12mm Epic Scale ECW: Parliamentary Foot 9

 

Another extra large regiment.

28mm SYW Hessians: KR1 and KR2

 

Back in December 2020 I painted the first Hessian cavalry regiment - KR2 Gens d'Armes (red facings). I have just finished KR1 Prinz Wilhem (blue facings). It's worth saying again that I have given them cuirasses although they were not issued until after the war. The lovely figures are from Black Hussar. The plan is to do two brigades totalling 16 squadrons.

Flags are by Frederic Aubert.

12mm Epic Scale ECW: Parliamentary Foot 8

 

Charles Fairfax's Foot, another extra large regiment.

15/18mm WSS: Khurasan – British Queen Dowager's Foot (Tangiers battalion)

 

Another 'big battalion' in 18mm. Each battalion of both sides is 36 figures strong. The British and Dutch foot will be based like this and everyone else will be based like the Bavarian battalion I posted recently. I also show a picture of them both together to show the depth difference.

In 1703 this regiment was renamed the "Queen's Royal Regiment of Foot, in honour of Queen Anne.

The only problem with these Khurasan figures is the fragility of the bayonets.

12mm Epic Scale ECW: Parliamentary Foot 7

 

Earl of Essex's Foot, an extra large regiment with double strength musketeers.

15/18mm WSS: Khurasan - Bavarian Regiment Harthausen/Mercy

 

I've long wanted to have WSS armies and I have tried a few scales – 28mm plastics from Warlord Games and 10mm from Van Dyck and Pendraken. They are both nice but as I get older I'm finding the smallest sizes more difficult to paint. So I think 15/18mm Khurasan are the best compromise plus they were sculpted by the late, and great, Mike Broadbent.

Here is the first battalion, a Bavarian one because I like the colour scheme. Thirty six figures total representing about 500 men in 4 ranks.

https://khurasanminiatures.tripod.com/marlburian.html

28mm FPW: General de division Jean Pellé

 

My French army will be one division with an attached cavalry brigade. Here is the commander, Jean Pellé, who historically commanded the second division of Ducrot's first corps. He proudly wears his sash as a grand officier of the Légion d'honneur. It's interesting to note that most of his military career was spent in Algeria and he rose through the ranks from corporal to brigade general. During his distinguished career he had 47 years of service, 28 campaigns, 6 wounds and 9 citations.

As you probably know the Perrys only make one French general officer figure so I had to think outside of the box. I've converted figures from the Carlist Wars range namely CAT2.

Heads have been removed and replaced with plastic left-overs from the sprues. The figure of Pelle (Don Sebastian) has had epaulettes added as well. Purists will forgive the sash which was awarded in 1871.

28mm FPW 1870: 3e Regiment de Tirailleurs Algerians

 

I bought a box of Perry plastic ACW Zouaves because they have not got round to doing these in metal and I hoped I could use them to field a Turcos regiment in my army. So here is the first battalion and I have the figures to do the third as well. When, and if, the Perrys get round to metals then I could do the 2nd battalion with them.

These figures work fine except for the backpack and I'm not such a purist to condemn them for light equipment – maybe they dropped their kit off at a nearby railway station.

Anyway here is my painting guide: “The three regiments of Tiraillieurs Algeriens wore a uniform of identical cut to that of the Zouaves, but differed in colour. The jacket and vest were sky blue with yellow distinctions. The waist sash was garance. The trousers were plain white linen in the summer and sky blue with yellow stripes in autumn and winter. The different regiments were identified by the colour of the false pocket or Tombo. Colours were 1st - garrance, 2nd - white, 3rd - yellow.

The officers wore the Zouave officers uniform with a sky blue coat, garance sash and trousers. The Kepi was garance with a sky blue band and gold edging. Buttons were gilt. “

12mm Epic Scale ECW: Parliamentary Foot 5 and 6

 

Sir Philip Skipton's Foot (Green flags) and the Yellow London Trained Band.

28mm Perry metals FPW 1870: Chasseur battalion

 

This was not an easy unit to paint but I have finally finished them.

This is a Chasseur battalion attached to the first brigade of every division. The first thing to note about them is the heavy kit they are carrying, which seemed to be the 'French way'. The Prussians, on the contrary, appear very lightly encumbered, be they jaegers or line infantry.

There is also a uniform dichotomy relating to trouser colour. Half the on-line sources show a paler blue trouser colour (perhaps the 1868 model) while the other half show the coat and trousers to be the same (perhaps the 1860 model). I offer you two compilation plates showing these differences. I have gone for a slightly lighter trouser colour but the difference is subtle. There is also this reference:”Chasseurs à pied:coiffure et tunique bleus foncé à passepoils (coutures) jonquilles,boutons blancs, pantalon gris bleu à passepoils jonquille.” So the trousers appear to be a paler different blue while the lace is 'jonquille'. Trouser model 1868 were in dark iron grey cloth (which is this lighter blue) with jonquil piping. I have also seen a reference to the older 1860 model of trousers (the same dark blue as the coat) which may well have still been in service in 1870. So both are correct!

Lovely figures from Perry brothers but weak chassepots.

12mm Epic Scale ECW: Parliamentary Foot 3 and 4

 

Lord Saye and Sale's Foot (blue flags) and Colonel Samuel Jones' Foot (white flags)

10mm WSS: van Dyck miniatures: British brigade

 

Four battalions of Van Dyck miniatures. Queen's Foot (green flags), Churchill's Foot (yellow flags),

Earl of Bath's Foot (red flags) and Ferguson's Foot (Scots flag).

12mm Epic Scale ECW: Parliamentary Foot 1 and 2

 

Here are the first two (of 14) Parliamentary Foot regiments – purple of Lord Brooke and Skipton's red.

10mm WSS: van Dyck miniatures: Zurlauben Regiment

 

This company in Belgium produces the finest and most detailed tiny metal miniatures. Their ranges are a little limited but their figures are gorgeous. In particular they have exquisite horses which, in my view, is the best way to judge the work of a mini-sculptor.

I'm showing here the French(Walloon) regiment Zurlauben, 3 battalions, whose greatest claim to fame was it's defence of the village of Blenheim. On 13 August, it took part in the disastrous Battle of Blenheim where it was virtually annihilated and its colonel mortally wounded.

I also show here my system for basing regiments formed in 4-5 ranks, which includes every nation except the British and Dutch. I snip off the supplied standard pikes and replace them with tiny steel pins because I like big flags.

Visit their website at https://vandyckmodelsandfigurines.be/WP/shop/

12m Epic Scale ACW: 74th New York Zouaves

 

For a pleasant and colourful change.

12mm Epic Scale ECW: Royalist Foot 13 and 14

 

Here are the last two Royalist foot regiments.

12mm Epic Scale ECW: Royalist Foot 11 and 12

 

Colonel John Taylor's Foot (white flags) and Jacob Astley's Foot (blue flags).

28mm Perry Plastics FPW 1870: French Infantry (2)

 

I've done a third battalion and made a change to the flag arrangement. Previously I just had the flag on the second battalion (as was historically correct) but now I have added flags to all battalions. It is a question of what looks good to me and 'looking good' sometimes has to trump what might be historically accurate. The notional regiment has turned into the 50th Regiment too as I have decided to press on with this project and paint eleven battalions for this army. The mounted officer is Marshal Canrobert but I will be using him as General de Brigade Montmarie.

12mm Epic Scale ECW: Royalist Foot 9 and 10

 

John Talbot's 'white' regiment and the 'yellow' regiment of Colonel Bernard Ashley.

28mm Napoleonic Russians: IR Kazan

 

Here are two new battalions for my Russian army. I've done four battalions and I showed these a year ago (Tchernigovsk and Staroskol Regiments) so we are progressing with the second brigade. I choose which regiments to paint based entirely on the flags and these are from Flags of War.

28mm ECW Royalist: Horse regiment of Prince Maurice

Again here we have figures from 1st Corps as mentioned previously. I decided to do a horse regiment belonging to Prince Maurice as, although he is less dashing that his more famous brother Prince Rupert, he may well have been a more able general. He also had an independent command at times. I'm not sure if I will continue this project in 28mm or not.

12mm Epic Scale ECW: Royalist Foot 7 and 8

 

White regiment of the city of Oxford and a fictional regiment with green flags.

28mm ECW Royalist: Foot regiment of John Belasyse, 1st Baron Belasyse

 

I am not sure why I got drawn into ECW in 28mm, given that I am currently on a long run with Epic scale, but I was curious about the figures from 1st Corps and wanted to look at them. I bought a foot regiment and one of horse too. Here is the foot regiment – a 'blue' Royalist one.

Belasyse was a rich man who raised six regiments of horse and foot soldiers at his own expense. He was a catholic who married three times and fathered six daughters. He lived through the reigns of both Charles's and James and died in 1689. He looks very splendid in his portrait dated 1636.