1:72 Turkish Field Artillery (XVI-XVII century)

Lighter pieces for the open field

While the siege park took walls, the field artillery of the Ottoman army had a different task: to accompany the army on the march and, on the day of battle, to strike at the formation of the enemy. The pieces were therefore lighter, sat on wheeled carriages and could be re-harnessed. The topcu corps, which served them, belonged to the standing paid components and its training was noticeably better than that of the provincial units.

Relations inside a battery

A gun never works alone. Around every piece moves a fixed pair or trio of men, one ramming, another laying the gun, a third bringing the round, and above them stands the commander, who watches the neighboring piece and matches the rate of fire with it. That is exactly the key to building a good battery on a base: the individual groups should be at different stages of the same cycle, not in the same position.

Arranging the scene

Set the pieces in a gentle arc, so that the barrels do not point in parallel, and leave free space between them for the crews to move. A few steps back, leave the men with the rounds, and at one of the pieces someone turning and calling to the rear. A static arrangement thereby gains direction and action.

Color recommendations

The bronze of the barrels keeps a warm tone, the wood of the carriages turns gray after campaigning and the iron fittings rust only in the places where they are not rubbed. Choose the clothing of the crews more subdued than that of the infantry, as powder grime settles quickly around guns and unifies the whole group. It also pays to set the commander apart with a lighter cloak; in a knot of equally dark figures it is the only way he will stay recognizable even after the whole battery has been dusted down.