23rd Light Dragoons

Here is my latest Hinton Hunt unit, the 23rd Light Dragoons.  These are one piece castings BN50, six of which were bought on ebay 5 years ago and the remainder were recently donated, very kindly, by Stryker. Some needed quite a bit of work to remove the excess metal between the right arm and the body (my mini drill used as a grinder did the job pretty well). I also replaced a few short sabres with hammered and filed pieces of flash saved from other figures. After a little deliberation and with some sense of guilt I stripped the prepainted figures rather than try to convert their finish to match what I was hoping to achieve.  

Stripped, flash removed and, with just a couple of new sabres to add, they are ready for undercoating. 

Undercoated and waiting for the first top coat. Part of the hobby I really enjoy is the uniform research which of course can be a challenge in itself. In this case, different sources showed cap lines as either yellow or white. I went for yellow as a contrast to my other dragoons which have white.

Ready for battle but after after some delay due to a large brush being thrust in my direction for some much need decorating work (my incentive being that it was the room I use to paint my soldiers!)

Painting some of the detail on the one piece castings can be fiddly but they don't look too bad from this angle 

Lots of flash ground out from between the horses hind quarters

Now joined on their flank by the 11th Light Dragoons

I'm sure these guys will be brigaded together in future battles although at Waterloo the 23rd were with the 1st and 2nd Light Dragoons of the King's German Legion.

Plancenoit Part 2

 More pics covering the conclusion of this game from last year.

The defenders of the church prepare to repel the iminent assault

and here they come

Plenty of ammunition if required

Ok, I know the Prussian Guard Grenadiers weren't at Plancenoit but they were downgraded to line for this encounter. 

The Prussian right flank consisting of landwehr (including Kennington Hanoverian and HH Dutch Belgians playing Prussians). They are moving on to the higher ground to the right of the village

Their advance viewed from the centre

The French defenders have not yet reacted to the threat to their left.

A bird's eye view of the position to the left of the village

The Prussian Landwehr begin to assault the building on the left while their comrades (out of picture) swing around to move into attack on their right

 The Prussian assault on the right is destined to be beaten off. 

Prussian generals ponder their options (Fine Scale Factory figures)

The Prussian battery is still searching for targets in the village

     

With heavy losses on both sides in the village interior, the Prussians move fresh troops in from their left (looking very similar to defeated comrades recently removed!). The French Guard also make their move to meet this attack and take the place of depleted Line defenders in the village.  

Line against Guard...the outcome should be a foregone conclusion.

Landwehr looking even less likely to succeed

    

 Young Guard Tirailleurs lead the attack, Grenadiers and Chasseurs to their rear

The end is surely nigh for the Prussians

With the support of the artillery to the left of the Guard the Prussian advance

is stopped.

I drew the game to an end at this point with the French having succeeded in holding the village from successive Prussian attacks. Their left flank attack did indeed prove no match for the Guard. The French Line controlled the village long enough to delay the need for the Guard to be introduced and their eventual participation proved decisive.

As I intended this game to concentrate action in the village itself, there was no scope to move further Prussian reinforcements in from the wider off table flanks. That would have been interesting and prolongued the game but pressures on other uses for the man cave won the day! 

Plancenoit Part 1

I played this Plancenoit game straight after Quatre Bras last year. I concentrated on the action in the village and immediate vicinity. There is no detailed running commentary on this one as I made no notes at the time. The initial defence of the village is by line battalions with Guard in reserve. The Prussian assault is by line and landwehr supported by artillery. Once again I was able to field my entire Hinton Hunt Prussian infantry and artillery collection and introduced just 2 substitutes on the right flank. Prussian reinforcements were achieved by recycling casualties. The French Hintons were also out in force, all six guard battalions plus line. 

The church is a Paperboys model. French line prepare to move in.

The field of battle, Prussians in their starting positions to the right of the picture. Casualty markers line the left of the table....a bloody encounter expected!

The view from the Prussian positions.

Prussians move into the village

French Line await the bombardment

Landwehr move in

The full Prussian assault. French artillery to the left of the village and line in the centre.

The view from the French defensive positions

Prussian batteries continue to ply their trade.

The French right looks a little exposed with just artillery to meet the advancing Prussians

It doesn't look much better from this angle!

Meanwhile, over on the right of the village, landwehr face stiff opposition. 

French line prove to be stubborn defenders

Tough going also in the centre

Prussian Artillery targets are getting more difficult as their comrades move into the streets

French artillery have slowed the Prussian progress as they veer towards the church. 

Next time....more Prussian troops move in from the right and the French Guard arrive.