28mm Royal Navy landing party

[Brian Smaller]

Are these figures compatible with Perry British infantry and artillery?

I think size wise they are very close. Saying that though, I am not sure exactly what compatible means any more. All these 28mm figures are within a hair of each other, give or take. I have Old Glory, Perry, Front Rank, Bicorne, Connoisseur, Brigade Games, Elite, Offensive Miniatures, Hotspur and Hinchliffe in my Anglo-Spanish and French armies and they all look OK together on the table top.

[Rob_bresnen]

I like them, especially the gun crew. Where are the gun crew from?

[Brian Smaller]

I like them, especially the gun crew. Where are the gun crew from?

Brigade games.

[brigadegames]

Comparisons are odious  
They're great figures aren't they, and you've done a good job on them.
I just wish Lon would commission Mr Hicks to do a few more packs. I always wanted a press gang, or a pack of boarders with marlin spikes and belaying pins...

A few more packs are on my new sculpting list.

[huevans]

A few more packs are on my new sculpting list.

Lon, a pack of French sailors in their uniforms might be nice.

[Captain Blood]

A few more packs are on my new sculpting list.

Great news - thanks Lon 

Lon, a pack of French sailors in their uniforms might be nice.

There is one French sailors pack (boarders) in the range already.

[huevans]

Great news - thanks Lon 

There is one French sailors pack (boarders) in the range already.

Yes, I've noticed them in the past, but never really took to them because they look a bit scruffy-dressed. IIRC, Napoleon's regular navy wore proper uniforms. Anyone else know?

[Arthur]

Lon's sailors are actually pretty accurate for the pre-1804 period as French ship crews were not issued with proper military uniforms until that year.

Attempts had been made to standardise dress after the French Revolution, particularly in 1794 when a National Assembly decree imposed that each sailor receive a regular issue of clothing in either dark blue, brown or grey. Headgear tended to be a brown or grey stocking cap, though red appears to have been a popular alternative. Chronic shortages of supplies meant that these regulations were often ignored and sailors usually wore civilian clothing on board their ships.

Military uniforms were imposed on the fleet on May 5 1804 with the generalisation of the dark blue paletot and round hat. Facing colours were introduced in 1808 along with the much hated infantry shako.    

Ironically, the first French sailors to receive a proper military uniform where the Légion Nautique serving in Egypt after the Abukir disaster of 1798. The surviving crews were formed into a legion which crewed light gunboats on the Nile and garrisoned river forts. Later, most of these sailors were absorbed into the regular infantry demi-brigades to make up for losses, and a few even ended up in the Camel Corps. In Egypt, they wore a rather fetching uniform comprised of a short red coatee faced blue and a black round hat (incidentally, the BG French sailors are actually plain sailors rather than Légion Nautique, though they are advertised as the latter) :


 

[Rob_bresnen]

Comparisons are odious 
 I always wanted a press gang, or a pack of boarders with marlin spikes and belaying pins...

A press gang and some drunken sailors to round up. Could be a fun little skirmish game.

[Doug ex-em4]

Oooh - these are very appealing; I like them a lot. Thanks for sharing. If I can briefly pinch some thread space, this makes we wonder if anyone makes any Royal Navy figures in 20mm (or very compact 25mm).

Anyway, I enjoyed seeing these - first time I've had any Napoleonic temptation in about 15 years...!

Doug

[Brian Smaller]

Hi Doug - not sure exactly but the Steve Barber naval figures are 25mm rather than 28mm if I remember correctly. Worth checking them out.

[Doug ex-em4]

Hi Doug - not sure exactly but the Steve Barber naval figures are 25mm rather than 28mm if I remember correctly. Worth checking them out.

Thanks Brian - will do. I looked at Newline as being the most obvious 20mm suppliers but no luck there. I'll look at Steve Barber.

Doug