Pendraken Miniatures Forum

Wider Wargaming => Genre/Period Discussion => Firelocks to Maxims (1680 - 1900) => Topic started by: Jim Ando on 11 September 2018, 08:07:16 PM

Title: Crimean war french artillery
Post by: Jim Ando on 11 September 2018, 08:07:16 PM
Hi
Anybody got any ideas what i could use for french crimean war artillery.

Cheers
Jim
Title: Re: Crimean war french artillery
Post by: Shedman on 11 September 2018, 09:12:33 PM
If you want them looking neat and tidy parade ground style then probably the line gunners from the 1849-1866 Italian range

If you want them looking how they would appear on the battlefield then 1870 French Line artillery
Title: Re: Crimean war french artillery
Post by: Leman on 12 September 2018, 08:08:32 AM
I've never really understood why French troops in 1850s shakos are produced for the Crimea as they tended to fight in the kepi and greatcoat. Were I doing the Crimea I would use 1870 line infantry but with the epaulettes painted in the appropriate colours for line, voltigeur and grenadier. The same figures could also be used for Italy 1859.
Title: Re: Crimean war french artillery
Post by: Chad on 12 September 2018, 10:15:39 AM
In Dawson's book "French Infantry of the Crimean War", he stars as follows as regards the greatcoat:

" It was double-breasted, made from iron-grey wool and had garance coloured collar patches on which the regimental number was worn
in dark blue cutout numbers."

The book also includes a photograph of a soldier in the greatcoat. It is noticeable that there are no epaulettes.

"
Title: Re: Crimean war french artillery
Post by: toxicpixie on 12 September 2018, 10:17:21 AM
I think the main issue with any range like that is that even if four of five people want one thing (e.g. actual campaign dress as worn in the field) there'll be one who demands the other (e.g. official/"parade" uniforms). It's a cleft stick for figure manufacturers! On the plus side there's choice, and different uniforms can be used for different units/troop types/qualities. E.g. veterans in campaign dress, adapted to local climates and more concerned about being effective, raw/newly arrived troops in "parade"/official dress all fresh and shiny as if on the review ground back home.
Title: Re: Crimean war french artillery
Post by: Shedman on 12 September 2018, 10:33:13 AM
Spot on Nathan

I call it the "parade ground" syndrome.  I prefer figures who are in campaign dress and without backpacks

I noticed when looking at images of the French Algerian Campaign that the paintings of the battles tended to have troops in parade uniforms going into battle but the sketches tended to go for the campaign dress

The classic example for the period 1859 to 1870 is the French Guard Grenadiers

Parade Ground figures would have them in the Bearskin for the entire period

Campaign dress would have them in Bearskin for Magenta 1859 but the forage cap for Solferino 1859 and onward
Title: Re: Crimean war french artillery
Post by: Chad on 12 September 2018, 10:41:08 AM
If it is of any further help, Detaille lists all the infantry regiments that formed the Army of the East in the Crimea, with dates of their
embarkation. Again in his book there is a black and white illustration of the campaign dress showing kept and greatcoat without epaulettes.
Title: Re: Crimean war french artillery
Post by: Chad on 12 September 2018, 10:50:52 AM
Again from Detaille. Black and white illustration of a battery at the siege of Sebastopol. The uniforms appear identical to this in the Pendraken 1870 range.
Title: Re: Crimean war french artillery
Post by: Leman on 12 September 2018, 09:43:02 PM
So the ideal Crimean war figure with greatcoat and kepi sans epaulettes and backpack is the early French WWI infantry. I already use this as 1870 Republic infantry.