Saturday 19 December 2015

Tell it to the Marines (2)

There is no doubt that as far as wargaming is concerned Roy is a thoroughly accommodating fellow, however the one unit that he absolutely refused to let me field for Vintage Waterloo was my British Naval Battalion. This unit composed of 12 marines and 12 sailors, is one of my favourites although their only recorded action was at the Battle of the Crossroads where they didn’t quite live up to the traditions of Nelson.

Historical scenarios for this unit are admittedly thin on the ground but there is one other nautical range in the Hinton Hunt catalogue to which Roy can have no objections – French Marines of the Guard. The figure is FN/93 French Marine of the Guard 1804-15 (charging).

Now here is a unit that really did fight at Waterloo albeit in company strength but I will stretch this to a whole battalion. They are also the one unit type currently missing from the combined order of battle of our troops for the Imperial Guard. I’m not sure if they served at Leipzig but I hope on this occasion Roy will say yes!

19 comments:

lewisgunner said...

No oroblem wih the Marines of the Guard appearing at Leipzig. though without checking I have in mnd tgat there were very few if them.nPerhaps someone more erudite could illuminate s, but I thought that that really tgey were the Sailors of the Guard in strict translation and not like your lovely British Marines. . Their job was to manage boats and perhaps help with bridge wirk ( Hand of Pontoon anyone?) .
Did they ever apoear in the battle line? Lovely uniform and I do have a battalion In fact I have enough for two battalions so if anyone has an idea for a good conversion I am interested.

Stryker said...

Roy - I should've known you'd have a battalion or two. Doesn't matter if they don't get to fight as the Guard seldom do!

lewisgunner said...

Actually didn't the M de la G. get themselves captured by the Spanish at Bailen?

Ken said...

Splendid little fellow - I'm lacking the Marines for my own Guard.

Stuart Asquith said...

Just a minor observation, the figures are incorrectly notated as 'Marines of the Guard', they were actually termed 'Sailors of the Guard'. Marins = sailors, NOT marines.

Stuart A

Stryker said...

Roy & Stuart - sailors of the guard it is then. I imagine it was Marcus Hinton's fascination with uniforms that drove him to create these figures rather than any useful application in a wargame.

Ken - you must have some then!!!

Wellington Man said...

Very nice! Difficult to do in Humbrols, though. What on earth would one use for Aurora?

lewisgunner said...

Is it Salmon Pink.

lewisgunner said...

Or is it just Orange...which seems to be the colour on mine.

Stryker said...

The Hinton Hunt painting instructions say light orange, which us what I've used.

Paulalba said...

Nice work Ian, cool uniform!

the Archduke said...

I know, I know, how could anyone resist these figures? I have two battalions (or should that be squadrons) with no justification at all. And painted in humbrols. Aurora is a mix of signal yellow and scarlet, with just enough scarlet to tip it beyond orange.......The Young Guard resent their status, but what can you do?

Stryker said...

Archduke - another 2 battalions? With yours, mine and Roy's we could field a whole division although that might be just a tad unrealistic.

the Archduke said...

Pretty, though..........

Anonymous said...

Lovely figure, will form a very nice unit

Paul

lewisgunner said...

A good idea Archduke, perhaps we could obtain a coupl of model frigates, run them up the Elster and fight off the whitecoats under the protection of their guns. I did promise Ian a scenario in which his sailors and HM Marines could participate in a justifiably historic scenario.mI was thinking of either a Hornblower like action or perhaps a battle in Eastern Spain, where I do have a recollection that Our Marines fought as units on land.

lewisgunner said...

Here the xciting story of the Royal Marines in the Napoleonic Wars...looks like an A class battn to deploy with some shaky Spaniards. Best of all they get rocket batteries , so they are truly formidable!

Stryker said...

Rocket batteries? I'm liking the sound of this...

lewisgunner said...

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w7mFtMkPGzo/TVh15Kgtw6I/AAAAAAAAAeY/ovmYNY5LZVE/s1600/P1020569.jpg



A very impressive Old Glory rocket set from the analogue hobbies blogspot. I have two simpker types of launcher, but these are impressive pieces!