Sunday 26 October 2014

Baden Foot Battery


The final unit to complete the German Division at Talavera is the Baden Foot Artillery under the command of Major Franz Friedrich Christian von Steinmetz.

2nd [German] Infantry Division 
GdD Jean-Francois, Baron Leval,

Nassau Infantry Regiment Nr. 2: OB August von Kruse. 2nd Battalion
Baden Foot Battery: 2 – 7pdr howitzers, MAJ Franz-Friedrich-Christian von Steinmetz

Brigade
GM David-Hendrik Chasse,
Brigade
GdB Balthazard 
Grandjean,
Hessen-Darmstadt Infantry Regiment Gross- und Erbprinz Nr. 4: GM Georg-Johann Schaffer von Bernstein, 1st Battalion
Hessen-Darmstadt Infantry Regiment Gross- und Erbprinz Nr. 4: GM Georg-Johann Schaffer von Bernstein, 2nd Battalion
Confederation of the Rhine Battalion Nr.3 (Frankfurt) OBL von Welsch
Hessen-Darmstadt Foot Batterie: 4 - 6pdrs, LT Ludwig Venator


The artillery wore the same coats as the infantry, but with black collars, lapels, plain round cuffs and turnbacks. The helmet was topped just with a black caterpillar crest, with brass fittings as were the buttons and shoulder scales.



The soldiers of the train had dark blue uniforms with light blue facings and brass buttons.

Digby Smith states in "Napoleon's German Division in Spain" 

Until recently, it has been unclear as to what calibre or model of guns this battery used, but a participant recorded that early on the 13th October (1808 in Bayonne) the drummer beat the general march. We were soon all busy receiving bread, meat, camping equipment, cooking utensils, cartridges  and exchanging our artillery guns for French cannon.



He then goes on to state that the battery was probably issued with six French 4 lbr cannon and two 6 inch howitzers as replacement for their original Hanoverian 6 lbr cannon and 7 lbr howitzers.

As you will see I have modelled all the artillery in the division along these lines, as I think this makes most sense in terms of handling the logistics of supply and to my mind it would seem unlikely that only one unit was issued French equipment and the others were not.


The figures I have used were AB Wurttemberg foot gunners, Blue Moon French 4lbr guns and the train are a French limber and team from Warmodelling. 


With my preference to using Carnage & Glory rules I am now setting my artillery units up to one gun base representing 3-4 guns and with a train that needs to be positioned behind the battery in base to base contact to represent the foot print of the unit when deployed. 


As I had originally built my units around the "Napoleon at War" system it now means their 4 model French batteries give me two two model batteries and I am adding a British foot crew to bring my British artillery component up to five foot batteries, although I still need to add three limbers to complete them.

Next the German Division on parade.

4 comments:

  1. Beautiful work! Is the satiny sheen on the figures due to photography or so the figures actually have a modest sheen?

    Absolutely makes sense to swap for French guns. Looking forward to the division's pass in review.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Jon. No they are quite matt, I'm using diffused daylight bulbs close in to allow better close ups and sometimes it can cause that slight effect. I also wanted to emphasise the darker blue of their jackets so have highlighted with a buff mixed blue to lighten it rather than off white blue that gives a much more faded lighter appearance. That sheen is actually the painted highlight.

      Delete
  2. Excellent, love the paint job and the basing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cheers Phil, I can't wait to get them into battle. Onwards and upwards.

      Delete