Egyptian Village - Part 1

As a part of the French in Egypt project I need an Egyptian village to fight over. Plans for this have been in my head since December and a couple of weeks ago I sketched up the floor plans for three structures.

The first structure is a fairly substantial one, consisting of three parts: a two storey residence with external stairs, a smaller residence, a stable and a courtyard, all contained within an outer wall with wooden gate.

The other two are to be fairly simple, single storey structures.

I chose to start on the largest building first and quite quickly cut out and assembled the three key components from a heavy card, using matchsticks to frame the windows and make the doors.

The two-storey dwelling (with external stairs).

The single-storey dwelling (with arched doorway and stairs connecting with the roof of the larger dwelling)

And the stable

All three components dry assembled as below:

I stayed pretty much true to the original plan, although I altered some of the dimensions to constrain the overall size and dispensed with the arch in the courtyard wall.

With the cardboard forms constructed I then applied the outer finish. For this I used the artist modelling compound that I use for basing figures, with a few pinches of fine sand added for texture. I applied this with a pallette knife and left to dry.

I then glued the three pieces together.

Next I glued the whole structure to a base and added the courtyard walls.

I added the front gate then the whole structure was  painted with the same sand colour I used for my French in Egypt bases and washed with a thinned down coat of GW Seraphin Sepia. The doors and window frames were painted and the window cavaties blackened. Finally I drybrushed the whole model with two lightened shades of GW Tallard Sand, the second shade being almost white. Then a few water stains and  it was finished.

So for this village, one model down, two to go.

Cuirassiers!

This week’s addition to the French 1812 collection is the 5^e Régiment de Cuirassiers that forms the 1^st Brigade, 4^th Cuirassier Division. The  organisation of the cuirassier divisions in the Grande Armée is somewhat strange in that each brigade only contained a single cuirassier regiment and had rather top heavy command structure with a regimental colonel and a brigadier.

This regiment is the second of what will be four cuirassier regiments in my collection.

Now lining up on the production line is a battalion of legere infantry.

Napoleonic Game

Sunday’s regular game was a Napoleonic bash. We did not have much of a scenario behind it other than a German confederation of Prussians and Bavarians, supported (some might say guided) by a small French contingent were faced off against a horde of Russians and Austrians. The control of a couple of roads were the stated objects that were largely ignored by both sides who were determined to just scrap it out.

 

I commanded a Prussian force of nine battalions, two batteries and two cavalry regiments. The latter were the two new regiments I painted in November, getting their first outing. 

I was faced against the Austrians, while the two Bavarian brigades to my left were opposing the Russians.

There was a lovely hill just to my immediate left and the right of one of the Bavarian brigades and this became the position for an artillery mass of five batteries from where the fire could be directed in two directions. I placed my cavalry on the reverse slope of a short ridge on my right while the infantry massed to their left. 

After a brief artillery exchange I set the infantry in motion. I was quickly engaged and attacked two battalions of Austrian jagers.

The Austrians opened fire and scored seven hits on one of the attacking battalions. I rolled for saves needing 5 or 6 and here is the result!

The Jagers were quickly despatched, but before the successful battalions could be pushed on further, the Austrians counter attacked drove them back.

 

The second line came up shortly and after some initial success were repulsed. Things were looking shaky for me, but thankfully the French drove in the Austrian left and with the pressure relieved I was able to rally my units. The Austrians faded from my front.

 

To my left the Bavarians held strongly against a solid Russian force, very well supported by artillery. One of the Russian commands lost a general early and were hamstring as a result. When a valiant charge by the Bavarian chevaux legere drove off two Russian batteries (thanks to dreadful dice luck on the behalf of the Russian gunners) that Russian wing was eventually pushed back out of the action.

 

The other Russian force made a valiant effort. Its artillery was particularly devastating to the Bavarian right. A small wood at the end of the rides proved difficult for the Bavarians to get around, but once they managed to form up their musketry began to tell and the Russians were cut to pieces. 

 

After lunch Russian reinforcements arrived, but failed to make any impact, the Bavarians pushed forward were driving the Russians back and when the Bavarian dragoons caught a battalion of Pavlovski grenadiers in the flank, routed them and then broke through onto another battalion, an end was called.

Astute readers will note that in the image above there are three battalions of Pavlovski and know that there were only ever two battalions of this famous regiment. Our dear departed friend, who originally owned this collection, did not know this fact and bought five full battalions, all of which were engaged in this game. It always provides a bit of humour in our group.

First Battalion, 48e Régiment de Ligne

The third battalion of the 1812 French army has been mustered, passed through the uniform store and into the barracks.

In have done this unit almost entirely in greatcoats and have decided that this will be 1/48e Régiment de Ligne. 

1812 French Napoleonics

There has been a lot of activity on the painting table in the last week as I push ahead with the French Napoleonics.

In all three units of Perry plastics have been finished:

The 2nd Battalion of the Joseph Napoleon (Spanish) Infantry Regiment that forms a part of Groisne's 3rd Brigade, Friant's Division, Davout's Corps at Borodino.

The 5th Dragoon Regiment, mounted...

...and dismounted (less the officer figure that is yet to arrive, hence the unfinished stand). The standard bearer and trumpeter are conversions.

Still more French are on the table now as I fill in some time while I wait for the Crimean War Heavy Brigade to arrive.