......and the Good News Second

The Prussians have arrived!

Well, so much for my schemes and plans. Ian's cavalry have arrived at last! My rant against the postal service was premature. However, one can't help wondering where on earth they've been for the last 2 months.

As Marcus Hinton decreed that Prussian Uhlans should be mounted on chestnut horses in his painting instructions, I've been frantically researching how to do this using Humbrols. Humbrol does not have a very extensive brown colour palette. Expect to see the results on a blog near you soon!

WM

The 13th Légère Line Up

The 13e Légère march out.

It's a cold winter's night here in Wellington, but  I'm warmed by the fact that the 13th Légère are finally ready to take the field.

Joining the DK 8 chasseur companies featured in my last post are six DK 8E: French Line Infantry Elites 1812, Charging, painted as carabiniers; and two  DK 8E and four DK 11E painted as volitgeurs.

That I was able to find only eight DK 8E suggests that the typical ratio of elite to centre company figures in DK French line infantry sets was 8 to 16, organised into six, 4-figure companies. If this is so, mustering the 6-figure elite companies needed for my organisation is likely to become a problem.

Although there are more French infantry in the painting queue, these are going to have to wait a bit as it's high time I did some cavalry. Anyone would think I've been avoiding them...

March Past for the Emperor

The truth is that this is almost certainly what I've been doing. When I was a teenager I hated painting cavalry units as they seemed to take three times as long as the infantry, and I really wasn't very good at them.

The 13th looking spiffy in their all-blue uniforms!

As the best way round this aversion would be to start with something simple, expect to see some Prussian cavalry in the next post!

WM

Manoeuvring in style!.

A classic vintage line up.

Using Up My Légère Time!

DK 13: French Line Infantry 1812 Command

DK 8s painted as Light Infantry chasseurs

One of these days I'm going to have to do more than just one of each type of unit before moving on to the next, but it hasn't arrived yet! So, true to form, I've decided to have a go at a battalion of French light infantry.

Commanded by three of Chuck's excellent DK 13 figures are nine DK 8: French Line Infantry 1812, Charging, painted as light infantry chasseurs. As the light infantry after 1812 had a more or less identical cut to their uniforms as the line, all that was required to turn them into light infantry was a different colour scheme.

I was bit worried that the results might look a little monochromatic, but I think the contrast of blue coats and trousers against red collars, with a further flash of scarlet on the cuffs, just manages to avoid this. Although blue pointed cuffs with white piping were more common for the light infantry after 1812, some battalions seem to have retained the older, pre-1812 style of cuff, so I decided this was allowable!

Once again, the DK 8s turned out to be beautiful castings once the old paint had been stripped away, and I was very taken with their fine, aggressive fighting stance! Although the lettering on their flag proclaims them to be the 45me de Ligne,  in my order of battle they are to be the crack 13me Légère. It was the 13th that finally captured the farmhouse of La Haye Sainte from the King's German Legion at Waterloo, and thus for a moment seemed to turn the tide of the battle.

Next up should be the 13th's carabinier and voltigeur companies, using a mixture of DK 8Es and a few more DK 11Es to make up the numbers.

Have a great weekend everyone,

WM

The 45th Goes Forth

Fall In the 45th!

I was at home with a cold today, so had nothing better to do between sneezes than to finish my DK tribute to Ian's 45th.

At just under four weeks to paint from first to last, this battalion has got to be something of a speed-painting record for me.

Two whole companies devoted to grenadiers and voltigeurs was a bit of an extravagance, but I thought that as this was my first French battalion I should stint them nothing.

I think I'll need to do at least one more battalion to get the French Army well and truly underway before returning to the Prussians. The only question is, should it be another line battalion or some light infantry? I rather like the idea of an all-blue unit....

Many thanks again to Chuck for providing the vital command figures. It just wouldn't have been the same with a home-made Eagle. Having said that, I think it's certain that I'm going to have to have a go at this at some stage!


WM

French Flankers

DK 9E: French Line Infantry Elite, Advancing

They took me a little bit longer than expected (all those piped collars, cuffs, lapels and epaulettes!), but the 45th's flank companies are finally ready.

First up are two examples of the Der Kriegspielers DK 9 E: French Line Infantry Elites 1812, Advancing figure, painted as a line grenadier and a line voltigeur. As with the DK 9 fusilier figures, these are clearly related to the Hinton Hunt FN 5 French fusilier figure, but with added elite company distinctions and those trademark DK hanging musket straps.

DK 11E: French Line Infantry Elite, Repelling!

Contrary to my previous post I found that I actually had nine of these figures. This gave me enough for six voltigeurs, but only three to form the grenadier company. However, help was at hand in the form of three DK 11 E figures, French Line Infantry Elites 1812, Repelling.

Pictured is one of the original veteran DK 11 E figures (on the right), with my revamped version (on the left). Underneath all the old paint were some very tidy little casting! Many of the DK poses seem to consist of little more than a slight variation in the musket position, but I think this one qualifies as something altogether more original. My version has his head twisted round to face the front in order to make him blend in a little more with the DK9s.

The bases have been prepared and are drying, so the next post featuring the whole battalion shouldn't be too far off.

WM

The 45th Forms Up

The 45me de Ligne takes shape.

DK 9: French Line Infantry 1812, advancing.

My Der Kriegspielers tribute to the 45th has reached the halfway mark.

The marching officer is one of Chuck's splendid DK 13: French Line Infantry 1812 Command figures, and I have to say that I think he's come out rather well! Most of other the figures are DK 9: French Line Infantry 1812, advancing.

DK 9 is clearly modeled on the Hinton Hunt FN 5 figure, French Infantry of the Line 1812-15, Fusilier charging. However, there are some significant differences to look out for in case anyone else comes across these figures.

The first thing to note is the head position, which is facing directly forwards in DK 9 rather than to the side as in the FN 5 figure. Another difference is the musket sling. This is fastened tight against the musket in FN 5, but hangs loose in DK 9. Finally, the bases on the DK 9s are rectangular rather than forming the classic HH square. As with many DKs, they are also altogether lighter, slimmer and less detailed than their HH contemporaries. A final identifier is the "9'"inscription discernible under most of the bases

DK 9 musket sling variations

They may not be Hinton Hunts, but I'm delighted with them nonetheless. The lack of deep relief detail made them simple and quick to paint, and they look balanced and well proportioned. In short, I think it's entirely fair to say they have a charm of all of their own.

I also like them because while I was painting them I experienced one of those moments of pure geeky joy when I realised that there are in fact two variants of the DK 9 fusilier - one with musket sling starting in front of the left hand, and one starting after it! If this batch is anything to go by, the former is a lot rarer than the latter.

The next post will look at another unique DK feature - the inclusion of special 'Elite' variants within the French line infantry range. I have eight of the DK 9E variants, which will serve vary well for the 45th's grenadiers and voltigeurs.

WM