Harquebusiers

Harquebusiers.

Harquebusiers (German Arkebusierreiter, Spanish herguletiers), 16th century cavalrymen armed with a doglock arquebus and trained to fire from horseback (s. Caracole).

In the middle of the 16th century, the arquebus was introduced as a cavalry firearm by the Duke of Alba in the Netherlands, as well as by the Argoulets. The weapon was 1 to 1.3 m long and fired a bullet weighing 29 grams. It had previously received a wheellock mechanism, as well as a rail and swivel which attached to the carabiner on the rider’s carbine belt.

Miniatures

  • Swedish Cavalry of the Thirty Years’ War, 1:72 Revell 02567
  • Swedish Cavalry, 1:72 Mars 72036
  • Imperial Harquebusiers, 1:72 Mars 72037
  • English harquebusiers, breast-and-back, English pot I (5), 15 mm Testudo TYC214E
  • English harquebusiers, breast-and-back, English pot II (5), 15 mm Testudo TYC215E

Bibliography

  • Brnardic, Vladimir: Imperial Armies of the Thirty Years’ War (2) – Cavalry (Botley 2010)
  • Brzezinski, Richard: The Army of Gustavus Adolphus (2) – Cavalry (Botley 1993)

Thirty Years’ War Miniatures