British cassions and limbers

Cassions supporting British RFA and RHA

Continuing the artillery upgrades, now it's the British turn to have some more ammunition. Six Old Glory British cassions and three scratch built limbers.

The cassions came with a six horse crew, which was too much for the base sizes that I use, so I made it a four horse crew and made an additional three limbers with the spare horses.

Quite a few more to make if each gun is to have a supporting limber or cassion.

Scratch built limbers

More artillery

Cannons and Cassions

You can never have too many cannons apparently. I needed to beef up the number of batteries on my 1815 forces so I worked on a big batch - 44 guns, all from Redline. Cannons are very affordable in 10mm, and quick to paint. An undercoat (olive for French, grey for Allied), bronze the cannon, paint all the metal bits black the magic wash. Shame the Artillery men are slower, I'll need to paint 132 to man the guns.

Then there will be the limbers, I will need to make one for each gun! I started six French Cassions from Old Glory. They have six horse teams, but I can only fit four on the base, so I have some spare for other projects, Maybe soem scratch built wagons later.

For the Artillery first off the painting rank is the two batteries the French Guard Horse Artillery (for the heavy cavalry brigade). The some British RHA and KGL Foot batteries to fill in gaps in the Allied line up.

Next I will paint some Dutch and Belgian batteries for the Quatre Bras OOB and some French Line Horse Artillery for the Heavy Cavalry Divisions, and some Foot to fill out the Line.

Imperial Guard Horse Artillery for the Heavy Cavalry Brigade

British RFA joining the 2nd British Division

British Heavy Cavalry 1st and 2nd Brigades

On to Paris!

There were two British heavy cavalry Brigades at Waterloo - Somerset's Household Brigade and Ponsonby's Union Brigade. Both served with distinction on the day, repulsing the French attack in the centre.

While mounted on exceptional horses, most of these units hadn't see a battle since 1794. The 1st Dragoons had fought in Fuentes D'Onor in 1811, and the Household had been in the Peninsular (but not in any battles). They were keen for a fight.

Somerset's 1st British Cavalry Brigade

• Household Cavalry
• 1st Life Guards - "the Cheeses"
• 2nd Life Guards - "the Cheesemongers"
• Royal Horse Guards - "the Blues"
• 1st Dragoon Guards

Ponsonby's 2nd British Cavalry Brigade

• 1st Dragoons - "Royals"
• 2nd Dragoons - "Scots Grey"



1st and 2nd British Cavalry Brigades 

• 6th Dragoons - Inskilling

Lead by Lord Uxbridge, Somerset's brigade destroyed Delort's Cuirassiers on d'Erlon's left flank. Posonby scattered some of d'Erlon's infantry divisions before crashing onto the French Grand Battery. Two lancer regiments from Jacquinot's Division hit both heavy brigades after they were spent from the charge and caused heavy casualties. Both brigades lost almost have its men and horses. Many of their commanding officers were killed - one the Colonel of the 1st Dragoon Guards died after yelling "On to Paris!" before being shot by a skirmisher. Ponsonby also lost his life to a French Lancer in the muddy field of Mont St Jean.

The figures are all Redline 10mm. Fenando Enterprises painting services did the 1st Brigade and the Royal Dragoons. I did the Scot's Grey and Inskillings. This is the majority of the Allied heavy cavalry of the campaign. There is another division of Dutch Belgian heavy cavalry I am waiting for Si at Bend Sinister to release the figures for.

Scots Greys and Royal Dragoons

The Blues, followed by the Cheese and the Cheese mongers

1st Dragoon Guards

1st Brigade

The last we saw of them.

Now Maitland, now's your time!

"Fire!"

Maitland's guard stood up along the ridge late in the afternoon, fired a volley and send the French Middle Guard Chasseurs back down in disarray. They were based next to Hougoumont on the western flank of the Allied lines.

The other brigade, Byng's, fought defending Hougoumont  in Waterloo and in the Bossu Wood at Quatre Bras. Some of the heaviest fighting in both battles.

These were some of the biggest units at Waterloo, certainly some of the better quality on the Allied side.

4 Guard Battalions on the ridge

David Young from the UK painted for me these British Guard's Brigades - 4 battalions 48 figures strong.  He did a great job, especially considering these are only 10mm. Figures are Redline.

I just need to get some light companies together to complete the 1st British Division.

Major General Byng

Major General Maitland and his Brigade

Reinforcements arrive from England

898 10mm figures in Perry boxes

The latest troops are just off the boat from England ready for battle. A bit disorganised they need to assemble into units and find their bases before being ready for a parade. This should take a week or so.

I just received a package from David Young, a talented painter from the UK that is helping me get ahead of the 10mm pile. He painted 898 infantry for me - French and British, all Redline figures. This helps finish off Reille's Corps, as well as making a dent in the British Divisions. The list includes

• Prince Jerome's  Division 
• 6 French Line Battalions



Some French Light troops

• 6 French Light Battalions
• Maintland and Byng's Guards Brigades
• 4 British Guard Battalions
• Halkett's Brigade
• 4 British Line Battalions
• Du Plat's Brigade
• 3 KGL Battalions

His style matches really well with my own, nice clean blocking of colours, black wash, and much finer lines than me. A really nice job. Great to deal with and good value. Anyone interested in commissioning him contact me and I will pass on his email. I'll do some closeups when they are based.

Slowly getting organised and based - 60% stuck on the bases

All on bases

Great detail from David Young

Now to get them flocked up ...

Some more Allied leaders arrive

A bit like the rush around of mid June 1815, some more leaders have just arrived to join their waiting troops. Maybe they were at the Duchess' Ball.

On the British team we have Picton with his top hat and umbrella, ably supported by an aide trying to find out where they are on the map. Also the Majors General Kempt and Pack, completing their already painted Brigades.

On the Dutch/Belgian Nassau team, we have Major General Perponcher leader of the 2nd Netherland Division, along with another aide desperately looking at the map to find some French. And Prince Bernhard Saxe-Weimar (newly promoted after a horse kicked the previous commander) and Major General Byland.

Nice little figures from Old Glory. Needed a bit of greenstuff under the saddle so that they sat well on the horses.

Division leaders are two on a base and Brigade leaders are based singly 

Picton's Finest

Kempt's Brigade in the rear, Pack's in the foreground

Picton's 5th Division, the Reserve, had some of the most battle experienced of the Allied army at Waterloo. Many of the Regiments had fought against the French during the Peninsular War. The Reserve was under the direct control of Wellington during both Quatre Bras and Waterloo. Picton was wounded at Quatre Bras and hid the fact. Unfortunately he was killed by a musket ball to the head during Waterloo two days later. Wellington mixed in inexperienced units (Hanovarians) in with the experienced ones.

Once again, nice Redline figures. I have painted the first two brigades - Kempt's and Pack's. Half of them were painted last year, and I had been putting off the rest. Bit the bullet and all done. Waiting for Si to get some Hanovarians made up to fill out the last Brigade in the division, 4 battalions of Hanoverian Landwehr.

Completed in the Division so far 240 Infantry, 2 Leaders, 6 guns and 18 crew -

Kempt's 8th Brigade

Kempt's 95th, 28th, 32nd and 79th

• 28th North Gloucestershire
• 32nd Cornwall
• 79th Cameron Highlanders
• 1/95th Rifles

Pack's 9th Brigade

• 1st Royal Scots 
• 42nd Highlanders "The Back Watch"
• 44th  East Essex
• 92nd Gordon Highlanders

Artillery Major Hiess

• Two batteries RFA

Also have Picton to do himself.

Getting the Union Brigade together

How do we stop this thing?

Heavy cavalry has been missing from my current forces. I've started with the Union Brigade from Uxbridge's Reserve Cavalry Corps. Its made up of the 1st Dragoons (English), 2nd Dragoons (Scot's Greys) and the 6th Dragoons ("Inskillings" Irish), hence the "union".  They achieved a bit of notoriety at Waterloo with an out of control charge. I supposed they got a bit carried away. They were not present at Quatre Bras but I thought they would be a good addition to the Allied forces.

I've painted the Scots Greys and the Inskillings, 24 of each.

The figures are from the Redline range, dead easy to paint, and well proportioned. The new black "magic wash" did a great job on the Grey's horses. Undercoated white, painted the horse tack brown, coloured a few manes and tails black and grey, then a wash.

Scotland Forever!

Just need the 1st Dragoons and Ponsonby's brigade is finished. Maybe find a figure for Ponsonby himself.

Two regiments of French Cuirassiers are next to match them.

More pictures below.

Rockets!!!

The Rocketeers looking for some French to scare

Whinyates' RHA Rocket troop from British Cavalry Reserve Corps. These were painted as a diversion from the French Line I was doing this weekend (108 line and 36 light).

They were Magister Militum figures, who are the only ones who make a 10mm rocket troop. The men are HUGE compared to the usual Redline proportions. But as a one off, they will be fine. Easier than scratch building them. The set comes with three rockets, 12 men and a limber/wagon. There are no horses, so I thought I would do a little scene with a couple of spares men unloading some more rockets.

The rules I use, Republic to Empire, don't have a  Rocket section, so I think I will need some house rules. Something that randomises the direction and distance, to simulate the random nature of the ordinance. I don't think they will cause casualties, but rather force a morale check with a -2 modifier or something, enough to shake a nervous unit, but not enough to shake a solid one.

Very British Weekend

To celebrate Her Royal Majesty's visit to my town, I thought I would paint up a few British units to boost their numbers.

First off the rank were two British line units to complete Pack's Brigade. The 1st Royal Scots, also know as the Pontius Pilots bodyguards, had blue facings. The 44th East Essex, known as the Little Fighting Fours due to a large number of short soldiers serving in the unit in the Peninsular, had the yellow facing. They joined the previously painted 42nd Black Watch and the 92nd Gordon Highlanders. As part of Pictons 5th Reserve Division, there were some of the most experienced fighters during the Hundred days.

1st and 44th (left two) joining the 42nd and 92nd (right)

Both were part of the Redline range, fast to paint and well proportioned. I tried out a new magic wash formula (more about that in another post) which worked out really well until I tried to matt coat them with varnish. Not sure what happened but went frosted, dulled all the colours and generally looked pretty ordinary. I've tried to touch up the colours, but not a great improvment. Unfortunately not my best effort.

1/95th formed up and 2/95th in skirmish order

Next were two battalions of the 95th Rifles, one formed up and one skirmished. There were 3 battalions of the famous "Grasshoppers" at Waterloo as part of a couple of brigades - Kempt, and Adam. Kept's are the next brigade to paint as part of Picton's 5th Division. The rifles were part of the GH range, which are very detailed. I must admit I don't like their swords. They maybe the correct proportions but they seem very wispy to me, and bendy.


Finally to clear my painting desk, I finished off some British RHA limbers that had been sitting there for months. I wasn't happy with the colour my old magic wash turned the grey of the limbers (all brown and muddy), so I tried out my new black version, much better. The riders were quickly finished and based up to join a RHA battery done earlier.

Some of Redline's 4 horse RHA limbers

Limbers supporting a RHA battery

So now I have a brigade + of British to take on the French. Probably another weekend would see Kempt's brigade done and enough for a reasonable battle, with some help from the Brunswick. Now I need to pay attention to some French line, who at the moment are hopelessly out numbered about 13:7! Back to the blue and white.

1/95th and 2/95th (right), Pack's Brigade (centre right), KGL Hussars and Light Dragoons (centre left), RHA battery and limbers (right)

So I hope Her Majesty is pleased at my busy work.