Admitting to an Addiction...Again...

In January 2018 I declared an addiction - to hussars - when I completed my 22nd hussar unit...I am a hussar-aholic. I now need to declare another addiction...cuirassiers - since this is the first of four French cuirassier regiments for the Franco-Prussian War and the 22nd cuirassier unit across all my collections. Soon that total will rise to 25. Mind you, I should probably declare that I have even more dragoons...almost as many as the other two types combined...but I have broken that addiction (I think)...actually that is probably not true because I will be buying two regiments of French FPW dragoons if the Perrys ever release them.

La Charge des Cuirassiers à Reichshoffen, by Aimé Morot, 1887

French cuirassiers have a special place in the history of the Franco-Prussian War (and my heart) because of the way they were callously sacrificed at Froeschwiller on 6 August 1870. I have written at length on this subject before (here).  This (and my fascination with cavalry) is why I just had to add these cuirassiers to my collection. 

There were eleven regiments of cuirassiers in French service in 1870; ten line regiments and the Guard Cuirassiers - actually it would be quite reasonable to add the Guard Carabiniers to the list and make it twelve regiments. The line regiments were spread between the line and reserve divisions, with four regiments forming Bonnemains' Division from the cavalry reserve, two in Forton's Division of the Reserve and two regiments included in each of the cavalry divisions of the 1st and 6th Corps. 

Their relatively simple uniform makes them rather striking.

Back to the Franco-Prussians

With the arrival of parcel from the UK and the restoration of the lead pile a couple of Fridays ago my five month hiatus from figure painting is ended and I am back to working on the Franco-Prussians.

This time it is the French generals and a small unit of French lancers that were released earlier this year...actually it was July last year...My God the months have drifted by so quickly!

These are the first three brigadiers. 

Eventually there will be six infantry brigadiers, two cavalry brigadiers, a cavalry divisional command and three officers for the corps command. Since there are only three variants on this generals set, I will make a few head and arm conversions using spare parts from the plastic sets for the next batch.

Also riding off the painting desk are six figures representing two squadrons of the 6th Lancer Regiment, that rode disastrously in the charge of Michel's brigade at Morsbronn on 6 August 1870. Now most reference show the French lancers either wearing czapska or the kepi, but these are modelled wearing the bonnet de police. Apparently all options are relevant. The painting News from the Front by Georges Louis Hyon of the 2nd Lancers on the heights above Morsbronn just prior to their charge clearly shows them in the bonnet de police.

I have to say that when I last posted about the cavalry of this range (wayback in 2023) I was disappointed by the quality of the design. These figures show a significant improvement, particularly with the robustness of the swords.

Next to come will be more generals and the first of four regiments of cuirassiers.

War of Spanish Succession Game

Today we played the War of Spanish Succession game that we had to postpone from last week.

Eight players were involved. On each side there were two cavalry commands and two infantry. It was a simply "beat the crap out of 'em" game.

The Allied deployment

The French deployment

The full table

The recently built church stood in the centre of the table

I commanded a body of French cavalry, five regiments strong. Opposite me was an equivalent force of English horse. My object was to draw them into a fight where I could get the better if them. But they moved first

Here they come...

And more of them...

Things got off to a roaring start for me with my cuirassiers smashing two English battalions (the furst by the skin of their teeth, I might add).

Then the fight with the English horse began. I did well, destroying two regiments and forcing the other three back.

In the thick of the fray

"En Avant.."

The Garde du Corps go in

Oops...things aren't looking so good here...

...and even worse here...with just one if my five regiments left...and that didn't last long.

With the French cavalry collapsing on both flanks, the allies could sweep forward and drive the French from the field...it was a bad day for Marshal Vendome.

An now for a bunch if photos of the rest if the battle, that I struggle to put into sequence because I was focused on my own defeat! However, if does celebrate this fabulous army collected over 47 years from Citadel, Dixon, Minifigs, Foundry, Ebor and probably some other manufacturers.

Venfome rode in comfort...