Some new Nap French sculpts!

[quasar42]

Any chance of a French loading figure appearing for a firing line?

[Leon]

Any chance of a French loading figure appearing for a firing line?

Hopefully one day!  I think at this stage we'll have to get the sculptor to do a whole month on just loading figures, and he can do them for all the nations/types in one go.

[WeeWars]

Hopefully one day!  I think at this stage we'll have to get the sculptor to do a whole month on just loading figures, and he can do them for all the nations/types in one go.

Rather than a loading pose would be to have the same standing at ready, high porte pose as a second rank for all the standing firing pose packs – as we asked for and have been sculpted for the British. Much MUCH better, IMHO, than an entire rank of guys loading and of course far superior to a rank of guys marching into the back of men standing in front of them, which is the only option at the moment.

I'm about to base another five units all with second ranks kicking the heels of the first ranks in a marching styley.

A loading pose would be excellent for skirmisher packs, coupled with a kneeling firing pose – with the standing firing pose thrown in for good measure. For the French, a skirmisher pack is more or less essential.

[nikharwood]

Very nice - love that howitzer

[Zippee]

Rather than a loading pose would be to have the same standing at ready, high porte pose as a second rank for all the standing firing pose packs – as we asked for and have been sculpted for the British. Much MUCH better, IMHO, than an entire rank of guys loading and of course far superior to a rank of guys marching into the back of men standing in front of them, which is the only option at the moment.

I'm about to base another five units all with second ranks kicking the heels of the first ranks in a marching styley.

A loading pose would be excellent for skirmisher packs, coupled with a kneeling firing pose – with the standing firing pose thrown in for good measure. For the French, a skirmisher pack is more or less essential.

Except that if the front rank has levelled muskets, then so should the second and third - I don't think there was much fire by ranks going on anymore 

[WeeWars]

"One of the principal forms of musketry was fire by ranks. During this evolution, the 3rd rank stood 6 and one-half inches to the right and fired through the gaps in the two front ranks. In this system the 3rd rank fired first, then the 2nd rank fired and the 1st rank fired last."

(Nafziger - "Napoleon's Invasion of Russia" p 19)

[Zippee]

"One of the principal forms of musketry was fire by ranks. During this evolution, the 3rd rank stood 6 and one-half inches to the right and fired through the gaps in the two front ranks. In this system the 3rd rank fired first, then the 2nd rank fired and the 1st rank fired last."

(Nafziger - "Napoleon's Invasion of Russia" p 19)

yes but all loaded and primed at the same time - fire was sequential. But not "front rank fires, while second primes and third loads"

Most French musketry notoriously deteriorated very quickly to man by man.

Loading figures are de rigour for skirmish pairs though 

[Rob]

I think all armies of the period fired at will as soon as possible unless using the tactic of a battalion volley at close range followed by a charge.

The French method varied by corps commander but it seems the most favoured method was a fire by files where the fire started at the left, right or both ends of a line and each file fired in succession to give a constant rolling fire. The theory was that once this broke down into individual fire it gave the best coverage of continuous fire across a battalion frontage.

The dynamics of musketry changed quite a lot between 1700 and 1815.

[Rob]

When can we expect Guard Chasseurs a Cheval and Guard Lancers Leon? 

[Hertsblue]

I'm amazed they aren't out already. They must be the single most popular Napoleonic troop-types ever.

[WeeWars]

I'm amazed they aren't out already. They must be the single most popular Napoleonic troop-types ever.

The Emperor will be sighting the Nassau troops before his escort arrives on the field of Waterloo.

[Leon026]

I think all armies of the period fired at will as soon as possible unless using the tactic of a battalion volley at close range followed by a charge.

The French method varied by corps commander but it seems the most favoured method was a fire by files where the fire started at the left, right or both ends of a line and each file fired in succession to give a constant rolling fire. The theory was that once this broke down into individual fire it gave the best coverage of continuous fire across a battalion frontage.

The dynamics of musketry changed quite a lot between 1700 and 1815.

As far as I know, didn't they fire by platoon?

Would love to see some variety in skirmishing figures too - kneeling, loading, running, etc

[Zippee]

As far as I know, didn't they fire by platoon?

Peleton not platoon; effectively what we usually call companies, which were actually administrative building blocks. On campaign the battalions would be divided into 8, later 6 equal peletons so that evolutions worked properly. They did this as often as necessary to take account of losses.

Firing was usually either by peleton, file or individual - not as far as I know by rank. That was an old method back in the SYW. Though I think it was still used whilst in square (which would be twice as many ranks deep as a line anyway) as it preserved an entire volley/face.

But the most efficious form of fire was by file as a rolling volley, timed correctly each peleton would be constantly firing a part of its front. Usually though this quickly deteriorated into individuals firing as fast as possible.

The British maintained better fire discipline and avoided that deterioration, thus giving rise to the mystique of superior musketry.