M89 Prussian Sr. NCO Ulanen Saber

[George Wheeler]

Gents,

This is a private purchase Senior NCO (Unteroffizier mit Portepee) M89 Prussian Cavalry Saber. This particular sword is identified to the "Schlesw.=Holst. Ulanen Regt. No.15" on the obverse blade etching. The reverse blade etching shows Ulanen Cavalrymen in a combat scenario. This sword was made by Alexander Coppel as their Nr.1605 with a folding guard. The circa 1905 WKC catalog shows this sword, with an etched blade, as a Prussian Cavalry NCO sword. The hilt has a black celluloid grip and the fittings are nickeled steel. The folding basket guard has a large Prussian eagle on the obverse and a narrow folding counter-guard on the reverse. The Prussian Officer Portepee is the authorized knot for an Unteroffizier mit Portepee. The straight scabbard is black painted steel with one fixed suspension ring indicating EM and NCOs. The double etched blade is straight and has one wide fuller.

It seems the Schleswig-Holstein Ulanen Regiment No.15 was authorized on 30 October 1866 and was set up 2 November 1867. It served during the occupation of France after the 1870/71 War and was garrisoned in Strasbourg. In 1896 the regiment moved to Saarburg in Lorraine. This sword was manufactured after 1910 as evidenced by the single suspension ring. I have not yet explored the wartime service of the regiment during WWI.

[George Wheeler]

Further research indicated this mounted Ulanen regiment was mobilized in August 1914 as part of the 7th Cavalry Division. This was part of the 42nd Cavalry Brigade (XXI Army Corps) serving in the East. The 15th Regiment returned to the Western front in January 1917. It was in Alsace until May 1918 and in Artois to October 1918. It then went back to Flanders until the end of the war. The regiment was dismounted on 14 May 1918 and became the 7th Cavalry Schutzen Division under the 64th Corps. The unit was demobilized at Osterburg after the armistice in December of 1918.