"French Dragoons?" Topic

Just read Sharpe's Rifles for the first time this weekend, have copies of Sharp Practice from TFL and Song of Drums and Shakos, and am gluing my Victrix Napoleonic troops together.

I have been bitten by the Napoleonic skirmish bug. What is a good source for 28mm French Dragoons available easily in the US? I just want a few, but want dismounted ones as well.

Any suggestions for a Napoleonic novice?

I order my Front Rank 28mm Figs direct from the UK…2 weeks or less to Texas. Good service and customer care. Triangle Miniatures is a good source for Front Rank in the US as well, though he is not set up for online ordering or Paypal, so I go direct to the UK.

Warstore is good for Perry and Foundry, though not everything is always in stock.

The only 28mm dismounted Dragoons I know of are from Eagle Miniatures…they match up fairly well with FR. Good service direct from UK. Got mine in about 2 weeks.

Eagle:
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picture

Triangle (US Source for FR):
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Warstore:
thewarstore.com

Various Views of FR & Eagle Dragoons, mtd & dismtd
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Thanks! I love your blog by the way. You would think there would be more dismounted dragoons available.

Thanks & Happy to help!

Yes, dismounted figs seem hard to find…I need some British Hussar Dismounts myself…

Take Care,
Faron

Victrix has Dragoon sets coming out (when?) TMP link link

Hinchcliffe have dismounted dragoons in a firing pose. Essex has the dismounted dragoons in gaitors in a marching pose. The latter figures represent the division of French dismounted dragoons that participated as infantry in the 1806 campaign until enough horse could be secured to mount them. After Jena and Auerstadt, there was suddenly a lot of available horseflesh that had formerly been in Prussian service. These horses were used to mount the dismounted dragoons.

I agree that someone ought to make some dismounted skirmishing dragoons. The book Sharpe's Rifles has an excellent scene in which the dragoons are chasing down the British rear guard of Riflemen. The Rifles form square upon the appearance of the dragoons. Then the dragoon colonel dismounts a squadron of his dragoons to advance within firing range of the square and start shooting at this juicy target. The Rifle square now is faced with the dilemna of staying in square to fend off the mounted dragoons or deploying into line to fight off the dismounted firing line. A wonderful scenario for the table top.

Redoubt used to do some and I have them, but I can't find them on their site any more. They were made to go with their 'First in the Field' rules. Anyone know where they've gone?

Garrison (remember them?!) used to do dismounted hussars, firing carbines, in shakoes and mirlitons, I'm not sure about "monstrous muffs" though. So, for British Hussars, it depends on the date.

Fritz, that scene was exactly what I was thinking about. That and the siege of the farmhouse after Sharpe and Co. leave the Spanish Major and are surrounded by the pursuing Dragoons.

I think my painting speed is slow enough that I can wait until the Victrix ones come out, hopefully they'll have dimounted ones as well. Else, I'll look at Eagle or some of the others.

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AFAIK Dragoons carried carbines. All of these dismounted figs are Foot Dragoons with muskets and bayonets.

Guess I'm waiting for Victrix, too.

Faron -- do the Steve Barber dismounted Hussars have carbines or muskets?

Hi Schogun,
I have never found the link to the Steve Barber Hussar Dismounted figures, though I have been told by several persons that they offer such a figure and do exist? So, Im not sure…I would love to find a catalogue number or picture of them…maybe I have just overlooked them in my search…

As to carbines vs. Muskets, I would guess that it depends on the definition of "dismounted"…True Dismounted Cavalry, ie., just stepping out of the saddle, would have Carbines as you suggest. I would think that Dragoons without horses, acting as infantry, would have been issued muskets???

Take Care,
Faron.

Thanks Piers, knew they were there somewhere!…Not that good though are they!

Yes proceed with caution with Dragoons on foot--they might well be the short-lived "foot dragoons" with infantry equipment.
I recently found a few proper dismounted pre-1812 standing firing dragoons in my spares box--but can't remember who made them![Dixons?]
Sadly dismounted cavalry is a rarity--the money is in big battles not skirmishes.

The thread began noting Sharpe's rifles against French dragoons, so it would be in Spain. I have never seen a French dragoon illustrated in Spain with anything other than a dragoon musket, the same size as the musket carried by the voltigeurs. It seems to me that a French infantry officer with the long tailed, cutaway habit – with or without lapels – figure could be converted to a dragoon by switching heads (use the mounted dragoon, now with shako, as a Spanish cavalryman – Madrid (?) in Osprey). Dragoons often wore overalls covering their high-topped boots, or possibly used low cut boots under the overalls, so an officer figure in overalls might work. One sees them if very baggy trousers "a la saroual (?)" as well. Add a narrow strip of metal foil as a bullet pouch belt, and "green stuff" shaped like a cartridge box. Arms with a musket from an infantry figure, or just adding a musket to the arms of the current officer might make a passable dragoon.

I once converted Stadden 30mm French Voltigeur officer, 1815, to dismounted chasseurs a cheval of the line in this manner. The figure could also be a dismounted Lancier Gendarme in Spain. That was more easy than doing a dragoon. Just arms "on guard" from the voltigeur by Stadden (with musket cut down to carbine size), a belt, and a box. Actually that same figure with a dragoon head and epoxy or green stuff for baggy pants, could work for dragoons.

One of our group in the 1970's made a marvelous dragoon with infantry gear from an old guard grenadier firing, using the head of Baraguay d'Hillier, both by Stadden, but the figure had back pack, sword and bayonet scabbard, not appropriate for the action above.

One of the Stadden Guard horse artillery gunners would make a great dismounted Guard Chasseur a Cheval, merely by adding a carbine to his hands as he leans forward. Taking a mounted French hussar by Stadden (unfortunately with pointed schabraque) and switching shako head to the gunner would make him a line hussar, and the mounted figure could be Guard Chasseur a cheval in overalls, with slung pelisse – a really handsome figure.

These can be found on the Tradition of London website.

GdeP

I have looked for dismounted dragoons and hussars for ages for Napoleonic period. I am sure that I saw Steve Barber dismounted hussars but didn't like the faces. If you can be bothered then head swaps on the Foundry SYW dismounted hussars would be ok.

hussarbob1746.webs.com

Steve Barber does have Dismounted French hussars…unfortunately, no Brit Hussars…the Proportions seem a bit "off", but with my Front Rank beefeater bias, Im probably a bit off myself…:>)

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Dismounted French Hussars (appear to be firing carbines)
NFC12 Dismounted Hussar centre company standing firing

NFC13 Dismounted Hussar centre company kneeling firing

NFC14 Dismounted Hussar elite company standing firing

NFC15 Dismounted Hussar officer in bicorne