for example they carried
full length rifles rather than cavalry carbines).
The 5th Mounted Company were the first
German troops to clash with the Japanese in the opening stages of the
Siege of Tsingtao in 1914. Their mounted patrols fought skirmishes with
enemy troops soon after they had landed on the Shantung Peninsular.
Marine Field Artillery Battery
The field artillery battery (Marine Feld Batterie) attached to the III.
Seebataillon was a horse artillery unit formed on 4 December 1898.
The Field Artillery wore the same variations on their uniforms as the
field artillery of the Imperial Army: the drivers of the unit were
mounted and carried a carbine, the gunners were dismounted
and carried the rifle
Uniforms
Both the mounted infantry and
drivers of the field artillery (and occasional mounted officers of the other
Seebataillon units) wore the same
Peacetime Dark Blue,
Litewka and
Tropical uniforms as the dismounted troops
(except that the khaki tropical tunic of the mounted troops had two
brass retaining buttons on the rear to support the belt). They wore the
same headdress
as the dismounted troops- black leather shakos,
tropical helmets and dark blue field caps. The most notable variations
for mounted troops came in their riding breeches, riding boots or
gaiters, equipment and weaponry.
Two items of
Specialist Insignia only worn by mounted troops were worn by the
mounted company and field of the field artillery, namely the farrier
badge of a horse shoe of the lower left arm and the trumpeter's sloped
bars on the swallows nest worn on the shoulder.
It should be noted that the Marine Field
Battery were further
distinguished by having red (rather than yellow) insignia on their
shoulder straps with a flaming grenade superimposed on the usual crossed
anchors.
Riding Breeches
Mounted Officers-
wore privately purchased riding
breeches in both dark blue and khaki.
5th Mounted Company- wore dark blue riding breeches in place
of straight trousers. They were made of the same cloth but did not have
the white piping of the infantry trousers (dark blue corduroy breeches
were also issued). The inside leg reinforcement
was dark blue cloth for the
mounted company. Khaki riding breeches were worn with the
tropical uniform and from 1911 stocks of
Schutztruppe Grey/Brown
Corduroy riding breeches were also issued to the mounted company.
Drivers of the Marine Field Battery-
wore dark blue riding breeches in place
of straight trousers. They were made of the same cloth but did not have
the white piping of the infantry trousers (dark blue corduroy breeches
were also issued). The inside leg reinforcement
was black leather for drivers of the field artillery. Khaki riding breeches were worn with the
tropical uniform.
Gunners of the Marine Field Battery-
wore dark blue or khaki infantry
trousers, the dark blue trousers having a line of white piping down the
outside seam as worn by all dismounted troops of the Marine Infantry.
Boots
Mounted Officers-
wore privately purchased riding boots or leather gaiters over short
boots.
5th Mounted Company-
wore brown leather riding boots, or often riding gaiters with short
boots.
Drivers of the Marine Field Battery-
wore brown leather riding boots.
Gunners of the Marine Field Battery-
wore brown leather infantry boots.
Equipment
Mounted Officers-
like their dismounted colleagues usually carried very little
equipment, usually simply the officers silk belt with imperial coloured
lace and officers Marine Infantry belt buckle.
5th Mounted Company- wore a
unique shoulder bandolier with three ammunition pouches across the chest
and three on the back. They also wore the infantry belt and other ranks
Marine Infantry belt buckle.
Drivers of the Marine Field Battery-
wore a shoulder bandolier with a single box cartridge pouch on the
back. They wore a cavalry belt with an open buckle.
Gunners of the Marine Field Battery-
wore the same equipment and ammunition pouches as the dismounted
troops in the Marine Infantry.
Weapons
Mounted Officers- as with
dismounted officers, they were authorised to carry a sword and pistol.
5th Mounted Company-
carried the infantry Gew98 rifle (and before
that the Gew88) with a bayonet.
Drivers of the Marine Field Battery-
carried the carbine, rather than
full length rifle and also the curved Prussian army artillery sword.
Gunners of the Marine Field Battery-
carried the infantry Gew98 rifle (and before
that the Gew88) with a bayonet.
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Illustrations Figure
1 is based on a photograph of a Mounted NCO Musician of the 5. Kompagnie,
III. Seebataillon taken in Tsingtao in the early 20th century. He
wears the standard Marine Infantry shako (partially obscured by its
parade plume in red for musicians), and an 1867 dark grey, cavalry length greatcoat-
the Seebataillon all wore mounted cavalry greatcoats, whether
mounted or not. Note the white collar patches with yellow Litzen.
Figure
2 is based on a photograph of a Mounted Seesoldat of the 5. Kompagnie,
III. Seebataillon taken in Tsingtao in the early 20th century. He
wears the standard Marine Infantry dark blue Litewka tunic and field
cap. He wears standard Marine infantry trousers with a white stripe
down the outside seam. Note the ammunition pouches over the shoulder,
mounted gaiters and G98 rifle slung in the gun bucket.
Figure
3 is based on a photograph of a Mounted Musician NCO of the
5. Kompagnie,
III. Seebataillon taken in Tsingtao in the early 20th century. He
wears the standard Marine Infantry grey Litewka tunic, with NCO lace
on the collar and musicians' swallows netst and the NCOs peaked
field cap. He wears dark blue riding breeches without the white
stripe down the outside seam. Note the S98/05 bayonet to his side
with NCO knot.
Figure
4 is based on a photograph of an Officer of the Marine Feld
Batterie of the
III. Seebataillon taken in Tsingtao in about 1914. He wears the
khaki tropical uniform with the Bortfeldt tropical helmet with no distinguishing insignia, except having two buttons
on the rear of the tunic (the normal Seebataillon khaki tunic had a
plain back) and wearing riding breeches and riding boots Officers uniforms
and boots were usually privately tailored and therefore
of better quality and sometimes varied in details such as having a
higher collar. |
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Seesoldat of the 5th Mounted Company
of the III Seebataillon
He wears the khaki field cap with neck shade. His tunic and
trousers are the marine infantry khaki standard issue. Across his
chest he wears the mounted company's ammunition bandolier. The
caption of this photograph says it was taken in 1903.
Photograph from Bundesarchiv /
WikiCommons
Seesoldat of the 5th Mounted Company
of the III Seebataillon
He wears the dark blue peacetime uniform with Jäger style shako
and black parade plume. Note the lack of white piping on the
riding breeches, the ammunition pouches across the chest and the
rifle bucket for a Gew98.
Photograph from Bundesarchiv /
WikiCommons
Sergeant of the Marine Field
Battery of the III
Seebataillon
He wears the dark blue peacetime uniform with Jäger style shako.
Note the lack of white piping on the riding breeches, riding
boots, the cross belt with a single cartouche pouch on the back.
He is armed with a Gew98 held in a long rifle bucket and has a
curved artillery sword just visible here.
Photograph from Bundesarchiv /
WikiCommons
Unteroffizier of the Marine Feld
Batterie
He wears the khaki tropical uniform with Bortfeldt tropical
helmet. Note the khaki riding breeches, riding boots, the a
single cartouche pouch on the back and the curved artillery
sword just visible here.
Photograph from Bundesarchiv /
WikiCommons
Mounted Officer of the III.
Seebataillon
Infantry officer mounted, according to the caption this
photograph was taken during the siege of Tsingtao in 1914 as
German troops moved to the outer defences of the city.
Photograph from
Gutenberg
Project /
WikiCommons
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