Monday, January 23, 2017

Alessandria Light Cavalry

Having an 1859 game out on the table provided even more the usual incentive to get an additional unit for the 15mm 1859 project into the painting queue.  This time, four squadrons (twelve figures) of the Sardinian Alessandria Light Cavalry Regiment trot off the painting desk.
These first rate figures are from Mirliton's excellent Italian War of Independence range.  While I do not field too many of Mirliton's infantry, their cavalry are probably my favorites from all manufacturers.  Excellent sculpts with figures offered in either walking or charging poses.  Many more bags of Mirliton cavalry await in The Lead Pile.  Enough bags I suspect to field all of the Sardinian and Austrian cavalry seeing service during the war.  It really is a shame that Mirliton make no French cavalry (or infantry) in 15mm.  Mirliton French cavalry would be well received, I bet.
Coming off the painting desk soon are three more reinforcements for the 1799 project.  These new recruits include three battalions comprising two battalions of French light infantry and one battalion of Austrian jaegers.

30 comments:

  1. A particularly smart looking unit.

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  2. Very nice. I've a thing for cavalry, particularly light cavalry, at the moment, so I'm more than happy to see these than I would be normally.

    Of course my enthusiasm could wane when I find I'm sick of painting my own, or I don't know how to field such troops on the battlefield.

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    1. Thank you! Roy, tiring of painting or tactical method shortfalls can be overcome.

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  3. Very nice and original! Cheers!

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  4. Those are brilliant. I love the yellow hats. I must check if they served in the Crimea.

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    1. The yellow hats appear a bit more yellow in the photo than on the table. I used a straw color. The yellow hat is actually a yellow waterproof cover that fits over the shako and protected the shako from weather on campaign. In full dress, the shako was orange! If Sardinia fielded light cavalry in the Crimea, they likely wore with yellowish shako cover.

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  5. Very nicely painted 15mm and they will stand out on the tabletop with their colourful hats.

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    1. They do stand out! See reply above to CK that this was a waterproof shako cover.

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  6. Whoa! Now THAT is an interesting uniform. Nice job painting them.

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    1. Thank you, Dale! Perhaps you need to make some Sardinian light cavalry for your fun, wooden toy soldier collection?

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  7. Lovely work on these interesting cavalry Jonathan!

    Christopher

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  8. Excellent stuff as usual. This is a really fun project; one not seen often.

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  9. Definitely a unit I have never seen before, and most striking. The yellowish shako coverings (avec cherry) are dramatic, but orange shakos would be quite something as well. Inspired by the colored shakos of Austrian Hussars,. perhaps>?

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    1. Thanks, Peter! The light cavalry uniform is more reminiscent of the French Chasseur d' Afrique cut. French hussars of this period wore a facing colored shako too. Everyone's light cavalry dressed boldly.

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  10. Lovely looking light cavalry, up to your usual high standard!
    Best Iain

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  11. That is a grand looking unit Jonathan.

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  12. Very nice. Are these lads on table in your refight of '59?

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    1. Thank you, Peter! Yes, some of these squadrons are making an appearance in Montebello.

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