3rd Cuirassiers

Inhaber
Unknown

Unit History
Originally the regiment was the Vyborg Dragoon regiment. Converted to Cuirassiers in 1731 and called the Munnich Cuirassiers. The unit was later renamed as the 3rd Regiment on March 30, 1756. Five of the six Cuirassier regiments participated in the Seven Year War campaigns. The regiments were: Fedorovitch, 3rd Cuirassiers, Kazanski, Kievski, and Novotroitzski.
The unit was present at Kay and Kunersdorf. The flag carried by the first squadron is shown below. The rest of the squadrons carried a coloured standard. For those squadrons of this regiment, the colour was a light blue. The regiment performed as a regular unit.
At Zorndorf, August 1758, the regiment was part of the first rank on the left wing. The front rank included element of the Fedorovitch and Kasanski Cuirassiers, as well as, the Archanguelogorodski Dragoons. The cavalry was brigaded under the command of Major General Demiku.
At Kay, July 23, 1759, along with the Kievski and Novotroitzski Cuirassiers, the unit was brigaded under Teraptin and formed the right wing of the second line. They saw no action in the battle.
At Kunersdorf , August 12, 1759, the regiment was present along with the Kievski Cuirassiers and the Archanguelogorodski Dragoons.

Comments
These Front Rank Russian cuirassiers are my favourite cavalry unit due to their unparalleled success on my gaming table. On the night of their maiden game, they charged over a hill surprising two Prussian regiments routing them and starting the collapse of the Prussian right flank. Turning away from the fleeing Prussians, they charged through the local village chasing out a Hussar regiment. The unit has never looked back and is ‘feared’ by my Prussians. The regiment was originally three squadrons strong but one squadron was recruited by the Austrians to become the Bretlach Cuirassiers while the other is the Kievski Cuirassiers. Unit painted in 1991.

Sources
Flag: Osprey’s Russian Army of the Seven Years War (2) (Men-at-Arms 298)
Text D. Meuser, Battle of Kay, Seven Years War Association Journal Vol. X No.2
F. Mueller, 1998 Frederick the Great Battlefield Tour, Seven Years War Association Journal Vol. X No.3
Osprey’s Zorndorf 1758 (Campaign 125)