by George Grasse

HISTOREX 1:32 SCALE PLASITIC KIT OF THE FRENCH 4-WHEEL FIELD FORGE

HISTOREX BOX ART

This image of the kit's "box art" shows the completed stand-alone 4-wheel campaign field forge caisson available as a stand-alone model under the item number 741000 (GC741).  The  complete unit of the forge, a four-horse team and  two conducteurs is item number HX3324.

 

FRENCH NAPOLEONIC AMMUNITION CAISSON DRAWINGS

These two images come from the Historex kit and are absolutely necessary to assemble the 4-whell campaign forge.  Several sprues cover the model but the individual parts are not numbered and sometimes don't exactly match the schematic.

 

FRENCH NAPOLEONIC 4-WHEEL CAMPAIGN FORGE IMAGE

This image is taken from Artillery 1786-1815 The Gribeauval System, Volume II, page 42.  All of the images in this series are rendered by Andre Jouineau.  See also the references.

 

FINISHED PHOTO No. 1

This photo of the right side completed model shows from left to right the rear tool box, the bellows, the firebox, and the forward tool box.  All mounted units and horse drawn vehicles were subject to constant maintenance and replacement from horse shoes to small metal components all of which were manufactured on the spot in the field.

 

FINISHED PHOTO No. 2

Each battery of six cannon and two howitzers usually had two campaign field forges.  Additional forges were attached to mounted units and higher echelons from division up.

 

FINISHED PHOTO No. 3

This overhead view provides another view of the components of the forge.  Note the four swingel trees attached to the limber.  Additional vehicles in the form of wagons carried iron materials in various shapes and sizes.

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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