French Napoleonic Imperial Guard Chasseurs à Cheval, 1799–1815
The Chasseurs à Cheval of the Imperial Guard were formed in 1799 from the Guides, the personal life-guard of the 1st Consul and Emperor Napoléon I. They were among the oldest formations of the guard, belonging to the Old Guard. Only veteran soldiers were admitted to join the Chasseurs à Cheval, they had to have had a minimum of ten years of military service, three campaigns, and an honorable mention for bravery. In addition, the applicant had to be a minimum of 176 cm tall.
From October of 1802, the regiment consisted of four squadrons of 200 men each. In 1805, a squadron of four companies of Velites was added, and the squadron of Mamelukes was administratively attached. In 1812, the Velites were disbanded, and the regiment increased to five squadrons. The Chasseurs à Cheval were increased to eight squadrons in 1813, five of which had the status of Old Guard, and the remaining three belonged to the Young Guard.
The Chasseurs à Cheval wore a stylish uniform à la hussarde, with green dolman and yellow cords, red cuffs, red pelisse with yellow cords, a Colpack with red bag, red over green plume, and yellow cords. They were armed with hussar carbines, and curved light cavalry sabres.
Miniatures
- French Imperial Guard Chasseur à Cheval, 1809, 1:30 del Prado 007
- French Imperial Guard Chasseurs à Cheval, 1804–1815, 1:32 Tradition 759
- French Imperial Guard Chasseur à Cheval, 1805, 1:32 Prince August 80-3
- French Napoleonic General Staff, 1:72 Italeri 6016
- French Imperial Guard Chasseurs à Cheval 1815, 1:72 Revell 02576
- French Imperial Guard Chasseurs à Cheval, 20 mm Hinton Hunt BB21
- French Imperial Guard Guard Chasseurs à Cheval Command, 18 mm AB Figures AB-IG02/4
- French Imperial Guard Guard Chasseurs à Cheval, 18 mm AB Figures AB-IG01
- French Imperial Guard Chasseurs à Cheval, 1:300 Heroics & Ros MFN11
Possible Conversions
Guard Chasseur à Cheval figures may be painted as elite company troopers of French hussars of the line, Baden hussars, and many other German hussar regiments of the Confederation of the Rhine.
Campaign History
- Engagement at Nuremberg, 1805
- Battle of Austerlitz, 1805
- Engagement at Lopacin, 1806
- Battle of Preußisch Eylau, 1807
- Engagement at Guttstadt (Dobre Miasto, Poland), 1807
- Battle of Benavente (Portugal), 1808
- Battle of Wagram, 1809
- Spain, 1811–1812
- Battle of Elione, 1812
- Battle of Reichenbach, 1813
- Battle of Dresden, 1813
- Battle of Leipzig, 1813
- Battle of Weimar, 1813
- Battle of Hanau, 1813
- Battle of Château-Thierry, 1814
- Battle of Craonne, 1814
- Battle of Valcourt, 1814
- Battle of Courtrai, 1815
- Battle of Waterloo, 1815
Bibliography
- Knötel-Sieg: Handbuch der Uniformkunde, pp. 175–177
- Cassin-Scott, Jack: Uniforms of the Napoleonic Wars in Colour 1796–1814, Plate 27
- Haythornthwaite, Philip: Uniforms of 1812, Plate 4
- Haythornthwaite, Philip: Uniforms of Waterloo in Colour, plate 48
- Förster, Hoch, Müller: Uniformen europäischer Armeen, Plate 43
- Allevi, Piersergio: Zinnsoldaten, p. 147