Painting time: French Chevau-Legers Lanciers
Several Lancer regiments are needed for the Pirna Scenario: the French 3rd, 5th and 9th Chevau-légers Lanciers de la Ligne as well as the Guard Uhlans Regiment in the Russian side. While the three French Regiments are ‘normal’ Lasalle cavalry units (at 8 figures each), the Russian Guard Uhlans Regiment is a ‘large’ unit with 12 figures, so 8x3+12=36 lancer miniatures are required, a number far away from the currently standing in my cantonments. This fact and the arrival of summertime with a marked decrease of job duties, has made me to pick up the brush again and to try some unpainted Newline 20mm French lancer miniatures, ordered some months ago.
These miniatures wore the standard French lancer uniform with helmet and therefore are adequate for the 3rd and 5th Regiments. However, the 9th Regiment used the traditional Polish tall square topped czapka, also used by the Russian Guard Uhlans Regiment. The reason of the difference is the origin of the regiments, whereas the Chevau-legers Lanciers Regiments 1st to 6th were ‘French’, Regiments7th and 8th were respectively the 1st and 2nd Ulahn Regiments of the Vistula Legion, i.e. Polish units incorporated in 18181 in the regular French army. On the other side, the 9th Regiment was the conversion of the 30th Regiment de Chasseurs a Cheval, raised in Hamburg in 1811. (See this Napoleon-Series link and the Nafziger/Wesolowski’s ‘The Poles and Saxons of the Napoleonic Wars’. The Emperor's Press, 1991).
As I have enough czapka-topped figures for the Russians and the 9th regiment, I just need to paint the 16 miniatures required for regiments 3rd and 5th. This is a number that can be painted in a short time, so as not to delay the start of the game. The facings of the regiments were pink for the 3rd and sky blue for the 5th. For the uniform details I will use the classic work Napoleon's Dragoons and Lancers by Emir Bukhari and Angus McBride. MAA 55. Osprey-Publishing 1976, and the uniform sheets of the Mont St. Jean site shown below
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Incidentally, the 9th Regiment wore the uniform depicted below and found in the Histofig Empire site
So the 16 'French' Chevau-léger Lanciers will be my summer painting task!
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Looking forward to seeing these finished, Rafa!
ReplyDeleteHow does Newline 20mm compare to plastic 1/72nd? I've been reluctant to mix the two because I thought they'd be smaller than the plastics.
They are smaller. The difference was smaller before the 1/72 plastics started their current growth-up.
ReplyDeleteI don't mix 20mm and 1/72 miniatures in the same unit and sometimes I use carboard 'sabot' below their base to raise them until the 'normal' 1/72 height. However, they are beautiful and well sculpted!
Those French line lancers are fine looking units, aren't they? The 9th lancers/22nd chasseurs a cheval (Red Lancers of Hamburg) are a real treat too.
ReplyDeleteAs for Ben, I look forward to seeing the finished units.