French Pontoon

I have finished one of my delayed painting jobs: The Hät French pontoon (Ref. 8108). This box has not been commercialized, so I have painted a proof sprue that Harris, the owner of Hät (with the kind permission of Ms. Jones, naturally) sent to me some weeks ago. The sprue came to me along a light-ambulance sprue, so I don't know the sort of horse team that Hät will include in the final releasing.
During 1813, the crossing of rivers was a very important affaire, and the adequate deployment of these cumbersome items was of paramount importance.

HäT French pontoons

Harris (the man behind HäT industries) has sent me a gift, a test sprue from one of the next HäT releases: Napoleonic French pontoon bridge (Reference 8108) due for July 2008.
A pontoon bridge or floating bridge is a bridge that floats on water, supported by barge-or-boat-like pontoons to support the bridge deck and its dynamic loads. During the Napoleonic Wars, the pontoon trains, i.e. the carriages of the pontoons and the materials they carried for making a pontoon bridge, where a very important assets and all armies had at least one of two. The pontoon bridges played an important role in the battle of Aspern-Essling (1809).
The French pontooniers were a mix of Artillery workers, fishermen and boatmen. Their uniform followed the Foot Artillery style. They covered themselves with glory at the Berezina crossing when, under tthe command of Eblé, they built a trestled bridge, allowing the retreat of the last remnants of the Grande Armee.