#8345 AWI British Artillery

The Royal Regiment of Artillery was one of the British Army's permanent professional corps and served throughout the American War of Independence. In North America, rough roads, forests and broken terrain made heavy artillery difficult to move, so the relatively light and versatile 6-pounder became one of the most commonly used British field guns. Lighter pieces could also accompany infantry, while heavier guns were employed in fortifications and sieges

Box front:

This set contains Royal Artillery crews in regulation uniform and include a useful selection of men performing the different duties required to serve a cannon. Their equipment includes a sponge, handspikes, linstock, ammunition bag and bucket, while one figure has an open hand that can hold a choice of separate tools: a rammer and sponge, wad hook, powder ladle or crooked handspike. This variety allows each crew to be arranged at a different stage in the loading, firing or repositioning of its gun.

Test sprue:

The cannon represents the British 6-pounder, a natural choice for campaigning in America. It has the standard double-bracket carriage and two small ammunition boxes mounted on the axletree, one on either side of the barrel. These boxes carried a limited emergency supply of ammunition for use if the main ammunition wagons or boxes could not be reached. The model is assembled from the carriage, barrel, two wheels and the two ammunition boxes, combining straightforward construction with a good representation of the most familiar British field piece of the war.

Digitized scans of the figures

Painted figures

Line drawings:

Size testing:

Sprue set up

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