RN Uniform Advice

[Major Weenie]

First, let me explain that I hate the Senet-Hat-Wicker-Sombrero-Thing,

Second, through one of the many TBC member deals I've traded for some Copplestone RN with rifles.  AND some RN officers.  But how shall I paint them?  Having done no research what so ever, I have this vague feeling that 'Blue was worn in the Sudan (+ wicker hat) and in China,' but everywhere else... White is a good bet?

There must be fast and easy info out there somewhere, and the LAF has always been most helpful.

Regards,
Maj. Weenie

[gloriousbattle]

First, let me explain that I hate the Senet-Hat-Wicker-Sombrero-Thing,

Second, through one of the many TBC member deals I've traded for some Copplestone RN with rifles.  AND some RN officers.  But how shall I paint them?  Having done no research what so ever, I have this vague feeling that 'Blue was worn in the Sudan (+ wicker hat) and in China,' but everywhere else... White is a good bet?

There must be fast and easy info out there somewhere, and the LAF has always been most helpful.

Regards,
Maj. Weenie

IIUC, white uniform was for summer, and blue for winter.  Sometimes the blue could be worn with a white cap, and vice versa.

I have one platoon (30 figs) painted in solid blue, another in white with blue caps, and another squad of ten that I use for merchant marine shore parties are in mix-matched uniforms.

http://tinyurl.com/36nscee
http://www.diggerhistory.info/images/gold-fleece/16.jpeg
http://samilitaryhistory.org/vo052cpf.jpg

Also, I think anybody who does not have some naval infantry in this period is wasting money, as these are among the most versatile troops out there.  Switch out the flags and you can have Russians, Germans, French, Italians, Austrians, and Americans.  Differences in uniform do exist, but are so minor that only a period expert would know.  Good gaming!

[argsilverson]

Switch out the flags and you can have Russians, Germans, French, Italians, Austrians, and Americans.  Differences in uniform do exist, but are so minor that only a period expert would know.  Good gaming!

Yes and No.
For example you can never substitute British sailors with French. The red pom-pom's is a must for the French! (and belgians, though I think not red)
In case of necessity yes. But with existing excellent ranges depicting all these differencie, who can resist to use dedicated figures? Another example: Lovely Copplestone british sailors and Brigade games German ones, not to mention OG (French, US, Spanish), Redoubts and Perry various naval units and so on! Or russian sailors by copplestone and brigade (added a couple of mounted RCW sailors by HLBS - now disappeared. etc).

Sometime I sould sit and write which figures can be used for actual navies of the time. If anyone is interested, I might be persuaded to sit down and make a small report.

[gloriousbattle]

Yes and No.
For example you can never substitute British sailors with French. The red pom-pom's is a must for the French!

I was actually going to mention the French and their pompon, but forgot to.

As has so often been said, "the French copy no one, and no one copies the French."  While not strictly true, they do have to have their niggling differences, don't they.

Still, I think that the differences are few enough that I would feel like a spendthrift if I DID buy more than a single set of these guys. 

As for the French, hey, make up some tny little balls of green stuff, spray paint 'em red, and stick 'em on with spirit-gum shen you need 'em! 

[argsilverson]

As has so often been said, "the French copy no one, and no one copies the French."  While not strictly true, they do have to have their niggling differences, don't they.

What about Belgian and Finnish sailors?

[gloriousbattle]

What about Belgian and Finnish sailors?

Dunno.  Belgians I have seen once or twice, Finns I know nothing about.  Please enlighten me!

[Major Weenie]

French Sailors...

I already have a unit of those.  Painted up from Foundry Franco-Prussian French sailors.  I used the 'different color hat/trousers method' to differentiate between squads.

Oh, and with regard to what figures can be used for what nationality.  A couple of years ago I fell asleep in front of the TV.  When I woke up channel ocho was on in the middle of its sign off playing the Hymno Mexicano.  Typical patriotic stuff, but I remember thinking as determined young men in nautical uniforms sailed about in PT boats, "My but those certainly look like French uniforms."  They even had pompoms on the hats, but time has passed and I no longer remember if they were actually red.

Artizan makes some nice 1914-ish Imperial German sailors which seem quite similar to the drawing of an Autro-Hungarian sailor in the Osprey book on the Boxer Rebellion.

Say, if you were 'going tropical' couldn't you just replace the variable 'sailor cap' with a pith helmet and be done with it.  I remember seeing German extras in American films dressed that way along with some unhappy, damp French sailors in photos from the west coast of Africa.

Regards,
Maj. Weenie

[Gluteus Maximus]

Having done no research what so ever, I have this vague feeling that 'Blue was worn in the Sudan (+ wicker hat) and in China,' but everywhere else... White is a good bet?

Major,

Naval Brigades seem to have worn combinations of blue and white at the whim of their CO. Often you could see sailors in all blue, all white or blue jumpers and white trousers (never the reverse though) in the same Brigade, if it was made up from men from different ships. Apparently it was usual for detachments from the same ship to dress uniformly. This means if you have a couple of naval units, you could have one in white and the other in blue and still be ok.

The white for summr and blue for winter is good in theory, but blue was worn throughout their involvement in Zululand, the Sudan etc, so practically there is no difference in what they would wear in hot climates.

Go with what you like the look of best 

[Plynkes]

The white for summr and blue for winter is good in theory, but blue was worn throughout their involvement in Zululand, the Sudan etc, so practically there is no difference in what they would wear in hot climates.

Go with what you like the look of best 

Indeed, in the Naval Brigade in Zululand the sailors from HMS Boadicea wore tropical whites, while those from HMS Shah wore blue, so you are perfectly entitled to have a mix of colours in your force. I've seen a picture of a group of German sailors in WWI where some are wearing blue, some white, and a couple with a blue top and white trousers, or vice-versa.

[Gluteus Maximus]

Also, Officers would always wear blue coats and either white or blue trousers, no matter what the lower ranks wore.

[Major Weenie]

So somewhere along the line someone mentioned French sailors,

And I finally found the Foundry Franco Prussian French sailors that I painted up for use in the club's (then seemingly unending) series of Boxer games.  Oh, and there's an enthusiastic if not accurate German Seebattalion conversion at the end.

Whoops!  French 'Tropical Naval Officers' converted from a Foundry Belgian and an old Foundry British Zulu war officer.


French naval officer converted from a British one. Crimean War figure, I think


Some French sailors.


And even more French sailors.


And finally, some Germans.

[Ignatieff]

Major W

Here's a couple of my tars painted up by the master, Steve Dean.  The Rating wears the standard issue tropical wear.