18mm Napoleonic Update

In the meantime I have slowly but steadily been progressing through my 1809 Napoleonics.  White is a terrible colour to have to paint, especially en masse.  On the bright side, Hungarians with blue trousers halve the pain, as does giving Saxon infantry alternate trousers.  I've also found it helps to rotate between painting different things; a few units of cavalry, then some infantry, a battery of artillery etc.  And then within those categories too, so for example a few battalions of white-coated foot, then some lights or others that are in different colours or - as will become apparent - from Saxons to Hungarians.

 Obschelwitz Battalion and Tirailleurs d'Egidy.  In both cases I have largely pleased myself with their uniforms as I could find little to nothing to inform me.  The lights were based on Hessians and others, I went for red facings.  The line were just imagination. 

Regiment du Low and Regiment Niesmeschel.  They are both modelled as single large battalions, i.e. post merger due to losses during the campaign.  It's a little more aesthetically pleasing this way too.

Two large battalions of the Austrian Nr. 2 Sztaray Regiment.  I went for shakos for the Hungarians to give a little variety to the helmeted German line infantry.

Austrian Jaeger Battalion.  A mixture of rifles and muskets, some of these are more delicate castings due to being created for moulds, I was fortunate enough to purchase them a couple of years back.

All friends together in the same box!

18mm Napoleonics, the Revenge Of

As always with these blogs (it seems to me) I am inclined to open with an apology as to my absence due to real life etc etc… although that is again true.  However, I've had a week off to organise my life, and I've indulged myself in getting back to some serious painting.  Once again, it's been like re-learning the process, unearthing the knowledge and so on but it's been increasingly pleasurable to do so.  I know the last post was about 20mm Modern, but I've felt a pang to return to my first love, so here are some of the results of that.  A regiment of Legere and some chasseurs en tirailleur, plus some French and Saxon casualty/status markers.  As per normal, basing has been neglected in favour of getting the painting out of the way, and because basing is my least favourite activity.  Next on the table is a three battalion Ligne regiment, but don't bet on that actually being the next thing I paint. 

The latest Legere in their finished glory…maybe the 26e?  Why not.  I had fun doing some variations in epaulettes/plumes/distinctions on the elite companies, and made a conscious choice for the voltigeurs to have busbies as their regimental affectation, because why not?

More of the same.  I also gave each battalion's chasseurs different pom poms just for some variation, rather than doing individual company pom poms for each. 

Saxon casualty/status markers.  Those freshly based Austrian guns in the background will perhaps be the cause of these being employed on the tabletop one day! 

French version of the same.  I didn't do cheesy blood on many of the figures, although the chap in the brown trousers on the right I did take the time to do some splatter for; not that it can be discerned very well here.

The final French casualty markers (for now as there are others including cavalry versions).  A mixture of modern AFVs in the background - perhaps the fusilier on his knees is clapping his hand to his head in astonishment!

6mm Napoleonic - An 1813 AAR with Empire V.

Finally managed to get the troops into action last week. I assumed the role of General Reynier for this one, and my father gamely assumed the guise of the General der Kavallerie Erbprinz von Hessen-Homburg (below). 

Below is a quick update on the progress of Udom I's Russian 2nd Guard Infantry Division, the balance of which was present but never went into action. Foreground are the two battalions of the Lieb Garde Regiment. Also completed in time to participate was the 1/Semenovski Regiment. (As I have enough for 6 more battalions, I have elected to do the Preobrejanski and Semenovski Regiments from the 1st Guard Division and merge the two brigade under Udom I for now.

Below is a shot taken at what might have been the height of the fighting, the 3rd and 4th hours, as the Coalition attacks reached their high-water marks and the Franco-Allied divisions countered hard to decisively drive them back. In the bottom right hand corner can be seen the Prussian Dragoons, routed attacking a square in the 1st hour, and a Regiment of Austrian Cuirassiers, broken by flanking artillery fire. Nearby, the Russian reserves stand in columns. At the very top of the picture can be seen all three battalions of the 6th Ligne, and 1 battalion of the 14th Polish Line. The Austrians are pressing hard at the hill on the left, and the Prussians and Saxons are locked in combat over the heights in the centre.

The Saxons reorganise whilst skirmishers keep the Prussians occupied on the far side of the crest.

The Polish infantry retires behind skirmishers to the new defensive line, as massed Hungarian battalions loom out of the smoke!

Gerard moves his one battery (of 12pdrs) into the centre.

Where it proceeds to mow down the attacking Austrians time and time again, before running out of ammunition and being withdrawn from the line of battle to replenish.

Nevertheless, the Austrians manage to overrun the positions of the 1/12th Line Regiment. This Austrian battalion would occupy that ground for almost an hour before being swept away by the Saxon Garde du Corps before it could form square.

 Lessing's brigade moves up past General Reynier in preparation to counter-attack in support of Gerard's hard-pressed division. The Zastrow Cuirassiers didn't get into action before the battle ended.

The two regiments double-out, although they had to attack one behind the other due to a lack of available ground to employ the brigade in line abreast.

At the same time, Gerard leads three Polish battalions forward in a fierce attack that shatters the Hungarian Regiment, and in combination with the attack of the heavy cavalry, seals the fate of Liechtenstein's Division of Austrians.

The Prussian attack never fully develops, being checked at the crest of the central heights, and stymied by fierce resistance in the copse to the left. Both sides inflict heavy losses on each other nevertheless. 

With the Prussian momentum stalled, and the threat of the marauding Allied cavalry to the flank removed by the retreat of the Austrian Cuirassiers and Russian Hussars, the Saxons go forwards all along the line. the Fus and 2/7th Reserve Regiment break, as does the 2/1st West Prussian, despite the very low chance of the 1/Anton prevailing against them.

Indeed, the 1/Anton goes 'battle mad' and breaks through the Prussian line, but it's line of attack carries it past the battery (un)fortunately. The 2/Anton is not so lucky, and is routed by the 1/1st West Prussian.

The battlefield at the close of play in the evening. Broken battalions can be seen lined up on the far and near table edges. The Austrians on the left had just been issued break-off orders, but failed their ME Determination test and fled en masse, abandoning their guns.

Despite the repulse of all the infantry attacks, the Allied Light Cavalry puts up a good showing (the Russians that is). The Prussian Dragoons rally to follow in their wake late in the day, as the Russian Grodno Hussars break the Saxon Hussars and Polish Chasseurs. Pictured: having just carried away a Saxon FAB, the Hussars get 13" of breakthrough movement, which Hessen-Homburg took in full (with a shrugged "why not"). The massed battalion squares of the 24th Division repelled the Russian horsemen, ending their wildly successful charge, but inflicting no losses.

The Prussians fall back on their remaining formed regiment, the 6th Silesian Landwehr, as a general withdrawal is ordered. The isolated 1/Anton and 1/1 West Prussian are conspicuous on the right hand side.

The aftermath of the carnage around the French right flank, after the successful attack of the Saxon Heavy Cavalry Brigade. Gerard's command comprised 4,300 French and 2,000 Polish infantry, and one 12pdr FAB. It suffered 1,200 French and 480 Polish losses, against 1,740 Austrian (from 7,000 men).

All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable game, and not at all a foregone conclusion at any stage, as indicated by the heavy losses to both commands. Allied losses were only higher due to the last, determined attempt by the Austrians to carry the Franco-Polish positions.

French = 20,000 deployed, 14,500 engaged.
2,940 losses, with 1 gun. A further 6 guns carried off by the Russian Hussars.

Allied = 22,500 deployed, 17,500 engaged.
3,360 losses, with 1 gun. A further 12 guns captured when the Austrian Line Division fled and the gunners abandoned the two Brigade Batteries.

6mm Napoleonics - An 1813 Campaign 'Empire V' project.

So it has admittedly been a few months since my last post. This is mainly lethargy on my part, although I have been checking back here regularly in order to keep the blog alive. In the meantime I have been working my way steadily through my latest project, namely my little 6mm Adler chums in pursuit of an 1813 Campaign OB. Having many books, and much of the actual documentation from the time knocking about, I haven't been short of information!

So here are some photos of my progress. I have been basing these with Empire V in mind, with the 15mm basing scales that are given in the rules mounting a roughly converted ratio of 6mm figures. So in lieu of 2 x 15mm castings on a bases 20mm by 13mm, I've got 6 x 6mm infantrymen instead for example. The ratios aren't hard and fast, they just happened to work out neatly in a way that conveniently filled out the available space for the 15mm measurements. 3:1 approximately for the infantry, 4:1 for the cavalry. Where there are odd numbers I always add one more figure. Anyway, enough from me!


These first two shots are of the 25th (Saxon) Division, of Reynier's VII Corps. Not shown are the two 6-gun batteries, which are just out of shot, one either side of the division. The 2nd Light Infantry Regiment and the Combined Grenadiers are leading the 1st Brigade, with 2/du Roi and 1/de Niesmenchel behind. 2nd Brigade made up of the 1,2/de Low and 1,2/d'Antoine. Reynier is at the rear left, and GdD de Sahr in the near corner.

The next is of the 24th (Saxon) Division, same Corps sans the 1st Light Infantry Regiment and the artillery, which are being done at the moment. 1/Maximilien, 2/de Rechten, and the Saxon Lieb-Garde. (In bearskins. Don't start). Behind, the Combined Grenadiers, 1,2/de Frederic, 1,2/de Steindel. Some stand in Saxon Chasseurs in the foreground.

The in the works Saxon cavalry next. VII Corps Cavalry was comprised the Saxon Hussars (8 Squadrons!) and Saxon Light Lancers. So the Hussars need double the number of bases seen here, erk! The Saxon Heavy Cavalry nearby was part of Latour-Maubourg's I Reserve Cavalry Corps, 3rd Heavy Cavalry Division, 3rd Brigade. GdB Lessing can be seen ahead of the Garde du Corps (less two bases), and the full Saxon von Zastrow Cuirassier Regiment.

A slightly closer look at the heavies. The massed effect on the 15mm bases works very nicely to my taste. The rest of the Garde du Corps are on their way.

Next post - Prussians.