"Can we see Austrians in helmet and campaign trousers" Topic

Can we see in 28mm some Austrians wearing helmets but wearing campaign trousers and light kit of cross belts only.

Yes please, but and in 15/18mm for me. But what I'd really like to see is Austrians for 1800 with a mix of pre-1799 uniform and the newer equipment to reflect the transitional state the army of this era was in.

Campaign trousers? I have not seen any reference to that for the Austrians in the Napoleonic wars before. The Hungarians and the Grenzer had their distinctive tight trousers while the rest had breeches and gaiters. As far as I am aware, trousers as such did not come until after the wars when blue ones were adopted for the non-Hungarian infantry, grey ones for jagers etc.. Is there a source that shows otherwise?

Or do you mean "locally sourced replacement trousers" that would have been whatever they could get their hands on if a pair wore out in the field?

I mean trousers , there were units in light kit and similar trousers recorded during the latter stages of campaign, wearing the typical helmet.

This seems a rare order of dress. I would doubt a commercial venture would produce something so specific. Mind you, the Perrys did produce the 1812 'raggedy man' range.

I mean trousers , there were units in light kit and similar trousers recorded during the latter stages of campaign, wearing the typical helmet.

Which campaign? I assume you are looking at pre 1809 since you want them all in helmets? Austerlitz perhaps?

I can't say that I've seen any references, period prints of Austrian 'German' troops in anything other than breeches and gaiters. Some modern folk have often used the word trouser when referring to breeches, as have others who refer to the leather accountrements as "webbing".

I'm sure I read somewhere an account of the Austrian troops crossing the Fontanone at Marengo having left their gaiters and packs while crossing the stream and then continuing to fight in loose "trousers". This probably does mean breeches as you say, but I'm sure that like most armies thgere were troops wearing less than regular uniforms after weeks or months on the road. Austrians wearing a little bit less regulation uniform would be an interesting addition to any range.

trousers – as for French infantry worn over the breeches, were not that usual for the Austrian infantry.

"I mean trousers , there were units in light kit and similar trousers recorded during the latter stages of campaign, wearing the typical helmet."

can you be so kind to point out those records? sources? hearsay?

It's one of the oddities of the Austrian army that they tended not to fight long campaigns in the Empire era. They (or the French in 1813/14) were knocked out of the campaign too quickly. This sort of expedient is therefore less likely to have happened.

Pre-Empire was another matter. The troops at Marengo in 1800 had been in Italy since Suvorov's 1799 campaign, and would have been a bit ragged. Something similar is no doubt true of the First Coalition too.