#8361 1805 Napoleonic Russian Artillery with 12 pdr

At the beginning of the nineteenth century, Russia undertook a major modernization of its artillery. Under the direction of Count Alexey Arakcheyev, gun types, carriages, ammunition and organization were increasingly standardized, producing what became known as the Russian artillery system of 1805. The result was an artillery arm that would become one of the most powerful and characteristic elements of the Imperial Russian Army.

The 12-pounder was one of the principal heavy field guns of the Russian artillery. It was intended to deliver powerful direct fire against infantry, cavalry, fortifications and enemy artillery, and its heavier projectile gave it greater destructive effect than the lighter field pieces used by more mobile formations.

Box art.

Under the organization adopted in the early Napoleonic period, a heavy battery company contained eight 12-pounder cannon together with four 1/2-pud unicorns. The 12-pounder therefore formed the main direct-fire element of the battery, while the unicorns added the ability to fire explosive shells at higher trajectories.

Russian foot artillery accompanied the infantry and provided the sustained firepower needed to break enemy formations, defend important positions and support attacks. Heavy battery artillery was particularly effective when several guns were concentrated together, allowing large numbers of 12-pounders and unicorns to subject an enemy position to both direct roundshot and explosive shell fire.

Test shot.

The new Russian artillery system entered the wars against Napoleon during the campaign of 1805. Russian batteries fought throughout the operations in Moravia and at the Battle of Austerlitz, where artillery supported the Allied infantry and cavalry during one of the largest battles fought in Europe up to that time. The same basic system of guns and unicorns, with later organizational refinements, continued to serve Russia throughout the Napoleonic Wars.

The figures in this set represent Russian foot artillerymen in the uniform of the early Napoleonic period. They wear dark green coats, white breeches, black gaiters and the tall shako then used by the foot artillery. This gives the crew the distinctly early appearance appropriate to the campaign of 1805 and the years immediately surrounding it.

Digital masters

The crewmen are shown performing different duties required to operate a Russian field gun. Russian artillery regulations assigned particular responsibilities to individual men: one worked the sponge and rammer, another carried the powder charges, another was responsible for the slow match and firing equipment, while another carried the priming tubes and tools used to prepare the vent. Assistants brought additional ammunition and helped move the heavy piece into position.

These different roles are represented among the figures in this set. Some carry the long sponge and rammer used to clean and load the barrel, while others carry the charge pouch, firing equipment and other tools required to keep the gun in action. Together they allow the modeller to arrange a working artillery crew in which the figures are performing different parts of the loading and firing process rather than simply standing around the gun.

Some painted figures (painted by CPN)

The 12-pounder was a substantial field piece, and operating it required a large, well-trained crew. Moving, loading and serving such a gun demanded teamwork, particularly when a battery had to change position under battlefield conditions. The variety of crew poses in this set helps portray that combination of specialized duties and physical labor.

This set can be combined with our other new Napoleonic Russian artillery sets to portray the different weapons, uniforms and branches of the Imperial artillery. Together, the 1805 foot and horse artillery, the later covered-shako crews and the 1812 horse artillery allow Russian batteries from several stages of the Napoleonic Wars to be represented rather than using one generic crew for the entire period.

Sizing figures.

Sprue makeup (not to scale or size with each other.

All information on this page subject to change.