"Russian Jägers - Borodino 1812" Topic

Just finished this Jäger unit for my 1812 Borodino collection.
The minis are from Perry's excellent range. Basing is 3 x 40/40mm bases,
which is my preferred standard for large battalion based games in 28mm.

For more pics on the unit and history on Russian Jägers, drop by the blog:
blackpowdergames.blogspot.dk

Very nice! I'm just about done with the same set for the 49th at Shevardino (apparently, they could have had their green Winter trousers). I'm thinking I should have stayed with Summer. Why did you decide to go with white belts?

Impressive. Wonderful work.

I do miss the early Jagers with all green uniforms

Thank you all very much for the kind words!

@Jeffreyw3: I'm afraid the belts are not my only concern. I've seen many sources also pointing to the backpack being in black leather rather than brown.
Leather straps from the back packs was shown as white in a French source I've used, but I'm not sure that's correct either, I've seen other sources showing all in black, both belts and straps. Have you got any credible source on this?

@Louie N: Me too. I've bought a bunch of the earlier jägers from Brigade Games, and will do these for Austerlitz in a later project.

Yep!

Here's Conrad's translation of Viskovatov:
link

Then check Gingerich for newer research:
link

Also, doing an author search here on Alexandre will provide you with a wealth of info on Russia's armed forces of the era.

For pics, any of the Hourtoulle books should do.

At least it's easier to paint black over white (should you wish to change the crossbelts, which you might not), than it is to paint white over black!

@jeffreyw3: Thanks, that was a great help! Seems I did allright with the choice of yellow shoulder straps for 1812. I'll probably do the amendment to black leatherwear – like Jeigheff said, it's an relatively easy fix.

Well done.

Really like your painting style! Very crisp and the faces look great.

great painting, here some infos I found in an article about Russian Jäger

"Equipment
Jaeger's complement included knapsack, cartridge box on cross belt, and swordbelt. All webbing was made of black leather. 1808 pattern knapsack was rectangular, with a flap closed with three buckles. Knapsack was made of black leather, and carried with two shoulder straps, fixed across chest with a third, horizontal belt with buckle. On center of knapsack flap a special leather strap fastened the "white" (i.e. tinned) tin flask. Difficulties associated with supplying uniforms and equipment abroad, lead to the ranks using captured French calfskin knapsacks, or even improvized "knapsacks" of woolen or linen, rather than proper leather item. Also, they received the widely distributed, voluminous feedbag with cross-strap. Black leatehr cartidge bag was carried on shoulderbelt across left shoulder. The bag held a set of cartidges (60), reserve flints, and some small gun accessories. Brass digits were fastened to the lid, designating the number of the regiment. On campaign the lid of the bag was covered with a waxcloth slipcase. Swordbelt carried scabbard for bayonet, and, in the grenadier company, also that for the sword, and was worn across right shoulder. Because the bayonet was usually carried fixed, the scabbard lost its shape and fell into disrepair with the passage of time. Thus the need for a special swordbelt for the ordinary jaeger (not grenadier) gradually became unimportant. Often they wore only the cartidge bag strap, and not the bayonet swordbelt.
This was the general appearance of Russian jaegers in the Foreign campaign of 1813-14. Publication of foreign artist's figure studies, eyewitnesses and contemporaries of that remote epoch, enable us to more vividly imagine the particulars of dress and equipment of Russian light infantry under difficult field conditions and adversity, and varied and costly government supply.

"

They are great.

Lovely work, Søren

in case I am not mistaken, there were some Russian musketeer regiment converted into Jäger in 1811, they could well still be equipped with white leather equippment belts.

This might help,

Ulyanov states that many of the 33d to 48th Jaeger regiments, converted from infantry or garrison regiments, did not immediately receive black belting, and continued using the white, specifically:

33rd Jaeger 34th Jaeger 35th Jaeger 36th Jaeger 37th Jaeger 40th Jaeger 41st Jaeger 42nd Jaeger 44th Jaeger 45th Jaeger 48th Jaeger