Roll Out the Big Guns!

Hello everyone!

It's been a few days since I've finished these, but tonight I finally got around to photographing the last Spanish Real Cuerpo de Artilleria gun and crew, along with a few group shots of the entire battery, now complete!

(Remember to click on the pictures for bigger versions.)

The captain oversees his guns.

The full battery in action.

The figures are the same 15mm AWI figures used in the other stands, as is the gun. The uniforms are the same official Real Cuerpo de Artilleria uniform described in previous posts.

That's all for today. I have a few other things I'm working on, including the 3e Hussars and a French supply wagon. I also have half a mind to finish up the French 19e that I have only half done... we'll see.

Questions comments and criticisms are always welcomed and appreciated. Thanks for looking!

-Chuck

New Purchases...There was a Sale at Hobby Lobby!

Hello everyone!

Today I drove about an hour from where I live to Paducah on business. Its one of the largest cities in the region, and also happens to be the home of a Hobby Lobby. Of course, I had to drop by and check things out when I was done with my meeting. I managed to come home with a few things, and got a couple of deals to boot!

Terrain

Toob is a funny word.

 I found this "Toob" of trees while there and picked them up to use for terrain. There were 10 in the toob, 9 of which were usable (there aren't very many palm trees in Europe!) and they average about 2 1/2 inches in height, perfect for 15mm figures. Plus, they are already painted, and won't shed a bunch of flocking like Woodland Scenics trees do.

Trees, ready to go!

Figures

I also picked up two packs of 1/72 plastic figures, both of which were on clearance for $3.59 each! The price was too good to pass up, even if they weren't exactly right for Napoleonic wargaming. I will however be able to shoehorn a few of the figures into some of my existing projects.

Lewis & Clark

This set is the most closely related to the Napoleonic time frame, as the Lewis and Clark expedition lasted from 1804 to 1806. Unfortunately, even though both Lewis and Clark were soldiers, none of the figures in this set are wearing any type of military uniform, just 'frontier' garb: fringed shirts, broad brimmed hats, and one fellow is even wearing a coonskin cap!

The set comes with members of the Corps of Discovery, some boats, baggage, horses, two teepees and a bunch of Native Americans. Unfortunately, even though the set has a bunch of figures, only a few are usable as they are; I'm sure some of the others will find uses for conversions.

All of the figures from the Lewis and Clark set suitable 'as is.'

American soldiers/Corps of Discovery: I will use these guys as volunteer American riflemen from the Battle of New Orleans. There were three regiments of Tennessee volunteers and four regiments of Kentucky riflemen at New Orleans.

Native Americans: These will also be used for New Orleans. A force of friendly Choctaw riflemen anchored the American flank during the battle. Unfortunately most of the Native Americans in the set are wearing clothing associated with the Plains Indians, not the Eastern Woodlands like the Choctaws.

Extras: a string of pack horses and a campfire. The packhorses will probably serve in the British or Spanish baggage trains, and the campfire will be used in terrain.



American Western Settlers

This set I picked up mainly because the price was right. I bought this same set many many moons ago--in fact, I used part of it for my Spanish Artillery Limber--and while there really aren't a whole lot of figures appropriate for Napoleonic wargaming, there is a bunch of other useful stuff in the set which makes it handy.

The whole set.

Probably the most useful part of the whole set, the pair of Conestoga wagons. Even though they are quite clearly Conestogas, I think that it will be pretty easy to convert them into Napoleonic supply wagons. One will more than likely be French, because I already have some 1/72 French wagon drivers at hand.

The other sprue. The animals may or may not be useful for terrain pieces, while a few of the settlers themselves can probably be converted to resemble Spanish peasants by removing a few of the obvious late 19th Century clothing items.

 Well, that pretty much sums things up. I was really pleased that I was able to pick up the figures on sale; you don't come across stuff like that every day. I'm glad I dropped by Hobby Lobby while I was in town!

Coming soon:

The last Spanish field piece, and another stand of 3e Hussars. I will finish them one day, I promise!

Questions, comments and criticisms are always welcomed and appreciated. Thanks for looking!

Chuck

Spanish Field Gun

Hello everyone!

Today I have a completed gun and crew for your enjoyment. This is a light field gun of the Spanish Real Cuerpo de Artilleria.

(Remember to click on the pictures for bigger versions.)

These artillerymen are all wearing the same 1808 uniform that I described in my previous post. Here is the plate I was using as a guide:

 

1808 Spanish Artillery Uniform

Two of them you'll notice, however, are wearing brown trousers instead of the prescribed dark blue breeches; I did this one to add to the irregularity of the stand (the Spanish being woefully ill-equipped during the Napoleonic Wars and often utilizing local brown cloth to make replacement uniform items, especially trousers) and also because I saw someone else paint brown trousers on their Spanish artillerymen and I liked the look. Like on my artillery limber, I painted the gun a light blue, with a brass barrel and black iron fittings.

The figures are a mix, as usual. The officer, rammer and primer guy—sorry, I’m not sure what the real positions titles are—are  all from the AWI lot I got last year (manufacturer unknown), while the loader is a French artilleryman from the big lot of Heritage miniatures I got a couple of years ago. Of all of the assorted French artillerymen I got in that lot, he was the only one wearing the older bicorne instead of the shako, so he became a Spaniard.

This will be one of the two guns that will make up this Spanish battery; I currently have all of the other gun crewmen and their cannon primed and ready to paint. Expect the other gun soon, and some pictures of the complete battery.

Questions, comments and criticism are always welcomed and appreciated. Thanks for looking!

Chuck

Spanish Captain of Artillery

Hello everyone!

Another quickie for y'all: a Spanish artillery officer (a capitán of the Real Cuerpo de Artilleria) to command a battery of guns which I started with my Spanish artillery limber last year.

(Remember to click on the pictures for bigger versions.)

"I don't care if the oxen are frightened, soldier; the guns go that way!"

This is one of the two mounted figures that came with the big lot of AWI figures I bought last year, mounted on a Naismith horse (taken from a French lancer, with the cantle bag removed).  I’m not sure on who makes the figure. The horse is rather ugly, with a long neck and slightly bowed back, but I think it’s perfect for a Spanish Artillery officer’s mount, as good horseflesh would have undoubtedly gone to someone of nobility: perhaps to one of those fools in the cavalry!

The uniform is the regulation 1808 artillery officer’s uniform: dark blue coat and breeches, with red collars, cuffs, and lapel piping, brass buttons and black boots. The cocked hat is laced in gold, with a red plume. I had to spitball on the horse furniture (I guess no one out there in all of the Internet is really all that interested in the proper colors of Spanish artillery officer’s saddle blankets –sigh-), so I approximated based on a picture of a French artillery officer. French and Spanish artillery uniforms are nearly identical, so I said "screw it, it's hereby justified."  I gave our gallant captain white hair, making him either a) old and seasoned or b) old-fashioned and wearing a white powdered wig. Either would do for a Don, I think.

I’m working on the rest of the Spanish battery right now. I’ve got one gun and crew 95% done, and I haven’t started on the other yet. It shouldn’t take too long to have the full battery complete.

Questions comments and criticisms are always welcomed and appreciated. Thanks for looking!

All the best,

Chuck