French Curassier query

[Haskeer]

Hi all, could somebody please give me the stat line and point cost for French Curassiers?

I only own Albion Triumphant 1, and have a box of models sat doing nothing.

im aware they didn’t make contact with British troops (?) but better on the table top than in a box!

 

Thanks in advance,

John

[Garry Wills]

From AT2;

H2H 9;Shooting 0; Morale 3+; Stamina 3; Hvy Cav D3, Reliable; 58 points

[invisible officer]

In Peninsula the Cuirassiers give you some problems. The 13th rgt there was formed 1808  from 1st provisional rgt de Cuirassiers, a marching regiment from 1st,2nd,3rd Cuirassiers and 1st and 2nd Carabiniers.   Nobody knows about a change of dress by the Carabiniers. Did they get Cuirassier stuff before leaving France?  In 1809 the ragged uniforms got replaced with locally made brown cloth. Later the 13th all got blue Cuirassier dress.

They fought in the East of Peninsula and served a lot in Anti Guerilla war, a stupid way to use heavies. They got infantry muskets for that role. Many lacked horses and replaced the long boots with shanish shoes. But kept the sword.

 

 

[Haskeer]

Thank you, both

👍

[Dr Dave]

Don’t forget as well that in AT2 they are in standard size units. In really they should probably all be small or tiny size units. Since BP2 tiny is limited to skirmish types so the tiny ones, if using BP2, should be brigaded together into small or standard units. The fact that they are so “small” is easy to remember. It’s the same word used to describe their accomplishments on the 18th June 1815.

[ArtfulB]

AT1 utterly ignores the Medeterrainian Front and the operations of Marshal Suchet during the Peninsular War. After all, Albion was hardly Triumphant over there.

Not only do you get Cuirassiers, there are also Polish, Italian and Neapolitan forces alongside the Gallant Marshal (the Vistula Legion Infantry regiments belonged to his army up to 1812 when Boney stole them for his tour of Russia).

13ieme Cuirassier were the spearhead of Boussart’s cavalry which sliced Blake’s army apart at Valencia.

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saguntum_and_Valencia_order_of_battle)

Boussart’s cavalry was also present for Suchet’s defeat at Castalla byMurray’s Anglo-Spanish forces,  being used in a flanking role.  The Brits faced them there, though didn’t have to face them in a Ney inspired death ride. ( http://www.peninsular-war.com/history/html/Castalla-Account-combat-10128.html)

All cavalry in Spain had dire supply issues and major difficulties obtaining remounts, this was especially true for Spanish and French horse. A problem exacerbated for the heavies with their need for extra large and ravenously hungry beasts.

If you look at the ORBAT in the above Valencia link 13ieme fielded  500+ troopers, wheras their Spanish counterparts stuggled to turn up in squadron strength.  Boussart had a full strength Cuirassier and two full strength Dragoon regiments – no contest.

At Waterloo, the Cuirassiers protected D’Erlons left flank during his disasterous attack at the start of the battle, holding off and wounding the Household Brigade.

They were also responsible for cutting to pieces the Prince of Orange’s tactically inept attempts to refinforce La Haye Sainte during the middle period of the battle. By the final phase, they would either be shot to pieces or blown (i.e. the horses too exhausted to be of use). The same applies to the Allied heavies – they were all combat ineffective at the end. It is no surprise that Wellington uses Vivian and Vandeleur’s LD brigades to support the final advance, the only fresh, reliable troopers he had.

If you field a Cuirassier unit in BP, one box of Perry cav should suffice, fielded as either 2 small 6 man units for Waterloo or a single 12 man one with Boussart in the Med.

If you really want to go left field, you could field a small unit of Spanish Coraceros made up of captured French gear  😉 http://www.littlewars.se/spanish/coraceros.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

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