The first entry in my sketchbook is ironically enough, not by me, but by my brother. This is his depiction of a rail gun, a futuristic electromagnetic gun. A large rail gun is currently being developed by the United States Navy. But the weapon has run into two problems.
First, after firing rounds at such high velocities, a stream of plasma forms behind the projectile, due to air friction. which causes extreme wear and tear in the weapon making them good for only a limited number of shots. Second, the portable power sources able providing the electromagnetic energy have not yet been developed. The technology is currently only suited for a large nuclear powered ship. However, if weapons developers can find materials capable of conducting at that level of electric current efficiently and able to withstand the wear and tear of plasma generated from firing projectiles at hypersonic speed, it would be possible to make this weapon.
The next entry, and the first entry that is actually by me is the British Army’s 2nd Foot Guards, known
as the Coldstream Guards, pictured in 1801, at the start of the Napoleonic
Wars.
The
Coldstream Guards are part of the household division, seven elite regiments(six
during the Napoleonic Wars), which serve as the personal guards of the Royal
Household. Ironically enough, the Coldstream Guards
were raised for service in Oliver Cromwell’s army during the English Civil War. However, after his death, their commander
defected back to the Royalist side and marched into England through the
Scottish village of Coldstream, and the name stuck.
As with any of my unit entries, I prefer to
start with the commanding officer. The first sketch is of the Regimental
colonel and his adjutant. Notice that they are both mounted, in the
Napoleonic era, all infantry officers with rank of major or above and adjutants
were mounted.In fact, following this tradition, British
infantry officers with rank of major or above and adjutants are authorized to
wear riding breeches and boots with their dress uniforms.These officers are sporting the Hungarian
Hussar style boots, which became enormously popular throughout Napoleonic
Europe and adopted by the British infantry and light cavalry officers.
Also notice the epaulettes. Officers with rank of Major and above were
also distinguishable by their pair of epaulettes, while the officers with rank
of captain and below only wore one epaulette over their right shoulder.
This is a captain, dismounted with
only one epaulette over his right shoulder. You can then see the rank and file. A British line or guard infantry regiment
consisted of two or three battalions, and each battalion consisted of ten
companies: eight center, one grenadier, and one light.
Soldiers of the three companies are
pictured here. The first enlisted soldier portrayed is a
center company sergeant. While the officers were armed with swords
and the lower ranks muskets, the sergeants of the center and grenadier
companies carried pikes, which were equipped with a crossbar to
prevent the pike from impaling an opponent. For this and other reasons, the Napoleonic
era is considered one of civilized warfare.
Next is one of his subordinates, a private
in the center company. Notice that the officers and other ranks
wear a different shade of red. The officers and sergeants wore scarlet
coats, while the other ranks wore medder red. This would last until 1873, when scarlet
was introduced for all ranks.
Next is a corporal in the grenadier
company. The grenadiers were called what they were
because in the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, the armies of Europe experimented with
grenades, selecting their tallest strongest men to handle them. By the mid eighteenth century, grenades
were deemed impractical, but the tradition of the tallest and strongest men
endured. When lined in battle order, the grenadiers
were stationed on the right flank which harkening back to Ancient Greece was
the greatest honor and reserved for the best unit.
Next is a private on the left flank unit:
the light company. Although positioned on the left flank when in formation, they
were often detached as skirmishers, as their name implies they received greater
training in light infantry tactics such as marksmanship. Perhaps the best example of this was at the
Battle of Waterloo when the light company of the Coldstream Guards took
sharpshooting positions behind the walls and from the windows of Hougomont
farmhouse. For this reason I choose to portray this
light infantry private without a bayonet fixed.
Finally, the last soldier depicted is the
youngest of the soldiers, a center company drummer boy. The center and grenadier companies employed
fifers and drummers to play music to keep the soldiers’ spirits up, while the light infantry and cavalry
employed buglers. That is why the bugle was adopted as a symbol of the light
infantry. Another difference to notice between the
different companies is the color of the pompoms. The center companies were red
and white, the grenadier white, and the light green.
Check out the Vlog version of this entry on YouTube, featuring a commentary by my brother on his sketch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYnAKNvIjfA&list=PLZ9Tol07XTjMOaHwiUBMJ_fLoVq4pP7yC&feature=mh_lolz
