VSF Norwegians?

[Sinewgrab]

As many of you know, I recently started building an Aeronef (coming along quite well actually) and I was fully planning on putting American sailors and marines on it - then along comes my wife. I was grumbling one evening that there were too many other people making US forces, and that there were far too many Prussian, British, French, Belgian, etc...when she asked out of the blue "Well, you're half Norwegian - why don't you find out what they were up to in the late 1800's and make your forces from Norway? The flag is neat, anyway - and so are the other Scandanavian flags. Do an allied force."

My first thought of course, was no Norwegian would be caught dead working with a Swede, but that was my grandfather talking, not me. My second thought was, well, why not? What WERE the Vikings up to at this point in history? Anyone have a hint as to what models would be good to use, sources for history, etc? Any good reason not to?

[Doc Twilight]

No real reason not to, except that Norway was a territory of the Swedes until the 20th century, so in the period, you'd be looking at Swedish forces or, perhaps, an independence or separatist movement.

-Doc

[Sinewgrab]

Hmm, an even better reason to have both flags on vessels. I never realized that they were tied together until 1905 - until now. Again, the LAF forces me to learn history I was blissfully ignorant of previously. When I started work on my pirate ship, I started reading up on them - and found that my own country's history had been ignored through school. I never knew why Tripoli was in the Marine's song before that. Barbary pirates extorting money from America - who'd a'thunk it?

So, what kind of uniforms would I be trying to use for Norsk/Swede forces?

[Christian]

Speaking of vikiings... why don't you make something like a raiding party or pirates of some sort. I don't necessarily mean yo ho ho and all that, but they could be along the same lines. Then you could have mercenaries and dissenters from all over the world.

[Sinewgrab]

Speaking of vikiings... why don't you make something like a raiding party or pirates of some sort. I don't necessarily mean yo ho ho and all that, but they could be along the same lines. Then you could have mercenaries and dissenters from all over the world.

Already have my pirates for fantasy and swashbuckling - I'd rather build a force that is somewhat different, yet connects with me personally somehow.

[Argonor]

There was a strong movement for independence in Norway - Until 1814, Norway was a part of the kingdom of Denmark, but we bet on the wrong horse, so Sweden got to get Norway after the collapse of napoleonic France.

The Norwegian flag is, btw, the Danish flag with a blue 'ribbon of freedom' added to the white cross.

[Dewbakuk]

Hmm, the internet is holding back on me, can't seem to find anything between 1814-1939. Must be out there, at the very least, there were trade interests in Africa.

[v_lazy_dragon]

Its a nice idea... I like it!

http://marksrussianmilitaryhistory.info/NorwayPhoto/Norway1890.html -> might be of interest as a starting point? The uniform looks vaguely tutonic, so you should be able to get away with using converted prussians....

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/Norwegian_Army_guarding_Swedish_border_1905.jpg - a bit later, and the uniform is looking a bit more Austrian


http://www.svartkrutt.net/articles/vis.php?id=3 -> seems to have a fair number of bits about scandinavian rifles of that short of period

[Rhoderic]

My first thought of course, was no Norwegian would be caught dead working with a Swede

Grumble, grumble... ungrateful yokels... grumble... wouldn't have the Nobel Peace Prize if it wasn't for a Swede... grumble grumble... (and so on ad nauseam)

 

[Burgundavia]

My first thought of course, was no Norwegian would be caught dead working with a Swede

Grumble, grumble... ungrateful yokels... grumble... wouldn't have the Nobel Peace Prize if it wasn't for a Swede... grumble grumble... (and so on ad nauseam)

 

Is why the Norwegian Parliament determines the Peace Prize winner. At that point in history the Norwegian parliament was only responsible for the domestic situation in Norway, not foreign policy of the joint kingdom, hence Nobel thought it to be above getting influenced.

[argsilverson]

No real reason not to, except that Norway was a territory of the Swedes until the 20th century, so in the period, you'd be looking at Swedish forces or, perhaps, an independence or separatist movement.

-Doc

Indeed, it was.
here is the link to FOTW with the Norvegian flags, you can find some interesting ones:
http://www.fotw.net/flags/no-l0001.html#histflag

As fas as it concerns uniforms:
There were some Norvegian units when united with Sweden. SO, they had similar uniforms.
Generally speaking swedish army had a similar uniform to prussia with pickelhaube etc. While Swedish uniforms were blue with yellow piping, I have seen in one of the links provided by lazy dragon that norwegians had light blue uniform with red piping (ro black for engineers).
Usually, at least at early stages of any separation, the new uniforms could follow the earlier scheme, since they were available.

The task is rather easy. Use Prussians with paint conversion adding new flags and voila, you have your Norwegian army!

[on the other hand you can take generic historic details and make another army, completele fictional. You may add hussars,lancers and whatever you like, inventing new colour schemes!)  

[Lowtardog]

Eureka have some nice Danes which you could throw into the melting pot

http://eurekamin.com.au/index.php?cPath=87_126_141&sort=3a

and here is a Tradition Norwegian from 1900 54mm

[Sinewgrab]

I have actually been looking strongly at using the uniforms from Hans Majestet Kongens Garde, as they were existing long before the separation - and the figure Lowtardog references is definitely one of them. Anyone doing models with bowler hats?

You guys are recommending Prussians - who does the best ones? I like good clean models, with detail but not drowning in it.

[Lowtardog]

Perhaps some Alpini heads would work they have that big feather and such.

Are you looking for late in the century or more mid century? as WW1 might be the way to go for Pikelhaube (sp) figures or you could look at Foudnry Franco Prussian figures usually you can pick them up from e-bay

[v_lazy_dragon]

IIRC Brigade models in the UK does some WW1 Belgians in tyrolean hats, which you might be able to work into bowlers with a file...

As for Pikelhaubes - you've got Foundry, Helion & Baker company for 1866/fpw figures, Parroom station & Ironclad for 1880's-90's, and then the likes of Great war Miniatures, Brigade games & Rengeade if you want WW1 style covered hlemets (oh -an the over the wire figures for some more 'VSFed' types with gas masks & flame throwers).

For quality - Ironclad stuff is usually very good, as is Renegade &  I've heard good things about GWM. The foundry figures are fairly standard 'old foundry'. I've got Baker co stuff from other periods and things seem to vary between very good and fair on a pack by pack basis..