"Royal Artillery AWI" Topic

I am a bit confused converning the uniforms of the British Artillery in the AWI, specifically at Brandywine/ Germantown, and in the south. I have seen depictions of gunners in LI style caps, and I know these were worn during the Saratoga campaign, but otherwise? Also what is the source and intended period for the Perry artillerymen in cap- hats?

Alan Perry has done four lots of RA figures, 1) was for Wargames Foundry, 2), 3) and 4) were for Perry Miniatures; all are currently available:

1) The RA equivalent of the 1768 Warrant, with fully cocked hats (tricornes), full regimental coats, breeches and half-gaiters; useful for 1775 and 1776, although the NYC campaign should probably have one-piece gaitered overalls rather than breeches and half gaiters.
[Code AWI 3/1 (6-pdr & crew) – there should be at least one other British artillery pack (3-pdr), but I can't find it in the Foundry on-line catalogue.]

2) The RA version of the Burgoyne uniforms worn in the Saratoga campaign, with the crested "light dragoon style" cap-hat, one-piece gaitered overalls, and shortened coats.
[AW 105, 106, 115]

3) Gunners for the mid-war period (probably just post-Brandywine/Germantown if truth be told) in short, single-breasted coatees – not unlike the "roundabouts" worn by some of their infantry figures – one-piece overalls, and small cap-hats with a false front and a crest, or roach.
[AW 109, 110, 113]

4) Gunners for the Southern campaign, in the same uniform as 3) above, but in "slouch" or "floppy" hats (uncocked or partially cocked).
[AW 107, 108, 114]

In addition, packs AW 118 and 120 contain spare gunners (which are different figures from the gun crews) who can be finished in either of the three Perry headgear styles.

Styles 1) and 4) come from contemporary drawings and the diaries of RA and other officers; 2) is from the gunner in the von Germann paintings of Burgoyne's army; 3) is from re-enactors in the US who supplied descriptions of campaign modifications to mid-war uniforms. For your 1777 campaign gunners, you'd probably want figures in slouch hats, with cut-down regimental coats, and one-piece overalls. I think only Fife & Drum currently make this type of figure; they are slightly different in build to Perry Miniatures, but equal in quality, IMO. If you want to keep it all Perry, you could make gunners out of the plastic AWI British infantry that Perry have just brought out (and which have the correct hats, coats and trousers) by converting the muskets to tools and painting the figures in RA uniforms.

Wow, thank you for the very thorough answer, if I may, what are the most likely uniforms for the infantry of the Long Island Campaign, I ask because I recently read a quote from Gen. Clinton (I think), complaining that his troop's slouched hats made for a slouched appearance, this was at cape Fear in March '76.

There's also one from a German officer referring to the British infantry being in overalls (ie one-piece gaitered trousers) which, combined with the slouch hats, gives an infantry "look" that you can use from 1776 through to 1783, with only a handful of exceptions.

If you're going for metal, then the Perry figures in cut-down coats (not roundabouts – that's just the Light Infantry battalions) and slouch hats are fine, although you could probably justify the regiments that arrived at the very end of the summer of '76 still being in 1768 Warrant (which is the Foundry range – also by Alan Perry). These last could also be used for the few regiments that arrived late in 1781 and went straight into the field in the South.

Also in metal are the Fife and Drum range – they too are in slouch hats and gaitered overalls. Rather than backpacks, they have "tumplines" – essentially a folded blanket holding minimal kit, which allowed greater rapidity of movement in the field. They are slimmer and slightly taller than the Perry/Foundry stuff, but not incompatible – better in separate units, but odd figures of one range can be easily used in a unit from the other as "characters" or extra command.

In plastic, you have the new Perry AWI British; these have a selection of hats (fully cocked – ie tricorne; slouch; and the Saratoga cap-hat), gaitered overalls, and tumpline. They are compatible with the Perry metals.

Clinton was very much of the "European" school in terms of his approach to tactics, organisation, and uniforms (as opposed to the "American" school of Gage, Howe and Carleton); soon after he became C-in-C N America, he tried to disband the elite Light Infatry and Grenadier battalions, which caused outrage. All this is rather ironic, given that he was born in NYC. The other commanders tended to go for appropriate "field mods" for uniforms, and "looser" tactics and formations that had worked for them in the F&IW, as well as the earlier AWI campaigns. Even Cornwallis and Phillips, who had also previously served only in Europe, like Clinton, saw the benefits of these amendments.

Thanks again, you are a font of wisdom on this topic!

Or sadly in need of a life……. ;^))