3e Chevau Leger Lancers 3rd Sqaudron

 The final Sqaudron for the 3rd Chevau Leger Lancers. Again warlord miniatures, this time armed with swords and carbines. 

Cheers

Matt

3e Chevau Leger Lancers 2nd Sqaudron

 The next Sqaudron for my Lancer Regiment, all armed with lance. Again Warlord Games miniatures

Cheers

Matt

 3e Chevau Leger Lancers 1812-15 1st Squadron 

After visiting five of the 1814 battlefields this year in spring in the champagne district. I have decided to add lancers to my French army collection, the options are wide however I elected to purchase 4 boxes the warlord figures and a few sprues at the sales last year and finally got around to assembling them all in the last 6 weeks. After purchasing more sprues in the last Black Friday sale to make up three sqaudrons in each regiment that I intend to paint. The warlord horses are a bit of a worry with puddle type feet rather than a whole base and the metal horse is particularly week at the hocks as the metal is really soft, I needed to pin the officers horse in three places on all the command horses in the four boxes, another gripe is the lances I would of preferred no pennant on them and not enough vertical lances in the boxes and soft sculpting on the turnbacks flaps and portmanteau. For the elite company I added plumes from the plastic Victrix Bavarian infantry set, as a simple solution. 

With the units organisation  I commenced with the thought of the 1814 battles predominantly. The 3rd regiment of Chevau Leger Lancers served in a number of battles from 1812-15. An added bonus was pink facings that always look great contrasted against the green of the uniform. I am undecided upon the next regiment I am thinking either 5th with light blue or the 6th with its buff belts red combs and red facings. 

I am very happy though with the result and they paint up quickly. As always I commence with the horses, I have elected to have the dark bay, light bay and chesnut sqaudrons, in reality in 1814 I doubt much uniformity of horseflesh existed. The horses for the first regiment were completed by the end of November, the riders however sat to one side of my painting desk as I was renovating the house completing another bathroom on the third floor. With the commencement of the XV Analogue Painting Challenge I picked them up with intention of completing them as the first entry. 

Regiment history 

Created in 1811 from the 8th dragoons. The regiment retained one of the 1804 model eagles of the 8th dragoons and the standard, until 1812 they had a standard with the battle honours of  Ulm, Austerlitz, Jena and Eylau, the standard and Eagle were lost at Beresina (although conjecture surrounds some eagles being thrown into the river). A new 1812 model eagle and standard were issued for the 1813 campaign, using the 1812 pattern flag and served until surrender in 1814. The regiment was renamed with the restoration the Dauphin regiment, then with napoleons return in 1815 the regiment returned to regiment 3, receiving the 1815 model standard and its old 1812 eagle. After 1812 they did not carry the eagle into the field.

Colonels

1811: Baron Lebrun (Alexandre-Louis-Jules) (died of wounds 26th October 1812)
1813: Hatry (Charles-Joseph)(killed 14th October 1813 at Liebertwolkwitz)
1814: d'Hautefeuille (Eugene-Gabriel-Louis-Texier)
1815: Martique (Charles-Francois)

Battles 

1812: Polotsk and La Beresina 
1813: Bautzen, Reichenbach, Dresden, Leipzig, and Hanau 
1814: Champaubert, Vauchamps, and Troyes 
1815: Ligny and Waterloo

Battle Honours Polotsk 1812, Bautzen 1813, Dresden 1813 and Champaubert 1814

Cheers

Matt

Cuirassiers Waterloo Part 2

 Another batch completed this week, onto the next lot 100 to go to complete the commission

Cheers

Matt

WIP Cuirassiers 1/72

 More progress on the 1/72 project, another 9 almost completed. 

Cheers

Matt

French Cuirassiers 1/72 Waterloo build part 1

 I volunteered to paint 402 1/72 Cuirassiers for the new Waterloo build in England, so this month I thought I had better complete some more for the build. I am pleasantly surprised at the detail on the Zvezda Cuirassiers, they are excellent to paint too. First 60 completed, clear coat of varnish as soon as it gets warm again. 

Cheers

Matt

Birthday Haul

 Last week was my 55th birthday, as a treat we visited the champagne district of France, we stayed in Épernay then visited a number of champagne house (17), Reims cathedral and Museum and managed three 1814 Napoleonic battle locations. When I returned home I had a number of packages awaiting pick up.

The most exciting was the Old Guard band by Warlord Games, some books on Stalingrad, French Indian war bits, French Waterloo uniforms, American airborne medics in Normandy, six T54 for my ongoing Egyptian project for Yom Kippur war, a new gardening trowel and sone zinnias for my garden. 

Very blessed with great gifts from Vanessa, Allison, Mum, and my mates. 

Cheers

Matt

Napoleonic French casualties

  I have been busy this last week since returning and have managed a number of hours at the desk. First up some 28mm Napoleonic French casualties from old glory and out of ammunition markers. A simple afternoons painting, then basing on warbases dials, ready for General de Brigade or Grand Armee games. 

Cheers

Matt 

VICTOIRES et CONQUÊTES des ARMÈES FRANCAISES 1792 - 1801 book review

A fabulous pick up at a second hand book shop yesterday VICTOIRES et CONQUÊTES des ARMÈES FRANCAISES 1792 - 1801.


96 fabulous Revolutionary French army plates from various artists, some I have never seen before. Particularly some of the Ardennes and Italian campaign. Published in 1898 I think my copy is 1901. 

Cheers

Matt

Napoleonic French Mamelukes of the guard wip 2

 Underway with the painting of my band, a lot more to go on the 12 figures. The miniatures are from Gringo 40s, Another week at least before they get to wash stage. 

Cheers

Matt

Napoleonic French Mamelukes of the Guard WIP 1

 Settling back into the painting desk this week before I need to move it to a new location on the weekend completing lots of WIP and preparing projects for the Summer push. 

First up, I promised Ged at Gringo 40s I would paint his French Guard Mameluke band for display in the next few months, so I thought I had best get cracking. 

First up some research pics to help with motivation, for tunics, kettle drum, drummers, jingling jonnies and trumpets etc, really for my quick reference! Wip progress photos tomorrow as I started last night! 

Cheers

Matt

Valour and Fortitude Napoleonic Game

 Napoleonic Valour & Fortitude

Our second game of valour & fortitude, colour me impressed, we completed a 3 brigade game (2 infantry and 1 cavalry each) in under two hours after set up. 

The rules are simple but do have enough nuances to make it interesting for me, but does get a result. I am loving the speed for morale degradation though the most, the crazy movement distances and interpenetration rules will catch you out if you are not looking for it also. Guns I feel are under powered as per most napoleonic rules, with only 1 die chance on a 4 plus at any distance canister at 18 inches has 2 dice. Otherwise very happy with them considering it is four pages long.

My French mates Philippe and Jean playing French/Nassau vs me. I have my current projects on the table my Prussian and Hanoverian armies.

Philippes Nassauers 

French cavalry fall short when a strategy card is played

counter charge by the Prussian dragoons with free interpenetration of infantry....

Hanoverian line is faltering

 nasty canister does its job and the brigade flee

Hanoverian Brigade breaks and flees

The Victory brew Coreff, Breton beer!

A good night out, we are translating the rules to French over the next  month or so

cheers

Matt