First Battalion, Erzherzog Karl Regiment No 3

Having completing the Poles, now it is onto the Austrians. I have four battalions, the ones gifted to me, assembled and waiting. There are another three battalions still boxed and unassembled. I have decided to do the first of the line battalions as Infantry Regiment Number 3, Erzherzog Karl (Archduke Charles).

The regiment could trace its origins back to 1714 under the name Regiment Jung-Lothrungen zu Fuß. Its initial deployments were on the Austro-Ottoman border fighting against the Turks. It was brought into the Imperial Army as Regiment Number 3 in 1726.

It fought in the War of Polish Succession (1733-35), then, alongside the Russians, against the Turks again ten years later. It fought in the War of Austrian Succession, the Seven Years War, the War of Bavarian Succession and against the Turks again in the 1790.

In the Revolutionary Wars, the regiment served under Generalmajor Hegel in the actions that drove the French under Jourdan and Moreau back across the Rhine.

When Austrians joined the Fifth Coalition in 1809 it was generally considered one of the elite infantry regiments in the army.  In V Corps it fought at Landshut, Teugen-Hausen, Abensberg, Eggmühl, and Regensburg. At Aspern-Essling it was involved in the furious fighting in the streets around granary, suffering heavy casualties, but played a critical role in securing the tactical victory. A few weeks later at Wagram, in IV Corps, it endured the devastating artillery bombardment and defended against massed French infantry assaults. In 1813 it fought in the campaigns in Saxony and Bohemia, fighting at Dresden, Klum and Leipzig.

After the Napoleonic Wars the regiment fought in Italy in 1848 under Radetsky, fighting at Custoza and Novara. It went on to help suppress the revolts in Vienna and fought in the campaign in Hungary. In 1859 it fought in Italy again, at Solferino and in 1866 and was involved in the disastrous Bohemian Campaign, fighting in Gablenz's 10th Corps at Trautenau, Burkersdorf and Königgrätz.

In the Great War the regiment first served on the Eastern Front, in Galicia against the Russians, helping defeat them in at the Battle of Krasnik. Later after the offensive failed and the front stabilised, the regiment was transferred to the Italian Front where it remained until the end of the war. Disbanded in November 1918, elements of the regiment, largely Czechs, were absorbed into the newly formed Czechoslovakian army.

The McPherson Farm Part 3: The Barn

The final piece for the McPherson farm is the famous bank barn.

The research for this was much simpler than that for the farm house. Since it still stands today there are plenty of images available on the internet and I have found plans of it.

That said, there are differences between the modern day barn and that of 1863. The first is that the lean-to sections on the uphill face were 22 feet deep in 1863, whereas they are 12 feet today - I have modelled it about midway between the two points to provide a better optical impression. There is also evidence of an additional lean-to, or pent roof, extending out from the forebay that I have decided not to make, in part because there is not enough information on it's appearance, but more importantly I spent too damned long making those stable doors to cover them up! It is an interesting model with that mix of field stone and whitewashed wood, but like the Trostle barn I have had to scale it down. It should stand somewhere between 170mm and 190mm tall, but the visual balance would have been wrong so I scaled it back by around 20%.

However, I must admit that I struggled with this model. It is one of the biggest I have made in a long time and in its raw shell looked too big even when scaled back even though when I stood a 28mm figure beside it the scaling was correct. The thought of those two large stone areas was daunting - stone wall construction is quite an intense task and needs to be completed within two hour before the stuff sets and if you do it in stages, it shows. But far more daunting was that HUGE roof area. So I worked this model bit by bit, uncertain how it was going to look at the end. Not until it was grassed did the model look right.

A bank barn is, of course dug into a bank, in this case it was dug into the eastern slope of McPherson's ridge, just past the crest. For a standalone piece like this the bank has to be artificial.

So here it is.

The western face as Archer's, then later Brockenborough's, Confederates would gave seen it as they advanced up the Chambersburg Pike.

The northern face.

The eastern face

The southern face

Finally here is the whole McPherson farm buildings set that will appear on the Buildings for Sale page (LINK) in a day of so.

 

Fourth Duchy of Warsaw Battalion Completed

The second battalion of the 4th Regiment is completed.

And both battalions of the regiment, with skirmishers deployed

This also completes the Duchy of Warsaw infantry, all four battalions.

Then with a bit of AI manipulation...

At some point I will add a gun set and a mounted command set, but that is all for now.

The Last of the Cuirassiers

This is the fourth and final French cuirassier regiment for my Franco-Prussian armies.

These can be arranged in two historical configurations from 6 August 1870:

As Michel's Brigade (8th and 9th Regiments) that charged at Morsbronn, with two squadrons of the 6th Lancers attached (to the rear in the image).

And as Bonnemain's Division (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Regiments) that charged at Froeschwiller, an hour or so later and three kilometres to the north, formed here in double columns of squadrons with their commanders to the fore.

Then there are a few images looking down the line of massed cuirassiers.

The only other French cavalry needed are the two regiments of dragoons to complete the Second Corps cavalry division, but the Perrys haven't made them yet...although the Chasseures d'Afrique are tempting. 

First Battalion, 4th Regiment Duchy of Warsaw Infantry

This battalion starts the second of the two Duchy of Warsaw Infantry regiments that I am doing. This time I have opted to do the 4th Regiment in the traditional dark blue uniform rather than the white of the 13th Regiment.

The reason for the choice is simple. This regiment, along with the 17th, had drummers with the French style uniform and the Perry sprue provides both types and by using spare drums I have from other sets I can make use of them and build two full battalions (with two skirmish stands) from one box and one command frame, avoiding left overs...something that drives me to distraction! 

The second battalion is well under way and should be completed by the end of next week.

More Cuirassiers

I have no evidence that any of the French cuirassier squadrons in 1870 were mounted in specific horse colours, but this 1887 Morot painting La Bataille de Reichshoffen, 6 aôut 1870 shows what appears to be two, maybe three, squadrons mounted predominantly on greys charging at Froeschwiller. 

So for this, the third cuirassier regiment in my French FPW army, I have done with nine greys and three bays.

The fourth and final French cuirassier regiment has passed through the uniform store and is forming up ready to enter the parade ground.