1st Swiss Guards

Another Swiss Guard battalion from the WAS/SYW, figures by Foundry. Last time I painted these chaps I was not too keen on them but I'm warming to them and, barring the complete absence of necks for the command, they are not too bad.

Painting wise, the best tip I can give you (and I may have said this before) is to dry brush the silver lace on the officers first. Then cut in the coat colour afterwards.

I've used artistic licence on the 'white' flag which was probably plain white in this period. But I found this somewhat more elaborate example from about 20 years later and decided to use it as it is rather more splendid.

Prussian 12pdr Brummer

I was leaving Les Invalides when I spotted this gun next to the ticket office. It stuck out because of the griffin trunions which I remembered as being distinctly Prussian. There are hundreds of French barrels throughout the museum but the 18th century ones have dolphin trunions (and, incidentally, each one has a name on the barrel). Because there was no description next to the gun I checked yesterday with Christian Rogge. I hoped it might be a 12pdr from the SYW.

Sadly I was wrong, but not by much. The gun is a Prussian ‘heavy’ 12-pounder Brummer [Growler]. Barrel design is 1761. 22 shots long, or approximately 251 cm. long. These pieces did see service late during the SYW, but not this one. The barrel was cast in 1780. It has a rounded button whereas the SYW ones had pine-cone shaped buttons. The carriage is M1774. The SYW carriages looked like the one Christian recently illustrated with the Beauvry 3-pounder. The Brummers fielded at the battle of Leuthen were even more heavy 24 and 26 shots barrels (273,6 and 296,4 cm) than this one. This Paris piece was probably captured in the Revolutionary Wars. They were used until 1796 and disbanded thereafter. They did not take to the field in 1806.

Standing next to the gun you realise quite what an enormous beast she is. She is raised about 4" off the floor on metal supports but even so she ouzes power and threat. I'd have thought she would have needed at least six horses to drag her around on the flat and up any sort of incline, perhaps extra help.

If you go to Les Invalides, you will find her sitting un-noticed by the ticket office.

Long weekend in Paris

I've just come back from a long weekend in Paris and, of course, I made my customary visit to Les Invalides to wander around the wonderful military museum.

(Top picture) The north facade of Les Invalides showing the gold dome of the chapel (picture 2)in the background. This is the main entrance and the building was built by Louis XIV as a residence for retired old soldiers, contemporaneous with the Chelsea hospital in London.

(2) Église du Dôme finished in 1708 and holding the tomb of Napoleon. This picture I snatched from the web, the others I took.

(3) The tomb of Napoleon.

(4) The magnificent painted dome.

I spent quite a bit of time in the 18th century area of the military museum and it is worth noting that the WAS room is about twice the size of the tiny room dedicated to the SYW - perhaps a reflection of military success or lack of it. The following pictures are from the WAS room. You are allowed to take pictures but without flash so forgive the quality.

(5) A painting of the battle of Fontenoy. I'll discuss this at greater length later as I plan to do a detailed project on this battle breaking it down into phases with maps.

(6) This is a terrific portrait of the chevalier de Grassin who raised his own light regiment famous as the Arquebessiers de Grassin. These troops, as you probably knew, caused the British no end of trouble at the battle of Fontenoy. What is useful about this portrait is that it shows the added coat lace by virtue of his rank as commanding colonel.

(7) A portait of de Saxe. The colour of the coat is difficult to see but it is dark blue.

Lastly, I saw a very interesting mitre shaped hat (looked more like a fusilier hat a la Prusse) but I could not take a decent picture of it due to the reflection of the glass. What is interesting is the description which was "Grenadier hat of an Officer in a Swiss regiment (in French service) dated 1740s". The date is worth noting as this was very early - you might expect to see that in the 1760s but not in the 1740s. Also it is very Prussian in look. So one can infer from this that, at least in the Swiss regiments, grenadier distinctions were being made very early on and that they were modelled on the Prussian model rather than the Austrian model which you would have expected.

My next post will show pictures of a Prussian gun but I'm checking the details with Christian Rogge before I post them.

20th Foot Kingsley

For a while now I have wanted to paint a large WAS/SYW unit in three ranks so here is a British battalion consisting of 45 figures (five bases of 9 figures). All the figures are by Crusader except for the three officers (one officer, two ensigns) who are by Front Rank from their Jacobite Rebellion range.

The basing is for Carnage and Glory II (groundscale 1mm=1pace) so the unit is 10 inches wide and shows a battalion of 723 men plus between 5 and 10% officers and ncos. I'll ask Nigel Marsh, the rules' creater, to let me reproduce his Groundscale chart so you can see how that calculation is made. One of the great thing about these computer-moderated rules is that one can solo-wargame.

Painting wise, I took special care with this unit giving the officers a different red to the rank and file. For the latter, I used Cote d'Arms 237 Russet Red over a base of 509 Brick Red. Finally I used Armypainter Soft Tone to give that campaign look.

I wanted the unit to be as compact as possible so the men are shoulder to shoulder and the three ranks are closely formed. I was hoping that showing that third rank would inspire me to consider this a new project (all my SYW 25mm having been sold) and I'm really tempted! Another project?

Also, I've been emailing Mark Sims at Crusader this week and there is good news as he is about to start work on extending his SYW range. I'm pretty sure we will see British and Russian Grenadiers and maybe Grenadiers de France. Possibly he will do some new artillery crews as well.

Lastly, if I continue this project I'm not sure when to set it - WAS (Fontenoy) or SYW (Minden). My knowledge of the British in this period could be written on a postage stamp (so no Greenwood and Ball on that subject for a while) but it would appear that the only difference I can see is in the colour of the gaiters - in the WAS all illustrations show them in white gaiters whilst in the SYW they are always shown in black. I don't think it matters either way!

63rd de la Planta

You have already seen the 2nd battalion of de la Planta but I've now finished the first battalion so here they are together. That completes the six Swiss battalion project.

Additionally, I've finished off these French generals, all from Foundry. What is the collective noun for generals? Could it be a 'conference of generals' or perhaps a 'bloodletting of generals'?

Suggestions please. Perhaps in the 18th century they should be called 'an elegance of generals'.

55th Waldner

Another Swiss regiment of two battalions in French service. Note the officer in the first battalion. He came from a now-defunct French company called 'Capitulation' that intended to do a full WAS range and that had started with 10 or so delightful and characterful French infantry. I have about 5 figures from this range left and I really would like to get my hands on more. I've written to the owner in the hope that somehow we can get this valuable range re-started so, if by any chance, you know Patrice will you pass this request on to him.

90th de Diesbach

This is my favourite Swiss regiment in French service and pictured above are both its two battalions. Drummers of this regiment, by the way, wore yellow coats with light blue cuffs, all heavily laced in white.

In the Osprey Campaign series "Rossbach and Leuthen 1757" this is what is said about the Swiss at the end of the battle: "The time was now 4.30pm and disaster had befallen the allies, now nothing more than a disorganised mob in flight from the battlefield. The stage was set for the Prussian cavalry to apply the coup de grace and turn the flight into a headlong rout. In this they were frustrated, however, by the four battalions of the Swiss regiments of Planta and Diesbach who formed square and fought off the pursuing Prussians. The cavalry regiments of La Reine and Bourbon-Busset on the left of the allied columns also tried to intervene and win a little respite for the fugitives but with little effect. However, the two Swiss regiments were like rocks in the swirling sea of fugitives and Prussians as they steadily carried out a fighting retreat. Frederick is said to have remarked, "What is this red brick wall that my artillery cannot manage to bring down?" and, being told it was French Swiss infantry, he silently saluted them by doffing his hat as they marched off the field with flags flying and drums beating."

Well, if that does not stir the blood, nothing will! Note the interesting comment about going into square - it has often been debated whether the 'square' was used in the SYW but this would appear to indicate that it was, under certain particular circumstances.