Feldjäger zu Fuss/zu Pferd

The Wurttemberg advance guard will have the two previously painted Hussar regiments and these Jaegers.
The foot Jaegers were only two companies strong (about 200 men). The figures are from Foundry and are really great sculpts.
The mounted element (the zu Pferd) were also about the same strength at two squadrons. The figures are Front Rank (FR)

Wurttemberg Duke and assorted generals

I'm drawing to the end of this Wurttemberg project and every army needs it's generals. Here we have a mix of Foundry and FR mounted officers ready to lead from the front........

Wurttemberg Artillery, late SYW

Wurttemberg entered the SYW without an artillery park worth mentioning. She had the usual light battalions guns but nothing heavier outside fortress use. So the guns painted here were assembled from donations from their Austrian allies - some captured Prussian guns (in blue) and some redundant Austrian guns (in ochre). It's possible that there was no time to repaint them so that they were pressed into service in their original colours.

In each colour there are 3 light battalion guns and 2 medium guns, probably 6pdrs. All guns and the crew are by Foundry.

As for the crews themselves, throughout most of the war they wore a very dour colour scheme of dark blue coats with black facings but at the end of the war (date unclear) they switched over to this more interesting light blue.

You have to feel rather sorry for this unfortunate army pressed into service on the wrong side. Most Wurttembergers were Protestants and their coats were clearly modelled on the Prussian army. Yet the state was ajacent to the French border and so it found itself in a sorry alliance with the French. Later on in the war the Wurttembergers served with the Austrians, a more realistic ally and their performance improved markedly.

40mm Prussian Battalion guns

I've just painted these Prussian 3pdr battalion guns from Sash & Saber. I'll put one gun between two battalions although the real deployment was for two per battalion. I've also painted the tricorne pompoms in red despite Kronoskaf showing them as more multi-coloured - I've gone with Greenwood & Ball who show red and red, in my mind, is rather more aesthetically correct for artillery.

I've also shown an old picture of their Austrian counterparts.

Kreisregiment Württemberg Dragoons

This was Wurttemberg’s cavalry contribution to the Reichsarmee. There is an interesting comment on Kronoskaf concerning the coat colour: at the battle of Rossbach in 1757 this regiment had medium blue coats similar in colour to Prussian Dragoons and the coat colour proved to be it’s downfall as it was attacked by the Austrian Hussar regiment Szecheny and lost its standard. Thereafter the regiment changed it’s coat colour to dark blue.

I have painted it in the Prussian Dragoon blue which is in itself a tricky colour to get right. I’ve seen Cornflower blue used and that is definitively too light. I attach a picture of a genuine dragoon coat held in a museum.

Next week – Wurttemberg artillery.

Kreisinfanterieregiment Württemberg

Here is the last Wurttemberg infantry unit I will be painting and it is a unit that served with the Kreis army. In the fullness of time I will probably paint the entire Kreis force from each Circle.

It was these beautiful flags that drew me into an interest in the Kreis Circles many years ago and this type of flag appeared to be used in the south-western corner of the Empire - Baden-Baden and Baden-Durlach, both neighbours of Wurttemberg, had similar flags.

This regiment appears to have been only one battalion strong but at some time either during the SYW or just prior to it, it was increased to two battalions. The grenadier company will be detached for service with other grenadiers. At an earlier date this unit may well have all worn the mitre but during the SYW they wore the tricorne, the switch possibly taking place when the regiment went to two battalions from one.

I'm off to the USA tonight for a couple of weeks to celebrate my 60th birthday so there will be a pause in painting.

40mm: Two battalions of Prussian IR11 Rebentisch

It has taken me a while to paint this regiment in 40mm but I just love these Trident figures and the flags are glorious. The lace is a little tricky though.

The last image is Copyrighted to Franco Saudelli and Dr Marco Pagan and appears on Kronoskaf. I reproduce it with their permission.

I think I have finally ditched my faithful old Sony digital camera which should now rest in retirement in a museum. These pictures were taken using the camera on my phone (hey - technology advances and even I get in on the act) and you will have to tell me if they are an improvement - I hope they are!

The Inhaber of this regiment from September 12 1758 to June 25 1763 was Major-General Johann Carl Baron von Rebentisch who was convicted in court martial, imprisoned and later dismissed from the Prussian service for his capitulation at Maxen in November 1759. I feel sorry for him so I think I will try to do him justice in a brigade commander at some point.