Which French cavalry types were most involved in the Peninsular war ? I'm guessing mostly lights, so hussars and chasseurs a cheval ?
In 1808 I think the total is as follows plus sundry provisional and march regiments, some of which were cuirassier
dragoons: 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 9th, 15th,
chasseurs: 10th, 22nd, 26th,
Mostly if you go for dragoons and chasseurs you won't be far wrong - I do have service lists somewhere but not accessible at the moment.
Dragoons, Chasseurs, Hussars and lots of provisional regiments
Occasionally an allied force - Poles, Italians
13th Cuirassiers were the only heavy unit in Spain and were based in the north-east. My source shows that they had trouble obtaining blue cloth and so wore brown jackets. Probably not worth painting up.
The blue jacket would be a stereotype it would be hard to let go of!
Haythorthwaite & Chappell, 1978
"The, only cuirassier rgt to serve in the Peninsula, the 13th was formed in 1808 from the 1st Provisional Heavy Cavalry which incorporated elements of the 1st, 2nd & 3rd Cuirassiers and the 1st and 2nd Carabiniers. The 13th's unit was of regulation style, but after c1809 apparently of brown Spanish cloth, there being insufficiently dark brown. ... in addition to breeces and boot probably brown baggy overalls (possibly piped red) were used. the red plume was removed on service and the helmet's horsehair mane often braided and tied on one side. "
Emir Bukhair, 1977 mentions brown overalls, but not jackets.
(http://i710.photobucket.com/albums/ww109/dibble201/img431.jpg)(https://i.pinimg.com/736x/0e/54/c4/0e54c476569389854f149ca379291f8a--napoleonic-wars-la-grande.jpg)(http://i710.photobucket.com/albums/ww109/dibble201/img430.jpg)(https://i.pinimg.com/564x/3d/6f/6d/3d6f6def247fafb7d41db6000747b873.jpg)
The question, I suppose is "at what point of the Peninsula War?"
Vimiero, 1808;
1st Provisional Chass, 3rd, 4th & 5th Prov Dragoons
Busaco, 1810;
II Corps: 1st huss, 8th Drag, 2nd Chass, Hanoverian Chass
IV Corps: 3rd Huss, 15th Chass
VIII Cops: 1, 2, 4, 9, 14 &26 Draggons (2 sqns each)
Reserve: 3, 6, 11, 15, 25 Dragoons
Salamanca, 1812
Heavy Cav: 6, 11, 15, 25 Drag (2 sqns each)
Light Cav: 3H, 22, 26, 28 Chass (Detachments) ; 13 Chass, 14 Chass
Vittoria; 1813
South 2H, 5, 10, 21 Chass; 2, 4, 14, 17, 26, 27 Drag; 5, 12, 16,21 Drag
Centre 13, 18, 19, 22 Drag; 27th Chass, Nassau Chass
Portugal3H, 13, 14, 22, 26 Chass; 6, 11, 15, 26 Drag
These don't include the numerous units that had trips to Spain like he Poles, Young Garde, Berg ChLeg, Neapolitan Chasseurs etc, etc.
Gotta wonder what the lifespan of the shabraque and portmanteau was - plenty of evidence for the brown habit but I can't help but think that those pictures show very neat and orderly horse furniture.
Must admit I hadn't clocked the braided horsetail on the helmet before, nice touch
Quote from: Zippee on 13 January 2018, 10:50:41 AM
Gotta wonder what the lifespan of the shabraque and portmanteau was - plenty of evidence for the brown habit but I can't help but think that those pictures show very neat and orderly horse furniture.
Must admit I hadn't clocked the braided horsetail on the helmet before, nice touch
I always give my shabraques a wash with grey or brown wash, as i can't imagine them staying white for a long time. Especially in in warm dusty climates, or mud soaked fields like waterloo.
Cheers for all your replies, just getting round to adding some cavalry to my French
Looks like dragoons and chasseurs to start with, then add hussars and the Vistula lancers after
Many thanks
Re the 13th Cuirassiers, I have them planned for my Spanish in Spain. One nice aspect is that they wore unique wine colored facings.
Terry
Quote from: Terry37 on 13 January 2018, 05:53:42 PM
Re the 13th Cuirassiers, I have them planned for my Spanish in Spain. One nice aspect is that they wore unique wine colored facings.
The two French Cuirassier regiments in Catalonia didn't wear breast plates in Spain though, Terry. Hmmmm. What figures to use for them? :-\
1870 dragoons
Hullo,
2eme provisional cuirassiers were at Bailen. More data about 13eme can be found at http://thenapoleonicwargamer.blogspot.fi/2010/07/13e-regiment-de-cuirassier.html (http://thenapoleonicwargamer.blogspot.fi/2010/07/13e-regiment-de-cuirassier.html)
In general, when painting and fielding cavalry, I've found the old Bruce Quarrie advice useful - one unit of dragoons for any other cavary unit you build.
Cheers,
Aksu
Sage advice. I have my own modified rule: 1 Dragoon, 1 Chasseur, 1 Other.
But I usually go for historical OOBs, and the French weren't very good at sticking to the rule.
Quote from: Terry37 on 13 January 2018, 05:53:42 PM
Re the 13th Cuirassiers, I have them planned for my Spanish in Spain. One nice aspect is that they wore unique wine colored facings.
Didn't the 14th wear the same?
Interesting here is that wikipedia says the 13th rode white and grey horses.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniforms_of_La_Grande_Arm%C3%A9e#Cuirassiers (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniforms_of_La_Grande_Arm%C3%A9e#Cuirassiers)
I now suspect everything on wikipedia.