French Leave

Today's contribution to Dave's ‘Season of Scenery’ is a modest affair, though perhaps no less useful for that; this time a wrecked French baggage wagon. Before building this little wagon I confess I knew remarkably little about French military transport. Like so many things connected with Napoleon's armies, however, it turns out there was rather more thought behind it than first appears. The Gribeauval system is usually remembered for revolutionising French artillery, introducing standardised guns, limbers and equipment that were lighter, more mobile and considerably easier to maintain in the field. Less celebrated, though no less important, was the influence this standardisation had upon the army's wagons and logistics. Uniform dimensions, interchangeable parts and carefully organised transport meant Napoleon's armies could often march further and faster than their opponents; a rather useful quality when one has ambitions of conquering Europe!

This offering began life as 'Warbases' excellent French Baggage Wagon No. 2, found amongst their Napoleonic carts and limbers range. Rather than building it as intended, I fancied turning it into something a little more theatrical; an abandoned wagon that might serve equally well as an objective marker, an encounter piece or simply a little storytelling vignette on the tabletop.

The conversion itself was thankfully straightforward. A couple of broken wheels, the wagon deliberately canted over at an awkward angle and the unfortunate accident of a shattered tongue, which I quietly replaced with plastic strip before pretending it had always been part of the plan, immediately suggested a vehicle abandoned in considerable haste. Mounted upon one of 'Warbases' scenic pond bases, together with scattered crates, discarded equipment and just enough skulls and opportunistic crows to remind everyone that this is The Silver Bayonet, the whole thing came together rather more quickly than expected.

Looking at it now, I rather like to imagine the story behind it. Was it abandoned by fleeing soldiers? Did the horses bolt? Or did something emerge from the surrounding woods that persuaded the escort to leave everything exactly where it lay? Happily, the answer can change with every game.  This also goes someway to explaining just how remarkably clean it is too.  A fun little piece to do, great value for money and  useful objective marker to have in the game.