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the tip. This was done in order to improve the sword's ability to thrust. Quite large numbers of spear-pointed examples exist with 33-inch (840 mm) blades, along with an appropriately shortened scabbard. These may be conversions of the original standard 35-inch (890 mm) blade, although many appear to have been manufactured to this shorter length. The sword was carried in an iron scabbard with wooden liners, and hung from the waist via sword-belt slings attached to two loose suspension rings.
190:, undoubtedly saw the Austrian weapon in use during the Low Countries Campaign of 1793-95, when he also made many drawings of Austrian cavalry equipment. His initial intention was that his own sword design should be adopted by all the cavalry; however, this was denied by the decision of the board of general officers to arm the heavy cavalry with a straight sword. It is probable, once a straight sword had been decided upon, that he then suggested the Austrian sword as a model.
204:
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292:. The blade was much shorter and narrower than the service sword's, and usually double edged with a short narrow central fuller each side. The dress sword usually had a leather scabbard with gilt brass mounts, however, a number of examples exist of swords with iron service scabbards, suggesting that some officers may have employed the dress sword in the field.
248:(projections from the guard, which grip the throat of the scabbard) extending from the front of the guard. The langets were often removed and the left side of the guard ground away so as to reduce wear to uniforms. The latter modification would also have made it more comfortable to wear, especially on horseback.
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The sword was often modified by its users. The point was originally a 'hatchet point', a curved diagonal front edge similar to that of the
Japanese katana, but most were altered to a symmetrical 'spear point', more common at the time, or alternatively made more acute whilst retaining the asymmetry of
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It was in the charge I took the eagle off the enemy; he and I had a hard contest for it; he made a thrust at my groin I parried it off and cut him down through the head. After this a lancer came at me; I threw the lance off my right side, and cut him through the chin upwards through the teeth. Next,
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The trooper's sword, and the officer's undress sword, was a dedicated cutting weapon with a broad heavy blade and was renowned as being completely unfit for delicate swordsmanship. This was also the foundation for respect it gained from those who appreciated it; most cavalry troopers used the blades
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Officers carried a service sword, also termed an "undress sword", with a blade of identical general form to that of the trooper's pattern detailed above. However, many officers' blades bore etched, or blued and gilt, decoration. The guard, in contrast, was entirely different from the trooper's
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backpiece of the grip has ears which are riveted through the tang of the blade to give the hilt and blade a very secure connection. The hilt combines a disc guard pierced with 2 semicircular and 6 oval (never circular) holes, with single knucklebow and two slim 2-inch-long (51 mm) langets
239:, that is a sword with a straight blade with one cutting edge and the opposite edge of the blade (the "back") thickened for most of its length to give added strength. The blade is 35 inches (890 mm) in length, with a single broad
281:
pattern, being of bowl form, and incorporating an elaborate pierced honeysuckle design with a prominent rear quillon. This hilt form is often referred to as a 'ladder hilt' (due to the pierced knucklebow resembling a ladder).
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regiments for use when on home (ceremonial) service. The scabbards of these swords did not usually have suspension rings, but were fitted with a button or slide for use with a 'frog' - a type of
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Dragoons, through most of the period of the
Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. It played an especially notable role, in the hands of British cavalrymen, at the battles of
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with a brass scabbard (for the Life Guards) or iron with an iron scabbard (for the Horse Guards), exist and are believed to have been issued to the other ranks of the
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a foot soldier fired at me, then charged me with his bayonet, which I also had the good luck to parry, and I cut him down through the head; thus ended the contest.
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The dress sword for Heavy
Cavalry officers was a much smaller and lighter weapon, having a knucklebow, ovoid pommel and boat-shell guard in
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sword pattern of 1769 for heavy cavalry (it later received an iron scabbard (1775), in which form it was adopted by the
British).
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or belt attachment. It is known that the
Household regiments employed the standard trooper's pattern swords on active service.
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Variant sword types with the standard trooper's blade, but a bowl hilt similar to that of the officers' pattern, in
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each side. The grip is of ribbed wood, or wood bound with cord to resemble the same, and covered in leather. The
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of the Scots Greys at
Waterloo, wielding the 1796 pattern sword as he captures the eagle of the 45 Ligne
305:(as Le Marchant observed) and the 1796 was significantly more suited for this than most other swords.
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The fictional character most often associated with the 1796 Heavy
Cavalry Sword is
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164:. The pattern was adopted by Sweden and was used by some Portuguese cavalry.
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A well-known description of the brutal power of the weapon was made by Sgt.
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152:(Lifeguards, Royal Horse Guards, Dragoon Guards and Dragoons), and
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Scientific
Soldier, A Life of General Le Marchant, 1766–1812,
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m/1808 Swedish version of
British 1796 Heavy Cavalry Sword.
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Hilt of
British pattern 1796 heavy cavalry officers sword
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Hilt of Pattern 1796 heavy cavalry officer's dress sword
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Straight, single fuller, hatchet point (often modified).
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19th-century military history of the United Kingdom
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215:British Pattern 1796 heavy cavalry trooper's sword
235:Technically the 1796 heavy cavalry sword is a
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186:, a cavalry officer who designed the curved
134:Iron, wood liners, 2 loose suspension rings.
530:Household Cavalry in the Waterloo Campaign
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362:Pattern 1796 infantry officer's sword
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509:Napoleonic Wars: Wellington's Army,
585:Images of an officer's dress sword
580:Images of officer's service swords
176:was a direct copy of the Austrian
174:1796 Heavy Cavalry Trooper's Sword
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301:like bludgeons and the guards as
120:Disc-guard and single knucklebow.
34:Pattern 1796 heavy cavalry sword
367:Pattern 1796 light cavalry sabre
188:1796 pattern light cavalry sabre
142:Pattern 1796 heavy cavalry sword
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316:concerning how he captured an
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256:Household cavalry other ranks
607:Early Modern European swords
518:, Spellmount (Staplehurst).
537:Swords of the British Army,
528:Maughan, Stephen (Undated)
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575:Images of trooper's swords
314:2nd Dragoons (Scots Greys)
384:Thoumine 1968, pp. 44-45.
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18:1796 Heavy Cavalry Sword
560:Thoumine, R.H. (1968),
516:Galloping at Everything
499:Cotton, Edward (1849),
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622:Modern European swords
602:British service swords
549:, Sharpecompendium.net
539:Arms and Armour Press.
503:(3rd ed.), London
438:Robson 1975, pp. 66-67
429:Robson 1975, pp. 66-67
420:Robson 1975, pp. 94-98
411:Robson 1975, pp. 23-27
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543:Sable (7 July 2009),
532:, Napoleonic Archive.
514:Fletcher, Ian (1999)
507:Fletcher, Ian (1996)
501:A Voice from Waterloo
486:Fletcher 1996, p. 109
477:Fletcher 1999, p. 247
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93:Blade: 35ins (88.9cm)
627:18th-century weapons
447:Fletcher 1999, p. 39
154:King's German Legion
148:used by the British
393:Robson 1975, p. 23.
535:Robson, B. (1975)
511:Brassey's, London.
456:Maughan, pp. 12-13
402:Robson 1975, p. 26
276:Officer's patterns
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56:Production history
199:Trooper's pattern
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16:(Redirected from
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617:European weapons
564:Oxford U. Press.
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69:Manufacturer
466:Cotton 1849
596:Categories
493:References
336:In fiction
168:Background
117: type
106: type
553:22 August
352:officer.
288:brass or
266:Household
237:backsword
158:Salamanca
80:1796-1821
46:Sergeant
356:See also
322:Waterloo
290:gunmetal
179:pallasch
162:Waterloo
144:was the
126:Scabbard
77:Produced
61:Designed
270:baldric
72:Various
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241:fuller
194:Design
130:sheath
90:Length
27:Weapon
373:Notes
350:Rifle
262:brass
146:sword
104:Blade
555:2016
520:ISBN
286:gilt
245:iron
160:and
140:The
115:Hilt
64:1796
320:at
296:Use
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128:/
20:)
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