Arab Essex Miniatures e non solo

In effetti il titolo non è del tutto corretto la cavalleria che mostra delle foto non è soltanto delle sexy Miniatures ma anche della Alternatives Armies. È non sono solo arabi, in mezzo potrete notare dei sassanidi e deigli arcieri turchi, ma d’altronde non è sbagliato. Il catalogo della Alternatives Armies, giustamente, inserisce i catafratti del caduto impero sassanide e gli schiavi/mercenari turchi nei vari eserciti che si opposero ai bizantini ed ai crociati.

C’è poco da dire le figure sono belle, quelle dell’Essex sono molto lineari quelle dell’Alternatives sono invece ricche di panneggi e particolari. Mischiati assieme le figure delle due ditte danno un ottimo ritorno coreografico. Se poi aggiungiamo che ho almeno altri 60 cavalieri, ceduti da mio padre, della Minifig, l’armata è più che completa! 

Dimenticavo: ma quei cavalli vuoti? Sono un mistero. Gli Essex me li ha dati papà, e quando sono andato a montarli sui cavalli mi sono reso conto che mancavano delle figure. Ho perso due ore a cercarli nella varie scatole, sempre senza successo. Salteranno fuori, spero. Fino ad allora avrò dei cavalli senza cavaliere. 

Successor heavy cavalry command

Nella mia vita ho sempre avuto difficoltà con le lingue straniere, la traduzione del titolo ne è una prova.

Come si può tradurre “Successor”? Regni successivi? Eredi? Regni che vennero dopo quello Macedone. La risposta che mi viene in mente è Regni dei Diadochi, ma francamente “fà ride solo a sentillo!” Mi sembra estremamente pomposo e tecnico per cui… lo lascio in inglese  

Ho comperato queste discrete figure della New Line Design sperando potessero essere compatibili con i Naimith produttore inglese la cui cavalleria costituisce il 70% delle truppe montate macedoni. Purtroppo sono un pò più grandi; e un pò più piccoli dei G. Beast. Comunque sono belle figure, anche se un pò rigide.

dacian and cataphracts

Sto attraversando una fase particolare della mia “vita pittorica”, apro le scatole con le figure iniziate e non finite e le porto a termine, oppure cerco di eliminare i blister. Lasciati a dormire per troppi ani nelle scatole. Scrivo questo per consentire a chi legge di trovare un nesso nei post che si susseguono. Le foto che seguono ritraggono il comando a cavallo dei Daci, 4 figure prodotte dalla Wargames Foundry e acquistate a, rullo di tamburi, 10.000 lire tanti anni fa. Poi abbiamo 6 catafratti della Gripping Beast più altri 2 senza cavallo, sprue sciolti comprati su Wargames Emporium. 

Non so bene come utilizzerò questi cavalieri Daci, considerato che il mio esercito non ha cavalleria, ma è anche vero che li posso affiancare ad un gruppo di cavalleria germanica, di quella generica. O anche ai cavalieri goti della Gripping Beast

  

NapFlags: Brititis napoleonic Garde regiments & KGL

1st battalion 1st Foot Guards Regiment

3st battalion 1st Foot Guards Regiment

2st battalion 2st Coldstream Foot Guards Regiment

2st battalion 3st Scots Foot Guards Regiment

KGL Infantry 1st-5st & 8st battalions

NapFlag: napoleonic German States

Baden 1806-1815

Baden joined the Confederation of the Rhine in 1806 and immediately began to re-organise its army on the French pattern. By 1809 the army consisted of the Gardes du Corps squadron, a regiment of light dragoons, one of hussars, a corps of artillery with one horse and two foot companies. A Lieb Garde grenadier battalion, a jager battalion and four regiments of line infantry, the first of these being the Leib regiment. In 1808 the 4th regiment was re-organised for service in Spain and the 1st battalion of that regiment was exchanged for the 2nd battalion of the 3rd regiment. It is most likely that the new 3rd and 4th regiments retained the flags of the old regiments of the same number. The infantry Regiments consisted of two battalions, each of which was issued with a flag, the 1st battalion carried the Leibfahne, the 2nd the Regimentersfahne. The Liebfahnen were withdrawn in 1808, except possibly from the 2nd regiment. The flags were carried on plain wooden staves with brass finials. I have been unable to ascertain the dimensions of these flags and standards and so have used 130 x 130 cm for the infantry flags and roughly 100cm square for the cavalry standardswhich looks about right. Sources conflict as to the exact design of flag carried by the Leib or 1st infantry regiment so I have included both possibilities here - let the wargamer decide! The Gardes du Corps squadron had a vexillum standard mounted on a white horizontal bar and stave, the finial (in the form of a griffon) and chains were silver. The Hussar and Light Dragoon regiments each had a single standard which were carried on plain wooden staves with brass spear shaped finials.

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The Infantry Flags from top to bottom:

1st or Leib regiment pattern one

1st or Lieb regiment pattern two

2nd regiment

3rd regiment

4th regiment

Liebfahne on left, Regimenterfahne on right

The Cavalry Standards from top to bottom:

The Garde du Corps vexillum

Note: The colouring used here is largely conjectural

The hussar regiment

The light dragoon regiment

Bavarian Infantry 1786 - 1815

The flags carried by the Bavarian regiments underwent many changes during the Napoleonic Wars. At any one time the flags carried by the army included examples issued in the previous century, more recent issues which had been altered as the status of Bavaria changed, or completely new issues. Details of which regiment carried which particular pattern and at what time are unknown. However it is certain that as late as 1812 the regiments carried flags of all the patterns and variants presented here.

At the turn of the 18th century Bavarian infantry regiments carried one Leibfahne and one Ordinarfahne, the Leibfahne was carried by the 1st Battalion. In October 1801 this was changed to two Leib- and two Ordinarfahnen. In December 1803 the scale of issue was changed to one Leib- and three Ordinarfahnen, and in March 1804 to one Leib- and one Ordinarfahne, carried by the 1st and 2nd field battalions respectively. Two flags per regiment remained the norm for the remainder of the Napoleonic period.

All flags issued before 1813 were carried on staves with a light blue velvet covering, the flags issued in 1813 had staves covered in black leather. All staves were topped by a gilt spear-shaped finial which was either pierced or engraved with the cypher of the elector or king. The ferrules were also gilt. Gold fringed blue and white cravats 1.06 metres long by 18cm wide were tied beneath the finials. These cravats were usually plain, however some richly embroidered examples were presented by colonels and senior officers to some regiments.

The Flags from top to bottom:

First Row: 1786 Patterns. Note - the coat of arms is based on an incomplete written description and so represents my best guess!

If anyone out there knows better.....

Second Row: Patterns issued sometime between 1800 and 1803.

Third Row: 1803 Patterns - The plain Ordinarfahne was also issued to some regiments in 1813.

Fourth Row: 1806 Patterns.

Fifth Row: 1808 Patterns.

Ordinarfahnen on left, Leibfahnen on right.

Variations on a Theme

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The flags issued during the period 1800 to 1806 usually had a triple row of lozengy for the border as shown above. However the border of some flags was increased to four rows whilst on some others it was reduced to two rows. The plain pattern flag issued in 1803 and re-issued in 1813 could have either vertical rows of lozengy as shown above or horizontal rows as below. I have included these variants here so that the user can cut and paste to produce which ever variation they require - let the wargamer decide.

Brunswick Infantry 1815

I have been unable to discover what flags, if any, where carried by the Brunswick troops prior to 1814. During the Waterloo campaign in 1815, the three Light battalions, the Leib battalion, the Avantgarde battalion and the cavalry units were not issued with standards. The three Line battalions carried two flags each, The Herzogfahne (Duke's flag) and the Bataillonfahne (Regimental flag), the patterns for these varied from battalion to battalion. All the flags were carried on a three metre long staff topped by a gilt spear-shaped finial bearing the ducal monogram. Mixed yellow and silver cords and tassels were attached immediately below the finial. Dimensions for the flags of the 1st and 2nd battalions were 140cm square, whilst those of the 3rd battalion were 144cm X 150cm for the Bataillonfahne and 142cm square for the Herzogfahne. I have drawn all the flags at a scale 150cm square so those requiring strict accuracy should adjust for this when resizing.

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Below: Top to Bottom, 1st, 2nd and 3rd Line Battalions

Herzogfahne on left, Bataillonfahne on right

The Danish Auxiliary corps 1813

A treaty of alliance between Denmark and France was signed on the 10th July 1813. The treaty dictated that Denmark would supply a force known as the "the Danish Auxiliary corps" which, together with three smaller French divisions made up the newly created French XIII army-corps commanded by Marshal Davout. The Danish contingent consisted of the following:

The Queens Life regiment of foot 1st Battalion

Oldenburg Infantry regiment 1st, 2nd and 4th Battalions

Schleswig Infantry regiment 1st and 2nd Battalions

Holstein Infantry regiment 3rd and 4th Battalions

3rd Jutland Infantry regiment 1st Battalion

Fyenen Infantry regiment 1st and 2nd Battalions

Schleswig Jaeger corps 2nd Battalion

Holstein Sharpshooter corps 1st and 2nd Battalions

3rd company of Slesvigske Jaeger corps

The Light company of the Queens Life regiment of Foot 2nd Battalion

The Light company of the Oldenburg Infantry regiment 3rd Battalion

The Hussar Regiment 2nd and 6th Squadrons

Holstein Cavalry regiment 4 squadrons

2nd Fyenen light dragoons regiment 4 squadrons

Battery Gerstenberg (a 6-pounder battery of foot. 10 guns)

Battery Koye (a 6-pounder battery of foot. 10 guns)

Battery Friis (a 6-pounder battery of foot. 10 guns)

Battery Gönner (a 3-pounder mounted battery. 10 guns)

In all about 10,200 men.

In 1813 the Danish infantry regiments consisted of four battalions each of which seems to have been issued with at least one and possibly as many as four pairs of flags (possibly one pair per company), a pair consisted of a king's colour and a regimental colour. It seems that the light infantry regiments were not issued with flags. The cavalry regiments consisted of four squadrons each of which carried an identical squadron standard, the cavalry do not appear to have been issued with king's colours.

Infantry Flags from top to bottom:

The Queens Life regiment of foot

Oldenburg Infantry regiment

Schleswig Infantry regiment

Holstein Infantry Regiment

3rd Jutland Infantry Regiment

Fyenen Infantry regiment

Regimental colour on left, Kings colour on right

Cossacks - Clann Tara Miniatures

Mi ero ripromesso di non comprare altre cavalleria napoleonica per i russi.  Quindi ho comperato i cosacchi, ma si sa che sono pieno di controsensi. Ma ad essere sincero ho comprato anche gli ulani ad essere sincero, ma questo è un altro discorso. 

Questi pezzi li ho comprati dalla Crann Tara Miniatures, pentendomene non poco. La qualità è discreta e per il prezzo di listino di allora più che soddisfacenti. Il problema che ho incontrato è stato il passaggio di proprietà dalla vecchia gestione al nuovo titolare, un tipo assai poco piacevole. Che poi sarebbe anche il nuovo (già da qualche anno) proprietario della Minifig Miniatures. Quando ordinai i Minifig non li spedì e dovetti ricorrere a PayPal per riavere i soldi; prima mi disse che aveva spedito, poi che si era perso il pacco, infine che c’era stato un problema. Di queste figure ne ha spedite solo 10, anzichè 12, rimborsando la differenza. Però non aveva spedito i cavalli, che ha inviato in un secondo momento, facendomi non poche difficoltà. 

Alla fine eccoli finiti. Come figure sono piuttosto carine, anche se un pò superate per incisione e dettaglio, ma essendo dei cosacchi questo particolare non ne pregiudica l’effetto sul tavolo. Poi potrei integrarli con qualche Perry Miniatures cosi da poterne avere una ventina. 

  

Italian Napoleonic light infantry flags

 

Thank you Alberto!!!!

1st light infantry

2st light infantry

3st light infantry

4st light infantry