France's first hunting party
At that time, most of the infantry were equipped with large-caliber muskets, and the principle and structure of muskets in different countries were not much different. 1740 land mode rifle imported from Britain, with a barrel length of 46 inches (1 17cm) and a caliber of 0.75 inches (19mm). After the seven-year war, the barrel was shortened to 42 inches (107cm) and the caliber remained unchanged. After the outbreak of the war with France, due to the lack of a stable source of raw materials, Britain turned to the East India Company and produced a large number of "Indian model" rifles. By 1797, this 39-inch (99 cm) barrel musket had become the standard equipment of the British army. The huge output not only met the needs of the British army, but also equipped the countries of the anti-French alliance. 1802, the British arms department introduced a new type of rifle, but only equipped with a small number of troops. Although the accuracy is not good, the British musket system is still very popular with the army and is called "Brownbeth" by the soldiers.
Grenadier is a branch of European army in the middle of17th century, which originally refers to infantry who can throw grenades in the army. At that time, grenades were about the same size and weight as small shells, so it was necessary to choose soldiers with superior arm strength among infantry to throw them. In the battle, these soldiers need to throw grenades at the enemy on their own front. Therefore, in the European army, the title of grenadier is regarded as an honorary title in recognition of soldiers' heroic combat performance, which also shows that grenadier is the elite and outstanding among infantry. Grenadiers were originally regarded as siege infantry, throwing iron balls full of gunpowder. Grenadiers must be tall and strong, able to throw grenades at the target position, or at least throw them far enough to avoid hurting their companions. However, with the evolution of tactics and technology, grenadiers later developed into an excellent infantry regiment.
During the Napoleonic period, the bayonet of musket was a triangular iron with a length of 15 to 18 inches (38 ~ 45 cm) and edges on three sides. When mounting the bayonet, put the handle on the muzzle and tighten the screw to fix it. When not in use, the bayonet will be put into a special scabbard.
Because the French vertical array is very flexible and has great tactical value. Compared with the rigid horizontal team, the commander of vertical array can mobilize a considerable number of troops on the battlefield with faster speed and better command mode. Especially in mountainous terrain, the combat effect of vertical array is better than that of horizontal array. It can be easily converted into different formations, especially it takes much less time to convert a marching longitudinal array into an attacking longitudinal array than a linear array. When sending skirmishers to harass the enemy, two or three rows of horizontal lines and square teams can be quickly formed without major adjustments to the vertical formation, and fire attacks can be carried out on the enemy. In addition, there is no need to keep close contact between the two wings of each part of the team as in the past. When the battle is going on, the tactical pattern is open, so it becomes more lively. Napoleon I adopted a combination of skirmisher and column formation, which improved the column tactics.
When fighting, we should concentrate our forces at a decisive time and place, maneuver in a timely manner, divide them into converging attacks, first slam the other side with artillery fire, and then suddenly attack the selected main locations, and constantly strengthen the assault force from the depth. Once the attack is successful, the cavalry will quickly expand the results, and timely put into the reserve team to destroy each other.