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The "Big Brothers" of French troops in Spain. Guard Coraceros

D uring the War of First Coalition, the French cavalry regiment had only inherited cuirassier Guard of Louis XVI. Since 1801 a series of decrees were becoming heavy cavalry regiments of armed horsemen. The heavy cavalry was the aliases of "regiments of steel" and "big brothers". Their charges were earth-shaking and were overwhelming. Its main use was them against the enemy lines to disrupt the infantry, artillery take ("password") or face the cavalry. Their trajectories sweeping generated impressive scrum which expired on generating more force at impact or better resisting the momentum of the opponent.

cuirassiers The uniform was fixed in 1805. Consisted of metal helmet adorned with a black mane and a red pen, blue jacket with epaulets imperial red, silver in the case of officers, and turns the color of the regiment, metal shell, white pants deer or lamb leather and high boots black leather.

The shell was composed of two parts held together by a leather belt set, and two epaulettes, also leather, decorated with scales. Along the edges of two plates had a thickness of copper piping. Two pieces of quilted fabric and edged red on white tunic friction protected with armor.

All regiments wore the same armor, not so with the helmets depending on the regiment's crest ornaments, their inclination and height of the pump. In the case of the officers was very similar to that of the troops differentiated by the greatest care in its preparation.

Colors neck and cuffs were red for the first six regiments, yellow straw for those between the seventh and the twelfth and garnet for the last two. The buttons were decorated with the regimental number.

original armament consisted cuirassiers two pistols and a saber XI model year with the metal sheath. The straight blade having a length of 97 cm, with the sword reached a total length of 120 cm. In 1805 an attempt was made to equip them with rifles Austrian who refused. In 1812 received a musket and bayonet.

The leather strap was stained white. The black leather pouch, adorned with a golden grenade.

In Spain, its shares began on the same May 2, 1808, where riders of a ^er and 2nd Provisional Regiment Cuirassiers French entered the gates of Madrid and Toledo from Atocha The Carabancheles, where they were placed waiting for orders. To meet the locals, who came to meet with the intent to hinder their passage, they were forced to make more of a burden.

The women left the rider approached the front so that after making a cut toward the free hand of the sword, take the helm, tips snipped in the belly of the hack and bring down the cuirassier. From the ground seemed to equalize the differences.

also jump in the back to embed the blade in the gaps left uncovered breastplates, showed agility and courage of the defenders of the city gates.

Following their participation in the Madrid massacre, the 1st Provisional Coraceros Reg went to Valladolid to protect the communications line between Castile and France. Yes, accompanied by a large contingent of Imperial Guard.

The 2nd Regiment Provisional Coraceros be directed towards Andalusia. These were the armed horsemen who participate in the Battle of Bailen, and would suffer the first defeat of a French army in the open, nothing less than by the English army maligned and undervalued.

The Provisional Regiments were composed of forces belonging to other regiments stable. For example: 2 Coraceros Provisional Regiment was composed of cuirassiers 5 th, 9 º, 10 º, 11 º and 12 º. The same occurred with the 1st Regiment.

Many others were the units of heavy cavalry during the War of Independence, including to provide Coraceros English armor and weapons to complete their own unit. But this was the beginning of the history of this body armor in his participation in the War of Independence, Napoleonic power icon of the era. Reding himself showed his pierced armor soldiers to dispel the legend of impenetrable.

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This regiment was formed in 1653 as one of oldest regiments of the French cavalry. In 1725 was renamed "stanislas-roi" and in 1737 changing name with "royal - pologne." Finally in 1791 it was called 5 th Cavalry Regiment. In 1803 the regiment adopted the name of cuirassiers be one of the last to receive these shells. In 1805 took part in the battle of Austerlitz, in 1806 participated in the campaign in Prussia and in 1807 met the Russians at Eylau losing their division chief Gen. D 'Hautpoul. In 1808 were sent to Spain, returning to join the Grande Armée in the Russian invasion in 1812, fought in 1813 in Leipzig and finally in 1815 took part in the disastrous charge against the English charts, being defeated and dissolved.