Another update on the Napoleonic project. Having taken a short break to paint Zanzibaris for my never ending Darkest Africa project I’ve jumped back in to the Napoleonic era with the first battalion of Black Brunswickers. The Brunswick Free Corps were heavily involved in the Bohemian theatre in 1809 and then famously after the peace treaty between Austria and France, to end the war of the fifth coalition, the Duke of Brunswick refused to make peace with Napoleon instead marching, and fighting several engagements along the way, his men to the North German coast to be evacuated by the Royal Navy. The Duke of Brunswick hated Napoleon with a passion his farther was killed fighting with the Prussians in 1806 and his Duchy was then mostly incorporated into Napoleon’s Kingdom of Westphalia under its King Jerome Bonaparte. He continued to resist Napoleon right through to 1815 were he died at Quatre Bras.
The Brunswickers are a great little force for using with 1 hour wargames rules due to their small size. Initially in 1809 they consisted of a regiment of hussars, two (under strength) battalions of infantry organised like Prussian fusilier battalions, a company of rifle armed Jäger and a horse artillery battery equipped with Austrian guns. Later a third battalion of infantry was added. During the march to the sea the Brunswickers picked up a squadron of Uhlans who seem to have been Austrian regulars as well as swelling their ranks with captured Westphalian soldiers after the Battle of Halberstadt.
1809 Brunswick troops wore a different uniform to those that served with the British in the Peninsular war after 1809 and in 1815 during the Hundred Days which is a slight problem as most 28mm ranges of Brunswickers are for 1815. The Perry’s do a limited range of 1809 fusiliers but luckily Steve Barber Models has a nice range of Infantry, Jäger and hussars in 1809 uniform (with artillerymen in the works) So that’s were I decided to get mine.
Uniform wise the main thing (regardless of year and uniform details) is Black is the predominant colour of Brunswick troops, which quite honestly sped my painting up no end, compared to the Bavarians I painted these guys uniform is so uncomplicated my main challenge was to highlight the black items in more than one colour to stop them looking to monotone. To achieve this uniforms were highlighted with a warm grey while belts pouches and Shakos were highlighted with a cold blue. I think it worked quite well so I’m happy how these miniatures turned out.
Next up I have the Hussars to paint….. though I was so enjoying painting the Mark Copplestone Zanzibari Regulars that I’ve now found myself painting two projects at the same time alternating between the two… so errr… next weeks painting might not be Napoleonics at all.
23 May 2010, 11:21:03 PM
