It’s summer! And my brushes have scarpered again.
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The Painting Pedestal
Tag: wargaming
wargaming is everything from gaming on the table top with dice, painting figures, reading history, collecting figures, scenery and rules through to geography, politics, art, crafts and imaginative writing……..
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Beware Greeks bearing gifts
My recent painting blast over winter had dried up with the end of the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge XIV. It broke my preoccupation with the mid 19th century.
The Danes and Germans are sat there in the various painting queues but making no progress.
Green-shoots anywhere?
something different maybe?
yes!
It is a case of returning to an old favorite. Ancients.
In fact two threads emerged from the languid waters I found my wargaming boat resting in. One followed the other.
The first, which I will cover in another post was partly prompted by Wargames, Soldiers and Strategy recent magazine running a Bronze Age theme: I have lots of Bronze Age figures for a long abandoned project.
But the impulse here was mainly due to Curt’s Trojan horse entry for the analogue hobbies painting challenge 14.
http://thepaintingchallenge.blogspot.com/2024/03/from-curt-last-post-of-challenge-xiv.html?m=1
The second concerns DBA. DBA got me back into the hobby after an almost 20 year break. It also propelled me into 15mm scale at the time – the late 1990’s. Those armies had since lain unused for years as 1/72 and 25/28mm tempted me back to bigger figures.
I dug them out – quite a mixed bag – could I run a campaign using the 1st or 2nd Editions 6 nation offering. I mulled this over before the figures went back into a slightly more accessible store and the unpainted ones joined the paint queue jostling with mid 19th century Danes and Germans.
And then I went to York one weekend for the annual open studios tour. Somehow somewhere I came away with the urge to craft. Note – not paint.
The next minute I was cutting card and with drawing pens to hand inking DBA bases. I had picked a campaign and lacking the right figures thought I would simply play empty bases. I have done this many a time and its a very enjoyable digression. And then I remembered all these 2mm armies currently in vogue plus that crafting itch had not been sated fully. And so out came some discarded HEAT board gaming counter sheets! minus the useful counters. Maybe I could use these “blocks” to suggest groups of soldiers?
And there we have it instant 2mm armies for a 6 nation DBA Bronze Age campaign: The Thracian’s might make a guest appearance!
The Royal Danish Army of 1848 was characteristically mid 19th century in dress. It still had a napoleonic uniform as such, yet things like the peaked cap and Hungarian kepi had begun to change the look. Pantaloons were noticeably full length and trouser like.
At the start of the war infantry uniforms were red tunics and bright blue trousers. Uniform regulations for 1848 planned a change to essentially all dark blue clothing complete with a bright blue kepi.
The regulations crept in although the kepi was so popular – soldiers often threw away their bell shaped shakoes in the field.
Other elements of the army – Artillery and Engineers kept the older kit for longer.
The Cavalry had largely reduced to the Dragoon in combless metal crested helmet (a fashionable trend) while the Hussars wore a small tapered shako. Dragoons wore red tunics and bright blue trousers, the Hussars wore all pale blue.
The Rebel forces in the Schlieswig Holstein War comprised local pro german forces including those who had served in the Royal Danish Army. To these were added many volunteers alongside their numerous allies.
The rebel cause had wide spread support from states within greater germany at this time “the Confederation – in its post Napoleonic form”. Notable were Prussia but also Saxony and Hanover. Austria was a significant objector and refused to become involved. Although they did apparently send rocket troop batteries.
Initially Rebel uniforms were a mix of Danish, improvised and various state uniforms. Later the Schleswig Holstein regular Rebel forces obtained a more distinct uniform for themselves.
This makes the war fascinating in terms of uniform, lots of german states still preserved a distinct character in their uniforms while fashions were still a mix of the Napoleonic coupled with more recent french led fashions such as the kepi. The Pickelhaube (invented in Russia and made a success by Prussia) and the Frockcoat (from the dresscoat of Napoleonic times) were now noticeably popular in german states. The classic mid to late century Prussian uniform dates from the 1840’s.
The smaller flat top tapered shako was in wide use long before it identified again with this time British Crimean troops or indeed the Rifleman of Prussia who kept it till world war one.
Therefore Armies comprised troops still wearing napoleonic uniform alongside others who would not look out of place in the American Civil War 13 years later and even subsequent conflicts.
Winter 2023/2024 proved to be quite productive painting wise. I don’t keep stats on numbers painted although I do record my painting colours and techniques in case I wish to replicate a figure/unit.
“Paint What You Got” by Dave Stone and “Analogue Hobbies Painting Competition” (AHPC) by Curtis Campbell and Co. both provided a big push to my painting in a very positive way.
In both cases I had planned a limited involvment to secure yet more mid 19th century completed units for my Danish and Germanic forces of the 1st Schleswig Holstein War.
Initially all went well and the fruits of my work can be seen on the AHPC14 site and in previous posts on this blog.
Paint What You Got II – better late than never
Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge 2023/24
Then I fully succumbed to the “Library Challenge” on offer with the AHPC event.
So out went the 19th century and in came whatever thematic library section I found myself in next.
The result?
- One 1/72 Reconnaisance Spitfire – now gifted to a lover of all things aerial.
- One 28mm Noggin the Nog super hero from the 1960’s childrens black and white TV. Bought from the Little Toy Soldier online shop.
- One 28mm General Siskorski hero of the free Polish during World War 2: A Partizan Newark freebie.
- One 25mm veteran (1980’s) games workshop fantasy Cyclops: found at Doncaster Toy Fair.
- One 28mm Empress Matilda (12th century): A Partizan Newark freebie
- One home built “button monster” (DeathZap Pastor created these inspiring SciFi/Fantasy creatures)
- One home built “Nissen Hut” left behind in some village in the East of England after world war 2 “upcycled” – before the term was invented – to a village library.
Quite a haul and it was a very satisfying period of painting and making. The AHPC served up some great contact with the other painters as well.
After what was in effect for me a serious 12 week painting/creating blast – I literally hung up my paint brushes. March has rapidly become April and I have been drifting: I cannot blame outdoor activities like gardening as spring has been one soggy wet mess and still is.
So much for getting on with the 1st Schleswig Holstein War forces. That project has been a case of two or three steps forward yet now stopped.
Maybe that stop was coming anyway. My Wargame projects have that way of shuddering to a halt for no good reason.
Pauls Bods is a blog that celebrates 1/72 plastic wargames figures. Yet it is so much more because Paul as an ace modeller who can turn even unpromising sculpts into fantastic pieces of the wargamers art.
His head, body and everything else swops are inspiring.
He also has a great sense of humour which appears often in his creations.
The headline image is of my own work prompted by Paul’s bods. Taking a leaf from his book I painted some mini art medieval cavalry that were given a searingly negative plastic soldier review.
Here are some posts highlighting the range of his work.
http://paulsbods.blogspot.com/2010/10/run-rabbit-run.html
http://paulsbods.blogspot.com/2010/10/houstonbeepwe-have-problembeep.html
http://paulsbods.blogspot.com/2010/12/airfix-acw-infantry.html
http://paulsbods.blogspot.com/2010/12/world-war-ii-deserters.html
http://paulsbods.blogspot.com/2011/03/dalek-command-post.html
http://paulsbods.blogspot.com/2011/01/after-sandstorm.html
http://paulsbods.blogspot.com/2011/04/new-set-from-e-bay.html
http://paulsbods.blogspot.com/2011/04/bear-fight.html
http://paulsbods.blogspot.com/2011/04/airfix-guards-band.html
http://paulsbods.blogspot.com/2011/08/fantasy-island.html
Sadly I think his work is disappearing as some of it was in paid storage products that no longer operate.
From the 1970’s era I have had three cavalry types – Cuirassiers, Hussars and Lancers in my collection.
They are all minifig.
The Lancers and Hussars have done sterling service especially in more recent times appearing as mid 19th century units for my Italian Wars of Independence forces and their Fauxterre equivalents.
In addition I have some Warrior Miniatures French dragoons. The first batch were in green and were sold years ago. Then I got inspired by a funcken image of French napoleonic dragoons in red……
I guess these might be Hinton Hunt but I think they are early Minifigs before they ate all the pies!!!! – I simply can’t remember.
Any how they have a certain simplicity in design that I find very enjoyable.
At Battleground – the wargames show at Stockton on Tees I was lucky enough to see Dave Pengilley and his fantastic 28mm collection of Danes and Prussians for the First Schleswig Holstein War which started in March 1848 and finally ended in 1851 with the Treaty of London.
Dave encountered the main problem with anyone interested in these wars – no figures or rather no complete ranges of figures.
The best comparison I can think of is how much easier the Perrys have made the Portuguese Brothers War circa 1830 for wargamers.
Anyway Dave has done a splendid job showing what an overlooked period this is.
I suspect many people will be drawn to the second war not least because of the TV series and some attempts at a range in 28mm. Also Prussians are beginning to look distinctly 1870 era by 1864 when the second war occurs.
Back in 1848 the war happens on the cusp of giant wardrobe changes. Indeed the Danes do a uniform change as they go to war. This means if you apply shaky compliance and dodgey quartermasters to new order plus supply chain vagaries – then quite a variety of uniforms can be featured alongside each other.
And for the Germans – the confederacy means you can draw on 23 member states, many who were so conservative they were also embroiled in their own home country insurrections and still dressed in a napoleonic style.
Add to that tailcoats, tunics, frockcoats, kepis, shakoes, pickelhaubes and greatcoats means you have much choice if only the figures were for sale.
In a way that variety means for 28mm if you are happy to kit bash then raiding Napoleonic, Franco Prussian, ACW, Crimean and other wars up to WW1 gives you vast choice.
The technology adds in smoothbore muskets, rifled muskets, early breechloaders as well as rockets, machine guns and of course telegraph communications, steam ships, proto-submarines and railways.
Here are some more pictures of Daves excellent “home cast” range – which would meet most peoples requirements if they were on the market commercially. The problem of course is the period is not popular and even then it is dominated by those adjacent Crimea, ACW and Franco Prussian Wars.
So if the big wars are jaded or you simply want an unusual escape then the First Schleswig Holstein War might be just the ticket.
The 176th anniversary of the First Schleswig Holstein War is unremarkable, although with hindsight you can link it to the 80th anniversary of the Normandy Landings in June 1944.
The Victorians made humour of Schleswig Holstein framing a Question no one could answer. Lord Palmerston famously said only he and two others (a professor gone mad and the prince consort – now dead) new of it and he had forgotten what it was about….
The British might have done better to look closely at this first war, certainly the second war in 1864 and definitely a third war in 1866 that swept away Austria, while they should have worried in 1870 when the French Empire dissappeared. All these wars can be linked to one man – Otto Von Bismarck. Needless to say all this created the climate that ultimately enabled the subsequent two world wars in Europe.
It seems odd that the war which effectively kick started the Second Reich gets little notice today. Perhaps that is because the Germans or rather the Prussians most notably lost. Defeated by a regular mid nineteenth century Monarchy. The Danes were anything but united at the time and yet still managed to defeat the Prussians and the rebellious Schlieswig Holsteiners along with Saxons, Hanoverians and other North German Confederation members.
It was a short war and ended in steps, first Prussia withdrew – capitulating in 1848 – under the threat of a British Fleet in the Baltic (the Danes did not want it there either!) but more importantly a Russian Land and Sea invasion. The Russians sent a squadron into the western baltic to show support for the Danes.
The war then carried on despite conferences, conventions, truces and protocols: The nineteenth century was the peak for treaties and diplomatic events.
Peace eventually broke out and a final protocol was agreed by the major european powers. Crucially the German Diet refused to recognise this 1852 London Protocol, leaving the door open for a rejuvenated Prussia to resume its Danish interests in 1864.
The Wargaming Erratic 