Finnish dragoons

Updated this year-old post with some new pictures and a bit of background. I am also testing out taking images against a black background.

The miniatures are Perry 28mms. These are the Nyland and Karelia dragoons, the only Finnish cavalry regiments still active in 1808. In the early 18th century, there were three full cavalry regiments in Finland, the Åbo & Björneborg, the Nyland & Tavastehus and the Viborg regiments. In the course of the 18th century, the cavalry regiments were reduced by more than half, with much of the cavalry converted to infantry.

The Karelia dragoons had their origins in the Viborg cavalry regiment, which was dissolved following the Great Northern War (1700–1721), as Viborg county was lost to Russia. Thereafter, they were based in the region of Karelia in the easternmost part of Finland, on the new border with Russia. When the border was moved again following defeat in the war of 1741-1743, this regiment was reduced in size to just two squadrons, based in Savolax rather than Karelia.

Together with the Savolax infantry regiment, the Savolax jägers and the Karelian jägers, the Karelian dragoons formed the independent Savolax brigade, a small army corps meant to defend the isolated and sparsly populated eastern part of Finland. It was understood that this region was a potential avenue of Russian attack, but it was also unsuitable for supplying large forces. As it turned out (in 1808), it was also more easily defended than Western Finland, as heavily outnumbered Finnish forces managed to hold up the Russians at narrow passes through a wooded, mountainous area cut through by lakes and streams.

The Nyland dragoons were the most numerous of the Swedish cavalry in the Finnish war of 1808 with 8 squadrons. On a whole, there were about 750 dragoons out of an army totalling almost 20 000 (in the army of Finland) at the outbreak of hostilities.

The two Finnish dragoon regiments both had similar uniforms in blue and yellow, in line with the other cavalry regiments in Sweden proper, but in marked contrast to the Finnish infantry who were mostly dressed in grey uniforms at this time. The Karelian dragoons wore a bicorne while the Nyland regiment used a shako – both types of headwear were seen on other Swedish cavalry at the time. According to one source, part of the Karelian dragoons had received the shako as well by the time the war broke out. Aside from the hats the only real difference between the two uniforms is the jacket, which is open at the waist, showing the vest underneath for the Karelians, and the sabretache, which for Nyland has the regional emblem.

Both regiments were similarly armed with sabre and pistols. Carbines had been in use prior to the war and recently dropped. Instead, one of the two pistols was rifled, and both pistols had attachable stocks, making the pistols very much like carbines while relieving the troopers of the additional weapon.

Towards the end of the summer reinforcements arrived from Sweden proper, including some squadrons of the Horse Life Guards (Livgardet till häst). Interestingly, that regiment also had Finnish roots. It was originally raised as the Finnish Light Dragoons in 1770 and were elevated to royal guards as reward for assisting in the king’s coup d’etat in 1772. In 1777, this unit was transferred to Sweden, and was thereafter based in the regions around Stockholm. The regiment was renamed several times, for a short time it was in fact called a hussar regiment.

The miniatures and the uniforms are lovely. However, the Swedish army in the Finnish war used only light cavalry, and what little they had was used mostly for scouting, covering retreats and countering the Russian cavalry. A Some of the dragoons were also detached to serve the staff officers as messengers. The Swedish cavalry was both outnumbered and probably also out-classed by their Russian counterparts. There are some instances of fierce cavalry on cavalry fighting. But on the whole, Swedish horse was not used as battlefield cavalry, and there was nothing like the heavy dragoons or cuirassiers of other Napoleonic theatres.

The Russians employed somewhat more cavalry and they used them more aggressively. Don cossacks and hussars (Grodno regiment) were most common. Uhlans of the Polish, Lithuanian and Prince Konstantin’s (Guards) regiments also participated in important battles, such as Ruona and Oravais. Russian dragoons (Finland and other regts.) were present in some numbers, but did not take part in any of the major battles other than Karstula (21 August). However, even the Russian cavalry struggled with unsuitable terrain and, as the war progressed, increasing difficulties obtaining fodder for the horses. At various times cavalry (on both sides) also fought dismounted.