Flags for the Lads

My Russian Leib Grenadiers have been going a bit slowly lately, not least because I decided that they really ought to have two flags rather than just the one. Apart from anything else, this meant I had to carve out another standard bearer despite the fact that he was already partially painted.

The first battalion of the Leib Grenadiers were entitled to carry a "white flag", being a white cross on a field of pale blue, and a "coloured flag", where the colour scheme was reversed. These flags were issued in 1797 and not replaced for another thirty years, apparently.

My main issue with my version of these flags is that the new tin of Humbrol 89: Middle Blue I had to break into produced a blue which was not really all that blue when it came down to it. This concerns me a bit.

I'm all of a dither about this. I've been loyally painting almost everything in Humbrols since I started this project, but the decline in quality in some of the old standards is starting to get really noticeable. The metallics are particularly awful. When I finally run out of the old stock I've managed to scrounge off a few mates I may be forced to take up acrylics. I'm really not happy about this.

Yours, somewhat dejectedly

WM

Wrangling Russians

What with it being the long Easter weekend, I thought I'd get cracking on Rob Y's rather more-ish Garrison Russians. As is the tradition with these things, I wanted to get the command group into shape before launching into the rest of the battalion.

First up is my officer conversion, which is a mashup between a 1972 Garrison RN 1: Pavlovski Officer, and an unlisted 1975 RN 5: Russian Grenadier officer bearing a flagstaff. Apart from the obvious head swap, I used the flagstaff to fashion a slightly more robust sword for the conversion.

Rather simpler was my own standard bearer, who is just a 1975 Garrison RN 8: Line Grenadier with his musket removed and holes drilled to hold one of my fizzy flags. The drummer, however, who is based on another RN 8, was a bit more complex. It took the best part of a day to shave back and replace his left arm and attach a drum. His drumsticks still need a bit of work, but I'm nearly there.

I haven't quite decided who they are to represent, but I'm leaning strongly towards the Leib Grenadier Regiment. This appears to have been the only Russian line grenadier regiment which really was composed exclusively of grenadiers and they have the added  advantage of being transferred to the Russian Imperial Guard in 1813, which will make them A+. Just the thing, I'm thinking, for making up a Russo-Prussian Guards division.

My test grenadier will need bit of white lace on his cuffs and collar to turn him into a Leib Grenadier, but this shouldn't take more than jiffy.

Happy Easter!

WM

Gunners Inglorious

Marshal Blücher has assembled General von Pirch's entire division to watch the Prussian artillery at gunnery practice.

With his beloved  Schwarzen Jäger all around him, Colonel Ludwig von Lützow is bursting with pride.

The gunners swing into action like a well-oiled machine, loading the shot...

...and then ramming the charges home.

Blücher gives the order to open fire.

Blücher: Artillerie ... Feuer!

The guns discharge simultaneously with a deafening roar.

It's all a bit too much for the sensitive intellectuals in the Königlich Preußisches Freikorps von Lützow, who turn and flee. Von Lützow is powerless to stop them!

Lützow: Körner! Eleonore Prochaska! Kommen zurück!

Blücher is furious!

Blücher: Lützow!!!

My sincere thanks to Mr A. Gentlemen for allowing me to fulfill my Lützower ambitions.

In other news, which underlines perhaps just how necessary it is to secure a powerful gunline, Mr Rob G in the UK  has sent me some sensational photographs of his superb 6e régiment de chevau-légers lanciers:

I think you've really outdone yourself this time, Rob.

Best regards

WM

Lützow Heavy Weapons

I've been terribly busy with various work projects these last few weeks, but as they've finally slackened off a bit I've managed to get some painting done.

Readers of this blog may dimly recall that Mr A. Gentleman very kindly supplied me with a set of wonderful Hinton Hunt Lützower infantry conversions a few years ago. "If you can bung me a few more," I said, "I'll turn them into gunners". I'm somewhat mortified by how long it's taken me to paint them, but here they are at last.

Depicted below are the other ranks. The first two figures, I believe, are conversions of a Hinton Hunt PN 21: Prussian Landwehr infantryman, marching. The third is a charging variant who I think started life as a BN 72: British Fusilier charging. All I needed to do with them was to pare off their muskets and substitute various artillery implements.

I think the the superb Lützower officer conversion which follows was made from an  AN 50: Austrian Artillery Officer. The only change I made to him was to solder on a new scabbard as the original had broken off. I may have overdone the length a bit.

Their gun is still in the works but when it's finished I'll show them all off properly along with the rest of the Prussian gun line.

While I was about these I decided to have a go at a Garrison Russian grenadier who was very generously supplied to me by Rob Young. Like the Garrison Prussian Landwehr Rob also sent to me, he's a wee bit bigger than a standard Hinton Hunt, but not disastrously so.

He's the first of what is to be a little Austro-Russian side project, which will be matched with a few Bavarians and other satellite units on the French side. I've been dying to do this for ages, so despite the fact that Phase 2 of my main project is not quite complete, a battalion of Garrison Russians is what's up next after the Lützowers are finished.

I can't quite articulate what it is that attracts me so much about Garrisons, but every time I get hold of them I find them absolutely irresistible.

Yours

WM

Lance Heads

Greetings from the 'other side', as they say in these parts.

I was supposed to be painting gunners this weekend but somehow got distracted and ended up doing French line lancer conversions instead.

The officer is a conversion of a Der Kriegspieler Napoleoniques #49: French Guard lancer, with a Hinton Hunt French line lancer's head, a new sword to replace his lance, some new epaulettes and various other minor changes. It was nearly all done with solder apart from the sword, which started life as a Minifigs bayonet.

The trumpeter is a somewhat simpler recrafting of a broken Hinton Hunt FN 118: Light Horse Lancer in crested helmet, charging. Both are for my friend Rob G., by way of a swap and as a thank you for all sorts of vintage 20mm assistance over the last few years years. I may do a couple more like them for myself eventually....

We have a long weekend here in Welly, so there's still another day left to work on the gunners, but as the weather is rather glorious I don't rate their chances too highly.

Yours

WM

Update:

Rob reminded me that the trumpeter really ought to have fringed epaulettes of his own, so I popped some on this afternoon. The gunners never did get a look in.

Baby Boomer

It's New Year's Day, 2021, here in the Land of the Small Flightless Bird, and so I've decided to start the year with a bang.

It is New Year's Day, 1813, and
the Emperor is reviewing his Guard

The newly-raised Horse Artillery are ordered
to demonstrate their remarkable manoeuvrability.

The Battery Captain shows off his stuff  by advancing...

.....deploying and pivoting with speed and precision.

The Emperor is really quite chuffed.

My new battery looks ever-so-slightly ridiculous with its tiny wee Hinton Hunt gun, so perhaps it's less of a bang and more of a pop and and puff. Nevertheless, I'm delighted to have finally got my hands on one.

Happy New Year, everyone

WM

Edit: The gun, of course, is a vintage Hinton Hunt A3: French Field Gun. It's missing its little ammunition chest, unfortunately, but I have another gun which still has this which will be making an appearance eventually.

Horse Artillery Captain: What are you looking at, old boy?
Foot Artillery Captain: I'm trying to see what he's going to paint next.