French 2nd Dragoon Regiment
- The Napoleonic War
- 1 min
By Crusader1307
One of the oldest still serving French Military Units, The 2nd Dragoons were formed in 1556. They were kept as part of the reforming of The French Army after The French Revolution in (1789). As a ''Dragoon'' Regiment, The 2nd were classed as Light Cavalry. They used Saber, Pistol and Musketoon (Carbine). Uniforms were Blue Tunics with Red Facing, the predominate color for Trousers and Shirts were White or Buff. They used The Comb Helmet, covered in the popular ''Leopard'' Print covering. The 2nd Dragoons used a Red and Green Helmet Plume for identification.
Assigned to Marshal Joachim Murat's Reserve Division, The 2nd would fight at Austerlitz and Ulm (1805), distinguishing themselves in several Charges against Coalition Forces. Fighting in several engagements in Spain, a detachment of The 2nd was present for The Russian Campaign. The majority of this Unit perished in The Russian Winter during The Retreat of Napoleon's Army (1812). The 2nd Dragoons was among the many Units to be used to Invade England (1803), but the Operation never came to pass. They were not present at Waterloo (1815). The Regiment would remain in The Restored French Army after Napoleon's Fall. It would fight in many of France's future Wars and Conflicts. Currently specializing in Reconnaissance, The 2nd Dragoons are now the only French Army Unit that deals exclusively with countering NBC Warfare (Nuclear, Biological and Chemical).
