40 Years Ago

A little remembrance from 40 years ago.

And from today.

Merry Christmas to All!!!

The Ballet Comes to Town

Off and on for the past several weeks, I've been doing some non-wargame figure painting - ballerinas for my daughter's dance academy - Bluebird Dance Academy. These MegaMinis figures were procured to use as performance gifts to the girls in the dance academy after their winter performance this coming Saturday. Although I didn't put a lot of detail into the figures (mainly because of their small size), they did come out rather nicely, if I say so myself.

Here are the dancers of the company, led by Ballet Mistress Leslie, in the blue skirt. The younger girls are in the light pink leotards and tights on both flanks (see, I did get a wargaming term in!), while the older girls in black leotards and light pink tights are in the center.

And here the company of dancers entertains the Duke and Duchess of Courland (on the left) and the Margrave and Margravine of Carpania (on the right), in a holiday-inspired scene of cordiality between the two enemies in normal imagi-nation life.

Carpanian Pioneers

These figures were started before MilleniumCon last month but I didn't get them finished in time. They have now been completed and have joined the artillery train of the Margraviate of Carpania.

This company consists of one Hinchliffe SYW officer, one Foundry Prussian grenadier sergeant (in rear rank with halbard), the special Grenadier Books figure (in front rank, consulting the latest tome on military engineering), and nine Crusader Prussian pioneers (from the grenadier command pack). The pioneers were part of an eBay purchase.

Each two figures are painted in the regimentals of one of the six regiments of the Carpanian army - Musketeer Regiments Zweibieren, Teutonica, Clausthaler, and Schweiger and Fusilier Regiments von Stuppe and Paulaner. They will probably be brigaded with the converged grenadier battalion and Campbell's Highland Battalion (still a work in progress) to form a special assault force.

They were actually finished in very late November and boosted my November painting total to 43 Olley points -- 12 pioneers, 15 jagers, 5 limbers (3 points each), and one artillery accessory.

Pictures from MilleniumCon

Here are a few pictures that I took on Friday evening (Nov. 14) at the MilleniumCon XI convention in Round Rock, TX.

The game gaming and dealer room on the first floor of the Wingate Convention building. There was also gaming on the second floor, mainly the various tournaments.

This is a very detailed game board for the WW2 game called "Madness in the Bocage." It used the Frontline-Command rules.

One of the several Colonial games played at MilleniumCon. This particular one was called "Unaguafria - 1879," using plastic figures and the Damned Human Race rules.

This was a "sort-of" Colonial game - "Zulu - 40K Style."
Set on Tau Ceti IV, the 24th Praetorians defend a small steading ...

... from the hordes of hulking green natives. Rules used were GW's Warhammer - 40K, 5th edition.

And to wrap things up, an Axis and Allies board game of the climatic war of Middle Earth's Third Age.

Battle Streamer for Timofievich Coassacks

In his dispatch to the Imperial War Ministry after the Battle of Steinkreisdorf, General Blei-Sammeln, commander of the Imperial Reichsarmee, mentioned the contributions of the Timofievch Cossacks from the Duchy of Courland. (See Emperor vs Elector - 2008/11/frankfurt-is-saved-for-empress for the dispatch and this report for the actions of the Timofievich Cossacks Hunsrucker Allgemeine Zeitung .)

Duke Pavlov of Courland has awarded the Cossack pulk (regiment) a battle streamer for their outstanding participation in the victory.

Duke Pavlov, accompanied by Colonel Ignace Alleshazy (commander of Courland's light troops), award the battle streamer, emblazoned "Steinkreisdorf 15 Nov 1758" to the commander of the Timofievich Cossacks.

After the presentation, the commander and his standard bearer return to their unit with the coveted battle streamer attached to the pulk's standard.

Note: This was an easy addition. Lettering is Times New Roman, 8 pitch, with ruler assisted lines drawn in red pen. The resulting streamer was then cut out and glued to the top of the standard pole. It is printed on both sides and was folded together and glued with white glue. I plan on doing this in any future battles if a unit excels and is mentioned in the dispatches.

Skirmish at Jungsteindorf

On Friday evening, November 14, Ed Youngstrom and Bill Protz held a tutorial session on the Batailles de l'Ancien Regime (BAR) rules for some of us who would be playing in the Texas Big Battalions game the next day.

Here is my take on the small action, which I am proposing was a skirmish the day before the big battle at Steinkreisdorf.

An advanced guard of Germanians clashed briefly with an advanced guard of Osterreichers over the village of Jungsteindorf. Both sides had two infantry battalions, a dragoon regiment (of two squadrons), and a 6-lbr gun. I commanded one of the Germanian infantry battalions and the pictures were taken from that perspective.

The Germanian battalion that I commanded and the 6-lbr gun march towards Jungsteindorf.

One of the two Osterreicher battalions which I was facing.

The cavalry action between the two dragoon regiments. In what would be a foreshadowing of the cavalry actions during the fighting at Steinkreisdorf, the Germanians were defeated and fled the field.

Supported by the 6-lbr (just out of the picture to the left), my battalion squares off in a firefight with the Osterreichers. I was on a small ridge which gave both of us a slight decrement in firepower. I later moved forward off of it to continue the musketry fight at closer range.

After helping me against the Osterreicher infantry, the 6-lbr was turned against the enemy dragoons who were regrouping after defeating the Germanian cavalry.

Even though it has only been five days since that little skirmish, I cannot recall who "won" the tutorial battle. But, no matter; we all learned some valuable lessons for the big battle the next day at Steinkreisdorf.

Battle of Steinkreisdorf - Part 2

After a break for lunch, some of the participants from the morning's battle returned to complete the action on the east end of the big table. The enclosed farmstead of Ostburg was the center for this action.

Here the Electorate (on the far side of the table) had a cavalry brigade on its left flank, an infantry brigade in the center, and a combined brigade of cavalry, grenadiers, and jagers on its right. The opposing Imperials had a cavalry brigade on its right flank, an infantry brigade in the center, and mixed brigade of infantry and cavalry on its right.

This time I decided to give cavalry a try and took command of the Electorate cavalry consisting of one regiment each of Germanian cuirassiers, dragoons, and hussars. My opponent this time was Chris Bump who took command of the mercenary cavalry from Weisspferdheim, consisting of two heavy horse and two hussar regiments (all plastic Spencer-Smith figures!). Each of our regiments had two 12-figure squadrons.

We quickly got into crossed sabers as my dragoons and cuirassiers charged the Weisser heavy horse. Even though I moved the hussars around behind the heavies to support them, Chris was able to outflank my cuirassiers with a squadron of hussars while the other squadron engaged my lead hussar squadron. His second hussar regiment maneuvered in support to the rear.

The Germanian cuirassiers were badly handled by the Weisser heavy horse and hussars while the Germanian dragoons lost out to the other Weisser heavy horse. Our hussars fought each other to a standstill. In the ensuing turns, first my cuirassiers and then my dragoons were sent reeling out of the fight. Only the reserve hussar squadron prevented complete destruction.

While all the cavalry action was happening, a battalion of Germanians occupied the farmstead without opposition from the Imperials. Young Fahnrich Brad commanded a mixed brigade of Osterreicher and Saxe-Jungbacher infantry. They quickly began to shoot the Germanians to pieces - must have been poor ammunition that caused the Germanians so many problems that afternoon!

This picture shows the aftermath of the cavalry fracas, with only two cuirassiers and a few hussars left. A Germanian infantry battalion was seconded to the cavalry brigadier to assist in protecting the flank. A handful of Germanian hussars gallop along in front of them, fleeing from some Weisser hussars up near the farmstead. The rest of the Weisser cavalry is regrouping.

Here is a closer shot of the Germanian hussars in full flight! These magnificently painted Foundry figures were no match for the older (and evidently more battle experienced) Weisser Spencer-Smiths.

A final shot of the Germanian left flank, with the infantry forming square while the hussars flee even though the brigade commander is trying unsuccessfully to rally them. The two last cuirassiers sit on the edge of the battlefield and decide that discretion is the better part of battle before riding away themselves.

This action was a complete bust for the Germanians -- the cavalry was destroyed, the infantry was shot to pieces, and the right flank forces were sent fleeing. This action is where young Brad earned his spurs and his mention in Blei-Sammlen's dispatch. Although I had fun with the game, it wasn't very pleasant watching my vaunted Germanian cavalry vanish before my very eyes. A Seydlitz I am definitely not!