"Saxon artillery" Topic

In his booklet The Saxon Army 1810-13 Howard Giles states that the carriages of their artillery was painted grey with metal parts painted yellow. Does anyone know if the battalion guns which were actually Austrian guns would be painted in Saxon colours or left in Austrian colours? Also does anyone know what shade of yellow the metal parts were painted?

A quick answer would be appreciated as I want to get one painted up for our game on Sunday.
Cheers
Dave

Dear David
The Saxon Army did not use Austrian 3-pdrs but Saxon 4-pdr Schnellfuergeschutz which had an interesting elevating system.

Saxon guns were painted creosote black (black-brown) with yellow or brass metalwork. You can see the effect in the extract from my book.

Stephen Summerfield (2009) Saxon Artillery 1733-1827, Partizan Press.
link

This topic was discussed at length already at TMP including links

Stephen,

I have looked at your book extract and there seems to be illustrations showing the black-brown and yellow/brass as you describe and also grey and yellow as Dave has read elsewhere. Did the creosote fade to grey?

Dear Nigel
If you look at the recipe for the stain, it would best be described as weathered creosote. It was not a pure black so could be described as a grey as that is not black.

Look at the colour of the wooden pilons etc…

It is as ever the problem with a verbal description and attempting to paint this upon a canvas or paper gives you the problems. Start with oak and a heavy black wash. This would likely get close to the colour.

Gohlke (1914 rp 1977) Geschichte der gasamten Feuerwaffen bis 1850, p187 states:

"Sachsen
Geschutzanstrich im Siebenjahrigen Kriege mit Messingbeschlagen (Landesfarbe!). In den napoleonischen Kriegen und auch spaterhin [z.B.Heine (1834)] dunkelgrau mit Messingbeschlagen. Munitions- und Sanitatswagen: schwarz mit roten Decken. Grauer Geschutzantrich auch noch 1866, 1870-71 bis etwa 1872."

That is a view of the German Author c1938 when this was written and added to the Gohthe (1914) when the 1977 edition was compiled.

There is a fine Saxon 24-pdr outside Firepower in Woolwich, other carriages in Saxony and Copenhagen. These are all as I have attempted to describe.

Interesting that he used the term Messingbeschlagen [brass fittings]. None of the illustration that I have seen or the extent carriages that I have studied would be what I would describe as grey.
Stephen

Gents, many thanks for your help.
I actually found and extract to Stephens book after I asked my question, I should have searched harder before asking.
I was surprised to see that the 4pdrs were actually of Saxon origin as most people are under the impression they were taken off the Austrian after the Wagram campaign.
Cheers
Dave

Dear David
The 4-pdr Schnellfuergeschutze could fire cannister at least twice as fast as conventional artillery. The breech was dropped to 45 degrees and the canister charge dropped down the gun tube without ramming. This was then clicked into place and fired.

Christian Crogge has down some wonderful research on it predecessor that was used in the Austrian War of Succession and 7YW. Details are available in my new book on the Saxon Army with drawings by Christian Crogge.
Summerfield (2012) Saxon Army of the Austrian War of Succession and the Seven Years War, Uniforms, Organisation and Equipment, Ken Trotman Publishing.
link

There is still so much more to find out. A version was used by Piedmont-Savoy Army as regimental guns and captured guns were used by the French in Italy (1793-1800) as mountain guns.
Stephen

von Winterfeldt :

Nice remark, nicer if you gave the links to somebody posing a question.

"Schnellfuergeschutze"

Just to be accurate, & no offence meant, but would that be Schnellfeuergeschutze? (quick fire guns)?

just to be very accurate it would have to be: Schnellfeuergeschütze