French Foot Artillery Battery Commander

Hello everyone!

A bit of a cheat today, but a completed stand is a completed stand. Here is a French Capitan d'Artillerie a Pied (Remember to click on the pictures for bigger versions).

This is a 1/72 officer taken from the ever-useful Italeri #6016 French Imperial General Staff. This is the standing aide-de-camp figure third from the left in the first row, with a few minor modifications, notably the removal of spurs, boot tassels and aide-de-camp armband. He is glued to a standard 3cm x 3cm base that I use for battery commanders. Even though the crews for all of the guns are 15mm figures (and short ones at that, being old Heritage minis), this 1/72 figure got shanghai-ed because I don't have any 15mm officers to spare, as well as the fact that I needed to bridge the gap between the short gun crews and guns and the massive 1/72 limber that represents them. When the whole unit is done, there'll be a weird mix of scales going on.

As the commander of a Foot Artillery battery, this captain is not mounted. Foot Artillery officers were expected to march with their men alongside their guns; only artillery officers over the age of 50 were entitled to horses. So no need for spurs!

The captain is wearing the standard uniform of the Artillerie a Pied, dark blue trousers and jacket, piped in red, with red cuffs and gold buttons. As an officer he has a sword, telescope and is holding orders in his hand, and he wears tall boots and gold accents on his shako.

Print of a Artillerie a Pied officer that inspired my battery commander.

I also painted on a tiny Légion d'honneur on his chest, making him a seasoned and highly decorated officer. An old artilleryman himself, Napoleon was fond of his gunners, and revolutionized the use of artillery on the battlefield in the course of the Napoleonic wars.

Légion d'honneur

Coming soon: More French Foot Artillery. I may be able to get a gun and crew painted up today, but I may not. I'll try though.

Questions, comments and criticisms are always welcomed and appreciated. Thanks for looking!

-Chuck