Somewhat delayed by the ever increasing social whirl that is Wellington Girl's life, I present the 1st Brigade of the
Russisch-Deutsche Legion, which was eventually to become the Prussian
Infanterie Regiment No.30.
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| The Russisch-Deutsche Legion march on to the North German Plain... |
I was a bit doubtful while I was painting these, but the final result is not as dour as I feared. It seems that the over-the-top flag has worked. They are also helped out a bit by their bright white haversacks.
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| ...with snow on their boots and revenge in their hearts! |
Even better, I think, is the nice contrast they make with the Field Battalion Bremen in what is intended to be a 4 to 5 battalion army based on Wallmoden's Corps of 1813-1814.
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| Wallmoden's first infantry brigade lines up to face the foe. |
I think I need to make a start on the cavalry of the Corps, however, before painting up any more of the infantry.
Have a great weekend.
WM
By Jove, sir.
ReplyDeleteBy Jove.
Splendid.
Great looking units.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant! As previously remarked I do think your lighter coloured table show-cases them much better than a darker green that matched the figures base colour would - do you not agree?
ReplyDeleteWow, I had to go through about 6 pictures to prove I'm not a robot!
Thank you chaps.
ReplyDeleteI dunno, Rob. I'm still not getting the right shade!
Don't start me on not being a robot, Mr Rodiss. If I have to identify another store front, there will be war.....I love this unit, WM. They are really businesslike chaps and with not a sprig of dour in their bodies. I particularly admire your treatment of the haversacks. Really disciplined. And it works so well. Respect.
ReplyDeleteThey remind me of the appalling sack I had to lug about for my paper round when I was a lad, Archduke. It was very heavy due to high demand for the Sunday Torygraph in leafy North Oxford!
DeleteWonderful units!
ReplyDeleteBest Regards,
Stokes
Thank you, Stokes!
DeleteI admire the way you are working towards a proper OOB (not like my hotchpotch). Your units lined up together make a simply stunning brigade - well done!
ReplyDeleteSplendid little chaps! I love how you are assembling a multi-national force (now "Russian" uniforms as Prussians)which makes a very colorful army, while t the same time retaining a thread of believability in the Order of Battle! Nicely done!
ReplyDeleteThank you Gents. That is the wonder of Wallmoden's, Ian. A hotchpotch is exactly what it was!
DeleteI was absolutely sworn off Russians, Captain, in an attempt to control my crazed impulse to collect everything in sight. I'm in real trouble now.
Another excellent looking unit you have there.
ReplyDeleteIt was my paper round that bought in the cash that I used to buy my first metal Hinton Hunt and Minifig 20mm wargame figures.
They obviously paid better up your way then, Mark! I got paid the princely sum of 50p for several hours of back-breaking servitude on Sunday mornings, which just about covered bicycle repairs. I didn't get any real cash until I took up dog walking. Now that was a good gig, although it had its moments due to the aggressive tramps who lived under the bridges along the towpath.
DeleteMine haven't, but should the RDL have a grenadier company with tall plumes??
ReplyDeleteThat is a jolly good question, LG. I haven't heard tell that they did, so assumed they kept their battalions uniform. Have you seen a reference to such a thing? I've enough Russians for a second battalion, so I could do this in theory.
DeleteI always did Russians as one cockade/ plume type in the battalion, but then I read that not only were there specific grenadier battalions, but that ordinary musketeer battalions had grenadier companies too. I wonder if the RGL was kitted in Russian style and with a full Russian unform , or whether they were organised in a Prussian manner , just using Russian supplied uniforms. They were , I think, financed by Britain, built in Russia and intended to be handed over to the Prussians, so there s room for either interpretation or a combination. Has anyone a contemporary illustration?? That might show grenadiers if such existed.
DeleteThe histories of the RDL, 30th and 31st Regiments on German wikipedia (using the translate button) seem to suggest there were no grenadier battalions. According to these, which are based mainly on German nineteenth-century sources, the 6th Battalion were all Saxons and kept their Saxon uniforms! Most of these "foreign" elements were weeded out when the Legion transferred to Prussian service, however, and were replaced with Prussian levies. Much of the Legion probably wasn't very Russian looking by June 1815.
DeleteThe only two sources of contemporary illustrations appear to be the Elberfeld Manuscript and a few drawings by von Röder of the Allied troops passing through Mecklenburg in 1813 and 1814 held in the Anne SK Brown Military Collection. My chaps are a bit of a mash up of these and the illustrations in Haythornthwaite's uniform books on Waterloo and the Campaign of 1812 - hence the rather odd yellow and black cockades!
I doubt they would have fielded a grenadier battalion, its grenadier companies that may have existed.
DeleteNow you have Blue Jarmins, Red Jarmins, and Green Jarmins. I suspect that some Austrians must have been lurking about in the Prussian Army...White Jarmins next?!?
ReplyDeleteI'm sworn off Austrians too, Captain, which judging by past form means that I'm almost certain to paint some!
DeleteYes, WM, I was once sworn off buying Russians for the exact same reason as your own. But as for Austrian boys in the ranks of Prussia, Never, sag ich Ihnen, Niemals, noch bis die Holle friert, ach damn, there go my lederhosen again.
ReplyDeleteQuite so, Archduke. Even the Saxons wouldn't stand for it! Those lads from Berg, mind.....
DeleteTranslation: "I'll tell you, Never until the hell freezes, oh damn, there go my lederhosen again."
DeleteBy the way, it appears that you are now some way into "Phase Two" and you have yet to reveal the Master Plan (see your March 17th post). [Aside: Hmmm, March 17th...perhaps an Irish unit next?] We anxiously await your revelation of the next part (Phase II) of the Master Plan.
ReplyDeleteThere is a Master Plan, Captain, but as it changes every three or four days revealing it would be embarrassing. The blog would degenerate into an endless list of excuses.
ReplyDeleteAll I can reveal at the moment is that Phase 2 will double my forces!
Most impressive units WM!!
ReplyDeletecheers Phil.
Delete