13th Cuirassiers

Originally part of the 3rd Regiment, in 1807 a detachment was sent to Spain where it was combined with detachments from the 1st and 2nd Cuirassiers and the 1st and 2nd Carabiniers to form the 1st Provisional Heavy Cavalry (designated the 13th Cuirassiers at the end of 1808), operating exclusively in the east against mainly Spanish opposition. 

From 1809 on it left the peninsular and served in the battles of Eckmühl, Essling, Wagram, Ostrowono, Smolensk, Borodino, Dresden, Liebertwolkwitz, Leipzig, Champaubert, Fère-Champenoise.


During the First Restoration (1814), the regiment was named the Régiment de Cuirassiers du Dauphin. With the return of Napoleon I in 1815, the regiment was renamed 3eme Régiment de Cuirassiers. It fought at Ligny and Waterloo. It was disbanded with the Second Restoration on 25 November.

 I've kept it simple and gone for the uniform as shown on the Perry's painting guide (supplied with the models).

I must admit I did the horses with only the most basic washes.  This was the first time I tried painting the riders separately, but it made the job marginally easier, and I will probably do it more frequently in future.  Odd that I never had before!

It's my first Napoleonic unit in months, but with a big game and a show coming up in June, I'm looking forward to getting some horse and musket action going again.