#8302 Napoleonic Spanish Line Infantry
Dated: October 24, 2012.
Spanish line infantry formed the main body of the army that resisted Napoleon during the Peninsular War. Although the popular image of the conflict often focuses on guerrillas, the regular Spanish Army fought continuously from 1808 onward and played a major part in the struggle against French occupation.
The ordinary infantrymen of the line were fusiliers. They made up the majority of each battalion and fought in close-order formations with musket and bayonet. Their duties included delivering volleys, holding defensive positions, advancing in line or column and supporting the grenadier and light infantry companies attached to the regiment.
Box art
The figures in this set wear the regulation uniform introduced in 1805. It consisted of a short-tailed coatee with squared lapels closed to the waist, together with waistcoat, breeches, gaiters and the traditional bicorne. This was the official appearance of Spanish line infantry at the outbreak of the Peninsular War.
The 1805 uniform was relatively simple compared with some earlier styles, but regimental distinctions were still shown through facing colors and other details. This gives the modeller considerable scope to represent different Spanish regiments through painting while using the same basic figures.
Line drawings
Each fusilier carried a musket and socket bayonet. The cartridge pouch was worn on the right hip and the bayonet on the left, both suspended from shoulder belts. In actual campaign conditions many soldiers would also have carried water bottles, blankets, packs and other personal equipment, although the appearance of these items varied greatly from one unit to another.
The outbreak of war in 1808 placed enormous strain on the Spanish military system. Existing regiments suffered heavy losses, new formations were raised rapidly and supplies of regulation clothing and equipment became increasingly difficult to maintain. As the war continued, Spanish infantry appeared in an ever greater mixture of uniforms, locally supplied clothing and British equipment.
Test shot (may go through substantial revisions prior to release.)
Despite these difficulties, Spanish regular infantry achieved important successes. At Bailen in July 1808, a Spanish army defeated and forced the surrender of a French corps, one of the first major battlefield defeats suffered by Napoleon's forces. Spanish infantry later fought at battles such as Talavera, Ocana, Albuera and many other actions throughout the long Peninsular War.
This set contains 48 figures in eight poses. The fusiliers are shown marching, standing, advancing, firing and loading, providing the basic positions needed to form both battlefield units and troops on the move. Because officers, grenadiers and other specialists are provided in separate sets, this box concentrates on the ordinary rank-and-file fusiliers who formed the bulk of a Spanish battalion.
The figures are especially suitable for the early years of the Peninsular War, when the regulation 1805 uniform was still relatively common. As the conflict continued, the increasing variety of Spanish dress means that these figures can also be mixed with differently painted troops and other sets to create the more irregular appearance of later campaigns.
This set can be combined with our Spanish Grenadiers, Spanish Light Infantry and Spanish Command to build a much more complete Spanish infantry force. Together, the four sets provide the fusiliers, elite troops, skirmishers, officers, musicians and standard bearers needed to represent the regular Spanish armies that fought Napoleon from 1808 onward.