Russian horse artillery combined the firepower of field artillery with the mobility needed to accompany cavalry and react quickly to changing conditions on the battlefield. The gunners were mounted, allowing a horse artillery company to move rapidly into position, fire in support of cavalry or infantry, and then redeploy before slower enemy formations could respond.
By 1812, Russian artillery had developed into one of the strongest arms of the Imperial Army. A standard horse artillery company contained twelve guns: six 6-pounder cannon and six 1/4-pud unicorns. This combination gave the battery both conventional cannon fire and the greater flexibility of the uniquely Russian unicorn.
Box art.
The 1/4-pud unicorn was a type of gun-howitzer capable of firing solid shot, explosive shell and other ammunition. Its design combined some of the characteristics of a cannon and a howitzer, allowing it to engage troops and artillery directly while also firing shells at higher trajectories. The 1/4-pud horse-artillery version was lighter than the heavy unicorns used in position batteries and was therefore well suited to the rapid movement required of mounted artillery.
Russian horse artillery was especially valuable when working with cavalry. A battery could gallop forward, unlimber, fire against enemy infantry or cavalry and then move again before becoming vulnerable. Horse artillery could also reinforce threatened sections of the line or exploit a sudden opportunity created by a cavalry attack.
Test shot.
The campaign of 1812 placed extraordinary demands upon the Russian artillery. Horse batteries fought during the retreat before Napoleon's invasion, at Smolensk and at Borodino, and throughout the pursuit that followed the French withdrawal from Moscow. At Borodino, horse artillery companies were assigned to support the Russian cavalry corps and were held where their mobility allowed them to reinforce different parts of the battlefield.
The horse artillery uniform of 1812 was distinctive. The men wore dark green coats with black collars, together with helmets carrying a thin black horsehair crest. This lighter crest had replaced the much heavier earlier style and gave the helmet the elegant appearance associated with Russian mounted troops of the later Napoleonic period. Trumpeters wore a red crest instead of black.
Digital pics of figures (figures and cannon are not to scale with each other in this screenshot).
The figures in this set wear the dark green tunic rather than the long greatcoat shown in some of our other Russian artillery sets. They also wear grey campaign trousers, or reituzy, instead of the white breeches reserved largely for parade and formal dress. This gives the figures a particularly convincing field appearance for the Russian campaigns of 1812 and the years that followed.
The horse artillery helmet also helps date the figures. By 1812 the earlier heavy caterpillar-style crest had been replaced by a thinner horsehair crest, while the tall open collar had given way to a lower, closed collar. These details distinguish the later horse artillery uniform from the appearance of the earlier 1805 period.
Some painted figures (painted by CPN)
This set represents a Russian horse artillery crew operating the 1/4-pud unicorn. The figures are shown carrying out the different tasks required to work the gun, including observing the target, loading, ramming, carrying ammunition and handling the artillery tools. The varied poses allow a complete working gun crew to be assembled around the piece.
The set is especially suitable for the Russian campaign of 1812, including Smolensk and Borodino, but the same general uniform remained appropriate during the campaigns that carried the Russian Army westward through Germany and into France in 1813-1814. Combined with our other Russian artillery, infantry and cavalry sets, it can form part of the army that resisted Napoleon in Russia and later helped drive his forces back across Europe.
Size comparison figures.
Sprue makeup (not to scale or size with each other.
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