As
one would expect with the Emperor, Napoleon
Bonaparte, being a former artillery officer, France's cannons
made up the backbone of the ground forces.
The
French guns were generally used in massed batteries to soften
up enemy formations before being subjected to the closer attention
of the infantry or cavalry.
Superb
gun-crew training allowed Bonaparte to move the weapons at great
speed to either bolster a weakening defensive position, or else
hammer a potential break in enemy lines.
In
general, French guns were 4-pounders, 8-pounders or 12-pounders,
with the lighter calibres being phased out and replaced by 6-pounders
later in the wars.
French
cannons had brass barrels and their carriages, wheels and limbers
were painted olive-green.
Ranges
Crews
Firing Sequence
Ammunition
