INFANTRY AND LIGHT CAVALRY CATERPILLAR HELMET, Model 1791, Revolution (1791-1796).
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INFANTRY AND CHASSEURS À CHEVAL CATERPILLAR HELMET, model 1791, Revolution (1791-1796).
Black waxed and varnished felt helmet on the outer surface, with a depth of approximately 19 cm.
At its base, a 0.9 cm leather bourdalou is formed by the return of the leather of the inner headgear.
Painted canvas band designed to mimic a panther skin. It consists of a strong canvas folded in half, secured by a lace and sewn at the base of the helmet. Height 8 cm.
Black leather visor in a round shape, 5.5 cm wide.
Inner headgear composed of a 5 cm high leather band topped with a canvas band approximately 9 cm high.
France.
Revolution around 1791-1795.
Fair condition, missing the caterpillar, some minor damage, left as found in 2011 in the church of a German family's castle.
PROVENANCE:
This helmet comes from a batch of identical helmets (all without the caterpillar) found in 2011 in Wurtzbourg, Bavaria, by carpenters working on the renovation of a private chapel in a castle. They likely stem from the Battle of Wurtzbourg on September 3, 1796, where the French army suffered 2,000 dead or wounded and 1,000 prisoners.
NOTE:
This model was adopted in the provisional regulations on the clothing and equipment of the troops of April 1, 1791 (Royal Printing Office, 1792, 17 pages), for the French infantry. The infantry exercise regulations of August 1, 1791, confirm the existence of this model as depicted in its plates showing infantrymen wearing the new caterpillar helmet. Plates 3, 4, and 5 show soldiers in different exercise positions with this headgear.
This helmet was gradually replaced from 1792-1793, but the remaining examples in service were used for longer due to economic reasons.
There are some variations in manufacturing, but very few authentic pieces have survived. This piece can be compared to the helmet in the Douai Museum, which is similar in every detail. Another authentic (complete) example is displayed at the Empéri Museum in Salon de Provence, from the former Raoul and Jean Brunon collection.
Some of these helmets were made by the Delpont company, while others bear the "MERLE" marking hot stamped on the visor.
DELPONT:
During the Year V of the Republic (1796-1797), the National Archives already mention "Delpont, military headgear contractor." A document dated 27 Ventose Year VII (March 17, 1799) concerns his activity.
By the end of the Directory, he was mentioned among the Parisian military suppliers. A historical study identifies him as "François Delpont, hat manufacturer and supplier" supported financially by banker Nicolas Seillière.
In the early 19th century, his company was still active. Antoine de Jomini, after leaving Swiss service, worked in Paris at François Delpont's establishment, specializing in headgear, at 52 Rue de Grenelle, before leaving in 1803.
Finally, the F. Delpont and Le Thuillier firm at 52 Rue de Grenelle, Faubourg Saint-Germain, continued manufacturing military headgear and equipment during the Restoration, including the schako-helmet model 1816. One specimen bears the mark "Delpont a Paris," along with leather helmets for the National Guard on horseback.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND, BATTLE OF WURTZBOURG:
The Battle of Wurtzbourg occurred on September 3, 1796, in Wurtzbourg, within the Episcopal Principality of Wurtzbourg, during the First Coalition War. It pitted the French Sambre-et-Meuse army under General Jean-Baptiste Jourdan against the Imperial Austrian army led by Archduke Charles. The French attacked the archduke's forces but faced staunch resistance until additional reinforcements arrived, ultimately tipping the balance in favor of the Austrians.
In the summer of 1796, two French armies, commanded by Generals Jourdan and Moreau, entered South Germany. Facing them, Archduke Charles of Austria sought to impede their progress with two Austrian armies under the commands of Generals Wilhelm von Wartensleben and Maximilien Antoine de Baillet de Latour. In the Battle of Amberg on August 24, Charles managed to overwhelm Jourdan's troops numerically, forcing them to retreat. Jourdan made an unsuccessful attempt to counterattack at Wurtzbourg to disrupt his retreat, with no success. Defeated, the French general was forced to fall back to the Rhine, causing Moreau's army to abandon South Germany as well.
The French army attacked what they thought was an isolated Austrian division commanded by General Sztáray. Jourdan's plan was to attack Sztáray's forces with the divisions of Bernadotte and Championnet, while Grenier's foot soldiers and Bonnaud's cavalry remained in reserve. However, the morning mist provided Archduke Charles with time to send General Hotze's division as reinforcements, nullifying the French numerical advantage.
The situation worsened for Jourdan as a significant part of his forces were engaged elsewhere due to General Lefebvre's division facing Austrian forces under General Elsnitz to the north. Matters deteriorated further when the rest of the archduke's army crossed the Main River using pontoons built by Austrian sappers. French attacks on the enemy positions were repelled until the Austrian divisions of Kray and Wartensleben arrived, driving the French off the battlefield.
The French army suffered 2,000 dead or wounded, 1,000 prisoners, and lost 7 cannons. Austrian losses were half of that, with 1,200 casualties and 300 prisoners. Jourdan's defeat at Wurtzbourg led to the ultimate failure of the 1796 campaign in South Germany. Charles pursued the defeated French, circumventing Jourdan's army from the south, preventing him from receiving support from Moreau's forces also operating in South Germany.
On September 7, the archduke forced the French to lift the siege of Mainz. Around the 16, the belligerents clashed on the banks of the Lahn River, where 11,000 men of Austrian General Kray defeated Jourdan's 15,000 troops at Limburg an der Lahn. Following this defeat, Jourdan withdrew to Düsseldorf before crossing the Rhine.
French Order of Battle
Sambre-et-Meuse Army: Major General Jean-Baptiste Jourdan, Commander-in-Chief — 25,000 infantry, 5,000 cavalry, 11 artillery batteries
• 1st Division: Major General François Joseph Lefebvre
• 2nd Division: Major General Paul Grenier
• 3rd Division: Major General Jean-Étienne Championnet
• 4th Division: Major General Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte
• Cavalry Reserve: Major General Jacques Philippe Bonnaud
Austrian Order of Battle
Lower Rhine Army: Field Marshal Archduke Charles Louis of Austria-Teschen, Commander-in-Chief — 30,000 men
• 1st Division: Lieutenant Field Marshal Friedrich von Hotze
◦ Mixed Brigade: Major General Michael Kienmayer
◦ Infantry Brigade: Major General Johann von Hiller
◦ Cavalry Brigade: Colonel Anton Canisius
• 2nd Division: Lieutenant Field Marshal Anton Sztáray
◦ Mixed Brigade: Major General Jean de Liechtenstein
◦ Infantry Brigade: Major General Eugen Montfrault
◦ Bavarian Infantry Brigade: Major General Bartels
◦ Grenadier Brigade: Major General Konrad Valentin von Kaim
• 3rd Division: Lieutenant Field Marshal Johann von Riesch
◦ Cavalry Brigade: Major General Prince Alexander of Württemberg
◦ Cavalry Brigade: Major General Joseph Spiegelberg
• 4th Division: Lieutenant Field Marshal Pál Kray
◦ Cavalry Brigade: Major General Frederick Louis of Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen
◦ Cavalry Brigade: Major General Karl Joseph Hadik von Futak
◦ Infantry Brigade: Major General Franz Sebottendorf
◦ Infantry Brigade: Major General Prince Frederick of Orange
◦ Infantry Brigade: Major General Joseph Staader
• Reserve: Master General Wilhelm von Wartensleben
◦ Grenadier Brigade: Major General Johann Kollowrat
◦ Grenadier Brigade: Major General Joseph von Schellenberg
◦ Grenadier Brigade: Major General Ludwig von Vogelsang
◦ Cavalry Brigade: Major General Franz Seraph von Rosenberg-Orsini
◦ Cavalry Brigade: Lieutenant Field Marshal Charles Eugene of Lorraine de Lambesc
Black waxed and varnished felt helmet on the outer surface, with a depth of approximately 19 cm.
At its base, a 0.9 cm leather bourdalou is formed by the return of the leather of the inner headgear.
Painted canvas band designed to mimic a panther skin. It consists of a strong canvas folded in half, secured by a lace and sewn at the base of the helmet. Height 8 cm.
Black leather visor in a round shape, 5.5 cm wide.
Inner headgear composed of a 5 cm high leather band topped with a canvas band approximately 9 cm high.
France.
Revolution around 1791-1795.
Fair condition, missing the caterpillar, some minor damage, left as found in 2011 in the church of a German family's castle.
PROVENANCE:
This helmet comes from a batch of identical helmets (all without the caterpillar) found in 2011 in Wurtzbourg, Bavaria, by carpenters working on the renovation of a private chapel in a castle. They likely stem from the Battle of Wurtzbourg on September 3, 1796, where the French army suffered 2,000 dead or wounded and 1,000 prisoners.
NOTE:
This model was adopted in the provisional regulations on the clothing and equipment of the troops of April 1, 1791 (Royal Printing Office, 1792, 17 pages), for the French infantry. The infantry exercise regulations of August 1, 1791, confirm the existence of this model as depicted in its plates showing infantrymen wearing the new caterpillar helmet. Plates 3, 4, and 5 show soldiers in different exercise positions with this headgear.
This helmet was gradually replaced from 1792-1793, but the remaining examples in service were used for longer due to economic reasons.
There are some variations in manufacturing, but very few authentic pieces have survived. This piece can be compared to the helmet in the Douai Museum, which is similar in every detail. Another authentic (complete) example is displayed at the Empéri Museum in Salon de Provence, from the former Raoul and Jean Brunon collection.
Some of these helmets were made by the Delpont company, while others bear the "MERLE" marking hot stamped on the visor.
DELPONT:
During the Year V of the Republic (1796-1797), the National Archives already mention "Delpont, military headgear contractor." A document dated 27 Ventose Year VII (March 17, 1799) concerns his activity.
By the end of the Directory, he was mentioned among the Parisian military suppliers. A historical study identifies him as "François Delpont, hat manufacturer and supplier" supported financially by banker Nicolas Seillière.
In the early 19th century, his company was still active. Antoine de Jomini, after leaving Swiss service, worked in Paris at François Delpont's establishment, specializing in headgear, at 52 Rue de Grenelle, before leaving in 1803.
Finally, the F. Delpont and Le Thuillier firm at 52 Rue de Grenelle, Faubourg Saint-Germain, continued manufacturing military headgear and equipment during the Restoration, including the schako-helmet model 1816. One specimen bears the mark "Delpont a Paris," along with leather helmets for the National Guard on horseback.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND, BATTLE OF WURTZBOURG:
The Battle of Wurtzbourg occurred on September 3, 1796, in Wurtzbourg, within the Episcopal Principality of Wurtzbourg, during the First Coalition War. It pitted the French Sambre-et-Meuse army under General Jean-Baptiste Jourdan against the Imperial Austrian army led by Archduke Charles. The French attacked the archduke's forces but faced staunch resistance until additional reinforcements arrived, ultimately tipping the balance in favor of the Austrians.
In the summer of 1796, two French armies, commanded by Generals Jourdan and Moreau, entered South Germany. Facing them, Archduke Charles of Austria sought to impede their progress with two Austrian armies under the commands of Generals Wilhelm von Wartensleben and Maximilien Antoine de Baillet de Latour. In the Battle of Amberg on August 24, Charles managed to overwhelm Jourdan's troops numerically, forcing them to retreat. Jourdan made an unsuccessful attempt to counterattack at Wurtzbourg to disrupt his retreat, with no success. Defeated, the French general was forced to fall back to the Rhine, causing Moreau's army to abandon South Germany as well.
The French army attacked what they thought was an isolated Austrian division commanded by General Sztáray. Jourdan's plan was to attack Sztáray's forces with the divisions of Bernadotte and Championnet, while Grenier's foot soldiers and Bonnaud's cavalry remained in reserve. However, the morning mist provided Archduke Charles with time to send General Hotze's division as reinforcements, nullifying the French numerical advantage.
The situation worsened for Jourdan as a significant part of his forces were engaged elsewhere due to General Lefebvre's division facing Austrian forces under General Elsnitz to the north. Matters deteriorated further when the rest of the archduke's army crossed the Main River using pontoons built by Austrian sappers. French attacks on the enemy positions were repelled until the Austrian divisions of Kray and Wartensleben arrived, driving the French off the battlefield.
The French army suffered 2,000 dead or wounded, 1,000 prisoners, and lost 7 cannons. Austrian losses were half of that, with 1,200 casualties and 300 prisoners. Jourdan's defeat at Wurtzbourg led to the ultimate failure of the 1796 campaign in South Germany. Charles pursued the defeated French, circumventing Jourdan's army from the south, preventing him from receiving support from Moreau's forces also operating in South Germany.
On September 7, the archduke forced the French to lift the siege of Mainz. Around the 16, the belligerents clashed on the banks of the Lahn River, where 11,000 men of Austrian General Kray defeated Jourdan's 15,000 troops at Limburg an der Lahn. Following this defeat, Jourdan withdrew to Düsseldorf before crossing the Rhine.
French Order of Battle
Sambre-et-Meuse Army: Major General Jean-Baptiste Jourdan, Commander-in-Chief — 25,000 infantry, 5,000 cavalry, 11 artillery batteries
• 1st Division: Major General François Joseph Lefebvre
• 2nd Division: Major General Paul Grenier
• 3rd Division: Major General Jean-Étienne Championnet
• 4th Division: Major General Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte
• Cavalry Reserve: Major General Jacques Philippe Bonnaud
Austrian Order of Battle
Lower Rhine Army: Field Marshal Archduke Charles Louis of Austria-Teschen, Commander-in-Chief — 30,000 men
• 1st Division: Lieutenant Field Marshal Friedrich von Hotze
◦ Mixed Brigade: Major General Michael Kienmayer
◦ Infantry Brigade: Major General Johann von Hiller
◦ Cavalry Brigade: Colonel Anton Canisius
• 2nd Division: Lieutenant Field Marshal Anton Sztáray
◦ Mixed Brigade: Major General Jean de Liechtenstein
◦ Infantry Brigade: Major General Eugen Montfrault
◦ Bavarian Infantry Brigade: Major General Bartels
◦ Grenadier Brigade: Major General Konrad Valentin von Kaim
• 3rd Division: Lieutenant Field Marshal Johann von Riesch
◦ Cavalry Brigade: Major General Prince Alexander of Württemberg
◦ Cavalry Brigade: Major General Joseph Spiegelberg
• 4th Division: Lieutenant Field Marshal Pál Kray
◦ Cavalry Brigade: Major General Frederick Louis of Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen
◦ Cavalry Brigade: Major General Karl Joseph Hadik von Futak
◦ Infantry Brigade: Major General Franz Sebottendorf
◦ Infantry Brigade: Major General Prince Frederick of Orange
◦ Infantry Brigade: Major General Joseph Staader
• Reserve: Master General Wilhelm von Wartensleben
◦ Grenadier Brigade: Major General Johann Kollowrat
◦ Grenadier Brigade: Major General Joseph von Schellenberg
◦ Grenadier Brigade: Major General Ludwig von Vogelsang
◦ Cavalry Brigade: Major General Franz Seraph von Rosenberg-Orsini
◦ Cavalry Brigade: Lieutenant Field Marshal Charles Eugene of Lorraine de Lambesc
Reference :
18926/6164
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An authenticity certificate of the item including the description published on the site, the period, the sale price, accompanied by one or more color photographs is automatically provided for any item priced over 130 euros. Below this price, each certificate is charged 5 euros.
Only items sold by me are subject to an authenticity certificate, I do not provide any expert reports for items sold by third parties (colleagues or collectors).
Next update Friday, august 14 at 13:30 PM
FOR ALL PURCHASES, PAYMENT IN MULTIPLE CHECKS POSSIBLE
bertrand.malvaux@wanadoo.fr 06 07 75 74 63
An authenticity certificate of the item including the description published on the site, the period, the sale price, accompanied by one or more color photographs is automatically provided for any item priced over 130 euros. Below this price, each certificate is charged 5 euros.
Only items sold by me are subject to an authenticity certificate, I do not provide any expert reports for items sold by third parties (colleagues or collectors).