Napoleon's - Karatunov.net

Heavy CavalryCarabiniersThe corps of Carabiniers, originally raised by LouisXIV as heavy cavalry armed with rifled carbines,consisted of two regiments of 820 men each at thetime of the Empire. They were considered the elite ofthe heavy cavalry.Uniform: blue coat with blue piped red colhlr, redcuffs, lapels and rurnback with white grenades, redepaulettes with the strap edged white, red cuff flaps forthe 1st Regiment, blue piped red for the 2nd; pewterbuttons; white waistcoat; buff breeches; high boots;black bearskin cap, white cords, red patch with whitecross, red plume, white metal chin scales from 1809;yellow-buff belts edged white; white gauntlet gloves;blue cloaks; blue housings with double white lace,white grenade, white sheepskin edged red. "''hite longgaiters for service on foot; blue overalls for undress.Armed with a dragoon musket with bayonet andsword. The regiments rode black horses, trumpetersgreys.Trumpeters: reversed colours, red coat with redcollar, blue edged silver cuffs, lapels and turnbacks,silver and blue epaulettes. Other items as above.On 24 December 1809, the uniform was orderedchanged by Napoleon but it took over a year toreplace.the old uniforms, which the men loved, witll aflamboyant new dress finally in wear by 1811: whitecoatee, single breasted, with blue piped white collarand turnbacks, white grenades on rurnbacks, red pipedwhite cuffs and white piped sky blue cuff flaps for tile1st Regiment, sky blue piped white cuffs and cuff flapsfor 2nd Regiment, red epaulettes with strap edgedwhite; pewter buttons; white sleeveless waistcoat; buffbreeches; sky blue stable jacket; grey overalls; highboots; brass helmet with white metal comb, chin scalesand plate, red caterpillar crest; brass cuirass with frontand back plate edged with white metal trim fixed withbrass rivets, blue lining piped white; white cloak; skyblue housings with double white lace. Officers hadsilver metal and epaulettes; their cuirass and helmetswere red-copper and silver plated with a silver sunbadge with a gold circle bearing a star on the upperfront plate; blue cloaks; sky blue housings with doublesilver lace, silver grenade, white sheepskin edged sl.:yblue.Trumpeters from 1811: for 1st Regiment, sl.:y blueRight.Chef d'escadron Tarbe, 2nd Carabiniers Regiment, 1807-1810.Print after portrait.Opposite.NCO Marteau, 1st Carabiniers Regiment, c. 1809. Print aftercontemporary self portrait.66 Heavy CavahyHeavy Cavahy 67