More Old Glory

Yesterday a parcel arrived in the post.  On the front was a label "19th Century Miniatures".  Oh no, I announced to my family, a box of Tony Abbotts.

It's great that our PM has become a laughing stock as I can now get away with more than usual.  This shipment of Old Glory figures for instance.  They were ordered 26 December and arrived 29 January from Old Glory 15s.  I was lucky as when ordered the dollar still had some value. The figures are some of what I need for Waterloo (and then some).

Not bad for $100, including postage.

I already have a few AB British generals and now probably have more than enough, except I'm missing some personalities.  Where's the man in the top hat with an umbrella?

These I love - Prussian wounded.  Not sure what I'm going to do with them (I have a few ideas for status markers), but I'm glad I've got them.

Nassau infantry.  Turns out to be perfect for what I need (more on that later)

Hanoverian Militia.  Lovely poses, but perhaps a bit too well turned out for militia.  About half of what I need so I will have to have a think about how to proceed.  I do have a lovely casualty pack of ABs that I think I maybe able to mix in.

I didn't think I needed more Prussians, but the Waterloo list calls for slightly more than I had and I read a recommendation for this pack somewhere.  They will do fine, although they look like they are wearing covered shakos rather than caps.

Here are the Nassau all cleaned up.  There are slightly more than the 24 figures I need for the 1st Nassau and the 20 figures I need for the 2nd.  The pack is great in that just the right amount come with shoulder rolls for the 1st and epaulets for the 2nd, a;though there are no voltigeur figures (but the distinction is minor).  Anyway, they are now washed and ready for undercoat.

Sails of Slog

Last night at the club we had what was to have been a four player, but was reduced to a three player game of Sails of Glory due to work commitments.  So it goes.

After the bomber game last week we wanted to get the big boats out.  I ran the Imperial and the Genereux while Stephen N took command of HMS Royal George and Greg commanded HMS Hibernia.

Slowly the ships came into focus (or out of focus).  I've been wanting to try and do a gif for a while and was amazed how easy it is with imgflip.com once you've got your material.

The British ships crowded together as the Genereux tried to get the range.

The Imperial gets the better of HMS Hibernia.

But HMS Royal George lets Imperial have it with double shot.  Genereux gets in a long range shot this time as she turns towards the foe.

The Imperial returns fire, doing some nasty business to HMS Royal George.

But the British are soon back at it, hammering the Imperial and causing critical damage to her masts. The second rudder damage manifests as additional mast damage.  While still a strong ship the Imperial was going to be hard to control from now on.  The Genereux keeps up the pressure on the HMS Royal George which has now lost considerable crew.

The damaged Imperial.  

Finally I get to us the special feature of my boat, not that I really want to.  I really should make some better flame markers.

The British ships see their prey slipping away and give chase.

Trying to protect the Imperial, the Genereux turns and gives HMS Royal George a right royal spray.

The Imperial manages to turn, now running with the wind and blasts HMS Hibernia.

HMS Hibernia ineffectually fires on the Genereux.  However the Genereux lands a host of shots on the HMS Royal George.

Leaks and fires are never a good thing and the HMS Royal George goes down sizzling into the ocean.

The out of control Imperial crashes into HMS Hibernia.  The damage is from broadsides, not the collision which has just left the ships entangled.

The HMS Hibernia gets off a final broadside before striking.

Phew.  What an exhausting battle.  We were using the Wilson Family House Rules that make for a slightly less taxing game in that repairs are managed in a single turn.  We still managed to just about run out of A damage chits.

Model Mystery Monday - Matchbox Sherman Firefly

Another one from Paul Foster's blog, http://plasticwarriors.blogspot.com.au/2015/01/model-mystery-monday_26.html

I had made one of these back in the 1970s and here it is:

As per the kit only with hand painted insignia.

Sometime in the 1980s or early 1990s I picked up a heap of 1/72nd scale stuff, so I now have five Fireflies in various states of repair/painting.

I also picked up a lot of standard Shermans and this is one completed squadron.

I started to add a second squadron but had a disaster with the paint.

And there is enough for a third squadron too.

Went the paint didn't go as expected I was also hit with a bit of self doubt: what was I doing?

Not sure what rules I was thinking of, could have been Command Decision or Spearhead.  Anyway, Paul's mystery model gave me an excuse to get them out and feature them in a post.

Sails of Not So Much Glory

Mark W came round today for a game of Sails of Glory.

He took the Genereux and I took HMS Vanguard.

Not in range yet.

Action.  The long range broadsides were not particularly telling.

However Genereux later got a bow rake on HMS Vanguard and a fire broke out.

The HMS Vanguard gets a weak shot back.

A stern rake takes the hapless HMS Vanguard to almost maximum damage and at this stage it breaks off combat and heads for home and court martial.

We had time for another go.  Surely my sailing would be better this time? Apparently not...

This time Mark had the Aquilon and I had HMS Defence.  A botched crew instruction had my gunners firing muskets rather than the main armament.  Doh!

Blasting away and the HMS Defence springs a leak.

There was another round of combat that saw the HMS Defence take another two leaks and then this was the final blow.  The ship was filling up with water faster than water could be pumped and leaks repaired.  Down it went.

British 13th Light Dragoons

My first unit for 2015 and just about painted from scratch (some of the horses are ABs which I swapped out of a unit that I acquired already painted).

I've had these figures for a few years and feared they were just a blob of metal.

There was also the challenge of the reins.

Not actually a before shot, but one of the next batch I am working on.

And not actually an after shot as it is a different horse figure (I love the variety of the Old Glory horses).  This one also features the revised saddle cloth.  The Old Glory Light Dragoons come with Hussar saddle cloths.

An attempt to show the re-positioned reins.  A combination of carving and then rebuilding with paste if the craving proved too destructive.  The saddle cloth shows the original design which I am clipping and filling off for my next unit.

These guys are cluttered with gear and I found them a challenge to paint, but I am very happy how they turned out.  The blue was VJ Dark Prussian Blue with VJ Prussian Blue as a highlight.  The horses are Atelier artist shades of sienna and umber over a black undercoat.  The Atelier paints are an early inheritance from my mum as she is sadly no longer able to paint, but she was happy when I showed her the cavalry and told her the horses had been done using her paints.

16BrLC in march column skirting a field of beans.

Now deployed in column and halting, having noticed the quality of the beans.

In line ready to defend the beans.

The rump.

Marengo

Today Richard and I tried out a revised scenario for Marengo.  The main changes where to fighting in BAUs and the use of regimental sized units (or demi-brigades).  All the Austrians are Richard's, all the French mine.

Lannes leading his corps.  Unfortunately it got off to a tardy start.  As things turned out may be it would have been better to wait.

Victor deployed around Marengo with Murat in reserve.  Depicting the stream, river and roads is a challenge, but they are not a major part of the battle, once it develops.

1000 and the action has commenced.  We weren't sure how to handle the creek and settled on calling it one inch of rough ground with just normal fording penalties.

The Austrian General Hadik is repulsed, but north of Marengo the Austrian Advance Guard breakthrough.

The Austrian grenadiers have pushed forward into the gap created by the Advance Guard.  General Chambarlhac can be seen trying to rally his division.  Victor is rallying the other half of his corps after the Austrians successfully pushed them out of Marengo.

Lannes counterattacks the Austrian grenadiers.

Victor counterattacks Marengo.

After initial success Lannes corps is destroyed by the Austrian cavalry of their left wing.

Victor retook Marengo but his troops evaporated.  Here can be seen General Chambarlhac retiring promptly to the rear.  Murat commands the sole remaining unit.  Napoleon wonders where his army has gone.

1200 and the French army is no more.  They have lost 10 units.  At this stage of the battle the breaking point was 7, going to 10 at 1230.  As the units had dispersed there was no way the French could recover.

Observations

It is really important to keep an eye on fatigue and chain of command.  On numerous occasions the Austrians were held up due to these considerations.

The small size units look good,  A number of the French ones were lost due to winners losses, which is rather cruel.  Maybe they should have been pulling back, but that is not easy when you are in line and also when your generals are busy rallying units.

A lot of damage was done when units took 3 casualties in combat and then a further 4 when they attempted to withdraw.  I don't like playing that way, but we checked the 3rd Edition and it was pretty clear that casualties inflicted in withdraw don't accumulate with those that occurred during combat.  Given the risk I do not see the wisdom in ever voluntarily withdrawing.

However the real cause of the French defeat was some some excellent cavalry work by the Austrians on their left flank.  Coordinated charges (helped by the small units being able to "fit in"), some epic fails by the French to form square compounded by the Austrians retaining control of their cavalry.