"Deploy the Guns!" Topic

Bringing up to date long awaited (25/28mm) French batteries, ditto Austrian and a few masquerading Russians…

The former, Minifigs, I've slightly modified as the trails aren't accurate and the trunnion positions too far forward, so a few mod-cons required that have slowly evolved.

Others are all Hinchliffe chunky jobs of the 70's… that will fit in with the appropriate 'allied' force being created.

Pics to follow of WIP.
`d

To illustrate my example, the following photos include sme of the necessary 'corrections' to the models- these are 4puce/ pounders that were the lightest field guns of the Griveauval artillery 'system':
- removing the 'travelling' trunnion supports that did not exist on the cheeks (I'm assuming they down scaled from the 12 and 8pdrs where these did). You can see the Milliput 'filler' I've put in there. (Photo 1)
- added a new position behind the front trunnions position, as the barrels sat far too forward (in fact they still do). (For some of the 5 models).
- reduced the size of the lock bars over the trunnions. While I have left these unpainted so far, you can tell where they go.
- modified the actual barrel for some guns by removing the visible 'imperical crest' casting that appeared around the vent; and filed off the brass barrel 'strengtheners' that appeared either side of the trunnions on the earlier Gribeauval guns but NOT the ANXI 6 pounders.

This gives a 'typical' smooth barrel appearance which in practice, it is quite difficult to discern one from another anyway.

These small changes, though a little cumbersome, improve and differentiate the models for me.

Photo-1

‌©dww_2022 Redeveloping French Art-4p- 6pdrs-Screen Shot 2022-01-25.

The other built in errors; the large axle box which didn't exist (should be a bare round axle visible) and the relative positions of the barrel vs cheeks 'flow' I've just tried to fudge with the moving backward of the barrel.

All the models needed to be scraped and filed for about 20 minutes each to tidy the castings. Probably why I'd put off doing them for so long. That and having completed several artillery companies (ie the men) over the last year.

Photo-2

‌©dww_2022 Redeveloping French Art-4p- 6pdrs-Screen Shot 2.
This isn't a perfect change, but it does make them look a bit less intimidating than the longer barrel 8 pounders.

Photo-3

‌©dww_2022 Redeveloping French Art- Grib-6" How-Screen Shot 3
by DaveW, on Flickr.

Straight French Artillery- Gribeauval -6" Howitzer model as made. Placed barrel at high elevation for burst at > 700 metres range.

cheers
~dave

I think you've done a fine job.

Thanks mate, a bit slow this week [bloody eyesight/ health blah] but I'll update pics as I 'improve/ apply' my techniques, just spotted some mistakes of my own!

And I'm actually going to 'trim out' the axle box on at least one test model (probably what I'll call ANXI 6 pouce piece).
cheers d

Some remarks:

1. If you hadn't taken considerable care and attention to these details then Chaos-Would-Rule(*)

2. One can see how the French would hold the howitzers back for local defence – very pointable.

3. I have just grokked why the ready box is on the trail – the extra weight will help stop the gun bouncing off the limber spike.

(*) When Jacinta appears on Telly the whole household calms right the way down and starts talking about sheep farming. (Unlike the riotous jeering that Boris gets/deserves.)

Yer takin' the p*** mate!

Nah I get it!

1. If you hadn't taken considerable care and attention to these details then Chaos-Would-Rule(*)

Not really but i know what you mean. It will be chaos when they're done because I'll never find them again!
I really really need to set up my 'temporary' holding box of all things 'Parc/ Train & Equipment' as a permanent 'Parc' from where all artillery and engineers will roll.

Apart from taking up valuable 'infantry' space in Brigade boxes, I'm forever opening boxes to find the appropriate batteries when I want them.

2. One can see how the French would hold the howitzers back for local defence – very pointable.

You raise an issue that has been dawning on me recently with all my in-depth reading. Artillery were a lot more flexible and reactive than gaming rules/ folklore have us understand.
The Russian development and use of unicorns the most obvious example; compounding evidence from period writers led me to the conclusion (simplistic) that they were, at 4 per battery, "giant shotguns to defend the guns from attack" as much/ moreso as attacking elsewhere.

3. I have just grokked why the ready box is on the trail – the extra weight will help stop the gun bouncing off the limber spike.

That may have been an additional 'benefit', however the fact is THEY really WERE THE SYSTEM of ammunition supply and as elsewhere written, of much controversy both then and now.

I'm sure there was a protective 'chain' around the pintle that also locked the gun trail in place to some extent.

I simply added them (unworked) to the guns to give a familiar 'feel' to the pics.

On other matters- well I'm sorry "Jacinta appears on Telly" [Jacinda btw, first time I'd ever seen the name and ironically shes' my local MP now!] she's no Anne Hathaway or Rihanna to brighten your day even more. [Just watched Ocean's Eight again].

As much as I avoid being a lefty-Labourite toady, she's done better than others at closing down situations that could have been handled much worse.
Sadly I see too much of the gullable '50's communism learning in other actions that irreparably harm our industrial abilities, decimated by earlier labour 'saints'.
Well you can't claim he's Boris the Bore! What did I see, more regal blood than the Windsors (even if illegitimate line…) tsk tsk those sexy Elizabethans…
;-)
≠ d

A nephew was on a work-visit and getting a hair-cut in Christchurch during that particular event.

Jacinda handled the whole thing with pure, unadulturated, competence.

Awesome.

Russia's main-usual-enemy were the massed cavalry hordes of the steppe-dwellers and Ottomans.

As you state – the light batteries were four platoons of guns and two of gun-howizters. When deployed with heavy infantry brigade they'd be a platoon of guns on each flank with the howitzer platoon as a 'floating' defence. (The second brigade would have their gun platoons deployed similarly.)

The mounted batteries were six guns and six gun-howitzers – so half of them were the giant shotguns. A nasty surprise awaited a charging enemy when the squadrons of a division unmasked the hidden half-battery of gun-howitzers!

Apparently the unicorn is an emblem from Shuvalov's arms:

Kronoskaf – SYW Russian Artillery

Update! Update!

yeah I know, its not another post…
While we're sweltering in the third week i think of 25-27 degrees heat thought I'd get these out from progress this week.

As promised, the axle boxes removed. Xacto saw worked wonders!

Here's the 'starting point' as a reminder- 25mm Minifigs© French Artillery c1980s deployment (I got sick of being beaten by Russian batteries so made sure to invest in my artillery arm).

[1]Left to right: 12 pdr; 8 pdr; 4 pdr; 6" Howitzer respectively:-

‌IMG_5827_sm-Minifgs French Art retinue.

[2]Just the modified gun trails, both barrel and axle boxes removed:-

‌IMG_5828_sm Mock Up 6pdrs_.

The steel axle and wheels are loose, therefore flopping around.

[3]Comparison of the first attempt with clean barrel and 3 latest with axle boxes removed:-

‌IMG_5830_sm Mock Up 6pdrs_barrels-axles.

[4]Overall comparison and the size reduction a little obvious:-

‌IMG_5832_sm Mock Up 6pdrs_barrels-axles

by DaveW, on Flickr.

Will complete these 4 and finish before deciding IF I want to do more; actually don't need many 6 pdrs [for 1805] but if they look nicer, I'll call them 'improved' 4s anyway ;-)
cheers dave

Some old stuff about iron-axles:

TMP – Gribeauval howitzers (2010)

Thanks for that link. I'll add it to 'Redux' as well.

Oh, and "News Flash" : the Cold War is over.

Gee that could be funny a decade+ later, perhaps?

However my issue IS the LOOK OF THE incorrect long axle box on the models that is not at all prototypical/ correct;
not the semantics of actual axles.

Whether they are round wood or metal is immaterial (sic), coz they aren't visible in the original guns!

On the models- I think its obvious that Higgs & co @minifigs must have used reduction of the gun form models, hence the various errors and measurements.

Back to WIP…
cheers

A couple of things stood out in that discussion:

The French hedged their bets by carrying a spare wooden one to back up the one of iron.

The quality of iron (from Wealden, Kent, England) suffered when they switched to coke (coal) from charcoal (wood).

I'm now looking up if the Low-Moor-Iron-Works (Bradford, West Yorskhire, England) kept with the charcoal or also moved to coke. My local woods used to be managed woodland.

Update:
I had completed the modifications and reassembly, however life has intervened and I'm no longer at home as I have had to move across town to mind children of a friend who has an unfortunate medical event stay in hospital.
I'll get some WIP pics, then re-undercoat the models and rephotograph with a preliminary layer of paint and colour.
Keep you posted…
cheers dave