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Title: Napoleons Guns 1792-1815 (1: Field Artillery (New Vanguard, 66) by Rene Chartrand, Ray Hutchins ISBN: 1-84176-458-2 Publisher: Osprey Pub Co Pub. Date: February, 2003 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.5 (2 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: 'Get Up Close and Shoot Fast'
Comment: This is an excellent volume on the artillery systems used by the French during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. The main thrust of the volume is the Gribeauval artillery system which was finally adopted by France in teh 1770s. This was 'perhaps the most important innovation in the history of artillery' surpassing in scope, hitting power, and mobility the Lichtenstein artillery system developed by the Austrians and adopted by them in the 1750s.
Gribeauval's system went further than its Austrian predecessor and encompassed not only guns and artillery vehicles, but organization, uniforms, and tactics of the French artillery arm. Gribeauval had seen the Prussian light guns before the Seven Years' War. He had served with the Austrians during that war and so was intimately familiar with both countries' artillery. Being influenced by both, and taking the best of the older French Valliere system, he developed and fielded his own unique system whose guns would dominate Napoleon's battlefields from 1807 on.
The author covers this unique and utilitarian system quite literally from muzzle to butt plate. He is entirely at home with artillery and artillery terms, and understands the use of artillery, its maintenance, and the technical aspects as well.
Along with artillery, the author also covers the French pontonniers, who were responsible for 'throwing' pontoon bridges over rivers, as well as maintaining the equipment, the hacquets that were used to carry the pontoons, and the pontoons themselves; the artillery train troops, who weren't artillerymen (as the pontonneers were) but were an adjunct organization that drove the horse teams that pulled the artillery's equipment; horse artillery, the new arm for the French artillery that was organized in 1792; and mountain artillery, light guns broken down and, with their ammunition, loaded and carried on pack mules. This study is thorough, accurate, easy to read and use, and it one of the best in the Osprey series.
The technical drawings in color are excellent. They show the range of the Gribeauval system as well as showing the 6-pounder of the System of AN XI (of which there is a full explanantion in the text-the second artillery system covered in the booklet). It is the best explanation of that newer system I have ever read about, and it explains in detail the advantages and shortcomings of that adjunct system to Gribeauval's system of artillery. The only shortcoming of the volume is the last drawing in color which is very poor. It is a print on the gun crew, and the quality of the art work, quite frankly, is not up to the quality of the rest of the booklet. It is inconceivable to me that the author would have voluntarily accepted this for this volume because of his consistent high standards and I do wonder why Osprey published it. It is completely substandard, and is the one blemish in this otherwise superb volume.
This is the best of the new artillery volumes that Osprey is just publishing, though all the artillery volumes are worthwhile. It is highly recommended for any and all enthusiasts of the period and is more than suitable for a reference work. It is well done, reliable, and full of excellent information. If you don't own it, or at least read it, you are missing out on one of the best books on artillery now on the market. Again, if it is written by Rene Chartrand, buy it immediately.
Rating: 4
Summary: Lots on Gribeauval, Less on Tactics
Comment: Rene Chartrand, author of so many excellent Osprey volumes, begins his two-volume study of French artillery in the Napoleonic Wars with an examination of French artillery in the period 1792-1815. As usual, Chartrand deftly weaves together historical facts and personal insights to create a cogent overview of the subject at hand. In this case, Chartrand has a lot of ground to cover in less than 48 pages and the Vanguard format appears to have cramped his style. Although this volume is good, it is not great, and size constraints seem to be the culprit. Nevertheless, if you are a Napoleonic enthusiast then this is a good reference volume to have on one's shelf.
Napoleon's Guns 1792-1815 (1) begins with a short section on French artillery in the 18th Century and then rapidly moves into a lengthy discussion of the Gribeauval reforms of 1765. Indeed, a large chunk of the volume focuses on the Gribeauval system and I was surprised to learn just how extensive these reforms were once implemented. Most sources only mention Gribeauval's standardization of French artillery calibers, but he also improved artillery limbers, caissons, and ancillary equipment. Yet the most important Gribeauval reform was the quantitative increases; a typical French field army had its artillery support increased from 60 to 160 medium caliber cannon. Chartrand notes that Napoleon was very lucky to rise to prominence at a point when the French artillery had marked quantitative and qualitative advantages over all its opponents. Indeed, Napoleon recognized the value of the new field artillery and made it the centerpiece of his Grande Armée.
Chartrand does spend some time discussing the horse artillery units and the artillery trains (both interesting sections), as well as the regimental 4-pounder guns. However, there is no real discussion of the organization of different types of French field batteries or how a battery was commanded in combat. Supply issues are sidestepped. Chartrand does have sections on the paint schemes of the artillery, a brief section on ammunition and notes on artillery in the Imperial Period. Although the title suggests that coverage begins in 1792, there is virtually no mention of French artillery before 1800 in this volume. The color illustrations accompanying this volume are quite good: a 12 pounder field gun; a 6-inch howitzer; a caisson; and 8-pounder with limber and tools; a limber; a 6 pounder; and a 4-pounder in action.
Certainly the oddest omission is the almost total lack of information about the performance characteristics of the Gribeauval artillery pieces. There is only a single brief chart that lists typical ranges for ball, canister and grape ammunition, but this chart does not mention charges. Any artillerymen knows that different charges will affect the range that can be achieved, but Chartrand never discusses this important subject in this volume. Essentially, Chartrand used up most of the space in this volume discussing the Gribeauval system and artillery design issues, leaving precious little space for discussing relevant tactical issues. While I did learn a lot of interesting aspects of the Gribeauval system that are not always apparent, this volume is not very useful for understanding how the French employed their artillery in combat.
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Title: Austrian Napoleonic Artillery 1792-1815 (New Vanguard 72) by David Hollins, Brian Delf ISBN: 184176499X Publisher: Osprey Pub Co Pub. Date: June, 2003 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: British Napoleonic Artillery 1793-1815: Field Artillery (New Vanguard, 60) by Chris Henry, Brian Delf ISBN: 1841764760 Publisher: Osprey Pub Co Pub. Date: November, 2002 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: British Napoleonic Artillery 1793-1815 (2): Siege and Coastal Artillery (New Vanguard, 65) by Chris Henry, Brian Delf ISBN: 1841764779 Publisher: Osprey Pub Co Pub. Date: February, 2003 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: Napoleon's Gun 1792-1815 (2): Heavy and Siege Artillery by Rene Chartrand, Ray Hutchins ISBN: 1841764604 Publisher: Osprey Pub Co Pub. Date: June, 2003 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: Prussian Staff & Specialist Troops1791-1815 (Men at Arms, 381) by Peter Hofschroer, Christa Hook ISBN: 1841763446 Publisher: Osprey Pub Co Pub. Date: January, 2003 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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