Prussian 28mm SYW: IR5 Alt-Braunschweig

This fine Prussian regiment had Ferdinand of Brunswick as it's Inhaber. Here are the two battalions of that regiment and it's grenadiers waiting patiently for grenadiers from IR20 regiment to converge with. There is some dispute as to whether the facings and small clothes were white or straw but I have gone for the latter as it is rather smarter, to my eye anyway.

 Figures are from Black Hussar although the mounted officer is a Foundry figure.

Prussian 28mm SYW: IR49 Sers Fusiliers

I have wanted to paint this regiment for a long time as the dark orange vest and trousers works well against a dark blue coat.

This regiment was raised in 1741 as a regiment of pioneers and had no grenadiers. In 1758 it became a Fusilier regiment. It served in the battles of Zorndorf, Paltzig and Kunersdorf and was largely wiped out in that latter battle. Thereafter it served with Prince Henri in the western theatre which might suggest that Fredrick's opinion of this regiment had waned.

Prussian 28mm SYW: IR41 Wied zu Neuwied Fusiliers

Here are two battalions of this regiment acquired, in 1741, from Wurttemberg. It is interesting to think that one could just buy an entire regiment from another state but Prussia's relationship with protestant Wurttemberg was quite close. The 12th Dragoons was another regiment purchased from that state.

These are Black Hussar figures, quite my favourite for SYW Prussians. The red really pops out and it is described in Kronoskaf as light carmine so it's a red shade I have not used before.

It must have been a hard fighting regiment as it lost 1000 men (dead and wounded) in the Battle of Kolin which was about two thirds of it's starting strength. At Kunersdorf it lost another 522 dead and wounded. Grenadiers were converged with IR44 to make 41/44 Gemmingen.

Franz Karl Ludwig von Wied zu Neuwied was quite elderly by this period (he was born in 1701) but he reached the rank of Lieutenant General. The Wied family split in 1698 and there was another branch (Wied-Runkel) that served with the Austrians. In the 19th century a Wied would become, ever so briefly, King of Albania!

SYW Kreis: Palatine, Westfalian and Saxon artillery

This post shows the last of the Kreis artillery contingents. On the left, Palatine battalion gun and mounted officer. In the middle two light guns of the Westfalian contingent (plus mounted officer). On the right a single Saxon battalion gun painted in an unusual scheme of green/white stripes. I am not sure of this as I had though Saxon guns were painted black with yellow painted metal fittings but this illustration has been sent to me so I have used it and it certainly is unusual.

Lastly, the round officer base shows a collection of Kreis artillery officers in conference!

Next week – the Kreis is finished so from now on in it's a question of filling in gaps starting with Prussians.