Thursday, December 15, 2016

4th Bach Light Infantry Battalion 1799

In a seemingly, mighty coincidence, Peter over at Blunders on the Danube posted a summary of Austrian Light Infantry uniforms for the period 1798-1801.  This, at the same time as I finished up the first of two such battalions for my 1799 project and the Battle of Montebello.  Kismet! 
The first of these light infantry battalions musters out as the 4th Bach Light Infantry Battalion.  With pike-grey jacket and pants, the gaiters identify the 4th as a "German" battalion.  During my uniformology search on the early light infantry, several paintings and illustrations showed the soldiers in white pants but most showed pike-grey.  I opted for the pike-grey in this case.  Some sources also showed black webbing.  Again, I chose white.  Austrian for Figures are sourced from the always excellent AB Miniatures
Next off the painting desk with be a sister light infantry battalion, designated as the 3rd Am Ende.  Again, the 3rd is a "German" light infantry battalion. 

18 comments:

  1. Your a painting machine Jonathan and another well done regiment rolls off your table!

    Christopher

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    1. Appreciate your encouragement, Christopher! Sometimes, figures roll off the painting desk easily.

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  2. I like early Austrian army, and you did a great job on them!

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    1. I like the early Austrians too! I am especially fond of the early Austrian casquet as a headgear.

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  3. Lovely looking Austrians, you've really got up to speed now!
    Best Iain

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    1. Thank you, Iain! The photo backlog is actually growing.

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  4. I love them, Jon! And now I have Toccata and Fugue in D Minor running through my head.

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    1. Thanks, Scott! T&F in D Minor is a favorite and I always expect to see Bela Lugosi entering stage left when I here the strains of it.

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  5. Great job on them. Have to love those AB's! What rules are these based for?

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    1. Thank you, David! I use a modified version of WTJ's Republique whereby I use single stand BMUs rather than multiple bases. In my version each stand represents one battalion.

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  6. I love them, Jon. One of the more unique and short lived units of the Napoleonic and Revolutionary Wars!
    That is one amazing coincidence for me to do a post on these troops, and for you to have just finished painting some of them. I too was unsure at first about the pants (white for German or blue with yellow braid for the other units vs Pike grey fir both, with braid for non German units), but the Tranquillo de Mollo print that appears in my blog post made that seem the most likely variation. It is quite possible that both versions were used in varying units, depending on what they had or could get!
    I just realized that I probably have enough odds and sods of Austrian Line figures in Helmets to use them to make a unit of these fellows... so there may soon be more Corsehuts roasting on an open fire! It seems my freind Joe may be doing a unit of them as well. 'Tis the season, indeed!

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    1. The light infantry in this get-up certainly was not long for this period but necessary for the early wars. For Montebello, two such battalions are needed. The 3rd Am Ende will be presented soon. With enough ABs in helmet, figures are on hand to field a battalion of the jaeger in their early version wearing this same helmet.

      Quite a coincidence, indeed, or GREAT MINDS THINK ALIKE!

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  7. Definitely some kind of wargaming mind meld going on here. Lovely kaiserlichs - you really do justice to the AB line, which is excellent. Was there ever a more subdued yet elegant uniform?

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    1. Michael, very good to hear from you! I could claim it is something in the water but Peter and I are at opposite ends of the continent. It is a handsome yet understated uniform, is it not?

      Your kind comments much appreciated!

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