ROFUR-FLAGS - 1/72 as
well as 1/32
high quality
Banners, Flags, Standards and Guidons
HÄT
8001 Napoleonic French Mamelukes
1805.
HÄT
8013 Napoleonic French Horse Grenadiers.
1803
a body of Mamelukes was attached to the Imperial Guard. These
men, deriving from Syrian and Coptic Mameluke warriors who had fought
in the Orient Army together with the French, were dressed and armed
like orientals. 9 officers and 144 men, they covered themselves
with glory at Austerlitz and were granted a flag of their own in
1805.
In 1813 the Mamelukes had grown to a squadron strength
of 250 men, but only a part of those wearing the oriental costume
still were actually North African. 1814 the Mamelukes as such seemed
to have been disbanded.
1815 they were re-established as a Mameluke
squadron of the Imperial Guard and attached to the Chasseurs a Cheval
de la Garde.
The horse grenadiers already
existing since 1799, became the Grenadiers a Cheval de la Garde
Imperiale in 1804. Having a strenght of more than 1.000 troopers
within the following years, no more than 127 men should return from
the Great Army 1812 campaign. Then, brought to full strenght again,
the regiment was disbanded 1814, but re-established after Napoleon´s
return from Elba.
Information
concerning flags.
French Cavalry
Flags ("standards") 1804-1815
French flags were basically the same design for all regiments. The only difference were sizes for infantry, cavalry and artillery and in some cases for the guard. Also the regimental numbers and the names of battles in which the individual regiment had taken part differed.
When Napoleon
became Emperor of France, new flags with red and
blue corners were handed out to the each squadron in
1804, reduced to 1 per regiment (carried in the 1st squadron)
in 1808.
In 1811 the tricolore flag had been introduced to the army, some regiments of the Grande Armee got them in time for the 1812 campaign, others continued to fly their old 1804 pattern.
Flag-staves were dark blue and topped by a gilded eagle and, with the 1812 pattern, a tricoloured cravat with golden fringe and golden cords and tassels. The eagle was carried by an officer.
From 1806 on those tropps which did not fight in closed formation like hussars, chasseurs a cheval and light infantry should leave their flags in garrison befor departure to campaign. Nevertheless many of them carried their flags in the field.
1815 Napoleon had to hand out new flags to his troops, which were somewhat larger and of a lighter red and blue than the previous patterns.
More detailed informations
on French Napoleonic flags can be found in:
FLAGS AND STANDARDS OF THE
NAPOLEONIC WARS, Keith Over, Bivouac Books Ltd, first published
1976.
FLAGS OF THE NAPOLEONIC WARS (1), Terence Wise / Guido
Rosignoli, Osprey Men-at-arms-series Nr. 77, first published 1978.
1/72
ROFUR-FLAGS French
Flags Napoleonic Wars list.
1/72
ROFUR-FLAGS French
Flags Waterloo list.
ROFUR-FLAGS 1/72 series
sheets contain
the following flags that could be used with
HÄT
8001 Napoleonic French Mamelukes
1805.
HÄT
8013 Napoleonic French Horse Grenadiers.
1/72-116: France, Great Army 1812 (2)
Mamelukes, Imperial Guard 1805-1813 pattern standard.
1/72-120: France 1804-1814 (3)
Grenadiers à Cheval of
Imperial Guard 1813-1814 pattern standard.
Mamelukes of
Imperial Guard 1813-1814 pattern standard.
1/72-107 Waterloo 1815 (3)
French Army.
Grenadiers
a cheval of Imperial Guard, 1815 pattern standard.
