The 50th Regiment of Foot, also known as the Queen's Own or the Dirty Half Hundred, are an illustrious regiment, with a proud history of always being in the thick of battle, voices raised in song or war cry.
The 50th were originally designated the 52nd Foot, but after the dissolution of the proud 50th and 51st Foot in 1757, they were re-christened as the 50th. During the Seven Years War, the 50th spent much of it's time in England, with a few sorties across the channel to the misfortune of the French. They also saw action at Walburg, Vellingshausen and Wilhelmsthal.
With fresh victories firing their hearts, the Regiment toured the New World, with postings in Jamaica and New York. During the Revolution of the dastardly Americans, they served as marines upon various Royal Navy ships, taking part in the action at Ushant.
When the grasping claws of the damned French Emperor, Bonaparte reached out for Egypt and North Africa, the 50th was dispatched with all haste to Alexandria, to prevent the crapauds from gaining a foothold that it could use against British interests. After another glorious victory, against regiments such as the 42nd Black Watch, the 50th were sent to the Peninsula, the most recent conflict in their annals.
At the time that it left it's Kentish barracks, the 50th numbered at approximately two thousand men, split into two battalions, one of which remained behind to provide reinforcement for the first. Each battalion is divided into ten companies of one hundred, with eight ?line? companies of our plucky redcoats, and two ?flank? companies, one of elite, strong-armed grenadiers, and the other of sharp-eyed light infantry, skirmishers deployed to harry the enemy before they reach the line.
The 50th's First Battalion is commanded by Lieutenant Colonel William Smythe, a distinguished land-owner from the Kentish Smythes. The Colonel is known for his iron discipline within his regiment, but rather lax regulations regarding the mandated uniform regulations. Most notably was his abandonment of the stocks on arriving in Portugal, stating that his men could shoot much better without them.
The rest of the officers, from Major Reiner of German Extraction who commands the grenadier company, to the waspish and bespectacled Lieutenant Hardy who commands the light company are all steady and determined, hardened by raids in Africa and in Germany. These qualities are also reflected in the men, who have learned to stand in line, muskets presented to receive anything that the enemy should throw at them.
An excerpt from ?Weapons of the Peninsula Campaign, a definitive account? dated 1805
Concerning the India Pattern Musket, affectionately known as the Brown Bess by our soldiers:
The India Pattern Musket is a sturdy and dependable weapon, laid down in 1797 by gunsmiths to provide a standard firearm for our infantry. It uses a three-quarter inch lead ball, undersized to reduce the fouling of caked powder in the barrel. This ball is fired by a flintlock mechanism, which uses a spark to ignite deposited powder in the weapon's pan, which in turn ignites the bulk of a paper cartridge rammed down the barrel with the ball.
The India Pattern is best used in a large volley, as the long time it takes to reload the weapon (In my experience, even the best soldiers can only manage four rounds a minute) , means that it is not particular effective unsupported.
When the lines of battle draw close, a simple fourteen inch triangular bayonet, which proves particularly effective against enemy cavalry, as well as their infantry.
Concerning the Pattern 1800 Infantry Rifle, also known as the Baker Infantry Rifle.
The Pattern 1800 Infantry Rifle was laid down, as it's name suggests, in 1800, after the power of this weapon was discovered during our conflicts against the Americans. The board of ordinance met for trials in February of 1800, where Ezekiel Baker's design was chosen over several others.
The secret within this weapon's design is eight spiralling grooves that run down the thirty inch barrel, gripping the leather-wrapped balls, causing them to spin like Turkish Dervishes, extending the range of the one sixth of an inch balls to a range of an easy three hundred yards, but I have seen a skilled marksman kill a target at up to five hundred yards. For close work, a rifleman can fit a twenty four inch sword bayonet to the front of his weapon
The disadvantage of this clearly majestic weapon is that it takes much longer to load as the greased patches grip the grooves within the barrel so strongly. But this is counter-acted by it's range and accuracy. In the hands of skirmishers, this weapon is deadly.
Concerning the 1796 Cavalry Carbine, a firearm issued to our dragoons.
The Cavalry Carbine is a modification made upon the standard India Pattern Musket, mentioned at an earlier point in this account. While no changed have been made to the calibre, the weapon has been made significantly lighter, with a much shorter barrel, allowing it to be carried on a saddle sling, for use either on horseback, or by the dragoon when he dismounts.
The Pistol, a weapon often custom-made for well-off officers, in both the infantry and the cavalry.
Used by both sides in this conflict, the pistol is a short, often lightweight flintlock weapon, designed to be operated with one hand, at short range when others have fixed bayonets. While variation in design is high, most pistols have barrels shorter than fourteen inches, with curved grips, often weighted so they can be used as a bludgeon after firing.
Concerning the Nock Gun, a weapon for those of truly mighty stature.
Also known as the Nock Volley Gun, this flintlock weapon was designed for use in our Illustrious Navy, for deck-to-deck combat. The weapon's seven barrels make it a potent killer in confined spaces, but give it considerable recoil, strong enough to break the shoulder of a smaller man.
Within the ranks of the 50th Foot, I have seen some men strong enough to wield this weapon, and they are thought to have acquired a small number during their time fighting against the Americans as impromtu marines.
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