Drawings from 1728 by Worgewitz depicting a Danish and a Norwegian artilleryman.

The artillery branch of Denmark-Norway's armed forces got its first permanent organisation in 1684 and was then divided into three corps (Danish, Holstein and Norwegian artillery corps). But artillery has of course existed in Denmark-Norway much earlier than that and this page presents its uniforms and organisation during the period 1670-1730. This period covers the Scanian War 1675-1679 and the Great Northern War 1700 & 1709-1720, both of which were fought against Sweden.

This page only covers uniform details specific to the artillery. An artilleryman's uniform was basically no different from the infantry, so for details on how the uniforms were designed, I refer you to my page on infantry uniforms.

Artillery Uniforms in General

M/1709

M/1711

M/1716

Artillerymen were armed with swords which were initially carried with shoulder belts, but which in 1703 were replaced with waist belts. Both were made of buff leather.

Until 1709, all three artillery corps had separate uniforms. However, even after 1709 there were variations between the corps as the officially mandated uniforms were not always those issued. See the separate uniform accounts for each artillery corps to see which uniforms are mentioned in the sources.

In 1709, the king decided that all three artillery corps would have the same uniform, which would consist of a red "surtout" with blue facings and a blue "livkjole" with red facings. Exactly what is meant by surtout and livkjole at this time is unclear because they actually refer to the same item of clothing, the regular uniform coat. Surtout is just a newer French word that had come into use around this time. It is possible that the surtout refers to an overcoat that would be used in bad weather ("rain coat") and which had recently replaced the sleeveless cassock in the Danish army. If so, it is the same colour combination as in the uniform issued to the Holstein Artillery Corps in 1701. It is also possible that the word livkjole at this time referred to a waistcoat, also called "camisole", which was worn under the regular coat ("liv" and "kjole" literary means "waist" and "coat".

The uniform regulation of 1711 stated that the entire army should have red coats and that the facing colour of the artillery should be violet. Here, however, it seems to be uncertain to what extent uniforms with violet colour were actually issued. In Daniel Schorr's article (page 34) it is mentioned that the Danish and Holstein corps probably had blue colour instead because there was already blue cloth available and that this possibly applied to the Norwegian corps as well. Karsten Skjold Peterson has given various bids for the Danish Corps in his books. In 2005 he stated that in 1711-1716 they had violet cuffs, but dark blue leg clothes (breeches & stockings). In 2014, however, he had changed this so that the cuffs, leg clothes wear and waistcoat were dark blue 1710-1716.

With the introduction of the 1716 uniform regulation, however, it was definitely dark blue that was the facing colour of the artillery, the regulation also stated that they should have brass buttons and, like the rest of the army, have red leg clothes. Worgewitz's drawings from 1728, which can be seen at the top, depict exactly this model of uniform. Note that the artillerymen in Worgewitz's drawings differ from other regiments in that they have turnbacks. Another interesting difference, found only in a series of plates by Zimmer from 1730, is the number of buttons on the double-breasted coat: the Danish corps had 2x10 buttons, the Holstein corps had 2x11, and the Norwegian corps 2x9 buttons.

I only have two pieces of information about what colour the gun carriages had. According to Daniel Schorr (page 34), who wrote only about the Norwegian army, the gun carriages were red with the metal fittings painted yellow. This colour combination is also mentioned in the article on the Scanian war by Hasselager/Snorrason (page 49).

Scanian War

1675 – April/May 1676 & autumn 1678 – 1679	May/June 1676 – autumn 1678	Fortress artillery in the autumn of 1678 – 1679
Green coat with yellow cuffs and yellow. Possibly pewter buttons 1675-1676, but brass buttons 1678-1679.	Grey coat with red cuffs and lining and pewter buttons. Probably still a royal mark on the sleeve. Red collar is mentioned for drivers.	Possibly grey coats with green cuffs and pewter buttons. This may also have been the uniform worn by the drivers in the field artillery.

Since the artillery was considered a "royal regiment", the artillery uniform at the beginning of the war probably had a C5 or crown in yellow on the left sleeve. It is more uncertain whether this was the case at the end of the war.

At the beginning of the war, men from the New South Jutland Infantry Regiment were transferred to the artillery to serve as drivers and they wore red coats with blue cuffs and pewter buttons.

The Danish artillery is depicted in three paintings by Claus Møinichen, painted in 1686-1688, depicting the sieges of Wismar in the autumn of 1675 and Landskrona in the summer of 1676. The uniforms in these paintings differ from those described in the archival sources. Instead of green uniforms, Møinichen has depicted artillerymen dressed in blue coats with blue cuffs (and light grey or white hats) at the siege of Wismar. In the paintings depicting the siege of Landskrona, he has depicted the artillerymen in all grey coats without red cuffs (and with black hats). The stockings are white or grey in all paintings.

Detail from a painting depicting the Siege of Wismar which lasted from 6 November to 13 December 1675

Detail from a painting depicting the siege of Landskrona which lasted from 5 July to 3 August 3 1676

Detail from another painting depicting the same siege of Landskrona

Organisation

The Danish artillery, which only numbered 250 men in 1670 (the Norwegian artillery is reported separately below), was greatly expanded at the outbreak of war. For the first time, an independent field artillery was now organised. It came to consist of a staff of 19 men and four companies of 111 men. This included 58 guns with calibres of 12, 10 and 3 pounds. In addition, each infantry battalion had two three-pound guns. On 14 March 1676, a reorganisation of the field artillery took place. The staff still consisted of 19 men, but the companies then had the following composition:

A twelve-pounder cannon (or a 50-pounder mortar) had a crew of two gunners and four crewmen.
A six-pounder cannon (or a 25-pounder mortar) had a crew of two gunners and two crewmen.
A three-pounder cannon had a crew of one gunner and two crewmen (to move the cannon three horses were required).

During the war, the artillery's personnel strength was expanded, including the introduction of a pioneer company in 1677.

After the end of the war, the field artillery was disbanded and the rest of the artillery (593 men) was organised so that 118 men were in the Copenhagen arsenal, 258 men in the other Danish fortresses, 150 in the Holstein fortresses and the Glückstadt arsenal and 67 in the Oldenburg fortresses. Then, in connection with the mobilisation 1683-1684, the personnel was increased again and was then divided into three independent artillery corps: Danish, Holstein and Norwegian artillery corps .

Danish Artillery Corps

1691-1695	1710-1716	1716-1742
Violet coat with green facings, lining, and leg clothes (breeches and stockings).	Red coat with dark blue facings and at least from 1711 yellow buttons. Dark blue waistcoat and leg clothes.	Red coat with dark blue facings and lining and yellow buttons, dark blue waistcoat and red leg clothes. The buttonholes were at least from 1728 dark blue.

The above is the uniform information that Karsten Skjold Peterson has in his book from 2014. According to Lars-Eric Höglund, the Danish artillery had in 1683 violet (violet blue?) coats with red facings and lining. In 1700, according to him, they had blue coats with red.

Organisation 1684

When the Danish Artillery Corps was formed, it was organised with a staff and an arsenal & craftsmen company ("Tøjhuskompagniet") with 131 men and six artillery companies of 40 men each. Each company had three officers (captain, lieutenant and "stykjunkere"). All in all, the corps had a strength of 371 men.

A bombardier company was established in 1686 to serve mortars, but it did not last long. Further organisational changes apparently took place, as the corps had the following organisation in 1699. Changes may have occurred at New Year's in 1699, as the Norwegian Artillery Corps was reduced at that time. In connection with the war preparations of 1699-1700, the corps was expanded and this enlargement was retained after the Peace of Traventhal in 1700.

Organisation 1699

Commander: Major General Laurids Munk (died 1702) who was also captain of Tøjhuskompagniet.

In the winter of 1708-1709, the artillery companies had been expanded with 3 non-commissioned officers, 2 sub pyrotechnics, 10 gunners and 20 crewmen.

When the war broke out in 1709, three Danish companies were assigned to the field army. These were reinforced with 12 men from each company at home. In addition, the field companies each received an extra lieutenant and drummer.

Holstein Artillery Corps

When the Danish army was on campaign, most of its field artillery came from the Holstein Corps.

Organisation 1684

When the Holstein Artillery Corps was formed, it was organised with a staff and a Pyrotechnic & Craftsmen Company with 42 men and six artillery companies, each with 69 men. Each company had four officers (1 captain, 2 lieutenants and 1 "stykjunkere"), four non-commissioned officers and a drummer. In total, the corps had a strength of 456 men.

In 1689, two artillery companies in Oldenburg, each with 50 men, were subordinated to the Holstein Corps. Further organisational changes apparently took place since the corps had the following organisation in 1699:

Organisation 1699
(459 men distributed on a staff, 8 companies and 2 detachments with major general Andreas Harboe as its commander)

The Holstein artillery corps had also (with the exception of Oldenburg's) had its artillery companies expanded in the winter of 1708-1709.

When war broke out in 1709, three Holstein companies were assigned to the field army. These were reinforced with 12 men from each company at home. In addition, the field companies each received an extra lieutenant and drummer.

Norwegian Artillery Corps

In a drawing by Worgewitz from 1728 (found at the top of this page) the Norwegian artillery still wears the same uniform as in 1720. But the button colour is white even though the hat galloon is yellow (these colours tend to match each other at this time). However, Worgewitz's drawings often contain dubious details, so they should be taken with a grain of salt.

Daniel Schorr also mentions that train personnel had grey coats of vadmal with red cuffs and brass buttons in 1713.

Organisation before 1699

The Norwegian artillery, which in 1670 had consisted of 81 men, was given a fixed strength of 202 men in 1680, distributed into two companies of 100 men and a staff consisting of a major and a clerk. The organisation was later changed to seven companies of different sizes (one company for each fortress) and the total strength was increased to 302 men. At New Year 1699, the Norwegian artillery was reduced by 42 men so that it had the following organisation:

Organisation 1699
(260 men distributed among 7 companies)

Read also about the Norwegian army's uniforms.

References

Hasselager Olaf – Snorrason, Torstein. Danish Uniforms, Colours and Standards 1675-1679. (2000) *
Höglund, Lars-Eric – Sallnäs, Åke. Stora nordiska kriget 1700-1721, II. Karlstad (2003)
Schorr, Daniel. Notes on the Norwegian Army 1700-1720 (2008) *
Skjold Petersen, Karsten. Den danske hærs uniformer i 1700-tallet. Copenhagen (2005)
Skjold Petersen, Karsten. Kongens klæder. Copenhagen (2014)
Tuxen, A. P. – With-Seidelin C. L. Bidrag til den store nordiske krigs historie. Copenhagen (1899-1934)

* = articles published on the now defunct website www.northernwars.com