1:72 French Heavy Ambulance

HäT 1:72 French ambulance wagon

A kit in 1:72 scale from the brand HäT. The package contains three wagons, a pair of horses for each of them, that is, six horses in two poses, and three figures of drivers in a single pose, one per wagon. The parts are supplied unpainted and have to be assembled. The set belongs to the Napoleonic baggage train and brings a subject to a diorama that appears only rarely in modeling.

The real subject

The flying ambulance was the invention of the surgeon Dominique Larrey. Until his day the wounded stayed on the battlefield until the end of the battle, because the wagons stood far back in the rear. Larrey pushed through light wagons that drove out directly into the fire and carried the wounded away for treatment during the fighting, which considerably increased the hope of survival. It was one of the first thought-out systems of field medical service in history.

Building and painting tips

First line the parts up dry, above all the wheels and the axles. The wagons had a darker finish with more pronounced markings, and you bring the wood out with a glaze along the grain. Unify the horses into two shades and set the draft harness apart. A scene with an ambulance wagon works best with a few figures of wounded men and with stretchers, which have to be added from other sets.

Who the kit is for

• for builders of Napoleonic dioramas with an unusual subject
• for wargamers who build a baggage train
• for collectors of vehicles and equipment in 1:72 scale
• for completing French infantry and artillery sets

The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted. Glue, paints and accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.