"Pendraken SYW march attack poses" Topic

I have seen a picture of Pendraken SYW Prussian musketeers in a march attack pose. Why are they holding their muskets this way – on the right shoulder and high by the head (using two hands). Can someone explaint if this pose is correct? Other manufacturers make syw march attack poses with muskets on the left shoulder and lower holded by one hand. I dont remember any picture anywhere showing syw infantry posed like these Pendraken's. Any ideas?

I've got a few of those figures and I wasn't sure about that pose either. Mind you, it's not as odd as the guys who are holding their muskets straight up in front of their noses so that their faces are completely obscured. I assume they are meant to be in the middle of performing the manual of arms but I think they would make for an odd-looking wargames unit.

Does Pendraken have a traditional left hand march attack pose at all? I could only see marching left handed pose in their catalogue and only in Prussian army. Its odd their rather very extended syw range dosnt have such needed pose. How is it possible when every picture in ospreys and such show infantry attacking this way. Maybe Pendraken's syw range is not yet finished or something? Its sad as I like their sculpting very much.

It seems to me that the pose your may be referring is a version of the 'recover' or 'poise'. This was the usual position for attack, for instance the 1764 British Manual Exercise called for the front rank to advance with charged bayonets and the second and thrid ranks to be at the 'recover'. The idea is that it is a position from which it is easier to move to 'present' (firing), 'charge bayonet' etc. i.e. it is a sort of intermediate or 'ready' position from which it is easier to execute other drill movements.

In British practise this was with the firelock in close to the front of the body, a little like 'present arms' (see Morier's painting An Incident in the Rebellion, 2nd/3rd ranks) but IIRC there is version in French drill that is more like the Pendraken poses (not near my library at present so cannot check to be 100% certain;-).

As far as I understnad it (based only on C18th British manuals) there was no drill book position such as 'march attack' and there seems to be confusion amongst manufacturers as some use the term for normal left handed 'marching' poses.

I only have examples of the 'march atack' (SYA1) pose in my Austrian SYW army but if I add any more battalions (a distinct possibility although my immediate need is cavalry and guuns!) I probably would go for battalions with either the straight 'marching' pose (SYWA2) or for a front rank of 'advancing' (SYA3) and on or two ranks of 'march attack' (SYWA1)or 'port musket' (SYWA5). That said I do not know if the 'marching' pose is 'left handed'

More properly the marching pose with the musket on the left is called 'shouldered firelocks' whilst that with the musket in the right hand is called 'advanced firelocks'. Does this help any?

The marching pose is musket on the left hand side at slope arms. You should have got in touch direct I could have sent you samples. The descriptions are generic matching to other companies descriptions and are easliy recoginisable by the majority of wargamers..

Dave Pendraken

Dave

Thanks for the clarifiaction on the poses: marching = sloped arms rather than shouldered arms. Thus I assume that code SYP6 Tricorn Foot Marching, Musket Lefthand = shouldered firelocks.

TM

Thanks for comments. Do I have it right – the SYB2 pose is left handed? If so then what is the difference between SYP2 and SYP6? I think there should be more photos on Pendraken site for such like myself :)
In other words, is there a syw pose like say AWA1 ?

Szpadel

Dave did mention above if you contact him directly he would send you some samples. I agree it is a pity that there are not more photos on manufacturers websites although sometimes there is no substitute on seeing figures in the round so to speak!

If I understand it correctly SYP2 = marching with arms sloped i.e. at an angle and SYP6 = marching at 'shoulder firelocks' arms probably what you refer to as 'march attack' but with the left arm slightly bent and the musket subvertical.

These might help (basically British Manual of Arms 1764):

YouTube link

YouTube link

YouTube link

Thanks Thomas for these links. I know more about the drill now. However, the SYP1 march attack pose is still a mystery for me. I suppose this was meant to be used as second/third rank figure with the advancing pose for the first rank. Now I remember a photo from a previous version of Pendraken's site. It was at the main page I think.
Still I miss a pose like AWA1.
Clibinarium's page has a gallery that gave me some ideas. I could see all Prussian musketeers poses there. I found a picture of a marching pose with musket left handed which would be exactly what I seek if the muskets had fixed bayonets.

Szpadel,

I know what you mean. Had not thought of looking at Clibinarium's gallery to see what the poses might be, but it is a good idea. Perhaps you could post a link to aid the unwary coming across this thread in future?

TM