5th Cuirassier Regt. Sommariva

These chaps were rushed into action with their paint barely dry at the Third Battle of the Hut, so I never got around to introducing them formally to you. If their performance in that game is anything to go by, they will have a glorious career ahead of them.

All the figures are the one-piece casting AN.73 Cuirassier (mounted) charging with one converted to a trumpeter.

My Campaign with Rob has been rumbling on, but I haven’t been able to post on it here as the need for secrecy (and reputational preservation) has been paramount.

When viewing this map you need to be humming along to the Dad's Army theme tune. This was not the finest hour of the French army but I console myself by thinking it was just a side-show for the main event still to come nearer to Vienna.

I can hardly blame Rob for taking advantage of such a propaganda coup.

Things are coming to a head now and I suspect that a decisive battle will be coming along soon.

More Pavlovian response

Thanks to all who responded to the last post and particularly to Matthew and Goya for their efforts to seek out information on the mysterious ‘greatcoat’ stowed on top of the pack. The first thing to mention is that I was wrong when I said that it only appeared on the marching figure because Matthew sent me the photo below showing the same item on vintage castings of the charging and firing figures.

All three figures are modelled with a rolled item above the pack that has three buttons at the top either side of a central securing strap.

This means that, whatever it is, Marcus Hinton intended to sculpt it and must have had a reference source that showed it. This is one instance where the Hinton Hunt painting instruction sheet would be very helpful but sadly, I don’t have one. Matthew, Goya and I have trawled the internet for images that might reveal the nature of the mystery item but to no avail although Goya did find this one below.

This looks promising except that the illustration shows the 1817 regulations and is also of a line infantryman not a Pavlovski Grenadier.

Goya also found this bit of text which may explain what the roll was:

For the cover for the coat and leggings. — The coat must be rolled and wrapped in the leggings [kragi] so that it is as long as the knapsack and its diameter is 6 inches in thickness. It is placed into a round oilcloth cover made to these dimensions with an opening at one end that is closed with a drawstring. This case is to be carried on the knapsack with the opening to the left side and in the middle tied by the greatcoat strap to the strap that holds the canteen.

However, the item modelled on the figures very definitely has six buttons on the top and doesn’t look as if it is supposed to represent a drawstring bag so back to the drawing board.

While repainting the roll I also took the opportunity to tidy up the back of the mitre cap.

In the end I have decided to paint the roll as a canvas/brown bag which is good enough for my purposes but if anyone does have a copy of the Hinton Hunt painting instructions I’d be interested to see them.

********* EDIT *********

Eagle-eyed Rob spotted the picture below.

Although this isn't a Pavlov the mystery roll does have buttons just like the figure - still not sure what it is but problem solved.

So it looks like I will be repainting them black!

********* FINAL EDIT *********

Thanks to ongoing work by Goya and Rob we appear to finally have the answer regarding the mystery item. I'm 99% sure that it is the leather gaiters that are strapped to the top of the pack and that the figure has been modelled in 'summer' trousers.

Painted for the third and final time, Pavlovski's in their summer best.

A close examination of a line Grenadier casting next to a Pavlovski castings has confirmed this as the line figure is wearing his gaiters with buttons to the knee, whilst the Pavlovski has buttons halfway up the calf which would fit with the summer trousers theory. So that's it, the figures have been repainted accordingly now it's time to move on.

Pavlovian response

Like many wargamers of a certain age the Pavlovski Grenadiers are right up there in my affection with the 95th Rifles and the Grumblers of the Old Guard so it’s no surprise that I have felt the urge to paint some at last, although I must add that I have been careful not to drool on them in the process.

RN/7 Pavlovski Guard, marching.

I’ve had these figures in the lead pile for well over 10 years but I’m not entirely sure of their provenance. The castings seem too light and crisp to be vintage ones but too well defined to be Clayton’s, I can only assume they are recasts but if they are, they are very good ones.

I've painted the rolled up greatcoat on top of the pack black in an effort to disguise it.

One curiosity is that the marching figure not only has a greatcoat rolled around his body but also one rolled above his pack. This is an odd mistake for Marcus Hinton to have made but I do have a few Clayton’s as well, and they have the same error. It’s just the marching figure which is like this as I have samples of the other positions and they don’t have the second greatcoat.

If any of you have bona fide (should that be bona fido?) vintage castings of same, then please let me know how many greatcoats they have by leaving a comment – perhaps they have been issued with two because they are Guard?

The Battle of Zwettl – The Game

I have to confess that I was pretty confident going into this game that the French would be able to hold off the Allies whilst gaining at least one of the VP locations. In hindsight I’m not quite sure why I thought this when I had neither cavalry or skirmishers in my force and only one artillery battery. As you will have guessed it didn’t go well for the French!

The French get off to a good start with four infantry columns pushing forward towards the VP locations.

Likewise, the Allies are making a general advance.

As Poniatowski's troops crest the central hill they start to come under fire from the Austrian artillery and a group of rifle-armed Jagers on their flank.

Eugene's lads are nearly at the VP location to their front but the unit of Brunswick Hussars on the hill opposite are well placed to make a charge against them.

The Brunswickers draw sabres while their escorting Foot Battery prepares to unlimber.

In the centre of the field the 51st Gabriel Spleny Regiment is advancing in line supported by the Toskana Dragoons.

I chose to keep the Nassau Grenadiers in reserve to protect my lone battery but perhaps this wasn't such a smart move as it left the flank of the 8th Poles exposed.

Eugene had no choice but to order his two Battalions into square and the Brunswick artillery immediately took advantage of such a lovely dense target.

The 8th Poles were taking increasingly heavy casualties including losing their Colonel, so Poniatowski was obliged to step in personally to shore up a rather rocky morale throw.

The Jagers continued to pop away unhindered as I had no skirmishers of my own to counter them. The supporting Austrian Hussars were snuggly out of line-of-sight of my battery.

This is how things looked after 4 turns. The 8th Poles (outlined in yellow) are now disordered.

The centre viewed from the Allied side. The Brunswick Leib-Battalion is pouring fire into Eugene's squares while the Spleny's exchange volleys with the 4th Swiss.

Unsupported, and with their Colonel down, Poniatowski tries to steady the wavering Swiss with unfortunate consequences. On the plus side there will be no swimming in the Elster for him.

The Swiss and the Spleny's slog it out with some sharp musketry.

Eugene's squares are snookered - they cannot advance because of the Brunswick Hussars but their dense formation is causing casualties to mount up and morale to become shaky.

The Swiss have had enough and head for the rear - who can blame them?

Seeing that the Combined Voltigeurs have become disordered the Brunswick Hussars seize the moment and charge with predictable results.

The Austrian Hussars move up to take the second VP location.

The situation at the end of play (Turn 8). The total game VP's were 16 to zero in favour of the Allies - some might call that a crushing defeat for the French!

Eugene ponders his future in the Grande Armee.

Of course the Austrian Press couldn't resist putting out this special edition. I must say that the chocolate does sound quite yummy.

Under the Campaign Rules Eugene must now retire back to the town he came from (Karstiff) and Poniatowski’s old Division must go with him although it will not be able to take part in any offensive action until a new leader arrives from HQ to take command.

Rob gets a total of 6 Campaign VP’s (5VP’s for winning the battle and 1VP for destroying my Combined Grenadier unit).