#8311 Napoleonic Naval Cannon and Crew

British sailors played an important role far beyond the decks of the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. Ships regularly sent armed parties ashore to attack coastal positions, reinforce troops, destroy enemy installations, seize boats and supplies, or help defend ports and landing places. These naval detachments could operate with remarkable independence and often brought their own small guns with them.

A ship's company was trained for much more than simply handling sails. Sailors worked the vessel's cannon, maintained weapons and equipment, manned boats and took part in boarding actions. When sent ashore, these same skills made them useful as improvised artillerymen, infantry and assault troops.

Box cover and back.

Small naval guns could also be landed from a ship and used ashore. Light cannon mounted on portable field carriages gave sailors valuable firepower during raids, sieges and the defence of temporary positions. Because naval crews were already thoroughly accustomed to serving guns at sea, they could quickly adapt to operating the same weapons on land.

Sprues

British naval landing parties were active throughout the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. They took part in operations along the coasts of France, Spain, the Mediterranean and the wider colonial world. Sailors could cooperate with soldiers during formal amphibious expeditions or conduct smaller raids directly from their ships.

During the Peninsular War, the Royal Navy supported operations along the Spanish and Portuguese coasts, moving troops and supplies, maintaining communications and threatening French-held ports. Naval personnel also fought ashore in numerous smaller actions that rarely appear among the famous land battles of the period.

The figures in this set represent British sailors as a naval gun crew and are posed specifically for serving the guns. The two cannon supplied with the set allow a naval landing battery or shore party to be created without requiring a separate artillery crew.

The guns are especially useful for representing weapons temporarily landed from a ship. They can be placed beside boats, fortifications, docks or improvised shore positions.

This set can be combined with our British Marines to create a complete Royal Navy landing force. Marines supplied disciplined military troops accustomed to service aboard warships, while sailors provided manpower, boat crews, artillery specialists and armed seamen.