A Tour de Force

My friend Rob G has sent me  these photos of his new French line infantry battalion.

The troops are a blend of Hinton Hunt FN 5: Line Fusiliers advancing, and slightly modified Alberken FN 15: Line Grenadiers, advancing painted as grenadiers and voltigeurs on the flanks. They work together brilliantly.

Rob also sent me these close-ups of the command group, featuring what looks like he might be an Alberken FN 16: Line Voltigeur, painted as a sergeant of fusiliers.

I think they're absolutely stunning!

All the best to you all this Anzac Day

WM

Hot Cross Huns

Marshal Blücher has arrived to inspect elements of a new division being formed by General Pirch.

Pirch: My new Westphalians are burning to get at the enemy, Herr Marshal.

The newly-raised 5th Westphalian Landwehr Infantry Regiment, under the veteran Baron von Klaptowt, are put through their paces.

Klaptowt: Westphalians....March!

Drilled to perfection in the best Prussian style under Old Fritz's expert tutelage, Klaptowt's men wheel, march and countermarch flawlessly.

Blücher is impressed!

Blücher: A fine body of men, Herr General! Ve must send you some Regulars to make up ze numbers.

The figures are:

from the 1973 Garrison 25mm Napoleonics range:

PN 12: Prussian Landwehr, marching x 21

PN 12: Prussian Landwehr, marching x 1, converted into a standard bearer
PN 12: Prussian Landwehr, marching x 1, converted into a drummer with a Musket Miniatures drum;

and

Hinton Hunt, PN 10: Prussian Garde Officer, charging x 1, converted into a Frederickan dugout with a mystery head.

Happy Easter everyone.

With special thanks to Rob Young and Lewis Gunner.

WM

Der Alte Fritz

My painting session today seemed to go like a dream with the result that my Westphalians are nearly finished.

Pictured below is the command group, featuring a delightful Hinton Hunt Conversion given to me a couple of years ago by the ever dependable Mr Lewis Gunner. He's a conversion of a Hinton Hunt PN 10: Prussian Garde Grenadiers, Officer charging, if I'm not mistaken, but with his aiguillettes removed and a new head. I've no idea where the head came from!

Baron von Klaptowt (for it is he): Take heart, my fine lads, und  give

 zose damned Kaiserlicks,.er, I mean, Frenchmen a good kicking!

He's a bit of a late entrant because I only rather belatedly remembered that I'd stashed him somewhere in a 'box of special things'. When I  eventually fished him out I thought he'd be just the chap to command my Westphalians. Not only does he look like some sort of late-Frederickan dugout, which is amusingly plausible for a Landwehr battalion, but his enormous hat gives him just the extra bit of stature needed to stand in line with those beefy Garrisons.

I just need to base them up now, which should only take a day or two.

Yours, locked down for the duration

WM