french carabiniers 1815

French Carabiniers 1815

All figures are supplied unpainted (Numbers of each pose in brackets) Stats

Date Released 2001

Contents 12 mounted figures and 12 horses

Poses 4 poses, 1 horse pose

Material Plastic (Medium Consistency)

Colours Light Tan

Average Height24 mm (= 1.73 m)

Review It would seem that late Napoleonic French Cavalry is a real favourite with many manufacturers, so it was no surprise that only the third A Call To Arms Napoleonic set was also their second French cavalry set. When these Carabiniers appeared, however, Italeri had already released their set of the same subject.

As we have come to expect from this producer, the level of detail on these figures is first class, and the poses are all natural and attractive. The problem of sculpting the helmet with its comb is solved by not having any of the figures facing directly into the mould, which is neat, but does mean none of the figures are looking where their charging mount is taking them.

Unfortunately, as with the cuirassiers in set 51, these figures are much too slender to really seem like heavy cavalry - cuirassiers in all but name. Likewise the single horse pose is of too small an animal, even though the larger horses were not always available. In fact this horse is that found in the cuirassiers set, so its inclusion is an economy measure.

Quite a soft plastic has been used for these figures, and there is a certain amount of flash to be removed.

However it is the four poses, and particularly the sole horse pose, that make this set fall short of the standards set by Italeri in their corresponding set. Such poses as there are have been intelligently designed and well executed, and this is a good looking set, but the slender proportions just don't match the subject, and the inclusion of only one horse pose significantly limits its use.

Carabiniers

All figures are supplied unpainted (Numbers of each pose in brackets)

Stats

Date Released 1996


Poses 9 poses, 5 horse poses


Colours Silver, Light Tan, Mid Blue

Average Height24 mm (= 1.73 m)

Review

When Italeri first began producing 1:72 military figure sets, they started on safe ground with British and French Napoleonics. Their first French cavalry set was of long awaited Carabiniers, one of the most spectacular troop types of the Wars.

After their first cavalry set (Scots Greys) had set the standard, the Carabiniers matched it with nine poses and five horse poses. What's more the poses are not just of men holding their sword up at slightly different angles - these are a good mixture, including men handling and firing the carbine. This set also saw the first attempt at producing a figure that is charging with sword pointing directly in front of him. Due to the limitations of the two-piece mould this is a very difficult pose to make, and yet arguably it is the most important of all. Italeri showed a lot of imagination and came up with a figure moulded partly sideways, which was indeed broadly in the desired position. However, one leg is well forward of the other, and there is a slightly ungainly look about it. Still, it is probably as close as can be achieved with the technology, and fully deserves its place in the set.

The set also includes an officer and a trumpeter - figures that are often missing from sets that only offer a few poses.

The five horse poses are all galloping, charging etc. They are well sculpted and correctly furnished. However a standing pose should have been included, mainly for the man firing his carbine, as his slim chance of hitting anything virtually disappears if he is firing from a moving mount.

All the figures wear the armour that made them cuirassiers in all but name. Strangely though, all are missing the carbine belt which held that weapon, and those that actually have a carbine have it hanging by their side with no visible means of support. Also, while all the troopers have a cartridge pouch, the belt on which it hangs is missing from the front of the body in many cases. The only plausible excuse for this is if the troopers were wearing the belt under their cuirass.

Apart from the problem with the belts, these are very fine figures indeed. An interesting choice of subject, and a very well executed set.

French Dragoons


Stats

Date Released 1998




Colours Grey

Average Height 25 mm (= 1.8 m)

Review

The box for this set tells us that the dragoons were the bread and butter of the French cavalry, which is quite

true. Though they were sometimes called upon to fight on foot, for the most part they were essentially

medium cavalry, having shrugged off their role as mounted infantry. With an important role, it was

lamentable that for a long time there were no sets of dragoons in plastic. However suddenly that all changed

with this set from HäT and another from Italeri.

The four poses include three men wielding their sabres as if in the charge, plus a man with sabre on

shoulder, perhaps on the march, but equally suitable during a battle. The pose with the arm across the chest

is a popular one with manufacturers, though we are not fond of it, but all the poses are reasonable and

appropriate.

These men wear the habit, which saw service throughout the Napoleonic wars until it was replaced in 1812

by the habit-veste. Though there would have been a delay in introducing the new uniform, these men would

not be correct for the Waterloo campaign. They also wear the classical dragoon helmet, and carry both sabre

and musket. However the musket is shown with the barrel pointing down to the ground when it should be

barrel up, with the butt resting in a holder near the foot of the rider.

What lets this set down is the sculpting. In some places there is almost no detail at all. For example, there are

no coat tails sculpted, apparently because the sculptor believed they would not be visible once the individual

was in the saddle. All the men face directly into the mould, and the mane on the helmet is limp, so it is

lacking definition and is simply a ridge. Similarly, the musket each man carries is of the correct basic shape

but is largely featureless. There is also a problem with the sabres, which are long (good) and curved (bad).

They should be the classic straight heavy cavalry sword.

The two horses also have problems. Though adequately carved, and certainly better than the very early sets,

they have been given tiny horse-cloths under their saddles, cloths that do not even reach as far down as the

saddle. This is incorrect and means there is no room for the device that always appeared in the corner of the

cloth. These animals are also apparently lacking the pistols that they should have under the cloth in front of

the rider. However the portemanteau that is behind the saddle is correctly represented.

One of the frustrating things about this set is that some of the errors on the figures are correctly portrayed on

the box artwork, as seems to happen with many sets from many manufacturers. In this case the box shows

correct saddlery and the correct straight sabre. It also manages to capture a lot more action than the figures

do. Interestingly, both the picture and the painting instruction show the post 1812 uniform, though that is not

what the figures wear.

This was the first cavalry HäT produced after their early Prussian and Mameluke sets, and though the horses

in particular are much improved, they were still very much on a steep learning curve. This is one of the

poorer sets to come out from HäT, which is a pity since it is of a very important subject. A certain amount of

flash does not help matters, though the fact that the excellent Italeri set appeared shortly after this one means

it is generally seen in a comparatively poor light.

French Dragoons


Stats

Date Released 1998




Colours Silver, Light Tan, Mid Blue


Review

Dragoons had originally been mounted infantry, but the cavalry was a much more glamorous arm and by the

Napoleonic wars dragoons were usually used as pure cavalry. In Napoleon's army there were 30 such

regiments, and they saw service in every major land campaign.

The dragoons in this set are wearing the habit that was worn until around 1812. They also wear the splendid

helmet with mane seen on dragoons of many countries. This uniform has been correctly sculpted in every

detail, and that detail is excellent. The turnbacks on the habit reveal a triangular green patch of the coat

beneath them, meaning they are either genuine turnbacks or false ones made to look genuine. This dates

these men to before 1810, though such coats may have been seen for some time after this in certain

regiments. The box claims these figures are dated 1815, but they are several years earlier at the latest. One

further detail is the pocket flaps on the tails of the habit. They are horizontal rather than vertical - a feature

common to half of the dragoon regiments, so while a very minor detail, this technically limits these figures

for purists.

The set includes an impressive nine poses - impressive both in quantity and quality. These men are full of

action, clearly in the heat of a battle, with sabres flying in all directions. Two of the poses are in the by now

usual Italeri style of charging with sabre pointed straight ahead. Though these are a little awkward and have

an uncomfortable arrangement of legs, they are the best representations of the correct posture as a charge

reaches its target and are worthy additions to the set. We particularly liked the man resting his musket on his

leg, though this would be impossible on any of the charging horses provided here.

By the time this set was released, several companies had produced cuirassiers or others with manes on their

helmets, yet no-one had successfully represented this item. Italeri solved the problem brilliantly by ensuring

that no man is looking directly into the mould. By making the mane fly up, and therefore make it both more

realistic and more accessible to the mould, every strand can be beautifully recreated, and the result here is

just superb.

There are five horse poses, which allows for a realistic mix even when large numbers are put together, and

all the poses seem to be at the charge. They all have the saddle and horse-cloth common to all dragoon

regiments, as was the rectangular portemanteau. Better yet, they include the sheepskin shabraque which was

not officially part of the troopers kit but was still commonly used by both officers and men. However the

pistols under the cloth cover seem to be on top of the sheepskin when in fact the sheepskin was the topmost

article.

Beautiful though this set is, there are a number of problems. First of all, all but one of the poses has no

musket, which should be hanging by their right leg. Secondly, the corner of the horse-cloth bears a grenade

device on these figures when the regimental number would normally appear here, though there are a few

sources that do show a grenade instead. However all sources agree that the ends of the portemanteau had the

regiment's number, but there is insufficient room on these models for such a number. Finally, the guidon,

which is a welcome addition to the set, is correct in size and shape, but the design has one error in that the

central portion has an eagle when it should have an inscription. These errors aside, this is an excellent set of

Napoleonic cavalry, with superb detail and an excellent sculpting job. Italeri have made many very fine

cavalry sets, and this is a noble addition to the range.

French Foot Dragoons

Stats

Date Released 2003

Contents 48 figures

Poses 48 poses


Colours Brick Red


Review This is another Strelets set where two apparently unrelated subjects share the same box. We understand this is because they worked together during the Peninsular war, but whatever the reason it means two more previously unavailable subjects are now covered.

Regular readers will know that we do not care for mixed sets like this, though at least there are a good many poses on offer. The first two scans above show the Polish grenadiers, where many of the poses suggest hand-to-hand fighting rather than movement in large formations. The box art implies the sculptor had street fighting in mind when making this set rather than open battle, so these are consistent with that theme. One man is firing down, presumably from a building or fortification, and there is a nice study of a wounded man being helped to aid by two comrades.

By far the majority of the figures are French dragoons, and here too the emphasis is on close-quarter combat. Several of the men are bayoneting or clubbing, and some are firing upwards, as if at the walls of a town or the upper part of some building. There are two sappers - most useful in a siege - and two ladders have also been included. One seems to be dragged by two men, and the other is being held up by one man as another climbs it. This last group has a small base for the man holding the ladder, but there are no pegs or other means of fixing the join, so a very fragile glued joint is all that can be achieved.

The dragoons were perfect troops for the war in Spain, taking part in many anti-resistance operations as well as against the allies. However supply was sometimes a problem, and many troops adapted to the climate in different ways. The uniforms on these men demonstrate that with various coats and leg wear, and a good many have adopted the bonnet de police in preference to their normal helmet. Some of the Poles have a peak on their bearskins and others do not, but since sources show that both styles were to be seen this is fine. Given the sometimes ragged nature of these men, their appearance seems appropriate in this set.

The standard of sculpting is variable with these figures, with both good detail and bad faults. There is plenty of nice detail such as the wicker holders for the water bottles on some men, but in other areas detail is lacking or very poor. The eagle on the standard, for example, is very difficult to make out, and some muskets and sidearms are much too thick and lacking any definition. Some of the dragoon helmets are not well done, and there are some awkward stances which seem unrealistic. One man (3rd row, 3rd figure) is firing his musket while steadying it right beside his shoulder, an uncomfortable and ineffective position, and the man wielding his firearm as a club (9th row, 1st figure) would not have got much force behind it as he holds it half way along the barrel.

The detail may not always be present, but at least there is no flash and no mould lines. Some of the chosen poses are difficult to explain, such as those at row 8, figure 2 and row 10, figure 1, but in general the more unusual poses add to the worth of the set. The missing detail is a disappointment, and the little assembly for the scaling ladder is extremely difficult to both construct and keep together, even if you ignore the fact that the rather crude ladders are no more than three metres long anyway. Strelets are not good at items that fit together, and perhaps should avoid such things unless they can do them well. An interesting addition to the vast array of Napoleonic sets, but one that will require a lot of work to bring the best out of it.

french carabiniers 1815

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