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NAPOLEONIC ARTILLERY UNIFORMS

No 4 Prussian Horse and Foot c.1806
By Stephen Heap

Military Modelling December 1975.

Foot Artillery
    The Prussian foot artillery were dressed in the style of the infantry with all facings black, the turnbacks of the fairly long tailed coatee were red, all buttons were brass as were all buckles etc. At this period the stock was red except for garrison artillery who had one of black. The waistcoat and breeches were white, while the gaiters were, for full dress, white and other duties black; long overalls, introduced in 1794, made of grey linen, which after wear and washing turned light grey or white, were worn for campaign. On the front of the shoulder belt were chains and pickers for cleaning out the touch hole of the guns. The bicorn was of the type worn by the infantry and was edged by white tape. At this period the Prussian Army wore a queue—both foot and mounted troops.
    The officers’ dress was similar to the men but of better cut and materials and all the facings on the officers’ coatee were made from black velvet. The officers’ bicorn was edged with gold lace. Attached to the officers’ bicorns were bushy white plumes, as can be seen in the colour plate. The silver and black sash and also the gorget were worn by officers, while the sword knots were again silver and black. Short white gauntlets and black boots completed the officers’ dress.
    N.C.O.s were distinguished by gold edging to the bicorn, gold edging to the cuffs and a black and white pom-pom and black and white sword knot, senior N.C.O.s also carried canes.
Horse Artillery
    From 1802 the horse artillery wore a uniform in dragoon cut, the coatee was dark blue as were the turnbacks. The turnbacks were edged with black tape and the black was edged on either side with red piping. The black collar, gauntlet style cuffs and lapels were also edged with red. White breaches and dragoon top boots were worn. Horse Artillery N.C.O.s were distinguished as in the foot artillery. The armament of the horse artillery was as for the dragoons—i.e. carbine, carbine belt over the left shoulder, narrower pouch belt over the right. The sword was the dragoon "Pallasch" carried in a brown leather scabbard.
    The officers were dressed as the men but again in better materials. They wore the silver and black sash but not the gorget, also, neither did they wear the carbine or pouch belts. This also applied to dragoon officers at this period. The wash drawing accompanying this article shows the dress of a horse artillery officer: the small wash drawing shows the hilt of the Pallasch pattern sword.





See also 19th Century Illustrations of Costume and Soldiers