Last modified: 2025-10-18 by klaus-michael schneider
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The British government presented Denmark with an ultimatum demanding the handover of all Danish warships. King Christian 7 answered with a flat refusal.
A British fleet entered the Baltic in August 1807. Most of the Danish fleet was stationed in Copenhagen, which was besieged.
A two-day bombardment of Copenhagen by the British blockading squadron, which destroyed more than 1,000 buildings and killed some 200 civilians, finally forced the Danes to ask for a ceasefire on 5 September 1807.
This unprovoked British attack on a neutral country drove Denmark into an alliance with the French Empire on 31 October 1807.
In 1813 the French Emperor Napoleon I demanded a Danish corps for northern Germany.
There was no escape for the Danish King, especially as Great Britain and Sweden claimed unsatisfiable conditions from Denmark. As a result the Danish King continued his alliance with France.
The so-called Danish Auxiliary Corps became part of the French XXIII Army Corps. The commander of the Danish troops was the King´s brother-in-law, Prince Friedrich von Hessen.
The Danish Army was well equipped and manned and took part of the disastrous French campaign in Russia 1813.
According to Thomas M. Gregg the Danish line infantry consisted of 15 regiments, each having four battalions. The line infantry uniform was red, faced and piped in the distinctive colours of the regiment,
e.g. black piped white for the 3rd Jutland Infantry Regiment. Each regiment received a king´s colour and three regimental colours.
The king´s colour was a square version of the Danish national flag or Dannebrog, i.e. red parted by a centred white cross.
It bore the crowned royal cypher of King Christian 7 on each corner surrounded by a usually green wreath. It was the same for the 1st battalion of all infantry regiments.
The regimental colour had a small Dannebrog in canton, a field of the regimental facing colour and royal cyphers as described before in three corners.
In the centre was the regimental badge, the crowned arms of its name giving entity. Four flames in the middle of every edge were mostly in the piping colour or in red for regiments with no piping.
There were exceptions, e.g. the 1st and 3rd Jutland Regiments both had black facings and white piping. In order to difference their colours those of the 1st Jutland had red flames.
The size of both colours was about six feet square, i.e. approximately 132cm. They were made of silk, with the insignia painted on. They were carried by the 2nd, 3rd and 4th battalion of each regiment.
The ten batallions of the light infantry, subdivided into two corps of riflemen three corps of sharp shooters, had no proper colours. Their uniforms were dark green with black facings and white piping.
Keith Over gives a different and more complicated arrangement about the type of colours, which had been carried by every single batallion.
Terence Wise comments these unusual settings that he could neither confirm no refute the descriptions of Keith Over.
All sources basically display the colours the same way, but Terence Wise is the only one, who admits that the shape of the shield might have been depicted incorrectly,
especially the frame surrounding the shield. According to him the colours had been issued already around 1780.
The basic pattern is described within the introduction above.
The flag was light blue with red flames and the greater state arms (pattern 1619 – 1816) with the chain of the Order of the Elephant and supported by two savages on its centre.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 5 Oct 2025
The flag was buff with red flames and the lesser state arms on its centre, shield Or three lions passant Azure in pale, surrounded by nine heartlets Gules.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 5 Oct 2025
The flag was buff with red flames and the arms of Norway, on its centre, shield Gules a crowned lion rampant Or holding an axe of the same bladed Argent in pale.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 5 Oct 2025
The flag was white with red flames and the arms of Funen Island, shield red a wyvern rampant Or.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 5 Oct 2025
The flag was green with white flames and the arms of the Duchy of Holstein, shield Gules a nettle leaf Argent superimposed by an inescutcheon, parted per fess of Argent and Gules.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 5 Oct 2025
The flag was black with red flames and the arms are based on those of the "King of Goths" in the greater stae arms.
It here displays on a shield Or a lion passant Azure on chief and nine heartlets Gules on base ordered 4:3:2.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 5 Oct 2025
The flag was white with red flames. The arms on centre were the same like those above.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 5 Oct 2025
The flag was the same like that one of the 1st Jutland Infantry Regiment, but the flames had been white.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 5 Oct 2025
The flag was green with white flames and the arms of the Duchy of Schleswig, shield Or two lions passant Azure in pale, surrounded by a green laurel wreath tied Gules in base.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 5 Oct 2025
The pattern is basically the same like that one Infantry Colours. The standard was green with golden flames and the arms are based on those of the “King of Goths” in the greater state arms.
It here displays on a shield Or a lion passant Azure on chief and nine heartlets Gules on base ordered 4:3:2.
The central element is flanked above by an additional red scroll above the crown with golden inscription "Fortes Fortuna juvat" (= Fortune favours the Brave Ones)
and below by an embowed golden Roman numeral "MD.CCC.IV" (=1804), probably the date, when the standards was granted. Below the shield is surrounded by a golden laurel wreath.
Accordimg to Terence Wise the dimensions had been about 55cm height and 64cm width and all squadrons had the same standard.
These informations are partially confirmed by Keith Over, who adds that the standard had a gilt flagpole with spearhead finial and golden tassels and cords.
According to Terence Wise the lenght of the pole had been 250cm.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 9 Oct 2025
Only the standard of the 1st squadron is known. Terence Wise assumes that the 2nd squadron had the same pattern, but there is no evidence.
The only thing known is that the background colour had been red instead. The standard of the 1st squadron was dark blue-grey with golden framework.
The central element had been the Danish state arms (model 1699 - 1819 as described above).
But here it is a crowned triangular shield, placed on a golden basement, superimposing a golden chain of the Order of the Elephant and supported by two savages, her without maces.
Both sources do not mention the surrounding white bordure having 1/9 of total height.
The painting of Guido Rosignoli in the book of Terence Wise has an error. In the 2nd quarter of the shield there are the two lions of Schleswig.
The quarter should however display the Norwegian lion, as desribed in B/W painting by Keith Over. Ratio in both sources id different and varies betwen approximately 3:4 and 4:5.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 9 Oct 2025
back to Danish Regimental Colours and Standards click here