French Legere in 1800

With the Battle of Rivoli formulating for a winter game, the French needed a few more light troops.  To satisfy that goal, off the painting desk march two battalions of legere for this upcoming conflict.

These 26 figures are AB Miniatures from the French early period with legere wearing the early shako with side plume.  Nice figures as expected from AB.  The addition of these two BMUs completes the infantry portion of the French OB at Rivoli.  Remaining to field are four squadrons from 22nd Chasseurs a Cheval.  Those horsemen are working their way through the production line. 

While the Montebello 1800 game featured BMUs at the battalion and squadron level, I may zoom out the scale a little for Rivoli and assign each BMU as two battalions or two squadrons.  Of course, after I set out the forces for initial deployment, it might make sense to zoom back in to the battalion/squadron level.  For solo play, the former may be more manageable.  We will see.  As they say, no plan survives contact with the enemy.

Prussian Grenadier Companies 9 and 46

The Zorndorf battlefield, having taken up residence on the gaming table for the past three months, provided motivation to set to work on a unit for the SYW collection.  It may not be surprising that the long lines of Prussian troops, with their backs turned towards the painting desk, have compelled a mustering of one more Prussian battalion. That is, indeed, the situation. 

Off the painted desk today are the grenadier complements from Prussian Musketeer Regiments #9 and #46.  Historically, the grenadier companies from 9 and 46 served with other grenadier companies but today these two stands of grenadiers march off the painting desk in unison.  Figures are from Eureka Miniatures.

What might be next for the SYW project?  Well, with no SYW figures currently in the painting  queue, it might be awhile before that answer is known.  In the last resupply from Eureka, a couple of howitzers and crew for both Prussia and Austria were included so those are possibilities to work their way into the workbench.  So too are the dozens of Prussian cuirassiers waiting in The Lead Pile.  For something different, a Battle Pack of Lancashire Games' Austrian musketeers awaits attention.  With their slightly oversized tricornes, my thought is to field these as Bavarians.  The oversized tricorne and the distinctive Lancashire Games' sculpting would make a visual change from the sea of white-coated Eureka Austrian figures.  Having not painted this figure before, I am anxious to see how they look with a coat of paint.  Still many other figures ahead in the painting queue before a return to SYW is considered.

Rivoli: A Progress Report

Initial Deployments

Having declared back in January that staging an early Napoleonic battle would be one of my objectives for 2018, I wrestled with which battle to stage for a long time.  Thoughts of finally getting Suvorov's army into the fray was one direction but motivations kept pushing me towards Northern Italy with either a refight of Marengo or Rivoli.  Refighting either Marengo or Rivoli would provide a chance to revisit two interesting tactical situations with new troops and, perhaps, even new rules.  Both Marengo and Rivoli have seen action on the gaming table in the past but not with the forces raised in the 1799 project.  

Battle deployments from Napoleon Museum in Rivoli

The final decision was to tackle Rivoli with troops in earlier uniforms.  The forces in the 1799 project have French in bicorne and Austrians predominantly in casquet.  These early uniforms would be more appropriate in the fields of either Marengo or Rivoli than would the 1809 uniforms mustered for these earlier games.

Rivoli 2004 with Rivoli in background

When my notes for the Rivoli battle were dug up and reviewed, I was surprised that the game last saw action on the table in 2004.  Fourteen years ago!  I have said this before and I say it again.  Time flies.  While the battle sketch map shows a 2008 date, this must have been a revision from my earlier map used as a guide in the 2004 game.  A couple of the photos from that 2004 battle are included

Rivoli 2004 seen from Mt Baldo

For troop deployments, an accounting shows that the only remaining formation to yet field is the 22 Chasseurs a Cheval regiment.  While this unit could be fielded in the later uniform more appropriate for 1809 campaigning, Chasseurs wearing the earlier uniform are in the painting queue.  A dozen of them will be needed.  The full OB is shown below.

OB only missing 22nd Chasseurs a Cheval

I have some painting work to finish before the OB is complete but not much.  It will be fun to revisit an old battle in, perhaps, a new light. 

Babylonian Infantry

Newline Designs' Babylonian spearmen.  Two such units are already mustered for the Assyrian Wars project.  These Babylonians with their large shields may just be my favorite figures from Newline Designs.  I love them!  Sculpting is great and having the attached, grounded spear integral to the figure is a big plus.  The figure is uncomplicated, making painting a snap.  The shield is a fine piece of sculpting too.  

Returning to the Assyrian Wars project has been very enjoyable and absent from the painting desk for too long.  Expect to see a few more units for this project appearing in the painting queue.  In the last Newline Designs' sale, I picked up these figures and a few other packs to field a second unit of Hebrews and an Assyrian chariot.  It will be interesting to compare the Foundry chariots which comprise the entire Assyrian chariot force to a Newline Design chariot.  Upon first glance, the Newline Design cart looks smaller.  The horses are smaller too.  Hopefully, not significantly smaller.  The Newline Design infantry fit very well with the Foundry infantry.  Next sale, another unit of Babylonian infantry will likely find its way into my shopping cart.  Great figures!

Note:  Newline Designs is offering a 25% discount NOW!  Yes, I added a bit to The Lead Pile.

Egyptian Spearmen

Having dipped my toe back into the waters of the Assyrian Wars project at the end of September, I decided to add another unit into the painting queue.  Actually, figures for two units were placed into the queue.  The first off the painting desk is this stand of a dozen Black Tree Design Egyptian spearmen.

First, the sculpting on these Egyptians is superb!  Having painted only a couple of units from BTD's Egyptian range, I am quite impressed by what I see. The sculpting is crisp and the poses are good.  Sometimes BTD poses are a bit chaotic but these Egyptians look disciplined and ready for business.  I can envision fielding a small entourage of Egyptians to fight either along or against my massive Assyrian Army.  After almost a year of painting 15s, it feels good to add in a 28mm unit from time to time.

Arbeit Macht Frei - Dachau, Germany

Arbeit Macht Frei translates as Work will set you free. 

These are the words welded into the wrought-iron gate at the Dachau Concentration Camp outside of Munich.  What does this phrase really mean?  Is it to be taken literally?  Some prisoners were released.  Hoess, the first commandant at the Auschwitz main camp, described in his autobiography that the phrase meant that work sets one free in the spiritual sense.  Misery is lost in toil, I suppose.   Was this phrase SS propaganda to mask the nature and purpose of the camp?  To those living outside of the camp, the words, Arbeit Macht Frei, might suggest the purpose of the camp as a labor and re-education facility.  This connotation might diminish and sanitize its true objective.  

Commandant's quarters

First established as a concentration camp for political prisoners, the camp later held captive citizens from a number of countries and ethnic groups as Nazi aggressions rose throughout the 1930s and 1940s. 

Dachau camp layout

Upon arrival to the camp, prisoners would pass though the Jourhaus building with the wrought iron gate shown above.  The Jourhaus was the main office of SS camp personnel.  This building segregated the camp from the outside world.  Each day, camp work-groups would march out through this gate to the factories and then back at the end of the work day. Each day, the prisoners would be reminded that Arbeit Macht Frei. 

Jourhaus

Having passed through this gate, the visitor is met with a stark expanse of the camp grounds.  Where thirty-four barracks once stood, the ground is barren with the exception of two reconstructed barracks and foundation outlines remaining from the thirty-two razed barracks.  Dotting the landscape are several watch towers.  For these long gone barracks, remaining as a testament to their existence is the foundation outline circumscribing each of thirty-two cement barracks' numbers.

Camp where barracks once stood

Foundation outline with barrack number
Guard tower in background

Near the entrance to the camp is the International Memorial which reads,

May the example of those who were exterminated here between 1933 -1945 because they resisted Nazism help to unite the living for the defence of peace and freedom and respect for their fellow men

International Memorial

At one end of the compound is a large, U-shaped Maintenance building that today houses the memorial exhibitions and movie theater.  The exhibitions provide details on each room's historical function.  Prisoner kitchen, laundry, baths, storerooms, and workshops are all presented.  Also on display is the Shunt room whereby newly arrived prisoners were processed for admission into the camp.  At this stage, a new arrival was stripped of everything including individuality.  On the roof of this building was once painted the phrase,

There is one path to freedom. Its milestones are: obedience, honesty, cleanliness, sobriety, diligence, orderliness, self-sacrifice, truthfulness, love of the fatherland

Prisoners would face this building during Roll Calls with this phrase as a constant reminder.

Maintenance Building with Memorial in foreground

Two of the barracks have been reconstructed for the memorial illustrating the living conditions under which the occupants lived.  Each barrack housed 140 people.

At the opposite end of the camp and segregated from the main camp is the crematorium.  The crematorium is divided into several rooms, each with a specific purpose.  At the height of operations the furnaces were working 24 hours a day.

Crematorium

The crematorium at Dachau has a gas chamber in an adjoining room as well but was not used for that purpose.  Exhibits in the Maintenance building suggest that while it may not have been used for its designed purpose, it was used for SS interrogations and torture.  

Gas Chamber

When we first discussed travel to Austria and Germany, Dachau was one of the sites that my wife wanted to visit if we could fit it into the schedule.  Well, Dachau is an easy half-day trip from Munich and can be reached in about 40 minutes using a combination of train and bus.

I pondered sharing this visit long and hard.  The camp was not easy to experience firsthand.  The exhibits were heartbreaking.  Reviewing these photos of our Dachau day-trip, the thoughts and sensations relived tempted me to reconsider this post more than once.  In the end, sharing this horrific piece of history seemed appropriate.  

Quite an overpowering experience.  With memorials such as Dachau, how could such brutality ever be forgotten?

1st Grenadiers of the Guard

Seems the French have taken center stage at the painting desk in October.  That trend continues with the third French entry for the 1859 project during the month.

Off the workbench today is the 1st Grenadier of the Guard regiment composed of three, twelve figure battalions.  The variety of animation ought to make these figures instantly recognizable as the work of Old Glory now owned and produced by 19th Century Miniatures.

As with most of the Old Glory figures in this range, the variety of poses in each bag allows for the construction of very dynamic stands.  Not only is the choice of pose dynamic and evocative of the French impetuousness in battle but the sculpting style seems to channel works of some of the famous battlefield painters of the Second Empire.  Great figures but the molding process leaves some of the weapons and heads lacking the strength to withstand the rigors of combat.  I expect to lose a few musket barrels when these guardsmen first encounter opposition and rough handling.