French in Egypt Project Complete....Well Maybe...

This post celebrates the flattening of the lead pile that was the French in Egypt project.

 

These are the last two battalions.

First is the 2e battalion, 22e Demi-Brigade Legére.

Second is the 1re battalion, 4e Demi-Brigade Legére. There is a lot of conflicting information about the uniform for this unit. One source says the had crimson facings, another brown and a third puce. After much thought, and a couple of tests, I chose to go with brown.

 

And both battalions...

So what is the state of the French in Egypt project?

 

The original target was:

 

  6 Generals

  9 infantry battalions (6 line, 3 light)

  1 regiment of Hussars

  1 regiment of Dragoons

  1 regiment of Dromedary troops (mounted and dismounted versions with camel holders)

  2 field guns (with limbers)

  1 horse gun (with limber)

 

This has been completed.

There was a bit of scope creep. I added:

  1 field gun (with limber)

  3 line battalions

  1 regiment of Chasseurs á Cheval 

  3 line colonels.

 

This too has been completed.

How does the overall project plan look now? Well not too bad. The Prussian Napoleonics expansion, the War of 1812 and the French in Egypt are complete (the latter two weeks ahead of schedule). The Crimean War Heavy Brigade is delayed, but the figures are on order. The Non-Specific Plastic figure project has morphed into a  French Napoleonic army for 1812-13 and my the month’s end will have another two units added. The Egyptian ruins are done, as are the palm groves. The Egyptian buildings are started, but will be a bit of a background project, filling in between painting projects. The first order for British in Egypt will be placed sometime after the 25th of January – when the credit card rolls into the next accounting period and I don’t have to pay for them until March. I am still thinking about the Great Northern War.

 

How does that stack up against the original plan set down in August last year? Here is the plan as it stands.

Well the significant change is the addition of the British in Egypt. This is for three reasons; first, because I realised that the Ottoman Turks were not going to be adequate opposition for the French; second, because of cost – Brigade Games would be the manufacturer of choice for the Ottomans, but they are significantly dearer than other manufacturers (more than double the cost in some cases); third, Brigade Games service of late has been terrible – a month or more to ship orders. I will do some Ottomans, but as a reduced force to support the British, rather than a significant force supported by a small British force.

 

There is going to be a French in Egypt expansion project (the unkind would call it yet more scope creep). This will entail:

 3 generals

 3 colonels

 1 regiment of dragoons

 3 battalions of line infantry

 3 battalions of light infantry

 4 4lb battalions guns

 

But this expansion project will not be undertaken probably until March or April, after the British have been started.

In the meantime I will begin the assault on the plastic pile that is the French Napoleonics for 1812-13.