Revitalized Frontier Miniatures

 

Some time ago I acquired a batch of 12 painted Frontier Miniatures French 19th Century light cavalry that were already based on 2" squares.  They sat in a box for a while until I got the "bug" to do something about them.  Since the base size doesn't match with the cavalry base size for the "Chassepot & Needlegun" rules I use, that had to be changed.  An overnight soak in water softened the adhesive enough that I could gently pry each figure off the old base.

I was able to identify them as French chasseurs a cheval in their 'trademark' green jacket and black sheep wool busby.  But I needed 16 to make a full regiment.  As part of the same acquisition there were 4 other apparently French light cavalry.  A little research in the two volume Ospreys on the French Army, 1870-1871 revealed that at least three of them were hussars.  The fourth looked close enough even though it had a white havelock.  Since Frontier made figures for several wars during the mid-1800s in which the French were involved and the figure fit in, I decided to use it as well.  Besides this regiment would be part of my post-Sedan "revolutionary" French Army so the exact uniform wasn't that much of a concern.

A little touching up of the paint, including repainting all four hussar kepis, and the regiment was ready for their new bases.

Please click on image for a larger picture.

3rd Mixed Light Cavalry Regiment with hussars on the left of the photo and the rest chasseurs.

I now present the 3rd Mixed Light Cavalry Regiment of the 2nd Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, 15th Corps, Army of the Loire.  Because of all of the losses of cavalry at Sedan and Metz, the French were doing whatever they could to get their cavalry arm reformed.  This regiment is a typical example where squadrons from four different regimental depots were organized into a regiment.  In this case, three squadrons of chasseurs and one of hussars.  Temporarily they'll join the 3rd Spahi Regiment in the 3rd Cavalry Brigade.

And here is the 3rd Brigade, in all its 'glory!'

3rd Spahis on left, brigade command group in center, 3rd Mixed Light Cavalry on right
All figures are Frontier Miniatures!

I painted the brigade command group and the 3rd Spahis way back in April 2007, 14 years ago (yikes!).  It has taken this long to add to my French cavalry.  But the Germans are still stuck with one cavalry regiment, the 6th Magdeburg Dragoons, even though I have several that are complete but unpainted.  Just as the French have several more regiments complete but unpainted.  Can you tell I don't particularly like to paint horses!

Now to painting more German artillery, two Prussian and three Hessian batteries!