Guardias Wallonas 1808

For 2018 and the rest of 2017 Pieter wants to focus himself on the Spanish army of 1808/09.

We already have the first sets of artillery and cavalry in the shop. But last year we focused to complete the Portuguese and start with the first British sets.

Last week we got the photos of the latest masters from Massimo. For me as a fan of regular formations they come as a shock. But I must admit, they have their flair of a last stand. And maybe sometimes in 1808 with the Spanish loosing one battle after another the guards had this job...

Suworows campaign in Switzerland 1799 - our anual hobbytour

This year I got an invitation from my friend Pierre who moved to Switzerland several years ago.
Well he told me there are a lot of museums and battlefields and we can visit some interesting historical places.

Well, what need I more to be happy:-) So I asked Alfred and Schmitty and of course both joined us in the tour. So we had four great days ins Switzerland. A lot of museums, the battlefields of Moorgarten, Murten and above all Suworows campaign.

The campaign of 1799 is one of the most interesting in napoleonic warfare with the Russians pushing the French out of Italy, the French advancing along lake Constance, the British and Russians trying a diversion in Holland etc. etc.

We followed Suworows campaign from the Devilsbridge on. The Devilsbridge is a kind of myth as this popular painting shows not really the real thing.

It suggest the Russians charged over the river while in reality it was different. Here are some photos from the location.

At the map here your see the orange lines. Point 3 to Point 4 is the old bridge which is shown in most paintings - but was buildt after the battle. Line number 5 was the real way of attack. There is a tunnel from the 13th century (when I have it right) in the mountain, comming out at point 4.

The going down the picture you have the way on which they fought. Here the French destroyed the bridge. The Russians were checked at the entrance of the tunnel, but they sent troops over the mountains and even some Russians came through the river (impossible when seeing he photos) and charged the French from behind. So with their flanks turn the French had to retreat,

But even not with the heroic charge over a destroyed bridge it was a suicidal attack by the Russians whose dead nearly blocked the tunnel. And they had to put planks, trees etc. over the gap in the way/bridge on the mountainside. And to go over the mountains is a great feat of arms in my eyes.

Over these mountains they turned the flank

This is the way the French retreted from the bridge

The way down and the place from which the Russians came

Some Russians fell into the water, survived and went throug the river....

After this side we followed the way of Suworow and had to take on a pass of 1600 meters. We took the one beside the Russian way as the one the Russians took still has no real road over it. Well, talking about the road I lossed all the adrinalin I had in my body when driving upwards the mountain with no security on the right of your car and looking over thousand meters down. And every minute a car came from the front and needed space too...

Later we found the Suworow museum and had the chance to visit it while the curator still worked on the exhebition. A pity the 1798 campaign of Switzerland exhebition was not finised this time.

See here some of the paintings that were on show.

And as this is a blog about 1/72 figures of course we must come to this subject too:-)
Seeing the last of the three pictures you may recognize the similarity to SYW Prussians. So what did I ? Checking which existing figures I can use for a Russian army of 1799. It wasn't too difficult to get some ideas...

This little diorama here was in the museums. Russians in 1805 uniform with 1808 knapsacks fighting blue painted Prussian Jägers from 1806:-)

But take a look at the uniform. This here is clearly a SYW Zvezda (or even better Revell because of the missing details) Prussian infantryman.

I started painting the Russian Hussars from Esci British Napoleonic Hussars with the horse of the Polish lancers also by Esci.

As for the French simply use HAT or Italeri French 1805 infantry or the metals from the ranges of Schilling or from our own range.

The French also brought the newly created Helvetian legion into combat. Nice painting conversions of Italeri French AWI troops or if you don' care the wrong colar also AWI British.

So a lot of possibilities to create these armies - and for sure not the last post about this subject here:-)

Impression from Kulmbach

Last weekend we were on the tinfigure-fair in Kulmbach. In my eyes one of the best figure fairs as here I see metals in all forms and sizes. And what is especially important - I meet a lot of friends there whom I only see there.

I like flat figures very much. There is no bigger range in any other scale then in 30mm flats. But there is one problem - They are flat... So I can't use them for my kind of dioramas. But they are always an inspiration.

In Kulmbach you also can find a lot of old stuff. For example I had the luck to find a collection of old Minifigs figures from the early 70ies. No more S-range, but also not the clumbsy ones you can get since 1975 or so. And the paintjob was excellent!

Also our own stand at the fair grew in size over the last two years. We now had six meters (and this space is only to show less then 10% of the complete range.... I think it is impressing eh? :-)

And here now a collection of photos I made, mostly for inspiration.


First our new set of German Landsknechts, sculpted by our hobbyfriend Yvan. I will put it in the shop next week.

A nice little diorama I found on the stand of Germania figures. Steampunk in the ACW:-)
The marching guys are really looking good!

Cavemen - I think by Eric Trauner

This is from a manufactor of 40mm figures. They do fit with the old "Nürnberger Meisterzinn" figures I casted myself when I was 12 years old

This is a nice idea for us to make in 1/72 too

The boss here reminds me on John Wayne in "the longest day"

 Puh, there was no label on the two guys here. Eastern style late ancients I think

 Or early medieval...

King and Country when I have it right in mind.

To get this diorama in 54mm you need a few thousand Euros. Better to create it in 1/72:-)

Also nice 54mm figures - Germans to the front and "After the manouver"

We are not the only one to produce this unit. The flats have their flair:-) But only the artillery-crew of the Dromedaries had red trousers.

From Munich-Kits a great diorama "Lindisfarne 793 AD"

Munich Kits has a great range of figures. Being Resin they are highly detailed - but also bl....y expensive! I bought myself the Tiroleans and the Askaris.

These FIW British were 40 or 54mm, can't remember at the moment.

And here some inspiration for future sets. Indian mountain artillery

Lawrence of Arabia (we already have a great set from Strelets in 1/72)

And now a complete range for the Indian Mutiny. This is a subject I have in mind too. Especially as we can use a part of the Newline Design Sikh war figures for a start.

Maltese knights in 15th century armour. A very good paintjob.

Another dream of mine - a Roman town. These houses were made for 30mm flats but would work for 28mm too.

The grave stones are also useful for 1/72

Roman auxiliary cavalry. In flat you can make a lot of casualties easier then 3-dimensional figures.

 54 mm with an excellent paintjob - I like everything Indian (ok, not the food).

Another set which we are waiting for in 1/72

Ah well - Indian of course. I need to paint some of my own figures. Part of the Sikh war range I already showed on this blog in the past.

I like the building in this vignette.

General Waldersee - Commander of the German forces in the Boxer Rebellion.

German See batallion also in the Boxer Rebellion.

Some flats for inspiration. First Celtic warrios

French corps of cavalry in Canada FIW from my mate Alexanders range

These Prussians are surely interesting for my mate John!

A French General staff would be another ineresting set for our WSS and 9years-war collections.

These 16th century Italians are 28mm from Mirliton. I like these figures and they have nice ideas for a Renaissance town. Especially the priests remind me on a movie:-)

This FIW vignette is in scale 1/32

And last more flats - The French in Egypt - and here we are again with this war...

I am sure a lot of my friends also made photos on this fair. So check the web for more inspiration if you are interested.