New from CASTLE MINIATURES 54mm French Carabinier "Sapeur"1812

[Zastrow.cuirassier]

I'm coming back to present some novelties starting with my favorite period:
The 1st Empire.
CASTLE MINIATURES will soon offer a beautiful horse figurine
Sapeur de Carabinier à cheval "1812, a subject that pleases the Carabiniers with cuirass
Sculpted by the talented: Andrei Bleskin, one of my favorite sculptor!
54mm, resin
available soon from Castle Miniatures, more info from :
https://www.castleminiatures.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html

the figurine can obviously represent, a simple Carabinier, we'll see!

 

[DaddyO]

Great looking figure although I'd definitely opt for the version without the beard
Cheers
Paul

 

[fogie]

They look the business ! For a lot of us, I suspect there's something very compelling about about Napoleonic cavalry... .perhaps it's the Historex legacy.

Mike

 

[NeilW]

Doesn't seem to be on the Castle site yet?

I can't find much (well, anything really) about Carabinier (or Cuirassier) sappers/sapeurs' (or farriers/fourriers') uniforms and equipment. However, sources for sapeurs for other mounted regiments show them with the traditional axe over their back (carried in a holster- the Dragoons plate shows this well) and often their apron rucked/tucked up around their waist.

Note that the only armoured sapeur (Murat's Naples Regt) doesn't wear his cuirass... perhaps impractical with an axe slung over your back (similar to trumpeters).

Is this model similar or was another reference used?




And the only Carbinier fourrier I could find:

 

[Fantomas]

Neil,
Here is what I have:

 

[Zastrow.cuirassier]

Will ask somebody how is a great specialist of the French Uniform !

 

[NeilW]

Thanks for that Alexandre.

Not disputing this but it seems curious. Interesting that they wear the crossed axe insignia (and beards) but none of the equipment* that they'd normally have as sapeurs.

Perhaps Zastrow's contact can cast some light on it.

BTW: should have said that either way it's a good sculpt

*and an axe in its case a la the Dragoons ref could easily be added​

Neil

 

[Oda]

Bleshkin is an amazing sculptor and this last creation is an absolute stunner.

Oda.

 

[Reptor]

Thank for the news! This is a very beautiful work ! Bleshkin is a very fantastic sculptor !

 

[Nap]

A really nice looking sculpt

Lots of fine details , interesting the orginal reference shows no axe

I like the way the beard remains true to the reference

Look forward to seeing his painted

Thanks for sharing

Nap

 

[Zastrow.cuirassier]

According to an eminent specialist member of the famous society / French association "LA SABRETACHE", it seems to him that the sappers of "Carabinier à cheval" is well existed, according to the control of the numbers of the time (1812/1813), however, he leans towards a distinction (higher balance), and that the ax, was not necessarily worn (the illustration of Begnini is very close to reality), no apron either (at least on horseback), but the insignia of the sapper on the left or right sleeve to see both according to the rank (there is the complexity of the uniform knowledge)

 

[Edorta]

Superb figure, I like a lot, well used for both versions.

Military miniatures painted by Eduardo Garcia

 

[NeilW]

According to an eminent specialist member of the famous society / French association "LA SABRETACHE", it seems to him that the sappers of "Carabinier à cheval" is well existed, according to the control of the numbers of the time (1812/1813), however, he leans towards a distinction (higher balance), and that the ax, was not necessarily worn (the illustration of Begnini is very close to reality), no apron either (at least on horseback), but the insignia of the sapper on the left or right sleeve to see both according to the rank (there is the complexity of the uniform knowledge)

Hmnnn, curassier and curassier ()...

Thanks for that (and your colleague). Interesting that the axe was 'not necessarily worn', which I assume makes it an option (which I'd prefer-also the apron which some refs from other mounted regiments also show).

Of course Benigni, Knotel and their like were working well after the actual period but I did come across a contemporary illustration of Chasseur Sappers in Hamburg 1811-12 by the Sahr brothers and guess what: a whole squadron and not an axe or apron amongst them! Some (senior ranks?) do carry lances/pennants (also shown on other prints) and ride to the right , so that may present another option (though for a more static model).


See: https://www.napoleon-series.org/mil...Plates/Suhr/Hamburg/c_SuhrHamburgCavalry.html

So, on balance I think that the answer is 'maybe/sometimes'... for me personally, I'd scratchbuild and add the axe/holster and perhaps the apron, tucked up diagonally as in the Dragoon illustrations.

More refs, some showing both the lance and the axe- the last shows a Carabinier farrier, but no sapper (who I believe were only in elite units):

 

[NeilW]

As a final aside.

Interesting discussion ref light cavalry sappers sappers here: http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=146746

The final posting makes some pragmatic pints*:

I have NEVER seen a narrative record of someone seeing a French light cavalry sapeur of the era. Have you ?
1. We have an equivocal pair of "sapeur-lanciers" in colonel Barbier's painting …. no record of them at all otherwise, especially under the name "sapeurs".
2. We the Suhr print of the 13e chasseurs (no axes, a few lances).
3. We have an axe possibly attributable to the 6e hussards, but without clear dating or provenance.
THAT'S ALL THERE IS, as far as I know about "sapeurs" in the light cavalry that can be attributed to a contemporary source – iconographic, physical or narrative. As I have been trying to ask, do you know of any others ?
A house of cards built of secondary sources, decades after the fact, is the basis for the conjectures about the use of this "office" in the French light cavalry. This is not "solid research" , it is guesswork and imagination and wishful thinking as far as I can tell.
Please, do show me I am wrong, as I hope that I am. Show me a real historical record for these sapeurs in the light cavalry, the "solid research" that you claim underlies the Rousselot and the Knötel. I fear that this basis just plain does not exist, but I would love to be proven wrong.

*thought I'd leave my typo in as it's bound to amuse some

Don't know if I should do this now eek... but below is an infantry axe and holster (with en suite giberne): could serve as a model for a mounted sapper... if you dare !!!!!

 

[Jaybo]

Castle has been turning out some fantastic figures. This is another must get for me.

 

[Fantomas]

Thank you very much, guys, for your comments and compliments. I think that this figure will be available in two different options: sapper or carabinier. You will choose a version that you like or find historically correct!

 

[NeilW]

I promise I'll shut up after this (and as I have said, the fig itself is great in both versions)... but I knew I'd read about this somewhere.

Turns out to have been Elting (Swords Around A Throne, 1988. pp231):

The description of the sapeur contingent isn't specific to Carabiniers and no source is given. However, I read this as suggesting that if 'most regiments' had them, then on balance that would include the Carabiniers and that they would be 'trained and equipped as sapeurs'... including axes. The only fly in the ointment is that elsewhere I've read that as Carabinier were already classed as elite troops, they wouldn't have had any 'extra' elite detachments.

That's now me schtum

 

[Fantomas]

Thank you, Neil!

 

[Huw63]

Looks great. Not sure where I can get one but I will certainly try.

As an aside near Jena there's an excellent small private museum about the battle (or there used to be at least). They have many interesting items, one of which is a cuirassier tunic with sappers axes on it, which confirms that sappers did exist in the cuirassiers. I assume pre the 1810 uniform transition the carabiniers also had sappers and would have continued to have them after the uniform transitioned as a uniform change had no impact on the role or organistation.

Cheers

Huw

 

[Fantomas]

Hi Huw,
This figure (in both versions) will be available at www.castleminiatures.com in January 2020.
Regards,
Alex