The origin of the French Carabiniers dates back as far as 1679, and took various forms (attachments, companies within regiments Assembled into a single body at the Battle of Neerwinden in 1693, they contributed significantly to the French victoryDuring. This lead Louis XIV to create a crops of some 3,000 "Carabiniers du Roi" later that year. Under various names, the Carabiniers fought at Luzarra (1702), Turin (1706), Oudenaarde (1708), Malplaquet (1709), Denain (1712), Parma (Guastalla (1734), Praque (1741), Dettingen (1743), Fontenoy (1745), and Laufield (1745).
In 1788, they consisted of 2 regiments forming the "Brigade des Carabiniers de Monsieur". Changes came with the French Revol;ution, of course, and in 1790 the General Assembly reorganized the French cavalry, preserving the Carabiniers as 2 regiments of "Grenadiers des Troupes a Cheval", whereupon their uniform included the bearskin and red epaulettes.
During the Revolutionary Wars and the Consulate, they fought at Valmy (1792, Arlon (1793), Fraakenhal and Mannheim (1795), Biberach (1796), and Hochstaedt (1800).
The uniforms of the two regiments were nearly identical, and they fought the great battles of the first half of the French Empire attired as above, including Wertingen and Austerlitz in 1805, Eylau and Friedland (1807), Landshut, Ratisbon Rregensburg), Aspern - Essling, and Wagram (1809). Supposedly, seeing the terrible injuries suffered by the Carabiniers in battle prompted Napoleon's decision to have them adopt armor, and with it the change to the white and sky blue uniforms of 1810 -1815.
The Carabiniers were mistaken for the Grenadiers a Cheval on several occasions, due to the similarities in their dress during the earlier period. I really should add Carbines (which I have) to these chaps, considering their history of using mounted firepower at times! These figures are actually a paint conversion of the Wurttemberg Leibjager Guard from Lucas Luber's "Price of Crowns 3" Kickstarter. I realized that I hardly needed, them, the Guard du Corps, and the Mounted Grenadiers, which between them amounted to just 4 squadrons in total!
The Carabiniers made their table top debut today at the April 1809 Campaign in a Day in Bavaria; much more about that in the coming days!
Good use of the figures. I am amazed that you didn't already have a unit in your inventory! Good luck at the Portal today.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Joe. I have one unit in their flashy 1810+ uniform, with the white jackets faced light blue, copper cuirasses,, and helmets with the scarlet crests, but until now, not the earlier uniform,
DeleteThere were only 2 units of them in total, after all! :-)
Everything went great at the Portal yesterday. "Film at Eleven..."
I only have the post-1810 uniform, but the earlier one does look very smart indeed. Lovely work Peter.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lawrence. My very first Cuirassiers were Flats from Aloys Ochel in Kiel, and I got them about 1968, so it only took 55 years (and at least 10 Cuirassier units and 2 of the Carabiniers in the later helmets) to add a unit in bearskins to my collection... and that was more accidental (opportunistic) than intended. Still, this is the uniform they wore when they fought at Austerlitz, Eylau, Friedland, Eggmuhl, Aspern-Essling and Wagram!
DeleteExcellent looking Carabiners! I much prefer them in this kit to their flashy armoured later selves!
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
Thanks, iain. I like both uniforms myself, and now I have one regiment in each one!
DeleteVery nicely done. I am amazed you had not done these awhile ago ! Oh, that's the same unit as the one in the helmet and breastplate.
ReplyDeleteHow did the Snappy Nappy day go?
Nice squadron, I can imagine the ground shaking as they and their horse grenadier cousins charged the 'poor bloody infantry'. How they (& the Scots greys) managed to keep their bearskins on at charge amazes me.
ReplyDelete