"7YW Regt. Winterfeldt 28mm firing at will" Topic

Years ago I couldn't imagine myself painting anything else than French Revolution or Napoleonics in 28 mm.
When however the first Black Hussar miniatures, Prussian Musketeers of the 7YW appeared, I had to paint them, mainly of two reasons, there are plenty of excellent sculptors who know how to sculpt but sometimes they don't know what to sculpt. There sheer amount of detail put into this miniatures by Frank Germershaus in unbelievable, starting from the cut of the cloth, the more widely spaced taille buttons – and from them running down the slit and folds – the gaiters just ending above the knee cap, up to the good size of the cartridge box to the equipment as field axe, field shovel and "tent" water bottle.
Usually each of the poses has variations as to chose among those items. Also I always wanted to show a battalion at fire at will.

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rear view with a selection of equipment

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and the rear view of officers and NCO showing very well the back of a coat construction

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even nails on the side for fixing the blade to the short arm.

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all the helped me to do this kind of action

An old Prussian Officer writes about the Prussians in the 7YW :

One started to fire with pelotons, two, three fired well, but then a common burning started and the usual fire where each who finished loading pulls the trigger, files and ranks are intermingling, the front rank is not even able to kneel down, even if they intended to, and the officers from below up to the generals cannot do anything any longer with this mass, but have to wait till they will move forward or backwards.
(Jany, page 47)

Gaudi, another eye witness writes about the Prussians of the 7YW :

Who will think back will have difficulties to remember that in a battle or action to have witnessed that at firing the first rank will have knelt down or did do this constantly, despite such a thing happens constantly on the drill ground, but they kept standing as the rear ranks. There one witnessed this at those troops who rightly were classed as being the best taught and disciplined, so the thought to kneel down in action must be un natural.
(Jany, page 47)

Tempelhoff another veteran writes :

The Bataillenfeuer (feux de bataille) as the fire at will was typically was called replaced in the hitherto battle in the end the drilled art. Then everybody fired who could fire and wanted to and everybody as often as he was capable without giving a damn about his neighbour or front man.
(Jany page 46 / 47)

Ein Veteran des Siebenjährigen Krieges , General v. Tempelhoff, bemerkt darüber : „Man feuert in einer Schlacht ganz anders als auf dem Exerzierplatz; denn die anrückende Infanterie fängt trotz allem dem, was man auf dem Exerzierplatze gelehrt und eingeprägt wird, oft schon auf 800 Schritt vom Feinde an zu feuern; doch wenigstens auf 600. Gewöhnlich glaubt man, daß ein solches Feuer nichts thut, allein hierin irrt man sich. Eine Kugel aus dem kleinen Gewehr tödet oder verwundet einen Mann, wenn sie nur trifft, ebenso gut, sie mag aus in einem Bogen oder horizontal abgeschossen werden.
(Jany, p. 38/39 (Gedanken des Generals v. Tempelhoff vom 11. April 1802, Beilage 13 zu Band II der Massenbachschen Memoiren, Amsterdamm 1809, S. 504)

A veteran of the 7YW, General v. Tempelhoff notices about (range of firing and hitting HKW) ; "One is firing total differently in a battle than on the drill ground, despite what was learned and taught on the drill ground – the advancing infantry often opens fire at 800 paces distance from the enemy – at least however at 600. Usually it is believed that such a fire is useless, however this is an error. A small arms ball kills or wounded a man as long as it hits regardless of being short in an arc or horizontally.
(Jany, p. 38/39 (Gedanken des Generals v. Tempelhoff vom 11. April 1802, Beilage 13 zu Band II der Massenbachschen Memoiren, Amsterdamm 1809, S. 504)

here they are

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Absolutely breathtaking !!

Stunning work.

Beautiful.

Great work

Also great comments about Bataillenfeuer – one account I read pretty much said the same, when the platoon sergeants lost control of the rate of fire it was every man for himself

Excellent painting and posing! Kudos on your brushwork and visual interpretation of the bataillenfeuer.

My only quibble is that you have the colors reversed -- the white colonel's color should be to its own right (i.e., as facing the enemy) and the orange regimental (or company) color should be to its left. This is a common error made by wargamers (and even Boy Scouts).

Jim

Argh, it was the intention to do so!!!You are right of course, in the first rank out of the two colours – one would be the white colour on the right, well, I have to re do it, thanks for making me aware of.

ok – done -tomorrow then again the now correct positions

Very nice !

von Winterdeldt, at least you haven't glued the flags upside down like I have once in awhile. :)

Here now – thanks to ColCampbell – who made me aware of my error, the right colour configuration

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Great attention to detail. Love it. :)