Friday 26 February 2021

Brazilian Infantry - Battalion Number Five

Today saw the completion of the fifth battalion of what will be eight in this Paraguayan War collection.

This is the first battalion that I have done in the all blue winter kit. It is not a particularly inspiring uniform, but it is easy to paint. To provide some variety I have mixed the headgear up a little.




There is another battalion in this kit making its say across the painting table now. After that I think the remaining two will  be given  some variety - maybe a mix of jacket and trousers colours.

Friday 19 February 2021

Paraguayans on Parade

Having completed the last of the Paraguayan infantry it is time for a parade!

First the ten battalions of infantry...





..and then the cavalry arrive.





Saturday 13 February 2021

The Last of the Paraguayans...

Well the last of the Paraguayan infantry anyway. There will be some more Paraguayans to come, specifically artillery and mounted officers, but they  have not been released yet.

Nonetheless here are the final two infantry battalions painted as militia - yes I know that in wargames  terms “final” is a fictitious word, but this takes the battalion count to ten which is probably enough.




Look out for a parade of the Paraguayan contingent toward the end of the week.

New to the painting table are four battalions of Brazilian infantry to finish (there is that strange word again) the infantry of that army - artillery and officers exempted again.

Monday 8 February 2021

Napoleonic Game

On Sunday we played a large Napoleonic game set in 1813. On one side (my side) were three players commanding about 40 battalions (I think 8 of which were Guard) plus 12 cavalry regiments and 11 batteries, representing a Franco-Bavarian force. On the other was a mixed force of Austrians, Russians and Prussians of roughly the same strength.

Our objective was to gain control of one of two roads on the opposite side the table. I never did discover the enemy’s objectives. We chose hold on the left, with the Guard and its supports, against a significant Austrian force and strike on the right with the French line division and the Bavarians against  a combined force of Russians, Austrians and Prussians. The result was two huge scrummages on the flanks and very little happening in the centre. At the end of the game no one really held the tactical advantage, neither had achieved their objectives but the Allies had taken more ground and the umpire ruled in their favour.

Instead of a full description I will simply present a number of images, not necessarily in any sort of order. The only one I will provide any description for is this first one. This is the dice result of a round of firing by a Russian position battery that required anything but a “1”  for a hit an exposed French column. After this shot this poor battery suffered being of swamped by French fire, silenced, recovered, was silenced again, then the gunners were driven off, finally the gunners returned to their guns but failed miserably to cause any serious damage, much to the distress of my opponent to whom I humbly appolgise!


And now the rest of the pictures (a number of which are provided by my opponents) of our very enjoyable day.
















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