SYW Kreis: Wurzburg artillery

There is very little information about the uniforms of the Wurzburg artillery so this is an educated guess. Here we have a large battery of 12pdrs (6 gun models so 12 guns), as well as 2 howitzer models, 2 6pdr models, 2 (very large) 4pdrs using French guns and lastly, a single battalion gun. Most of the Kreis artillery will be red so these are painted in a light red to provide some variety. The gun models are all from Minden/Crann Tara while the crews come from a number of manufacturers.

Next on this topic will be Franconian artillery.

SYW French: IR55 Waldner (Swiss)

Actually I have already painted this unit (see Monday, 16 November 2015) but this is for my 'new' French army. The plan is to paint about 8 battalions of French and a similar number of Spanish to entertain the Piedmontese WAS army. The same French force, which needs to be able to serve in 4 ranks for the earlier period and 3 for the SYW, will then be able to fight the Hessians I am doing and which you have seen recently.

These then completes 6 of the 8 planned. The last regiment will be done soon. It should be Swiss too and the Swiss liked to serve together but it will actually be Liégeois.

French cavalry of the WAS/SYW is a bit of a problem. There are Front Rank figures but I am exploring another option. Perry produce some new Spanish Dragoons for the Napoleonic period and I am considering using these with the removal of the bicorne and substitution of a tricorne. There are other problems with doing this (not least the musket, not carbine, is carried on the back) but it might work especially as Perry figures are so nice. The other possibility is to use Eureka Saxons but put them on Front Rank horses (Eureka horses are rather small). You will see results in due course.

Latest update from Black Hussar: French artillery pieces will be available soon.

SYW Kreis: Generals

These are a complicated bunch of individuals as some were Austrian officers (but not necessarily Austrian citizens) so wore Austrian uniforms, particularly the very senior ones. This accounts for the bewildering selection of uniforms. Others, though, wore the uniforms of their Kreis regiments which produces a further problem as to the colour of their cockades and sashes.

For many of the tiny states we don't have these details so the default option is to use black cockades and gold sashes, as per the Austrian style.

Modern notions of nationality did not exist in early to mid 18^th century, especially when it came to the nobility. A noble could serve as a young man in his own 'national' army, even if it was a tiny bishopric of 30,000, with a single regiment of foot, but once he had gained basic experience he could then serve almost anywhere in Europe. Promotion could see him serving for a period with the Russians, then with a promotion he might move to the Danish army. After a further stint there he might shuffle off to serve the Dutch, with another suitable promotion. His final career posting might see him serving as a Major-General with the Reichsarmee

French SYW: IR 32 Rohan Montbazon

Another 2 battalion French regiment with pretty flags. This regiment had a number of name changes as and when it's proprietor changed.

During the Seven Years' War, the regiment ranked 32^nd and was under the command of (from May 26 1745) Jules Hercules Mériadec, Prince de Rohan and Duc de Montbazon (promoted maréchal de camp on April 1 1759). From April 21 1759 it was under the command of Florent Alexandre Melchior de La Baume, Comte de Montrevel. When the French Army was reorganised on December 10 1762, the regiment took the name of the Province of Berry.

It participated in the fiasco of Rossbach and performed excellently at Sandershausen where, according to Kronoskaf, “it was placed in the first line of the left wing. It took the brunt of the Hessian assault, exhausted all its ammunition and then fought with the bayonet. During this combat, it suffered very heavy casualties, loosing 66 officers and 778 men killed (including Lieutenant-Colonel de Saint-Martin) and wounded.” It was also in the thick of it at the battle of Bergen.

Figures are again my preferred option from Black Hussar.

This is probably the last post for the year so I wish you all a happy New Year.

SYW French: IR 14 Poitou both battalions

I am very happy with this regiment ready to join my new French army to fight either the Piedmontese in the WAS or the Hessians in the SYW. Figures are Black Hussar 28mm.

SYW Kreis: Ansbach Dragoons

The District (Kreis) of Franconia supplied a dragoon regiment to the Reichsarmee during the Seven Years' War. This regiment consisted of 5 squadrons of 2 companies each, for a nominal total strength of 700 men. Troopers came from several towns and villages:

• 1st company (Leibkompanie): Ansbach (58), Schönborn (1), Weißenburg (11)
• 2nd company: all troopers were from Würzburg
• 3rd company: Hohenlohe Gesamthaus (3), Bartenstein (6), Schillingsfürst (14), Pfedelbach (5), Oehringen (17), Langenburg (4), Ingelfingen (4), Kirchberg (4), Schwarzenberg (11), Castell (3)
• 4th company: all troopers were from Würzburg
• 5th company: all troopers were from Nuremberg
• 6th company: Eichstätt (45), Rineck (11), Erbach (14)
• 7th company: Bamberg (70)
• 8th company: Bayreuth (46), Limpurg (23), Castell (1)
• 9th company: all troopers were from Nuremberg
• 10th company: Teutonic Order (44), Würzburg (21), Wertheim (5)

This completes the infantry and cavalry of the Reichsarmee so now all that is left to do is the artillery and generals.

SYW Kreis: Kreisregiment Hohenzollern Cuirassiers and Sachsen-Gotha Dragoons

The Cuirassier regiment (it is unknown if they actually wore a cuirasse or not) was, as per Kronoskaf, a motley crew of 4 squadrons with contingents from 61 different places and totalled about 600 men under the command of Fürst Friedrich von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. At Rossbach they were routed by two squadrons of the Black Hussars.

The Sachsen-Gotha Dragoons (not to be confused with a dragoon regiment in the Austrian army with the same name!) was a small unit of about 250 men. It's reputation is unknown.

All figures are from Front Rank.