Sudan - Royal Engineers

Engineers are always a good source of scenario fodder I think . Build a bridge, fort, be escorted to some place or other, so I have taken the opportunity to utilise and convert some spare figures. These were Perry gunners left over from the last gun battery. I have added a range of tools into hands (tools from Thormarillion in Germany) having removed the rammers. I also completed two waggons & 4 lots of  stores (bits by Ainsty) sections . The mules for the waggon are by Tiger Miniatures , again left overs from the battery limber teams - all good recycling. The two waggons and loads are by Warbases. I have left them without drivers etc for now as they will do service in other conflicts I think - likewise I will probably revisit the missing traces etc at some point this year.

The Officer of Engineers is an old Connoisseur figure who has gone native , having taken a shine to his tarboosh!

 

 

This will be the last Sudan painting post for a while - as the old man cave is wrappd up as work starts on creating the new and improved one.. 

There will be some more games coming up . I am also booked in to attend the Partizan show in May

Sudan - Australian Artillery Battery

One of the things that I found really interesting about building forces for fighting in the Sudan was the variety of troops the British Empire pulled in to fight in it. The New South Wales government offered its support (LINK) to the imperial cause and an infantry battalion and artillery battery were mobilised. This was to become the first overseas deployment for Australian forces. They did not end up doing much fighting and had only very small losses as the British government abandoned any attempt to overthrow the Mahdi who had taken Khartoum after Gordons death.

Never the less they will still be represented - along with the infantry in due course and I am sure they will participate in some "what might have happened" scenarios. Of course they will also do service in some other colonial campaigns too.

So here I have 3 deployed 9lb guns , 3 open and deployed limbers with 12 crew. The guns are the Perry 9lb set from their new Victoria's little wars sets. - I have replaced the cast metal firing lanyard with thinner twisty rope and soldered this into position so it nicely strong and rigid.

The gun teams have had a lot of work with all the various traces. The rope is made from garden twisty wire - twisted together in a drill - I needed to made 6 feet of the darn stuff to make the 4 traces per teams these were then soldered into place and the wire is coated in solder which makes it rigid.  The riders have had milliput saddles made too. The limbers and horse teams are all by Tiger miniatures . The guns and crew are the Perry 9lb set from their new Victoria's little wars sets. I could have got a ready made limber set from Wargames Foundry , but I have seen it and it looked too small to me - I wanted this to be big! - I know.... I blame the sun....

Well to move your guns you also need limber teams - of which there are 3 teams with 18 horses, 3 limbers , 3x 9lb guns - and 4 riders - there will be 9 riders eventually but due to a lead pile deficiency (hangs head in shame)  I thought - and still think I had some. So anyway I am awaiting on a mail from a manufacturer re sourcing some as part of pack so will just add these as and when I get some figures.  The riders I do have  are a mix of various mounted figures I had lying around.

I enjoyed making these - something different

I managed to get all imperial troops out for a video review too

Sudan - Naval Brigade extras

Good progress has been made on adding in some more bits for the Naval Brigade.

All ready for a dust up!

I have added an extra gun and limber set - this time mule powered.

 Mules and limber by Tiger Miniatures, Figures are Perry, Gun by Bicorne

2 sets of open order skirmishers , and one of closed order.

 

 

A couple of deployed limber sets again by Tiger Miniatures

 

Been a very good productive week ... time for more Mounted Mahdists next ..