Napoleons Field Cannon

Description of the Product

The Canon de 12 Gribeauval was a French cannon, an artillery piece used in all the campaigns throughout the Napoleonic wars. It was the heaviest cannon in the French field artillery, manned by a crew of 15 and drawn by 6 horses. These guns were first used during the American Revolutionary War, but the greatest use of the Gribeauval cannons came during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars.

Before his rise to power, Napoleon had been an artilleryman, and his subsequent success was in no small part thanks to his preference for using the Gribeauval system which was arguably the best artillery system in Europe at that time. As field artillery became the decisive element on many battlefields, the quick, mobile and destructive force made possible by the 12-pounder Gribeauvald contributed to a majority of Napoleon’s victories. The cannons made the most frightening sound when discharged, and because of their physical and psychological effect, Napoleon called these cannons his belles filles (beautiful daughters).

• Made of cast metal
• Ideal for collectors of historical memorabilia, and as decoration
• Length: 17 cm
• Weight: 470 g
• Manufacturer: Denix, Spain