French Napoleonic Line Infantry in Greatcoats, 1809–1815

A very simple conversion. French Grenadiers in greatcoats receive new heads with the typical line infantry shako.

Line infantry is the most frequently needed troop type in the Napoleonic Wars. Surprisingly, line infantry has been somewhat neglected by plastic figure manufacturers. Grenadiers and Voltigeurs of the line are not available anywhere, they need to be converted from suitable Old Guard Grenadiers.

French infantry battalions of the line consisted of nine, later six companies with 120 men each, four center companies of fusiliers, one company of grenadiers and one of voltigeurs, light infantry. Line grenadiers wore red fringed epaulettes, voltigeurs had green epaulettes with yellow edging. The fusiliers wore shoulder straps in the colour of the greatcoat. The grenadiers pictured on the left have kept their old bearskin bonnets, despite the regulation requiring them to wear shakos with red pompom and red cords. The voltigeurs in the foreground wear the shako with yellow pompom, but campaign-style, without cords.

Revell Guard Grenadiers have their heads removed exactly above the collar (the two men from the grenadier company may keep their bearskin bonnets if you wish). Remove heads with shakos from Airfix or ESCI line infantry and mount them on the grenadier figures using short pieces of pianowire to support the new head on each torso. Finally, the fringed epaulettes need to be carved off the fusilier figures, leaving only a small shoulder strap.

Required Parts

• French Guard Grenadiers, Revell
• French Line Infantry, Airfix
• 0.3 mm Pianowire

The miniatures pictured above may be from any French line infantry regiment:

• Grey or grey brown coat
• White or grey trousers
• White crossbelts
• Black shako with brass badge, without cords when on campaign
• Kokade on the shako white/red/blue
• Pompom in company colour: 1st green, 2nd light blue, 3rd orange yellow and 4th violet
• Grenadiers: Red fringed epaulettes, red pompom and cords on shako
• Voltigeurs: Green fringed epaulettes with yellow trim, yellow pompom and cords
• Calfskin knapsack

Bibliography

• Haythornthwaite, Philip: Uniforms of Waterloo in Colour, plate 62
• Förster, Hoch, Müller: Uniformen europäischer Armeen, Plate 44

French line infantry uniforms of this type were worn by most allied nations. Painted differently, these figures can be used for German, Swiss, Italian and Neapolitan troops in French service.

Converting Miniatures