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Author Topic: tortuga french  (Read 19801 times)

Offline Florin

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tortuga french
« on: December 02, 2007, 03:55:08 PM »
hi,

I'm thinking about doing an Tortuga-project, during the time, when this was the main base of the carribean pirates. As this was a french colony then and there was a french garrision and gouverneur, I'm asking myself, what kind of french soldiers would be best fit for the garrision (or other soldiers, I could convert into the French). Till now I saw AWI, French Indian War and SYW french soldiers, wich all seem to be a little out of the epoch. Well it's not necessary to be too historically correct, but I would like the soldiers not to be too far out of the tortuga-era.

The second problem is, that I dont know, wich colour to take, where the carribiean colonial troops wearing blue or white or something else?

thanks for any help,

Flo
where there`s blood there`s death not glory

Offline Mad Doc Morris

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tortuga french
« Reply #1 on: December 02, 2007, 07:09:03 PM »
The main period of piracy in Tortuga seems to have been the 1640s to 1670s. For the earlier part I would recommend some Thirty Years' War or English Civil War miniatures. There's a plenty of them; for example, take a look at Foundry & Perry at the smaller, Renegade & Bicorne at the larger side of the 28mm standard. Some musketeers would be okay, although this 'cape dresses' were rather for guard units, as I got it.
If you're aiming for the later period, watch for the keywords "Spanish Succession" or "Marlburian Era". Front Rank produces an extensive range for this period. Personally I also like Foundry's range a lot - if they weren't at these prices...
All that will give you some very nice and fitting miniatures me thinks. :)

Offline Florin

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tortuga french
« Reply #2 on: December 03, 2007, 12:44:21 PM »
Thanks a lot. I think, looking at most models of pirates that are available, I should better go with the later period, the "Marlburian" (where comes this name from?) and "Spanish Succession". Most pirate figures out there seem more fit for the age of tricornes than for the 30years war-period.
And if I really wanted to be historically correct on this, the early buccaneers where looking more like wild-west trappers than like what we would see as typical pirates today (their original "job" was hunting pigs on the island of Hispaniola), later they turned more to the apearance, we take as "piratish" today, as more and more ex-sailors got into piracy.

Still I got the problem with the uniform colour - aesthetical I tend to make them white.

Offline PeteMurray

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tortuga french
« Reply #3 on: December 03, 2007, 12:59:11 PM »
White or light gray is never a bad choice for the French or Spanish. If you want to differentiate between units, paint the cuffs different colors. Black would be the most common color for the colonial militias, followed by red and blue.

Offline Florin

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tortuga french
« Reply #4 on: December 03, 2007, 01:09:18 PM »
So I can stay with white, thats good.
The Spanish are another interesting point, as they were on the one hand the the main target of the buccaneers and on the other hand attacked Tortuga several times. So I will for shure do some Spanish "enemies" of my small-scale Tortuga. Where the spanish uniforms much different in style or can I just use the same as for the Frensh and differenciate by the colours?

p.s.: I just read, that pirate activity in tortuga went on till about 1688, so I have even a little more freedom for the style of my little islanders. :mrgreen:

Offline PeteMurray

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tortuga french
« Reply #5 on: December 03, 2007, 01:21:41 PM »
I have never come across a good set of information about Spanish uniforms during the period. I have the Funcken Lace Wars, and their information on Spanish infantry during the time before the Seven Years' War is limited to two tiny pictures, one of which is a grenadier of the guards. There's also a plate in one of the Ospreys that shows the Spanish garrison of Porto Bello wearing white coats. The officers have black hats of that pre-tricorne style.

So I'd say that using white for the Spanish falls under the category of "highly plausible". If you wanted to differentiate, I'd use white coats and black cuffs for the Spanish, and pale gray and blue cuffs for the French.

Edit: You can also use your Spanish as Floridians, meaning that you can use these guys as enemies of your Atlantic pirates as late as the start of the American Revolution. The old-style Marlburian coat in that later period is a good way to reflect a poor, undersupplied colonial garrison.

Offline Florin

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tortuga french
« Reply #6 on: December 03, 2007, 01:37:55 PM »
Yes, funny enough, that you cant find much information for one of the big powers of the period. I'll just do as you suggested, knowing, that even the marlburian style for my garrison and the Spanish will be a little "modern" for the real Tortuga.

Offline KeyanSark

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tortuga french
« Reply #7 on: December 03, 2007, 02:00:26 PM »
Quote from: "PeteMurray"
I have never come across a good set of information about Spanish uniforms during the period.


I have found this small video reference in Youtube
http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=BBqCI0idTyM

Some good examples there. There are very good collections in the Army Museum of Toledo, but there are no pictures online.
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Offline PeteMurray

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tortuga french
« Reply #8 on: December 03, 2007, 02:40:46 PM »
Thanks, Keyan! I'll have to check at home later as YouTube is blocked here.

Offline KeyanSark

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tortuga french
« Reply #9 on: December 03, 2007, 05:24:02 PM »
My pleasure! I can do more research for you if you like. There is a very good spanish forum on military history and uniforms, but it is so full of data that I couldn't find anything related to the period yet.

Offline Mad Doc Morris

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tortuga french
« Reply #10 on: December 03, 2007, 05:52:36 PM »
Quote from: "Florin"
I think, looking at most models of pirates that are available, I should better go with the later period, the "Marlburian" (where comes this name from?) and "Spanish Succession". Most pirate figures out there seem more fit for the age of tricornes than for the 30years war-period.


Good point with that. Thanks to KeyanSark we should know better about uniform types soon. :)
To clarify something else: The "Marlburian period" was named by British historians after Lord Marlborough (originally John Churchill), who was a British general in the War of the Spanish Succession. He was somewhat a military genius and responsible for many of the Alliance's victories against the Sun King.
Further note: The tricorne was introduced (or better: developed) after the 1670s. So you can't go wrong with most miniatures wearing hats with only one or two sides lifted up, like this.

Offline Westfalia Chris

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tortuga french
« Reply #11 on: December 03, 2007, 05:54:25 PM »
Quote from: "Florin"
I should better go with the later period, the "Marlburian" (where comes this name from?)


John Churchill, First Duke of Marlborough, commanded the British forces in the War of the Spanish Succession. Most notable battles include Ramillies, Blenheim and Malplaquet.

*/smartass mode*

I´m most interested in seeing the outcome, as well. If you want to go for a slight "Hollywood flair", I´d definitely recommend Marlburians.

Offline PeteMurray

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tortuga french
« Reply #12 on: December 03, 2007, 06:14:12 PM »
Quote from: "KeyanSark"
My pleasure! I can do more research for you if you like. There is a very good spanish forum on military history and uniforms, but it is so full of data that I couldn't find anything related to the period yet.


I would very much appreciate this. Very little material on the uniforms of the Spanish armies of the Golden Age up to the Napoleonic Era have been translated into English.

Offline fastolfrus

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tortuga french
« Reply #13 on: December 03, 2007, 08:32:26 PM »
Another possible source of figures :

"Reiver Castings" from "Under the Bed Enterprises"

http://www.underbed.co.uk/

I realise it is a bit of an odd name, but they are quite reasobnable looking figures (although some of the peasant figures seem to suffer from a bit of flash), and they cover the period 1670-1720 quite nicely with ranges for James II and the Monmouth Rebellion/Glorious Revolution (1685/1688) and the Great Northern War (1700-1721).
Not many pictures on the site though.

Alternately, "Trent Miniatures" from "Stratagem" used to have some quite good early 1700s figures, but they don't have a website and are not listed anywhere that I can find. They paint nicely if you can find them.
You might be able to get information by emailing :
http://www.wargamesillustrated.net/reader.asp
Gary, Glynis, and Alasdair (there are three of us, but we are too mean to have more than one login)

Offline Lowtardog

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tortuga french
« Reply #14 on: December 03, 2007, 10:19:32 PM »
I am using the new Front Rank Marlburians for French Marines, they are lovely castings and if you pick their Grenadiers they have 2 guys throwing Grenades which is ideal for ship board actions :)

 

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