Södermanland Regiment (infantry)

Södermanland Regiment
	Södermanlands regemente
Active	1634–1709, 1710–1713, 1714–1942, 1957–1963
Country	Sweden
Allegiance	Swedish Armed Forces
Branch	Swedish Army
Type	Infantry
Size	Regiment
Part of	4th Military District (1833–1847); 2nd Military District (1847–1867); 4th Military District (1867–1889); 5th Military District (1889–1893); 4th Army Division (1893–1901); IV Army Division (1902–1927); Eastern Army Division (1928–1936); IV Army Division (1937–1942); IV Military District (1957–1963)
Garrison/HQ	Strängnäs
Motto(s)	Regimus neque hostis; ("It is we who decide - not the enemy")
Colors	Black and yellow
March	"Södermanlands regementes marsch" (Lundvall)[note 1]
Anniversaries	13 August (Battle of Stäket)
Battle honours	Warsaw (1656), Frederiksodde (1658), Tåget över Bält (1658), Fraustadt (1706), Helsingborg (1710), Gadebusch (1712), Stäket (1719)
Commanders
Notable; commanders	Georg Carl von Döbeln
Insignia
Branch insignia m/60
Unit isignia m/60

Södermanland Regiment (Swedish: Södermanlands regemente), designation I 10, was a Swedish Army infantry regiment that operated 1634–1942 and 1957–1963. The unit was based in the Strängnäs Garrison in Strängnäs, Södermanland, Sweden. In 1963 the regiment was transferred to the Swedish Armoured Troops under the name of Södermanland Regiment (P 10).

History

In October 1939, in accordance with the Defence act of 1936, I 10 had been reorganized into a combined regiment, ie with an infantry battalion and an armored battalion. The tanks of the armored battalion came from the then disbanded Göta Life Guard (I 2) and consisted of Stridsvagn m/21-29, Stridsvagn m/31, Stridsvagn m/37 and Stridsvagn m/38, in all about 40.[2] Due to the military-political situation of 1940, in April, for the first time in Sweden, a tank battalion was mobilized, namely the 1st Tank Battalion (1. stridsvagnsbataljonen) at I 10 in Strängnäs. Through the Defence Act of 1942, the regiment was reorganized into the Södermanland Armored Regiment (P 3) in 1942, and transferred to the newly formed Swedish Armoured Troops.[2]

With the formation of the Armoured Troops in 1942, the organization of armored brigades was started in Sweden and on 1 July 1943, Sweden's first armored brigade, the 10th Armored Brigade (10. pansarbrigaden, PB 10) was mainly organized by the regiment. The brigade's personnel strength was 6,400 men and it was equipped with 181 tanks (mainly Stridsvagn m/41 and Stridsvagn m/42). When Uppland Regiment (I 8) was disbanded in 1957 and the command there transferred to Strängnäs (the so-called Mälarkarusellen), the regiment regained its old designation I 10.[2] The regiment now together with Göta Life Guards (P 1) was responsible for training two armored brigades PB 6 and PB 10 and I 10 in that case for the armored infantry sections and P 1 for the tank section. PB 10 was gradually equipped during this period with Stridsvagn 74. In 1963 the regiment was returned to the armored forces under the name Södermanland Regiment (P 10).[2]

Units

In connection with the Defence Act of 1942 when the infantry regiments raised field regiments, Södermanland Regiment instead came to organize an armored brigade. The Defence Act of 1948 introduced brigades throughout the army, which resulted in the army being streamlined into two brigade types, infantry brigades and armored brigades, where Södermanland Regiment accounted for Södermanland Brigade (PB 10).[3]

Södermanland Brigade

Södermanland Brigade (PB 10) was formed in 1949 by reorganizing the 10th Armored Brigade (10. pansarbrigaden) into an Armored Brigade Type 49 (Pansarbrigad 49). The brigade was at the same time given the name Södermanland Brigade (PB 10). By the Defence Act of 1958, the brigade was reorganized into armored infantry and was then named IB 10. In 1963, the brigade together with the regiment became part of the Swedish Armoured Troops.

Army Vehicle School

Swedish Army Vehicle School (Arméns motorskola, MotorS) was formed in 1944 as an independent functional school. The school was initially located in Stockholm. In 1948 the school was relocated to Strängnäs. On 28 May 1970, the school was separated from the Södermanland Regiment, and formed an independent unit and authority. From 1 July 1986, the school was amalgamated again into Södermanland Regiment (P 10). In the summer of 1991, the school was relocated to Skövde, where, from 1 July 1991, it was amalgamated into the newly formed Swedish Army Maintenance Center (Arméns underhållscentrum, UhC).[4]

Companies

Companies 1-4 formed the first battalion, and companies 5-8 formed the second battalion.[5]

1690

Life Company (Colonel's Company)
Vingåker Company (Major's Company)
Nyköping Company
Oppunda Company
Strängnäs Company (Lieutenant Colonel's Company)
Öster Rekarne Company
Väster Rekarne Company
Gripsholm Company

1850

Life Company
Vingåker Company
Nyköping Company
Oppunda Company
Strängnäs Company
Öster Rekarne Company
Väster Rekarne Company
Gripsholm Company

Locations and training areas

Locations

The regiment's barracks area was built in the years 1916-1921, and the moving in took place on 3 July 1921, but was completely completed in the summer of 1923. The barracks area has been expanded over the years, for example with a new vehicle area in the late 1970s. In connection with Svea Engineer Regiment being planned to be relocated to Strängnäs, both chancellery and barracks were completed for the engineer unit.[6][7]

Chancery building
Canteen
Barracks
Guardhouse
Yard in late 1920s

Training areas

The regiment trained from 1774 on Malma heath (Malma hed) at Malmköping and was moved in 1921 to barracks in Strängnäs.[8]

Malm Heath in Malmköping
Former dormitory and gymnasium
Winter exercise in 1914

Heraldry and traditions

Coat of arms

Blazon: "Or, the provincial badge of Södermanland, a griffin segreant sable, armed and langued gules. The shield surmounted two swords in saltire or."[9]

Colours, standards and guidons

The regiment presented a number of colour through the years. The regiment's last colour as infantry regiment was presented on 23 June1850 by His Majesty the King Oscar I. The colour originally bore the battle honours Fraustadt and Södra Stäket. In 1910, the griffin was transferred to a new cloth, and in conjunction with that restoration, the colour was given additional battle honours. On 7 June 1958, His Majesty the King Gustaf VI Adolf's presented a new colour. The colour was then used until 1994 when the successor to the infantry regiment received a new colour, which was presented by His Majesty the King Carl XVI Gustaf.[6]

Commanding officers

Regimental commanders 1677–1942 and 1957–1963.[10]

1627–16??: Erik Eriksson Rynning
1677–1683: Peter Örneklou
1683–1687: Evert Horn af Marienborg
1688–1697: Wolter Reinhold Wrangel till Ellistfer
1697–1708: A A Marderfelt (POW)
1708–1709: G von Weidenhaijn †
1710–1711: Jacob Grundel
1711–1716: C R von Schlippenbach †
1716–1739: Rutger Fuchs
1739–1750: H J von Essen
1750–1763: G W Marcks von Würtemberg
1763–1771: J Cronstedt
1771–1792: Gustaf Adolf von Siegroth
1792–1813: Gustaf Wachtmeister
1813–1821: Lennart Reuterskiöld
1821–1824: C U Ridderstolpe
1824–1827: C F Posse
1827–1837: M A Lewenhaupt
1837–1856: C U Kuylenstierna
1856–1859: P W von Schwerin
1859–1864: S A Sandels
1864–1870: Henrik Rosensvärd
1870–1879: C J G af Schmidt
1879–1881: O E F Fleming
1881–1887: Axel Leijonhufvud
1890–1896: Henning Thulstrup
1896–1904: S E W Brehmer
1904–1906: A O F von Arbin
1906–1910: Salomon Vilhelm Sundelius
1910–1921: Seth Zetterstrand
1921–1926: Gabriel Hedengren
1926–1928: Herman Låftman
1929–1935: Erik af Edholm
1935–1942: Gustaf Berggren
1942–1957: See Södermanland Regiment (armoured)
1957–1963: Fritz-Ivar Virgin

Names, designations and locations

Name	Translation	From		To
Kungl. Södermanlands regemente	Royal Södermanland Regiment	1627-??-??	–	1709-07-01
Kungl. Södermanlands regemente	Royal Södermanland Regiment	1710-??-??	–	1713-05-06
Kungl. Södermanlands regemente	Royal Södermanland Regiment	1714-??-??	–	1942-09-30
Kungl. Södermanlands regemente med arméns motorskola	Royal Södermanland Regiment with the Army Vehicle School	1957-04-01	–	1963-03-31
Designation		From		To
No 10		1816-10-01	–	1914-09-30
I 10		1914-10-01	–	1942-09-30
I 10		1957-04-01	–	1963-03-31
Locations		From		To
Malma heath		1774-06-06	–	1921-06-26
Strängnäs Garrison		1921-07-03	–	1942-09-30
Strängnäs Garrison		1957-04-01	–	1963-03-31

Footnotes

The march was adopted circa 1890 and established in 1953 by Army Order 33/1953.[1]

References

Notes

Sandberg 2007, p. 50
Catoni 1992, pp. 17–18
"Omorganisering av armén till brigader". www.brigadmuseum.se (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 2 February 2011. Retrieved 22 November 2009.
Holmberg 1993, p. 61
"Kongl Södermanlands Regemente". www.hhogman.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 3 January 2017.
Braunstein 2003, pp. 171–174
Berg 2004, p. 258
Holmberg 1993, p. 11
Braunstein 2006, p. 31
Kjellander 2003, p. 315

Print

Berg, Ejnar (2004). Vyer från kastaler, kastell och kaserner: guide över Sveriges militära byggnader : illustrerad med vykort (in Swedish). Stockholm: Probus. ISBN 9187184753. SELIBR 9818451.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
Braunstein, Christian (2003). Sveriges arméförband under 1900-talet. Skrift / Statens försvarshistoriska museer, 1101-7023 ; 5 (in Swedish). Stockholm: Statens försvarshistoriska museer. ISBN 91-971584-4-5. SELIBR 8902928.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
Braunstein, Christian (2006). Heraldiska vapen inom det svenska försvaret [Heraldry of the Swedish Armed Forces] (PDF). Skrift / Statens försvarshistoriska museer, 1101-7023 ; 9 (in Swedish). Stockholm: Statens försvarshistoriska museer. ISBN 91-971584-9-6. SELIBR 10099224.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
Catoni, Mac, ed. (1992). Pansartrupperna 50 år 1992-10-01 (PDF) (in Swedish). [Stockholm]: [s.n.] SELIBR 9958126.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
Holmberg, Björn (1993). Arméns regementen, skolor och staber: [en uppslagsbok] : en sammanställning (in Swedish). Arvidsjaur: Svenskt militärhistoriskt bibliotek (SMB). ISBN 91-972209-0-6. SELIBR 7796532.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
Kjellander, Rune (2003). Sveriges regementschefer 1700-2000: chefsbiografier och förbandsöversikter (in Swedish). Stockholm: Probus. ISBN 91-87184-74-5. SELIBR 8981272.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
Sandberg, Bo (2007). Försvarets marscher och signaler förr och nu: marscher antagna av svenska militära förband, skolor och staber samt igenkännings-, tjänstgörings- och exercissignaler (in Swedish) (New ed.). Stockholm: Militärmusiksamfundet med Svenskt marscharkiv. ISBN 978-91-631-8699-8. SELIBR 10413065.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)