Showing posts with label DK 4. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DK 4. Show all posts

Saturday, 5 September 2015

Swiss Mobilisation

Der Kriegspielers Swiss Line Infantry
Waiting for Russians!

Der Kriegspielers Swiss Line Infantry
Marching through the Russian forests
The 3rd Swiss are complete and ready to take the field.

Now, I could say lots of seemingly plausible things about how collecting vintage figures makes it next to impossible to reconstruct historic orders of battle, and that armies consisting of an eclectic mix of styles, nationalities and periods are more or less inevitable in a project such as this. However, nobody forced me to paint my DK Swiss as actual Swiss, and I certainly didn't have my arms twisted to paint French chasseurs and Dutch Grenadiers as Swiss either. So let's be honest: it was the spectacle I was after!

Having said that, Napoleon's Swiss regiments provided much more than just bling battalions. Although they had a somewhat mixed record in Spain, including the surrender of a couple of battalions to the Spanish at Baylen in 1808, in Russia they fought like tigers. On several occasions single Swiss regiments more than held their own against entire Russian divisions.

Der Kriegspielers Swiss Line Infantry
Enemy in sight!
As my French have now reached close-order parity with the Prussians, the logical choice for the next unit would be a French skirmisher battalion. However, I still don't have any cavalry. Completing Ian's cavalry has given me a bit more confidence in this area so perhaps the next post should be devoted to thundering hooves and flashing sabres. I'm very tempted to try some hussars, but this may be a little too ambitious!

WM




Der Kriegspielers Swiss Line Infantry
Form Square!

Der Kriegspielers Swiss Line Infantry
The 3rd Swiss will advance!

Sunday, 23 August 2015

Fancy Flankers

Der Kriegspielers Swiss Line Infantry Elites
It will come as no surprise to anyone at all that I have completely caved in and gone for both voltigeur and grenadier companies for the 3rd Swiss. However, I have an excuse.

Der Kriegspielers Swiss Line Infantry ElitesThe figures are from two different sets: DK 4: French 1809 Légère, assaulting; and DK 220: Dutch Grenadier Battalion, defending. In both cases I've turned their heads ever so slightly to the left to make them blend in a bit more with my DK 176: Swiss Line Infantry.

The DK 4s are not particularly lovely figures, but I think they'll look OK as a company. The Dutchmen, on the other hand, are very handsome indeed in my opinion, despite being somewhat precariously balanced on their bases! I was very lucky to find a couple of battalions of these, with six left over for spares.

Mystery Swiss?
My excuse for this extravagance is that I've found two more Swiss fusiliers (complete with musket butts, I'm glad to say) from the small stash of unidentified figures I have in my collection.These two will provide me with just enough fusiliers to fill out the two centre companies of  a second Swiss unit. The beginnings of the Neuchâtel Battalion, perhaps?


The origin of these last two figures is a bit of  a mystery. I'm convinced they are neither Hinton Hunts nor Der Kriegspielers, but something else entirely. Inscribed under their bases is what looks like "FF", followed by something undecipherable. If anyone has come across anything like these before, please let me know!

WM