2nd Regiment of Dragoons 1800-1812

 2e Régiment Dragons 

One of the oldest French Cavalry regiments in service formed in 1556. In January 1792 the ancien regime former Conde regiment was renumbered the 2e Régiment Dragons. The regiment fought a large number of engagements from the Revolution to empire. I have used Elite 28mm miniatures which make up a majority of my French Napoleonic cavalry 1800-1812 army, although Elite are getting long in the tooth, They do look good in big units. 

Yet to be presented their Eagle by the Emperor! 

Battles and engagements 

French Napoleonic ADC

 French Generals and ADCs 

I have been over the last three weeks painting two French Dragoon regiments, one Baden Dragoon regiment, some Baden Garde du Corps, plus a bunch of Generals. 

First completed off the desk is some Brigade Generals, all are from the Elite Miniatures range, which I find quite charming. 

Cuirassier Brigade General and Trumpeter

Satff Brigade General and ADC 

Infantry Brigade General and ADC 

 

Brigade General and ADC 

 

Cheers

Matt

Gallic disorder markers

An addition I always like to add for my games as I build a army, disorder markers and dead casualty markers. I must have several hundred shields from different armies plus a lot of transfers for them. Getting sick of plaid and eyes again so I knocked these up yesterday as a little break from detail work, a nice  addition to the table. More coming from different periods, now I need more round bases!

Cheers
Matt

Confederate Marines

The last remnants of 2019 projects are leaving my table this week, first up a rebase and touch up of some Confederate Marines that suffered during our move from Australia to France. Basically highlighted and touched up the scratches and dings and re-flocked the base.

The figures are from the first corps range and are the only 28mm confederate marines I know of on the market. They were originally built for our clubs Atlanta campaigns.

A rare unit, as they mostly only acted in companies, serving the the ships and gunboats with the Navy. But they served on land was along with ex ship crews at the siege of Atlanta, they were formed into a unit and manned Fort Ogeechee, manning the guns and defending the bastions until the Atlantas surrender. The other battles that they served on land include Fort Fischer and at Drewy's Bluff after the scuttling of the Viginia-Merrimac. The last battle they served in was at Saylors creek, a battalion was formed with ex naval personnel and marines defending the James River fortifications.

The flag references a 1861 company flag, as I am unaware of any marine unit or dismounted ship crew ever carrying a flag on land and is hand painted. These chaps will join the sale of my ACW collection in the coming months.

Cheers

Matt

ref Marine Corps Gazette, June 1978 Col T.J Saxon

Saxe-Ducal Hussars 1809-12

Another rebase and touch up unit. First painted around 1995 for a Napoleonic campaign, I required some Gendarmes to patrol the interior lines, so looking through the Confederation troops I found the Saxon Ducal Hussars. Happy with how these 28mm Old Glory figures have tarted up, I added a fanion from a later formation of Saxe Weimar formation. Next unit upgrade more Cuirassiers !

Saxon Ducal Hussars

The saxe-ducal hussars were a police/gendarme formation numbering between 30- 80 men total. Below is information from several sources, all these are from the Napoleon series.

GOETZ (F.) -- Uebersicht der sämmtlichen Abbildungen des Grossherzoglich. Sächsischen Militärs in dem Zeitraum von 1775 bis 1825. (Overview of all Illustrations of the Grand Duchy. Saxon Military in the Period from 1775 until 1825.) -- Weimar, s. d. -- Album, in-folio enlarged, containing 17 pages of text and 20 plates (F. Goetz del.), dedicated to His Highness the Grand-Duke of Saxe-Weimer-Eisenach.. N° 4. Husaren, von 1775 bis 1806. (Hussar, from 1775 to 1806.) N° 9. Husaren, von 1806 bis 1808 (Auerstaedt). (Hussar, from 1806 to 1808.) N° 19. Husaren, 1808-1825. (Hussar, 1808-1825.)
LIENHART and HUMBERT. -- Les Uniformes de l'Armée française depuis 1690 jusqu'à nos jours. 1806-1812. Hussar of Saxe-Weimar; hussar in pelisse.
KNÖTEL (Richard). -- Uniformenkunde. IV. 54.-- 1806-1808. Hussar of Saxe-Weimar. SAINT-HILAIRE (Marco de). -- Histoire de la campagne de Russie en 1812. (History of the Campaign of Russia in 1812.) -- Paris, Eugène and Victor Penaud, 1846. 2 vol. in-8° with 10 color plates of uniforms, by de Moraine. 1814. Hussar of Saxe-Weimar.

Dark Blue Dolman, Red Pelisse black fur, red and yellow barrel sash, white Lace, white buttons white breeches / grey overalls black hussar boots white tassel and lace black belts Sabretache black white sheepskin saddle furniture with blue trim black hungarian harness brass fittings, my trumpeter I see entirely fictional.

Cheers
Matt

Grand duchy of Frankfurt Hussars

During the mid nineties my good friend Dean organised a Napoleonic campaign in Sydney. I had quite a large French minifig and old glory army at the time and I had just started to collect Confederation of the Rhine coalition troops. Eventually the campaign got underway and I found that I required Gendarmes to protect my rear and supply lines, so I built a number of Confederation cavalry units to meet the threat. I eventually built five hussar and light dragoon units to fulfil the role, Anhalt chasseurs, Frankfurt Hussars, Saxe-Ducal Hussars, Baden Hussars and Duchy de Berg chasseurs. This year I will be refurbishing my older miniatures bringing them up to current painting style and basing, so all of these units will be on the table at some stage.

In 1806 Frankfurt lost its status as a free imperial city with the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire. Napoleon granted Karl Theodore Anton Maria von Dalberg, Prince Primate and Chairman of the Confederation Council, the former archbishop of Mainz;  received the titles of Prince Primate of Frankfurt, Aschaffenburg,  Regensburg, the possessions of the princes and counts of Lowenstein-Wertheim, Earl of Reineck and Count of Wetzlar. He also remained the Bishop of Worms, Konstanz and Regensburg.

  In 1810 Dalberg relinquished the Principality of Regensburg to the Kingdom of Bavaria, but gained the territories of Hanau and Fulda, raising the principality to the Grand Duchy of Frankfurt. In 1813 the grand duchy temporal offices were passed onto Eugene de Beauharnais, Dalberg passed away in 1817 in Regensburg.

Grand Duchy of Frankfurt Hussars 1809
The actual unit never reached more than 60 strong and we're used as Gendarmes and messengers primarily between the cities of the Duchy. There is only one print of them in existence published in the Herzberg in Augsburg (K.K priv. Kunsthandlung) and is not noted in the Weiland Collection!

 The Frankfurt Hussars had a blue hussar styled Dolman trimmed with yellow braid and buttons. The Pelisse was blue with black lambswool and yellow lace and buttons. the Breeches were also blue, black hussar style boots laced in red. The barrel sash was red and yellow cord, white belts and black cartridge pouch. The horse harness was black with white sheepskin with yellow wolf-teeth edging. The Trumpeter is entirely fictional, but possibly should of been in red as the Ducal colours were red and white.

Duchy of Frankfurt Hussars

Grand Duchy of Frankfurt Hussars

References 

Duchy de Frankfurt

Uniform of the Duchy of Frankfurt

HERZBERG. -- True portraits of all the military costumes of the monarchs of Europe. -- Herzberg, K. K. Akademische Kunsthandlung. Augsburg, 1800-1814. -- Collection of 97 plates in-4, colored with the greatest care, and appearing in parts of 5 sheets. The single plate concerning the troops of Frankfurt is part of the 18th part (Allied troops of France). It gives the following types: Infantry Officer. -- Grenadier. -- Fusilier. -- Hussar.

Carnet de la Sabretache (novembre 1889). -- Reproduction of the plates from Herzberg, discussed above

Napoleonic Generals

I have been partaking in the 30 minute 30 day painting challenge on Facebook, getting lots done.

I have decided to clear my desk before I put another project on it, currently it is packed with Napoleonic French and Baden miniatures, plus celts and bits.

First up Division General and ADC, actually a touch up and rebase job for these.

Cuirassier General new

cheers
Matt

9th Cuirassiers 1805

9th Cuirassier regiment 3rd squadron

I have been painting a bit of my Napoleonic lead like this month, I finished these guys before I went on summer holidays but failed to take any photos. I have two more squadrons to complete and add the flag when I order it. The figures are from the Elite Miniatures range which I love!

cheers

Matt

Napoleonic French 5th Hussars

5th Hussards

Well the Australian Napoleonic Congress is on this weekend so there has been a mad rush to get everything ready, I managed to paint 40 Americans for the 1812 skirmish game and 24 hussars so not to bad but not as much as I wanted to do! I went down and helped Colin try to finish Hougoumont for the Congress, but we failed when I got sick on the weekend, so we lost two nights and days of construction, hopefully we will get it done before Christmas! Looking forward to a big weekend of Napoleonic gaming and catching up with some mates for lunch, dinner and a few drinks! madly trying to finish some terrain for Sunday's game so I best go!

cheers matt

BATREP Bloody plain

On monday Greg and I played a quick game of warhammer ECW at my place on the dining table as the outdoors is not so warm this time of year!

We each selected some troops from my ECW Royalist collection. Greg elected to take a unit of curassiers, four pike and shot blocks, 1 unit of clubmen, 1 unit of dragoons, a cannon and two generals. I elected to take four pike blocks, a unit of gentlemen pensioners, a unit of dragoons, a cannon and two generals also.

After setup we diced for each unit to see if it arrived on the battlefield, Greg's lobsters failed to arrive and were left off the table for two turns.

I won the toss and elected to take the first turn, as we were playing on a small table I advanced forward my pike blocks to have a little room (in case of fleeing troops!) and dismounted my dragoons in the village so they could control the village, I fired my cannon and caused the first casualty! Greg then moved a few of his units sending his dragoons and clubmen into the village, moving his Irish and Scots leaving one unit to fire as we were within range causing casualties to my units.

turn two, I elected to leave all my troops in place so they could fire full volleys, causing massive casualties on the Blue Regt almost causing a morale roll! My cannon caused some more casualties on the Irish Regt, my dragoons fired at close range (2 inches) at the opposing Dragoons, 1 hit from 9.......pitable. Greg then dismounted his dragoons, moved his clubmen into the buildings, moved his Irish and Scots, reloaded his Blue Regt shots

Turn Three, I remounted my dragoons and moved them back out of close range of Greg's dragoons, moved my General with is bodyguard and moved my Green Regt and the Kings Regt, and reloaded Astley's Regt, I fired my cannon and caused a few more casualties on the Irish. Greg moved his lobsters on my left Flank and moved his Irish, Scots and Red Regt closer to the action he also Elected to charge his Blue Regt against Astley's who stood and received the charge and were promptly cut up in the ensuing hand to hand (yes I rolled like a girl. Greg also had a crack with his cannon at my General and bodyguard who were standing in the open in column, he promptly rolled a misfire!!! My finely painted Foundry Astley's fled from the plastics off the table taking the dragoons with them, morale checks all round, all the rest stood!

turn Five I charged my cavalry against Greg's artillery, Greg's Blue Regt last turn had followed up Astley's Regt within close range of Gerard's Regt who blasted them at close range, and the Kings regt also hit them from the flank with one sleeve of shot, the Blue Regt panicked and fled causing some of Greg's units to flee, The Scots ran off the table (with out being effective), the Red Regt stood and the Irish ran like girls!

Greg however returned the favour charging his cavalry against my Gun, who were all cut down, he also mounted his dragoons and charged his clubmen against the Kings Regt, the clubmen failed to hit and fled back through the village.

Turn Six High Tide I thought for me I charged Greg's fleeing Irish, who continued to flee, I reformed my Kings Regt and marched them off towards the action on the other side of table, in my haste I failed to move my Green Regt to face Greg's lobsters.
My c General finally finished off the artillery. Greg then rolled like a legend and reformed his Irish, he charged my Green Regt with the lobsters who failed their panic test and fled taking Gerard's Regt with them, my whole center collapsed leaving only my General and the Kings Regt on the table.


turn Seven I moved the Kings Regt again towards the enemy and retired the King and his bodyguard. Greg charged the Kings Regt with both the dragoons and the lobsters, the kings men stood and received the charge but failed to do any damage and promptly threw up their hands in surrender, The King Fled from the table.........again!

A great day out, I thought I had the game in turn six but not to be, great to have my ECW out for a game though



cheers
matt