Napoleonic Artillery Equipment

1:72 Scale Equipment Painting Guide

French Artillery at Waterloo, 1995.

French guns open fire at Waterloo 1995.
Photo © by Klaus Schäfer.

Guns & Caissons in 1:72

  • Bavarian Limbers
  • British Guns, Howitzers, and Limbers
  • French Guns, Howitzers, and Limbers
  • French Horse and Foot Artillery Caissons
  • Russian Guns, Howitzers, and Limbers
  • Naval Cannon

Napoleonic Equipment Colour Table

Country Year Equipment Type Woodwork Metal Fittings
Austria 1792–1815 Austrian ochre black
Baden 1805–1815 French dark grey black
Bavaria 1805–1815 Prussian
French		 light blue-grey black
Berg 1808–1812 French stained wood yellow
Britain 1792–1815 British grey black
Brunswick 1809 Austrian ochre black
Brunswick 1813–1815 French
British		 grey black
After the Battle of Leipzig, captured French and Westphalian artillery pieces, twelve 6-pdr. guns and four 7-inch howitzers, were purchased at an auction in Leipzig to arm one foot and horse artillery battery of eight artillery pieces each. British equipment may have gradually replaced these captured pieces.
France 1805–1815 French olive green black
Hesse-Darmstadt 1805–1815 Prussian
French		 medium blue black
Hesse-Cassel 1806 Prussian medium blue black
Hesse-Cassel 1813–1815 Prussian
British?		 medium blue black
Hannover 1814–1815 British medium blue-grey? black
Italy 1806–1814 French grey black
Naples 1805–1815 French light blue black
Netherlands
Kingdom of Holland		 1805–1819 French olive green black
Poland 1807–1813 French olive green black
Portugal 1807 French olive green? black
Portugal 1808–1814 British grey black
Prussia 1792–1815 Prussian
British		 medium blue black
Russia 1805–1814 Russian apple green black or polished
Saxony 1805–1813 Prussian
French		 dark grey yellow
Spain 1807–1815 Spanish dark grey
or stained wood		 black
Sweden 1805–1814 – greenish blue black
United States 1812–1814 – olive green black
Westphalia 1807–1813 French green black
Wheels had a green and yellow striped pattern.
Württemberg 1805–1815 Prussian
French		 stained wood yellow
Würzburg 1807–1813 Austrian
French		 red black

Iron gun barrels were painted to protect them from rust, black being the most common colour used, although some British gun barrels are reported to have been painted dark brown. Bronze gun barrels only required polishing to keep them clean.

Bibliography

Napoleonic Miniatures