A Foray into Napoleonic Wargaming
RHA Rocket Troop
A short pause in painting the French, but staying with blue jackets, with a British Royal Horse Artillery rocket troop.
Congreve rockets first saw operational service in 1805 by the navy. Rockets were classed by weight, with 32-pr and 16-pr being the most common. The 32-pdr rockets were used for bombardment purposes, whilst the 16-pr were used as field pieces. The Royal Navy were the main users, and the Royal Marine Artillery became experts in their use.
The Royal Artillery were reluctant to become involved with rockets, but came under pressure from the Prince Regent to incorporate them. Various rocket detachments served as part of the RHA in the Peninsula War, eventually forming 1st and 2nd Rocket Troops in 1815. The foot artillery were never involved with rockets.
The rocket brigade were the only British troops that fought in the Battle of Nations at Leipzig in 1813, detached to serve with the Swedish army.
These models are from a new range of 18mm Napoleonics, Fizzer Johnson’s Men of Metal, and are very nice sculpts. They fit in well alongside AB, and have a good level of detail. Will definitely be adding a few more from this range to my collection.
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