"Other uses for French Cuirassier Figures" Topic

I recently bought a lot of 25mm figures (that I really didn't need but the price was oh so right)

In that large batch was a 45 figure French Cuirassier regiment – average paint but nothing great ….but too good not to mount and put on the table.

So our group already has 4 French Cuirassier regiments (and the 2 Carabiniers) so we really don't need more French.

Other than the Duchy of Warsaw who else wore the French Cuirassier uniform ?

Well of course there is the odd unit of Spanish cuirassiers wearing captured French equipment but red coats (illustrated but either never of any value or it never fought anywhere important). You might consider just putting together a diorama and doing a vignette of Waterloo.

Westphalia?

The Westphalians wore a casque somewhat like that of the French Carabiniers..

The Spanish might be an option but there just weren't very many of them.

And if possible I'd like to do as little (re)painting as possible.

of course you could just build all 12 regiments…

Your snag is how many units, German esp, wore just the breastplate. The horsetail to the helmet crest narrows the range too. A fur crest on the comb of the helmet would transform their potential, but, alas……….

Sell them:

My Mom, in 1970 ish, put them on a Christmas cake. About ten cuirassiers attacking a (very small) British Square from my horde of Airfix figures. Even had those little fir trees with white dusting on the branches

I had no idea until Christmas Day and have never forgotten it. Wish I had some photo of it. Long gone to her reward but it reminds me sometimes what mothers will put up with.

So recreate the Berezina in white icing and add some Cossacks ……

I think the "Spanish Cuirassiers in red coats" were a misapprehension of a 13th Cuirassier trooper in a coat made of local (red-brown) cloth. Unfortunately French are pretty much it.

Here is my alternate cuirassier unit.

link

I think the "Spanish Cuirassiers in red coats" were a misapprehension of a 13th Cuirassier trooper in a coat made of local (red-brown) cloth.

Nope. 1st squadron of the Coraceros Espanoles wore cuirasses and helmets that had been captured at Bailen.

But not for long. They soon gave even those up. Better tool for frying frogs in.

I think the best suggestion so far was the one where you build all 12 regiments, then pick different ones each time for your battles. Pink facings, yellow facings, aurore facings…etc…

How much did cuirassier uniform and equipment change between 1812 and 1914? Can you repurpose them for the Franco-Prussian War or the Great War? Pantalons rouges rather than blancs, that much I can see, but anything else of significance?

For example, 1887:

I think the "Spanish Cuirassiers in red coats" were a misapprehension of a 13th Cuirassier trooper in a coat made of local (red-brown) cloth.

Sorry don't agree, they exisited.

Nope. 1st squadron of the Coraceros Espanoles wore cuirasses and helmets that had been captured at Bailen.

Don't think that it was Bailen!

In January 1808, the French formed the 3rd Provisional Cuirassiers (3eme Régiment Provisoire de Grosse Cavalerie) in Perpignan for service in Spain. It entered Barcelona the following month and served in Catalonia until January 1810. At Mollet del Vallès on 21 January 1810 the 2nd squadron was completely defeated by the Spanish Numancia Dragoon regiment. The Spanish used the equipment taken from the casualties and the prisoners to form their own unit of cuirassiers.

El Regimiento de Coraceros Españoles (The Spanish Cuirassier regiment) was formed on 24th May 1810 in Reus (near Tarragona) under the command of Coronel don Juan Malats from parts of the Húsares de Granada and the Cazadores de Olivenza.

The regiment had 360 men divided into 2 squadrons each of 3 companies. One squadron was equipped with the cuirass, helmet and sword captured at Mollet del Vallès.

The red coat was provided by the British, it was not made of local (red-brown) cloth.

More info on my site about the Spanish army…
link

Neapolitan Cuirassier….

In the 1812-15 period

The Spanish Rey Regt. of HC wore a blue coat, with scarlet collar, cuffs and lapels, yellow button hole laceand a cuirass and helmet. The helmet trimmed brass, the mane black and the plume red.

The Spanish Reina Regt. of HC wore a scarlet coat, with blue collar, cuffs and lapels, white button hole laceand a steel cuirass and helmet,. The helmet trimmed brass, the mane black and the plume red.

These are in addition to the Coraceros Espanoles who wore red faced green, helmet and cuirass.

Terry

Well informed posts here which I can't add to- but I think Saber6's suggestion has merit!

Well the idea of 12 regiments would nice to be in command of.

The reality is we just don't ever use that many Cuirassier regiments – it would have to a really big battle to use the
4 we already have in a 25mm game @ 45 figures per regiment.

The Spanish and Neopolitans are certainly something to consider.

Sell them might also be an option…..in the giant lot I bought the price came out to $1.15 USD per figure (2.30 for horse and rider painted)

Technically, with two regiments of Carabiniers and five of Cuirassiers, you now need another regiment of the latter to complete a Cavalry Corps of two divisions, each division of two brigades, each brigade of two regiments…

In 1812 the Russian Pskov Dragoons captured a lot of French armor. As a result in 1813 and 1814 they wore the French cuirassiers' and carabiniers' breast plates.

Willthepiper makes a good point--the French cuirassier uniform changed very little through 1914. The pants became much baggier (not evident in the print he included), and in 1914 the cuirass had a khaki cover, but the basic design was still the same. Purists are undoubtedly choking in outrage, but from a couple feet away, baggier trousers would not be very evident--although one could I suppose remedy the situation by means of greenstuff or some such.