Napoleonic Artillery Equipment

1:72 Scale Equipment Painting Guide

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	medium blue-grey	black
Brunswick	1809	Austrian	ochre	black
Brunswick	1813-1815	British	medium blue-grey	black
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	medium blue-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
Westphalia	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

Funcken, L. & F.: L’Uniforme et les Armes des Soldats du Premier Empire, pp. 41, 73, 77, 117, 143
Wise, Terence: Artillery Equipment of the Napoleonic Wars (Lond. 1979)

Frequently Asked Questions

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Napoleonic Miniatures