"Hesse-Darmstadt 1st Battalion Gross-und- Erbprinz Regiment" Topic

Hi all,
With the Oporto scenario due for a second play test tomorrow, I have put together plans to press on with producing the next series of games focusing on the Talavera campaign.

This plan will require additional units to the collection and work started this week with Laval's German Division and specifically the Regiment de Hesse.

If you would like to know more about this particular unit and the plans for Talavera then, as always, just follow the link to JJ's

jjwargames.blogspot.co.uk

Jonathan

Very nice Jon, I've rather gone the other way after being dis-satisfied with the Fantassin figures in the past and used early Prussians by AB (essentially ignoring the uniform change en route through France). This has required some fairly head pickling mental gymnastics as I tried to avoid veering too far into "Imaginations" territory – in retrospect I'd have been better using something like the AB Saxons with some minor conversion attempts.

What are you planning to use for the Nassauers?

Good stuff. I love to see people fielding these interesting contingents.

Thanks Malc, glad you like them. I think the Warmodelling/Fantassin ranges can be a mixed bag in terms of sculpts and clarity. The Portuguese skirmishers I had recently were huge next to my AB Portuguese figures. I think you just have to choose what you like. As I said in my post I do like the campaign look of these, their German allies range, figures and I will use them for the Frankfurt battalion. I am also planning to use their Nassau range and their Dutch infantry range and their Poles, but will use AB Bavarians for the Baden battalions and artillery.

Hi Chortle, thank you. The Peninsular War provides plenty of scope for painting interesting contingents, another reason why I think it's a great theatre to look at for Napoleonics

Excellent work. I also enjoyed checking out your blog.

Wow!! Those are impressive. Your painting is getting better and better.

Why are you going to use AB Bavarians for Baden battalions? Are the warmodelling figures no use?

You're quite right Jon – Fantassin (unsurprisingly) covers all the bases for Laval's Division – of all the contingents the hardest to find alternatives for is probably the Dutch with their irritating shakos.

I went with CGM for the Nassauers, and AB for Bavarians for Baden. I'll be using AB Saxons for the Hesse artillery battery.

Given that Laval's Division fought in several Peninsula battles it is surprising that more figure makers haven't pitched in (I'm looking at you Mr Barton) with options. As you say Jon there are lots of interesting and colourful contingents (on both sides) in the Peninsula.

Hi EB, thank you. I tend to use AB as a preference, if possible, as the sculpts are very consistently good. At the end of the day you pay your money and you take your choice. If you look at other units I have done you will see I am happy to use figures from all the main manufacturers. My only rule is that I am working in what I call 18mm ranges not 15mm of which I would include ranges like Essex and Battle Honours.

Hi dam0409, thanks for your comment. Should have more stuff up soon following the second game of the Oporto scenario tomorrow.

Watch out for the AB Bavarians. They are monsters. I tried to mix AB and Battle Honours for my Baden troops, and it was a bad idea!

I appreciate that you want to have the Badeners in helmets, even though they did not wear them in Spain – but my researches since my own Baden project suggest that Bavarians aren't the best fit. Wurttemburgers are better – though Bavarians will do at a distance!

In Spain the uniform underwent many modifications which made it similar to that of the French troops: the shako replaced the hat, it being provided with a heart-shaped white metal plaque decorated with the heraldic lion of Darmstadt; the grenadiers donned the red feathers, the red cord on the shako, and the red-fringed epaulets of the French grenadiers; the voltigeurs the green feathers and cord, with yellow-green epaulets; the central companies, or riflemen, had black feathers, a white cord on the shako; they retained the shoulder straps but these were blue, of the basic colour of the uniform, edged with yellow, the regiment's colour. The revers were no longer used except in the dress uniform and the rosettes of braid disappeared except on the revers; finally, the leggings were cuta la Hungary and decorated with a yellow border. The white trousers gave way to blue and, for marching, blue pantaloons, or maroon, cloth of that last colour being very common in Spain. The officers had a blue uniform with a single row of buttons; as insignia of the service they wore a silver neckpiece with a golden lion of Darmstadt, and they retained the hat until 1814.

Hi matthewgreen, thanks for your feedback on the AB Bavarians, I'll have to check that out.
I'm not so sure that it's clear cut that Baden troops were not wearing the kasket as you suggest. I have two sources that suggest otherwise;

link

Also Digby Smith's book "Napoleon's German Division in Spain" talks about the heavy leather helmets shrinking in the sun and that they were issued shakos in 1810. As with a lot of things to do with Napoleonics, it can be difficult to talk in absolutes, when a lot of the sources can be contradictory or uncertain.

Jon, I used Bavarians for my Badeners, but i think from most pics I have seen that the Wurttumburgers are closer.

I know that ultimately all the german regts in Spain reverted to a generic short coat/shako style uniform by probably 1810-11, but its much more enjoyable painting a variety of uniforms and figures.

FYI the AB Bavarians are no bigger than the bulk of AB figures, but they will look much bigger than the BH offering. Having said that there is one figure variant in the AB Bavarian line code who has had too many sausages.
John

Hi John,
Yes I reckon Talavera and 1809 allows a bit of wriggle room in the look of the Badeners than later on in the campaign.
I think on closer inspection the Wurttumburgers have a comb much closer to the Baden kasket than the Bavarian's, so Wurttemburgers it is. The only thing is I am going to have to do some head transplants on the skirmishers as AB don't have skirmishing line infantry, ho hum!!
Thanks for the feedback
Jonathan

Looking good Carajon. I've been following your progress in this project for a while and am really liking it – it has been giving me much needed impetus to get painting myself. Like LittleArmies I've gone down the CGM route for my Nassauers but will be looking forward to seeing yours once done as I was tempted by the Warmodelling figs initially – I still might get the sapper figure.

I'm curious why both you and Littlearmies havent gone for the Warmodelling Badeners? I know you said you prefer AB (and I agree with you there!) but have either of you had a butchers at a sample of the Warmodelling figures and decided against them – sorry to be a pain about this but I'm thinking of ordering some myself and wanted a second opinion beore I got some.

By the way, I'm using Blue Moon 1812-15 Legere for my Frankfurters as I think the uniform is a better fit. Cheers.

IainAF – for me, I bought an infantry "division" pack of French Warmodelling troops (they were Fantassin back then and I still think of them as Fantassin) – there were some nice sculpts, and there were some shockers. Added to that, some had really bad casting problems – unfortunately they were cast in an alloy that was practically indestructible, making cleaning them up a nightmare.

So I gave mine to Paul Alba's brother and said "never again" – although I have bought one or two special packs. Funnily enough though, the designer of the Warmodelling figures now sculpts Xan Miniatures and I really like them.

Malc

Hi IainAF, thank you.

I haven't checked out the Warmodelling Badeners so I can't comment. I think, based on the feedback from everyone, that I will do the Badeners last as I haven't bought the figures yet and thus am not committed either way.

During the painting of the other nationalities I will get some samples and do a comparison on the blog to share the learning, as it seems there is quite a bit of interest in this subject and I reckon it is material for a posting.

Blue Moon are a range that I must do more with. I have only used their British Foot Artillery which I featured in a post early last year, but they are putting together an impressive range and I have been toying with using their War of 1812 stuff.

Thanks to everyone for their inputs, all very helpful.

Jonathan

I had understood from reviews that AB Bavarians were big even for them, and this fitted my experience. Following John's comment I thought I had better check it out. Here is a not very good picture of AB Bavarians (painted as Baden) next to AB Austrians (painted as EHK Legion) and some OG French for good measure.

When handling them the AB Bavarians did seem a bit bigger – but that's not so clear from this picture, and this issue clearly isn't as serious as I thought!