52nd Oxfordshire Light Infantry

28mm Napoleonic British, the 52nd Oxfordshire Light Infantry.

Time for some more Napoleonic British, namely the 52nd Oxfordshire Light Infantry Regiment. This regiment has an impressive record culminating in being instrumental at repulsing the French Middle Guard at the battle of Waterloo 1815 specifically the 4th Fusilier-Chasseurs on my previous post.
 
Under the command of their colonel Sir John Colborne, they were part of Adam's 3rd Brigade, together with the 95th Rifles and 71st Highland Light Infantry during the Hundred Days (Waterloo) Campaign.

This regiment seems to have kept their old stove pipe shakos (hats) from the peninsular wars rather like the 28th Gloucester regiment. Their facing colours (cuff and collars) were a light buff, buttons were silver. Shako badges were probably brass (bugles) but could be silver (bugles) for light infantry. The Green plume denoting light infantry status.

Trained to operate in loose skirmish order as well as close order, just as regular line infantry, forming squares against enemy cavalry charges as necessary, the regiment number 1,130 rank and file at the battle Waterloo suffering 168 wounded and 38 killed during that engagment.

The 52nd Regiment elected to carry their 'colours' (flags) during the Peninsular wars, other light infantry regiments did not. During this period the regiment acquired the battle honours: Hindoostan, Vimeiro, Corunna, Bussaco, Fuentes d'Onor, Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz, Salamanca, Vitoria, Nivelle, Nive, Orthes, Toulouse, Peninsula and Waterloo.

In my opinion I regard the Light Infantry to be one of the most useful and versatile regiments to be fielded in any Napoleonic British wargames army on the table, second only to the 95th Regiment of Rifles.

Next on the painting table for my mini Napoleonic campaign are two Battalion of Belgian line infantry, all Perry miniatures.

So until then,
Tally ho, Peter

28mm Napoleonic British Infantry, late Napoleonic

Continuing with my Napoleonic project, the idea was to limit myself to buying and painting one unit per month, either a regiment of cavalry or battalion of infantry or battery of guns, so that I'd keep my interest in the period. The plan being to finish painting and basing a unit, then order another unit from Perry miniatures which usually arrive within 3-4 days. BUT I'm moving North so this will be the last post on my blog for a while until I get established again possibly after Christmas.

The British Infantry - The 3rd Battalion 1st Regiment of Foot Guards 1815.

Continuing to restock my Napoleonics I've managed to complete 1 battalion of Foot Guards.

Each battalion of infantry will be made up of 16 infantry. Flags from GMB

These miniatures were to represent the 1815 campaign that gives me a relatively limited scope for battles such as Quatre Bras, Waterloo.

GMB flags as they come

there are crop lines to help you cut the flag accurately

PVA glue was used to stick the flag together.

The flags wrinkled as in a breeze

Notes on using GMB flags:
Carefully cut out around the flag using a scalpel trying to avoid making to neat an outline, glued with PVA and folded around a prepainted flag pole. Whilst the glue was still wet it was folded and wrinkled to give the appearance of fluttering in a breeze. Once the glue was dry,  the fringe was carefully cut here and there to improve the effect and painted in the original colours to cover any of the white paper showing through, then gold added to the studs on the flag pole and liberally on the fringe. I've never used GMB flags before but they can come up a real treat with a bit of care.

Perry minis on their painting strips.

The command base.

The backpack has the regimental Badge on it

waterproof shako covers in black

The drum should have the Regimental badge on it, I'll add this detail at a later date.

notes on paint.
Humbrol Scarlet red enamel paint (No.60)- to represent the red regulation uniforms. The scarlet paint was mixed with different quantities of enamel black to provide shading, then used raw out of the tin for the final colour.
Gold enamel from Revell No.94 painted onto the flag giving it a bit more impact, this is the best gold paint I have found so far.

notes on basing:
Polyfilla, rocks and stones brushed in many shades of burnt umber oils mixed with Humbrol No.62 leather, highlights on the stones etc. Humbrol No.62 leather mixed with No.154 yellow and No.34 white.
Static grass self-adhesive tufts manufactured by me under the eBay pseudonym Lord_Jaggard

Anyhow Cheerio for Christmas and have a Great New Year :)
Peter.

28mm Napoleonic British Heavy Cavalry 1814-1815

My computer's gone screwy....adapter problems...Anyhow onwards with my Napoleonic project, the idea was to limit myself to buying and painting one unit per month, either a regiment of cavalry or battalion of infantry or battery of guns, so that I'd keep my interest in the period. The plan being to finish painting and basing a unit, then order another unit from Perry miniatures which usually arrive within 3-4 days. This keeps everything fresh...there's nothing worse than having a draw full of unpainted lead, a veritable lead mountain to dishearten even the boldest painter, so none of that here.

The British Cavalry - The 1st Regiment King's Dragoon Guards (1st KDG).

Restocking my Napoleonics I've continued with the British Regiment of King's Dragoon Guards:

Each regiment of cavalry will be made up of 12 riders with horses.

pack BH21 Dragoon command (1 pack of these)

pack BH22 Dragoon troopers (3 packs of these)

The riders were mounted on corks and painted separately from the horses, it makes it much less fiddly to do it this way. A black enamel undercoat was applied all over each figure.Then first colours were blocked in.

I must admit after reading the rules I'm going to play with namely 'March Attack' I've realised I need cavalry in squadrons of 6 figures and battalions on infantry of 16 figures. Ho hum so it'll be another order to Perry minis in the near future making each cavalry regiment 12 figures strong (i.e. 2 squadrons per regiment).

The tiny KDG on the blanket role will be added at a later date when I acquire some straw yellow acrylic paint and a very tiny brush.

1796 Regulations General Orders stipulated that this regiment (1st KDG) were to be mounted on black nag-tailed horses, horses of other colours would make up any shortfall on campaign e.g. dark bays, browns etc. The trumpeters horse was of no exception to this.

The Black horses were painted in 2 coats of black enamel paint giving a good flat colour,  various tones of greys were brushed over being careful to leave a lot of black untouched - it takes time to get the best effect, errors can be easily painted over. Lighter greys were used for the highlights. A couple of bays and a dark brown were added as though the regiment had added horses requisitioned on campaign.

Basing was achieved using 2mm thick plasticard 25mm x 50mm for each single figures 50mm x 50mm for doubles and 75mm x 50mm for threes. Basing effects were created using polyfilla stones (ballast) tea leaves and grass tufts (available from ebay seller Lord_Jaggard) and the odd bush etc.

1st King's Dragoon Guards heading back home to camp for Tiffin.

Next in the pipeline will be the infantry namely the 1st Battalion of 1st Regiment Granadiers a Pied of  Napoleons Imperial Guard and a battalion of the 1st Regiment British Foot Guards.

Cheers for now,
Peter.