by George Grasse

HISTOREX 1:32 SCALE PLASITIC KIT OF THE FRENCH AMMUNITION CAISSON

HISTOREX BOX ART

This image of the kit's "box art" shows the completed caisson available as a stand-alone model under the item number 676000 (GC676) or available as a complete unit with the caisson, four-horses, and two conducteurs as item number HX3302 (HX30302).

 

FRENCH NAPOLEONIC AMMUNITION CAISSON DRAWINGS

This image comes from the Historex kit to assemble the ammunition caisson.  Several sprues cover the model but the individual parts are not numbered and sometimes don't exactly match the schematic. A separate sheet is included covering the wheels.

 

FRENCH NAPOLEONIC AMMUNITION CAISSON IMAGE

This image is taken from Artillery 1786-1815 The Gribeauval System, Volume II, page 47.  All of the images in this series are rendered by Andre Jouineau.  See also the references.

 

FINISHED PHOTO No. 1

This version of the French Napoleonic Ammunition Caisson shows the storage of 8-Pounder cannon ammunition.  Solid shot is stored on the left.  Cannister rounds with the flat tops are stored on the right.

 

FINISHED PHOTO No. 2

Each cannon in a battery had one dedicated caisson.  The battery as a whole had an additional caisson for each cannon.  Note the spare wheel and implements.

 

FINISHED PHOTO No. 3

The hinged cover was water-proof.  Additional caissons carried at the division and corps level carried not only ammunition for the different cannon calibers (typically 4, 8, 12-pounders) but also howitzer and infantry musket ammunition.  Napoleon maintained at least 300 rounds of cannon ammunition per gun when traveling on campaign.  This was supplemented by the storage of as much as 300 rounds per cannon in depots along the line of march.

REFERENCES:

Chartrand, Rene, illustrated by Ray Hutchins.  Napoleon's Guns, 1792-1815 (1) Field Artillery, New Vanguard No. 66. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing, 2003.

Letrun, Ludovic and Jean-Marie Mongin, Images bu Andre Jouineau.  Officers and Soldiers of French Artillery and the Gribeauval System, 1786-1815, 3 volumes.  Paris, France: Histoire & Collections, 2015.

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