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Showing results for tags 'cuirassier'.
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I've always been bothered by Lego Cuirassiers... Simply put, I couldn't find a satisfactory set of armor/weaponry for them. I finally settled on using a backwards Lego Roman Centurion helmet which does a decent impression of the French cuirassier helm, chrome silver breastplate, and a cavalry sabre from brickarms. Finally satisfied, here's the 'book' on Napoleonic Cuirassiers CUIRASSIER Cuirassiers were heavy cavalry equipped with cuirass armour and firearms, first appearing in late 15th-century Europe. In the later 17th century, the cuirassier lost his limb armour and subsequently employed only the cuirass and sometimes a helmet. By this time, the sword or sabre had become their primary weapon, pistols being relegated to a secondary function. Cuirassiers achieved increased prominence during the Napoleonic Wars and were last fielded in the opening stages of World War I. Though the armour could not protect against contemporary flintlock musket fire, it could deflect shots fired from long-range, stop ricochets and offer protection from all but very close range pistol fire. More importantly, in an age which saw cavalry used in large numbers, the armour provided excellent protection against the swords and lances of opposing cavalry and against infantry bayonets. It also had some psychological effect for the wearer and the enemy, while it also added weight to a charge, especially in cavalry versus cavalry actions. Napoleonic French cuirasses were originally intended to be proof against three musket shots at close range; however, this was never achieved in practice. The regulations eventually recognised this, and cuirasses were subsequently only expected to be proof against one shot at long range Thanks! You can find a couple more pictures on my flickr
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Well, Michael Ozzie beat me to it today with his outstanding La Belle Alliance, but here is my build celebrating the 200th Anniversary of this major event. Click on the picture for more detail: 200 years ago today, a truly epic and historical battle raged between three armies on sodden fields near the Belgian hamlet of Waterloo. The conflict determined the fate of Napoleon Bonaparte once and for all, and changed Europe forever as Great Britain became the dominant power over France, and Germany's power began to rise in the world as well. To commemorate this historic anniversary and pay tribute to the brave souls who fought and perished there, here is a quick build of that iconic Napoleonic Era infantry formation, the Regimental Square (or putting it more accurately, a corner of one...) Brave French Cuirassiers (Heavy Cavalry) charge this indomitable formation, the British Square, to no avail; in spite of all their courage, armor and powerful mounts, they never break through that long day as every British Square which had time to form never broke (though some units such as the Kings German Legion (KGL) 8th Line Battalion were caught mid-formation by the French cavalry and were decimated). British officers on horseback called for the rank and file to remain steady, and in general they did, allowing the Duke of Wellington's multi-national army to survive long enough for the arrival of the third army, the Prussians, to tip the balance. There should be bayonets on the end of those muskets, which is why it was so hard for cavalry to charge into a RS like this one. The LEGO musket barrel shape prevents anything but 2nd-party elements from working well, and being a bit of a purist (apart from that flag from Cape Madness) I won't use those non-LEGO parts. JBIronworks and I are currently working on a massive build of the key farmhouse in the center of the British line at Waterloo, La Haye Sainte, defended by the 2nd Light Infantry Battalion of the KGL; we should have it done in a few weeks so keep an eye out for it. Originally I had wanted to post La Haye Sainte today but we ran out of time. We will certainl finish it and it will be posted here in a month or so. Cheers!
