French 1870-1871 Artillery

Well, the Fonderie de Bullion has been working overtime to increase the artillery strength of the 15th Loire Corps of the Republique de France.  Originally founded by Mestre-de-Ordinance Jacques Riviere, Comte de Bullion ( J R Bullion ) in the 1760s to answer the improvements in artillery made by the Austrians and Prussians, the foundry has continued to provide  artillery pieces to the French army, even during the dark days of the war with the Germans.

Please click on each image for a larger picture.

The 2nd Division, 15th Loire Corps obtained their two light artillery batteries.  All of the gunners are from Foundry Miniatures and were bought already painted.  The guns are Old Glory ACW Union Napoleons "masquerading" as French guns because I cannot locate reasonable priced French guns.

The 4th Light Battery of six 4-lbr canon de campagne de 4 La Hitte.
In the "Chassepot and Needlegun" rules, each battery of 6 pieces has three guns and six gunners.

The 5th Light Battery of six 4-lbr canon de campagne de 4 La Hitte.

These two batteries have joined the 6th Mitrailleuse Battery to complete the division's direct support artillery complement.

The 15th Loire Corps has gained a fourth battery, this one manned by gunners from the French fleet at Toulon.  The gunners are Askari Miniatures French naval gunners and the guns are Falcon Miniatures.

The Naval Battery has six 85mm canon de campagne de 7 de Reffye modèle 1870.

This battery has joined the 7th and 8th Heavy Batteries (also similarly equipped) and the 9th Mitrailleuse (Gatling) Battery in the corps artillery.  

That leaves one one battery to go, the 10th Light Battery a cheval which will be raised as soon as funds are available to obtain the guns and gunners.

P.S.  I hope that by now you've guessed that the Fonderie de Bullion is "imaginary" and based on one of my imagi-nations 18th Century Gallian commanders.  It is fun to be able to cross over between imagi-nations in an earlier century and the "real-world" in a later century.