Sunday 27 July 2014

DK Austrian Grenadier

I just couldn’t resist painting up one of the DK Austrian grenadier figures. I decided to keep the paint job to a bare minimum because I feel that the figures don’t really deserve the level of attention I give to my Hinton Hunt vintage figures. That said I still found that I spent quite a bit of time fiddling around trying to get it to look right.

Following an email from Steve I checked the bases on these grenadier figures for the DK identification code and discovered that this one is actually 194/1 German grenadier receiving (this is an updated picture after a bit more fiddling!).

As an individual the result doesn’t stand up to close inspection but I think that a whole unit viewed from normal playing distance should look perfectly ok. At the moment though I need to put him to one side and carry on with the Prussian fusiliers – no further distractions!

Update: Further to the great debate on the colour of the bag on the back of the grenadiers cap Roy sent me this picture of some Austrian grenadiers having a chat.


The suggestion seems to be that the bag was ochre yellow not the facing colour - I guess I will have to repaint mine!

10 comments:

The Good Soldier Svjek said...

Beautiful figure !

WSTKS-FM Worldwide said...

I think he looks rather elegant in his simplicity. You know. In a Cary Grant sort of way. As you say, an entire unit of such figures would look pretty darn good.

Best Regards,

Stokes

Stryker said...

Thanks chaps - elegant simplicity, I like that!

tidders said...

Nice work.

White uniforms and belts are tricky to do.

lewisgunner said...

Trouble with grenadiers is you have to choose a campaign to get which companies were brigaded with which other cos. Do you subscribe to the belief that the bags at the back of the fur caps are regiment colour or all red?/
Roy

Stryker said...

Roy - I've been painting the caps in the facing colour. As you know I'm not too bothered with historical OOB's so will probably paint a generic unit if I ever get that far through the painting queue!

the Archduke said...

Now Roy has my attention. I'd love to find authorities on those two questions. My impression is that prior to the 1809 reforms, the bearskin patch was in the facing colour but after 1809 it was imperial yellow. But I can't source that impression. All evidence welcome. (I know, I know, I should be able to answer...)

lewisgunner said...

Well, Archduke, Johann Adam Klein supports your view that the bag at the back of the grenadier hat is ochre with white piping!
I have mailed a copy of the print which is from circa 1813 to our redoubtable blogmeister!
That print has grenadiers ffom one regt, another has one from another reft with different facings, yet the bag is the same. So Ochre yellow it is


Roy

the Archduke said...

I really am grateful for that reassurance. I have four combined battalions of the fellows all with yellow patches because that's what Marcus says. But not all illustrations agree. I'm not sure Ian has to reach for his paint brush. Just say they're early issue.......Herzliche danke.

Matt said...

The first ever "real" wargames figures I saw where Gilder creations at the Hinchliffe stand at the Model Engineer Exhibition c.1977. They looked fantastic en masse so I have always been a little tempted myself. Go for the massed ranks look and damn the torpedoes!