The 1st Battalion, Pavlovsk Grenadier Regiment: Complete!

Hello everyone!

In a two-day whirlwind of painting I managed to finish up the other three stands of figures and now the 1st Battalion of the Pavlovsk Grenadier Regiment is complete!

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

The eighteen Pavlovs I completed most recently; note the height difference between the Minifigs and AB grenadiers.

 

A view of the Pavlovs that few Frenchmen will ever see; unless the Cossacks have broken into the Regiment's vodka.

The final three stands are mostly old Minifigs, with three AB Pavlovs in greatcoat added to make up the numbers. The AB figures tower over all of the Minifigs, but AB is one of the few companies out there that sell their figures individually, and I only need three to flesh out the regiment. Also, them being in greatcoat ties my painted stands in with the figures that came already painted that makes up one third of my Pavlovs.

As I've done a bit more research into the TO&E of the Russian Army prior to 1812, I've learned that most Russian regiments fielded two battalions, the Pavlovs included. So in the future I will have to paint up a second battalion to complete the Pavlovsk Grenadier Regiment according to the Borodino OOB, which is fine by me since the Pavlovs have such fetching mitres.

Purchased Figures

Well, I had told myself that I wasn't going to be buying any more figures before I left for boot camp, mainly because I wouldn't be able to see them until well into the summer. This resolution has gone by the board, and there are now over 100(!) 1/72 scale figures on their way. But hear me out: I just couldn't pass up the deal I found on eBay.

The lot I found was unmarked as to what was in it (the descriptions only saying "American Revolution/Napoleonic?"), but thanks to Plastic Soldier Review I was able to determine that the lot consisted basically of the contents of Italeri #6066 French Infantry, Strelets #018 Russian Mounted Jagers, and Italeri #6060 American Infantry (from the American War of Independence), plus a mystery plastic mounted figure that I'll have to scrutinize once I see it. All in all it should amount to 109 figures, all at the price of $5.50 shipped! That's five cents a figure! As I said, it was a deal I couldn't possibly pass up.

I'll use the French Infantry for their intended purpose, use the Russian Mounted Jagers as Russian Dragoons (they wore practically the same uniforms, as the mounted jagers were converted from dragoon regiments late in 1812) as the jagers were formed too late for Borodino, and the AWI American Infantry as pre-1806 Portuguese infantry, which wore distinctively old-fashioned uniforms before the Barretina shako was introduced.

Portuguese Infantry, 1790s-1806, wearing handsomely old-fashioned uniforms that are strikingly similar to AWI uniforms.

Will I have any use for a unit of Portuguese in these old uniforms? Probably not, but they'll look classy anyways. But, like I said, I won't get to see them until late this summer, so I'll have something to look forward to and something to post about later.

Coming soon: This is probably the last painting I'll get done before I leave for boot camp Monday morning, unless by some miracle my French Foot Dragoons arrive tomorrow so I can put up a review and knock out a stand. I don't want to get started on something and then have to leave it half finished for five or six months. We'll just ahve to see what Mr. Postman brings.

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

-Chuck