Prussian Napoleonic Artillery, 1814–1815
HaT Industrie 1:72 Scale Figure Review
The guns and figures shown here are mounted on 38 mm wide and 76 mm deep artillery bases of the Volley & Bayonet game system. The HäT artillery set is sold with three different types of barrels which may be used to build the 12-pdr. and 6-pdr. cannon, and the 7-pdr. howitzer shown here. The kit includes four guns and their crews, but no limbers, horse teams or train soldiers. The small ammunition chest normally carried on the gun carriage is not included either. Serious modellers and diorama builders may want to scratchbuild these boxes from balsa and paint them in the mid-blue colour of the gun carriage. Please refer to our list of Napoleonic Artillery Equipment for additional painting information.
Contents
- 24 gunners in 6 Poses – 23.5 mm height equals 169 cm
- 4 corporals (gun captains)
- 4 gunners with sponge and rammer (Nr. 1)
- 4 loaders with cannister round (Nr. 2)
- 4 gunners with linstock (Nr. 3)
- 4 assistant gunners with trailspike (Nr. 7)
- 4 assistant gunners with water bucket (Nr. 9)
- 4 gun carriages
- 4 sixpounder cannon barrels
- 4 sevenpounder howitzer barrels
- 4 twelvepounder cannon barrels
Evaluation
Good choice of subject, the Prussian artillery fills a gap in this scale. The gunners are wearing the uniform with closed collar which was introduced in 1814.
Useful poses. The gunners are in full motion even though Nr. 3 is in the process of firing the gun, but the group looks quite good when the miniatures are painted.
The wheels are nicely detailed on both sides, and they are relatively easy to paint as a result.
These gunners are taller and heavier than the Prussian infantry available from Revell, but both figure sets are still compatible enough to satisfy the wargamer and collector.
The corporal seems to be engaged in close combat, instead of taking care of his artillery piece.
Nr. 1 and Nr. 2 are in full motion, regardless of the fact that Nr. 3 is in the process of firing the gun. Normally, the former two would be standing at attention in this instance.
The small ammunition chest normally carried on the gun trail is not included in the kit. The missing part may be scratchbuilt from balsa.
When the gun was limbered, the sponge, rammer, trailspikes and other tools were attached to metal fittings on either side of the gun carriage. The necessary hooks are not recreated in miniature. Discerning modellers will want to scratchbuild these items from brass wire. The metal parts which held the wooden carriage together are not modelled either, although they may be painted in, following the instructions on the box cover.
The twelvepounder cannon barrel and the sevenpounder howitzer barrel are modelled without dolphins. These barrels were heavy and difficult to lift by hand. When barrels needed to be replaced, they were lifted with pulleys attached to the dolphins. Serious modellers will scratchbuild the dolphins from brass wire.
There are no limbers, horse teams and train soldiers in the kit. Anyone interested in building complete artillery sections will have to use equipment items cast in pewter, scratchbuilt or scrounged from other plastic figure sets.
The assistant gunner Nr. 7 is in a strange pose which might be appropriate in close combat with enemy cavalry, but not in the normal process of serving the gun. This soldier is incompatible with the other gunners, but he may be suitable for certain conversions.
Historical Employment
- Prussian Foot Artillery 1814–1815
Conversions
- Prussian Horse Artillery 1814–1815
The horse artillery gunners were equipped with curved light cavalry sabres instead of the straight swords carried by these foot artillery figures. - The assistant gunner Nr. 9 is better suited as a foraging infantryman. Simply remove the three-flamed grenade badge from the cartridge pouch and equip the man with a backpack.
Bibliography
- Funcken, L. & F.: L’Uniforme et les Armes des Soldats du Premier Empire, p. 143
- Haythornthwaite, Philip: Uniforms of Waterloo in Colour, plate 79
The Prussian foot artillery figures are unique in this scale and they will be quite popular with wargamers. Collectors and diorama builders may be better off using more detailed guns and equipment cast in pewter.