Battle of Waterloo Attack on La Haye Sainte Farm by Old Collingwood - 1/56 (28mm)

[lmagna]

18 hours ago, mtaylor said:

I used to do AD&D type miniatures like orcs, dwarves in my deep dark past.

I was doing the same when the kids were younger except that it was Hero Quest and later, Advanced Heroquest. Board layouts and play senerios made it much more interesting for the kids. No beer though.

[Edwardkenway]

I have those in my attic along with a box load of fantasy miniatures for table top battles. 

[Old Collingwood]

Good  day all,   curries horse is finished  minus the base  and let me introduce you to a cuirrasier  called mr curry, just undercoated with flat black  ready for his different colours.

 

OC.

[Edwardkenway]

Those figures are so much better than the old airfix napoleonic ones from the 1970's.

Your painting is looking fine, the saddle cloth and sheepskin are great OC

[Old Collingwood]

3 hours ago, Edwardkenway said:

Those figures are so much better than the old airfix napoleonic ones from the 1970's.

Your painting is looking fine, the saddle cloth and sheepskin are great OC

Thank you kindly Edward,  I started with a basic flat white then added a dirty wash and when dry a very subtle white dry brush, the whole horses body had the same treatment.

 

OC. 

[Old Collingwood]

Starting to put some colours on Curry  -  quite a process  as there is a lot of detail hidden away that is brought out with the different colours  - still more to do to him, he is about 2/3rds  done.

 

He is just placed on the horse for impression  - not glued on it yet.

 

OC.

[Canute]

He's sporting some sabre there, OC. Is Mr Curry considered heavy cavalry? I've read the terminology, but have no equivalents to compare to them. I watched "The Charge of the Light Brigade" with Errol Flynn a few weeks back, and they were wearing a myriad of uniforms. Dazzling stuff.

[Edwardkenway]

I'm sure these guys were the "heavies" of the french army, probably their version of the Lifeguards and Enniskillen Dragoons.

It's a shame Ney wasted them at the British squares 

[Old Collingwood]

Thank you Ken/Edward,     yep they  were  Napoleons  best cavalry  tall well built  soldiers on huge horses,  infantry  didn't stand a chace against them  apart from if they could make a decent square,  at Waterloos defence of La Haye Saint  a squadron of German troops were sent down to bolster the men defending it, when out of the blue some cuirassiers  appeared and chopped then to pieces, it was slaughter.

They were used to back up the attacking French on the farm  stopping the KGL  from making more defence from outside the buildings, incase the cuirassiers  charged.

 

OC.

[mtaylor]

1 hour ago, Canute said:

He's sporting some sabre there, OC. Is Mr Curry considered heavy cavalry? I've read the terminology, but have no equivalents to compare to them. I watched "The Charge of the Light Brigade" with Errol Flynn a few weeks back, and they were wearing a myriad of uniforms. Dazzling stuff.

That's a grey area, Ken... "heavy cavalry".   Some were called "heavy" due to the size of the horses.   Others, it depended on the amount of armor and even sword size.  It was easier to sort out back during the middle ages.... 

[Old Collingwood]

18 minutes ago, mtaylor said:

That's a grey area, Ken... "heavy cavalry".   Some were called "heavy" due to the size of the horses.   Others, it depended on the amount of armor and even sword size.  It was easier to sort out back during the middle ages.... 

Indeed Mark  - still some grey areas  around Waterloo,   what I have been reading and remember   the  heavy cavalry  Cuirassiers    -  I quote  

 

Cuirassiers were cavalry equipped with armour and firearms, first appearing in late 15th-century Europe. This French term means "the one with a cuirass" (cuirasse), the breastplate armour which they wore. The first cuirassiers were produced as a result of armoured cavalry, such as the man-at-arms and demi-lancer, discarding their lances and adopting the use of pistols as their primary weapon.

 

I think they were kind of  the  "No Bull"   cavalry  ruthless  and a very effective  fighting  force.

 

OC.

[Roger Pellett]

Heavy Cavalry were shock troops that existed to break infantry formations by charging.  Hence, big men on big horses that could be deployed at a favorable moment to win battles.

 

The other cavalry missions screening, scouting, etc. were performed by light Cavalry.

 

The terms heavy and light were, therefore, defined by mission.

 

Dragoons, were more like mounted infantry using superior mobility to position themselves to fight dismounted.

 

The American army has had Light Cavalry and Dragoon regiments but not Heavy Cavalry.  It can be argued that a lack of Heavy Cavalry prolonged the American Civil War as infantry charges often ended in stalemates with the two sides yards apart exchanging fire.  The ability for a commander to follow up an infantry charge with Heavy Cavalry would have changed the situation.

 

Roger

 

 

[Old Collingwood]

3 minutes ago, Roger Pellett said:

Heavy Cavalry were shock troops that existed to break infantry formations by charging.  Hence, big men on big horses.

 

The other cavalry missions screening, scouting, etc. were performed by light Cavalry.

 

The terms heavy and light were, therefore, defined by mission.

 

Dragoons, were more like mounted infantry using superior mobility to position themselves to fight dismounted.

 

The American army has had Light Cavalry and Dragoon regiments but not Heavy Cavalry.

 

Roger

 

 

Indeed  - the heavy  (cuirassiers)  were a lot like tanks on legs.

 

OC.

[Old Collingwood]

I am chuffed at the moment  - have only found a website were some of the reinactors of the Waterloo 2015  are from  -  joined and left a message as you do.

 

OC.

[Old Collingwood]

Cuirassier swords were more like English Broad swords  as they were long (nearly  4 feet)   and  strong, they also used to be used more in a thrust  motion than a sweep,  they were also quite heavy.

 

OC.

[Egilman]

1 hour ago, Roger Pellett said:

The American army has had Light Cavalry and Dragoon regiments but not Heavy Cavalry.

True in a broad sense, at various points when needed in a specific campaign or battle some units were equipped with pikes to serve as assault troops..... but very rarely..... The "official" US Cavalry has a long as storied history starting in 1776, but there were local units formed prior to the actual date of creation by Congress... During the Revolution most cavalry was of the light horse type, (although the British did have and use Lancers, a form of heavy cavalry during the revolution) the Dragoons type of cavalry came along just before the Civil War and were extensively used during the Indian Wars... The US military prized the ability to fight both ways... On horseback and dis-mounted..... So no, we really didn't get the division of cavalry known as "Heavy". (although during the Civil War, there were a few instances of calvary being used in the role of heavy shock troops to break lines, but with the improvements of artillery to that point made it clear that the use of cavalry in the shock role was not a very good way to use excellent troopers)

 

An excellent history of the US Cavalry is in the US Army's Lineage series... 

History of the Organization of the Armor and Cavalry

 

Also goes into detail on how the Cavalry branch became the Armored branch which also has a long and storied history....

 

The period OC is modeling is when heavy Cavalry was at it's peak and most advanced and a very powerful force on the battlefield.....

[Canute]

Both sides of the American Civil War used swords, although the Rebs were less well armed with it. Tough to run the blockade with the varied weapons needed. The South had good cav units early, since so many of them could ride. One problem they had was if their mount was lost, they went home to get resupplied. This hurt unit effectiveness, due to the absent men. The Yankees resisted forming cav units in the "volunteer" units, since it could cost a lot more to furnish all the equipment needed. It wasn't until June of 1863 that the Yankees fought the Rebs to a standstill at Brandy Station. They continued to improve through the rest of the war and developed some fine leadership. The Rebs held their own until the last year of the war after losing many good leaders such as JEB Stuart.  As you might surmise, I've been an ACW buff for years and have studied the cav ops in the war.

[Edwardkenway]

1 hour ago, Canute said:

As you might surmise, I've been an ACW buff for years and have studied the cav ops in the war.

A man's got to have a hobby besides railways and ships Ken 😏

I was heavily into the Peninsula war and Waterloo of course. And after  reading the Fancy Jack Crossman novels the Crimean war,  which was a foretaste of what was to come bout 60 years later.

Edit: I know you've read Bernard Cornwell, does that include the Starbuck Chronicles?

[Old Collingwood]

My other main love was English Civil War  in the 17th century   was once a member of the  ECW   English Civil War  society, hower I never got as far as to actually own uniform or  going to events,   my main interest was a Royalist Dragoon.

My obsession started as a young child being taken to this  - 

 

OC.

[Old Collingwood]

Evening all,    Curry and his mate  are now finished  (well thats Two  out of perhaps One Hundread to go)   just messing about with  my cutting mat  - upside down and a section of grass base.

 

The Grass  section  has a story behind it  -  I was sent a section of slabs/grass  from someone  with my other bits  for my Mossie build, anyway  I found out who made them and contacted them to find out how much a small extention might cost,  anyway  the company sent me out a test  piece (F.O.C)   and I said to them they could use my mossie pics  for thier adverising  if they wanted.

 

OC.

[Canute]

Edward, all too true. Too many interests, too little time. And no, I never did get into his Starbuck novels.

 

Hmm, better get cracking on your defenders, OC. Your two Frenchmen are looking good.

[Old Collingwood]

1 hour ago, Canute said:

Edward, all too true. Too many interests, too little time. And no, I never did get into his Starbuck novels.

 

Hmm, better get cracking on your defenders, OC. Your two Frenchmen are looking good.

Thanks Ken,  I have a  couple of  Perry Rifleman  that I could do as either  KGL Light   or  Sharps 95th, as they have basically  the same uniform  - just grey trousers for the KGL, but share the same rifle, I have another  Four on there way  next week.

 

OC.

[Canute]

I was reading the Osprey book on the Peninsula War and it had a short section about the 95th Rifles. They were nicknamed the Sweeps, due to the dark green unis and the black trim.  Early camouflage look? They were skirmishers, fighting in 2 man teams,in front of the line infantry so it made sense to dull down their uniforms.

[Old Collingwood]

Another 55th Infantry  fusilier  done, and a pic of Three of the clan so far.

 

OC.

[Old Collingwood]

Evening all,    I decided to make cuirassier  number Two, slightly different pose  with a more pulled up  ready to strike  pose,   the figure and horse are just assembled  awaiting priming  with  flat black  then the paint layers.

 

OC.

[Baker]

Beautiful painting.

Congrats 👍

[Papa]

I have more kits around that I probably don’t have enough years left to build. And now your beautiful army is urging me to try figure painting 🤯

[Old Collingwood]

9 hours ago, Backer said:

Beautiful painting.

Congrats 👍

Thank  you kindly.

 

OC.

[Old Collingwood]

6 hours ago, ragove said:

I have more kits around that I probably don’t have enough years left to build. And now your beautiful army is urging me to try figure painting 🤯

You should deffinatly  do so.

 

OC.

[JohnLea]

8 hours ago, ragove said:

I have more kits around that I probably don’t have enough years left to build. And now your beautiful army is urging me to try figure painting 🤯

Bill Ottinger has a very informative book on this ~ "Napoleonic Plastic Figure Modelling".