I must apologise for my atrocious posting rate of late. Work stress is the cause of it. Although this usually helps me with my hobby, as I find it so relaxing, it's reached such a level in the last few weeks that I've been spending the evenings and weekends absolutely prostrate. Needless to say, this has been having a very bad effect on my cuirassier production.
The photos really don't do justice to what is a really nicely proportioned and animated figure with subtle but excellent detailing. I'm going to love painting these.
A close up of the HH PN 8s next to the Garrison PN 12s is shown below. To even things up a bit, the Hinton Hunts are on my standard 2mm-thick bases, while the Garrisons are on 1.5mm-thick bases. As you can see, the Garrisons are still a little taller, but are a fair match nonetheless.
I'd been wondering what to paint for Phase 3 of my project, and for a while was seriously considering leaving Prussians off the list. There's no doubt now that there'll be at least two new Prussian battalions. They'd go rather well with the Lutzowers, I reckon, to recreate Tippelskirch's 5th Brigade of the Army of the Lower Rhine. This will require the Garrisons to be painted as the 5th Westphalian Landwehr, which will suit them very nicely, I think.
There are two things which have happened in the last two days which ought to improve this situation. The first is that I have delivered on the major project which was distracting me so seriously; and the second was the arrival this morning of these splendid chaps:
They are 23 x Garrison PN 12: Prussian Landwehr, marching. Rob Young, the proprietor of Garrison, very generously sent them to me. Followers of Rob's wondrous Eastern Garrison blog will have seen these in recent weeks. I cannot adequately express how grateful and delighted I am, not the least because Rob is not actually open for business these days, so this was a very special favour.
The photos really don't do justice to what is a really nicely proportioned and animated figure with subtle but excellent detailing. I'm going to love painting these.
The vital question. of course, is how compatible are they with Hinton Hunts? The answer is not too badly at all, as I hope the following will demonstrate. Pictured below are the PN 12s next to a battalion of vintage Hinton Hunt PN 8: Prussian Infantry of the Line 1810-15, Private, marching. If you click to embiggen you'll also see a David Clayton version of the Hinton Hunt PN 20: Prussian Landwehr officer, marching, commanding the Garrisons. He's certainly a little shorter, but with his thick Clayton base to give him a bit of a boost, I think he can still do the business.
A close up of the HH PN 8s next to the Garrison PN 12s is shown below. To even things up a bit, the Hinton Hunts are on my standard 2mm-thick bases, while the Garrisons are on 1.5mm-thick bases. As you can see, the Garrisons are still a little taller, but are a fair match nonetheless.
I'd been wondering what to paint for Phase 3 of my project, and for a while was seriously considering leaving Prussians off the list. There's no doubt now that there'll be at least two new Prussian battalions. They'd go rather well with the Lutzowers, I reckon, to recreate Tippelskirch's 5th Brigade of the Army of the Lower Rhine. This will require the Garrisons to be painted as the 5th Westphalian Landwehr, which will suit them very nicely, I think.
Thank you Rob!
All the best
WM
Who's a lucky boy then?
ReplyDeleteSeriously though, those Landwehr won't be in any hurry to be painted up as 5th Westphalian or they'll find themselves up against your A+ Chasseurs in the Plancenoit!
PS: another ID request sent by email.
It was the 5th Brigade who finally biffed the French out, Rob, or so the last thing I read about it claimed. Mind you, it was published in about 1910, so what do I know?
DeleteI am a very lucky boy. As for the for ID request...aaah yes, an email is on the way.
Just to make it clear - I'm not Rob Young who provided thefigures.
DeleteI didn't think you were, Rob!
DeletePart of the fun with these, of course, is that I'll need to covert a couple of them to make a standard bearer and a drummer, which will be a bit of a challenge but far from impossible. Rob Y also sent me a Prussian guards standard bearer, but I've got other plans for him….
Sad part is that one of the Garrison catalogues lists an officer and standard bearer. I'm looking at doing a few conversions myself - they may not turn out to be accurate but...
DeleteIt's always the lost sheep we really care about, isn't it Rob? If you'd ever like me to have a bash at a few conversions for you, just say the word....
DeleteThanks for the offer. Realistically though the basic headswaps are no problem and anything more complicated probably wouldn't be needed in sufficient quantities to justify a mould.
DeleteLovely looking landwehr castings! Did the Westphalians wear dark blue coats and have red facings, or were the distinctions a different color. The uniforms of the "Prussian" reservists and landwehr are a fascinating subject all on their own as you are probably aware. At one point in the distant past of the late 1980s and 1990s, I had grand plans for a variegated 15mm corps-level Prussian force to represent Blucher's 1815 force in Belgium. Besides dark blue, there would have been black, grey, green, and red uniforms among others with various facing and turnbacks colors among them. And that's not even mentioning the flags, official and unofficial. Sadly, it never really got off the ground, but the reading, research, and planning were terrific and a pleasant diversion during graduate school, which seemed admirably designed to make spare time and spare money for such a project scarce to non-existent. I still think wistfully about resurrecting the Waterloo project now and then. And then come to my senses, no ABBA necessary. But I'm waxing and nattering at this point. Very eager to see how your latest windfall paints up. Any ideas on the flag you might give them?
ReplyDeleteBest Regards,
Stokes
You're absolutely right about all of that, Stokes (especially about the lack of time for anything in graduate school), except the facing colour, which for the Westphalians was bright green. This is another reason why I'm so delighted with the Garrisons. Blue and green always seemed a rather tricky prospect to me, especially when working with tiddly little Hinton Hunts, but the Gs are just that wee bit more expansive, which ought to be a great help. Miniscule bits of green piping would be invisible on a Hinton Hunt, but there's a chance they'd actually show up on these.
DeleteI too have thoroughly enjoyed researching Prussians. I'd absolutely no idea before I started how varied and colourful they were, even within regiments. Exactly what each battalion was wearing, however, is sufficiently obscure to allow considerable artistic licence, which suits me down to the ground. As for their flag, I haven't a clue how I'm going to approach that yet!
I've just talked myself into to doing some test figures, haven't I...
Facing colours (hat band, cuffs and collar) are a bright 'apple' green according to Summerfield - although that's my description of the colour as I don't know the official one.
ReplyDeleteThe same source also suggests that the 5th WLIR was wearing something close to regulation line infantry kit (although still with green facings) by 1815, but I've decided to doubt that!
DeleteI'm pretty sure the new uniforms weren't issued until August 1815... ;O)
ReplyDeleteA wonderful addition to the collection Matt and great of Rob Young to spin those moulds again for you. Looking forward to seeing them painted.
ReplyDeleteIt was indeed, 'Lee. There's something particularly delightful about having something that is both brand new and yet completely vintage!
DeleteGood friends are one of the aspects I enjoy most about this hobby, and it never hurts when they are generous. Lucky you indeed! Glad to hear your work project is delivered, now off to the painting table with you...
ReplyDeleteThis project would have collapsed long ago if it had been otherwise, David. I've got quite a long list of units which were only possible because of the generosity of the old schoolers. There are a few these now nearing the top of the painting queue, I'm glad to say, so yes, I'd better get on with it.
DeleteI've got about 10 weeks before I set off on my travels again. I've set myself a target of two new regiments by then, so we'll see how we do.....
Admittedly I'm cheating, having the Tennant collection to build on, but should have a couple of new units up on my blog next week; the 71st Highland Light Infantry and a couple of companies of the 60th American Rifles, as well as a goofy diversion...
DeleteThat'll be a treat, David! It'll remind me, too, that I really must do something about those Peter Gilder 42nd Highlanders....
DeleteSome rather nice toys there Matt....
ReplyDeleteI love the generosity of our crazy wargames community and I look forward to seeing what you do with them...
Garrison toys soldiers do have a real toy soldier feel about them I think you’re painting style will suit them well...
All the best. Aly
Thank you Aly. I hope I do them justice (I really am going to have to do a test figure).
DeleteI've always thought Garrisons were under-rated. Gilder's collection show that it's possible to achieve much more than just a toy soldier effect with them too. The Vintage Wargamer's "The Old Metal Detector" site has some fabulous pictures of them here: http://theoldmetaldetector.blogspot.com/2010/05/wargames-holiday-centre-garrison-french.html