Le figlie bellissime

These are from the 4th entry to the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge, which earned me a tidy 90 points, putting me into the heady heights of 9th place! Time enough for others to catch up and bump me down the ladder again!

This time I painted the 1st of 2 Italian 12 pounder batteries using the lovely Zvezda kit. It really is a joy to paint these figures!

Next were 2 more regimental guns using Eureka 15mm guns to represent 3 pounders. The first figure is from Zvezda with a conversion head from Franznap. They head and body are made for each other!

Next, a HaT gunner with a Franznap head. Not quite as pretty as the previous stand, but adds a little variation, I'm sure you'll agree!

Lastly, the final Bavarian Chevau-Leger regiment. This time, they're all conversions, including the one I did a while age. I miscalculated the number of figures I needed for the project and found I was short a few too many of the HaT Bavarians, so rather than mix figures, I decided to go the whole hog and convert the requisite number for the last regiment.They are Italeri French Light Cavlary figures with the heads from the HaT Wurrtemberg artillery set. I haven't bothered with plumes except for that original conversion, so he'll be the only properly dressed one and represents the officer. They are mounted on the horses from the Italeri French chassurs set and despite the correct shabraques for Bavarian cavalry (but oddly not for French chasseurs!) you'll understand why I've been reluctant to use them in the past; they are supremely ugly beasts!

More Bavarians

This is the first of 2 red fronted Bavarian cavalry units. One more and I'm done with Bavarians!

This lot earned me a healthy 56 points in the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge, too.

Next up, the last of the Italian chasseurs a cheval.

The eagle-eyed among you may have spotted the absence of the previous post. After it was pointed out to me by a fellow French commander that the annotations on the photos could provide useful intelligence to the enemy, I hastily pulled the post!

I admit to being careless with intelligence and am thankful that I wasn't taken out and shot for aiding the enemy! Loose lips sink ships, after all.

Rest assured that the pictures will be restored post-battle.

Bavarian Cavalry - Cheveau-Leger No.6 & Regimental Gun

These have taken a longer time than the multitude of infantry battalions I've been churning out! I've been at these for over a month now, and I've got 3 more Bavarian cavalry regiments to go. Hope to get the rest out of the way quicker!

The riders are form HaT set 8030 with the horses from Esci set 218. The horses just seem to be nicer than those that came with the riders. The only drawback with the Esci horses are the lack of reins and circular mold marks on one side of the flanks. I couldn't do anything about mold marks, but I tried to rectify the lack of reins by gluing cotton thread from horses' mouth to riders' fists. It was very fiddly and after a lot of swearing, I'm still not sure if it was worth the effort.

Also completed is the first of 8 regimental guns for VI Corps. The gunner is from HaT set 8229 with a head mod from HaT set 8095 (what else?). Works well, I think! I'll also probably use Zvezda gunners in the mix, too. I'll probably also add the cotton wool smoke to the port-fire at some stage as well.

A Surprise and Bav Cav WIP

I'd ordered some spare heads for conversion some time ago from Franznap, which arrived last week. Francesco had let me know that he was sending a little something else along with it as a surprise. I was intrigued, expecting a single figure or something similar. What I wasn't expecting were a set each of his Neapolitan Veliti of the Guard command and fusilier sets!

Both pictures courtesy of http://www.franznap.jigsy.com

They are exquisite! I might just have to start a Neapolitan army, now. Maybe from the OOB of Murat's last hurrah, the Battle of Tolentino, 1815?

Thanks very much for your generosity, Francesco; It was much more than I was expecting!

Francesco's also in discussion with Nic from Eureka Miniatures to see if Eureka can be the local manufacturer/distributor for his range. I'm crossing my fingers that something can be arranged, because the postal charges from the Netherlands to Australia make ordering there wonderful figures an exercise in economic insanity (which I have been known to suffer from). Best of luck with the venture, Francesco!

Anyway, after receiving the heads I'd ordered, I wanted to try them out, of course! They're probably a little on the small side for use with the chunky HaT 8095 figures, but they're perfect for HaT's later output of finer, more slender figures like set 8146 1805-1808 French Infantry in Greatcoats.

I've started the Bavarian cavalry using HaT 8030 Bavarian cavalry, but I'm experimenting with horses because having wooden poses in both rider and horse isn't appealing to me . I've used horses from the Esci Polish Lancers set which seem a good match, but realised just now that the reason they look a little odd is that they don't have reins! Maybe I'll bodge something up; strips of paper or fine string, possibly?

I've also used a horse from Italeri set 6016, French Imperial General Staff, which is a better fit aesthetically.

General-Major von Preysing-Moos

Here is the Bavarian cavalry division commander for IV Corps. Technically he should have another figure to join him on his base, but it was hard enough creating him, so he's going it alone!

What?! MORE French Infantry! Who'd Have Guessed?

 Yes, another battalion of French infantry! I'm down to my last regiment, so you'll being something else soon. I'll probably start my Bavarian cavalry next.

Again the basis of these troops are HaT set 8095, although there are some ring-ins again; the officer is from HaT set 8167, though his plume has been substantially pared back to resemble a pompon. The eagle bearer and NCO are from Italeri set 6092 with HaT heads. The Eagle bearer's is from HaT 8167 while the NCO's is from 8095. It's amazing how just having HaT heads makes the Italeri figures blend in!

Now for something different: A command figure for my Bavarian cavalry. As there are no commercially available Bavarian command figures, I thought I should have a go at creating my own. One of the remaining figures from the Waterloo 1815 Mounted Line officers set paid the ultimate sacrifice and lost his head to have it replaced by one from the Zvezda Napoleonic HQ Staff. As the join was not up to my usual standards, as well as the fact that I chopped away most of the original figure's collar, I made a new collar from Milliput (after about 4 attempts; bloody fiddly! Grrrrr!). He rides one of the magnificently animated horses from the Zvezda HQ set.

The figure below is my approximation of a General officer. The plastron resembles the plate below, but the figure has aiguillettes and a sash and the bicorne has a large plume, which would indicate a Staff officer. However, this is the closest I'll be able to come to making a figure remotely resembling the historical ideal, so again I'll be assuming this chap is more of a dandy who's outfitted himself in a way that tips the hat at protocol, but says a lot more about his own taste in military fashion!

Dennewitz 1813-2013 Part 1

Here it is; the Dennewitz AAR! This is the first installment to be followed by a couple more, as it will be picture heavy, and this post is already a long one.

It's been a long time coming because it was a HUGE battle and I took a lot of photos. Choosing the best to illustrate the narrative is not easy!

Also not helpful was the week I had down at the beach with my kids at my father's place; what was I THINKING?! How could I leave you in suspense for all this time? Hopefully the wait has got you salivating in anticipation! :-D

The playing field without any troops, looking from north to south. The  central tables are  4' x 6' and the outer tables are 2' x 6'. All are mounted on castors so that they can be wheeled out of the way to enable access to the centre tables.

Map of battlefield from Napoleon Series

The bravest of the brave: C'est moi!
Don't I look dashing?

The heroic French under my command! 

The following are the units commanded by players. Any divisions not allocated to a player were commanded by the Corps commander

Morand's (Jim) IV Corps: 15th Div. Fontanelli (Paul) & 38th Div. Franquemont (Robin)

Reynier's (Qinny)VII Corps: 24th Div. Le Cocq (Jenko),  32nd Div.  Durutte (Pete E.)

Oudinot's (Malcolm) XII  Corps: 14th Div. Guilleminot (John W.)

Arrighi's (Garry) III Cavalry Corps

Starting positions: Bertrand's IV Corps passing through Dennewitz with  Fontanelli's division across the stream supported by the 5th Light Cavalry Division from Arrighi's command. The stream had steep banks which made it impassable to cavalry and artillery and gave infantry 4 disorders if crossed.

Andrew B.'s Prussian 4th Army Corps waiting to the front. Note the tiny cavalry units, which we dismissed to our  peril!

Ney's orders to Bertrand; Attack!

Fontanelli and Arrighi comply!

IV Corps Reserve Cavalry (Wurttemberg Light Cav.) and Franquemont's Wurttembergers make way for the rest of Bertrand's command to pass through Dennewitz

The artillery park bring up the rear. Andrew B. created special rules for the arty park; If they were taken by the enemy, French artillery supply would be disrupted and batteries could run out of ammunition. French morale would also be affected negatively, but the train could be 'garrisoned' by infantry to protect it if in danger. Fortunately it never was! 

The traffic jam at the Dennewitz crossing

Robin brings his Wurttemberg command out of the column of march to the right flank in order to seize the Rohrbeck crossing and flank the Prussians to the east. 

Bertrand's command north of the stream looking form the west.

Fontanelli's horse guns go BANG!

First blood to us! HUZZAH!

Garry's light cav. division shaking out to the western flank in an attempt to outflank Andrew. We should have known presenting him an open flank was not a good idea!

Garry's lead regt. passes Nieder Görsdorf to the west

Fontanelli's (Paul's) brave boys advance on the Prussians

Andrew awaits Paul's advance, but moves his lancers forwards; The master of combined arms at work!

The traffic snarl at Dennewitz sorts itself out

Things start to go pear shaped: Garry's light cav (Lorge) move to the left and get whacked by Andrew's tiny cavalry units. Andrew holds Paul's attack with the help of more of his tiny cav. Ominously, Prussian reinforcements start appearing to the west in the form of Tim's 4th Brigade (Thumen) of Bülow's (Andrew S.) 3rd Army Corps. The 4th Brigade are the hammer that desroys Morand's attack on the anvil of the 4th Army Corps!

Andrew B. charges at Paul's artillery. Paul's infantry form square in time, and despite infantry flank fire the charge goes in his artillery also  manages to limber in time to flee before the lancers hit home. 

Blown, disordered, but still alive! Phew!

As their target fled before the charge hit home, the cavalry pulled up half way, leaving them at the mercy of the squares who gave them some curry before they withdrew.

Andrew B.'s tiny dragoon detachment charges Garry's guns, but are counter-charged by one of the Chasseur regiments. The quality of the Prussian cav. plus the fact that the French are still in column result in a Prussian victory with the French forced to retire. There was some muttering on the French side a the historical improbability of this happening, but there was nothing in the rules to prevent this, and Andrew is not someone we should have taken quite so lightly in this situation!

Andrew takes the breakthrough and hits the guns, while the repulsed  chasseurs look on in anguish and the regt. behind the guns wets itself!

The battery is sent flying...

...while the flat-footed column gets a whacking from the flank. Ouch!

After that debacle, ominous dust clouds appear from the west as  the Prussian  3rd Army Corps makes its appearance!

Poor Garry wasn't allowed to recover with his cavalry getting another  spanking from more of Andrew B.'s Prussian  dragoons!

And again!

Forced back to Wölmsdorf, Garry now has to contend with MORE cavalry to the west!

Ney orders Robin's Wurrtembergers to the left  to stop this Prussian advance on our flank. Traffic lights would have been good as the Wurrtembergers pass through the column!

Tim's 4th Brigade passes Nieder Görsdorf across land that the 5th Light Cav Div was supposed to be guarding!

The lead brigade of Morand's (Jim) 12th division shake out to the left to face the oncoming Prussian threat, but now with no cavalry support! Fontanelli (Paul) keeps his focus on Andrew B.'s Prussian infantry to the north.

Oppen's (Andrew S.) Cav. Reserve sweeps into the gap between Wölmsdorf and Göhlsdorf followed by Hesse-Homburg's (Darren) 3rd Brigade of the 3rd Army Corps.  

The French position north of Dennewitz with the Prussians closing in.

But what's that? To the south-west comes reinforcements; Reynier's (Quinny) VII Corps come  along a round-about route after ignoring his march route (as happened in reality)

Guilleminot (Robin) Forms his Wurrtembergers in a line from Dennewitz to Göhlsdorf.

??? @$&@#$!
My messenger looking for Reynier's command due south.

The battlefield looking south with Dennewitz to the centre-left. Note all the Prussian players licking their lips as they close in for the kill. Vultures!

Jim forms line as Tim brings up his command.

Jim quickly changes into square as Tim's cavalry approaches on the flank. Without cavalry, Jim 's infantry became a n easy target for a full on combined arms attack from another of the masters

And here comes the hammer blow! The Leib Hussars spear-head Tim's attack

Meanwhile, Robin plugs the left flank...

...and Quinny moves up in march column.

The rot sets in for Morand as 2 battalions run...

...followed by more!

Morand's division is on the brink of collapse and about to be driven in! I issued a break off order, which allowed Jim to extract his forces before they were destroyed...

...but that left poor Fontanelli's flank exposed!
Prussian dragoons head through he gap to take Paul's infantry in the flank. Sorry Paul!

To the south, VII Corps shake out into combat formation as they approach Göhlsdorf.

The situation as it stands: Morand has withdrawn south of Dennewitz to regroup with the rest of Bertrand's French  infantry. Fontanelli is broken and routs across the stream. Guilleminot holds the left flank against the advance of the Prussian 3rd Army Corps, while VII Corps approaches from the south to attempt to turn the Prussians' right flank.

Below is a link to Andrew's OB for the battle with battalion sizes etc.

Dennewitz OB

Stay tuned for more!