Russo-Ottoman War 1806-1812 Debut Battle

After years of work by myself and another gamer who contributed to the Ottoman painting and the terrain, my Russians and Ottomans are now meeting to begin their war. Here we have the Russian center and right coming quickly onto the field in march column to get at the waiting Ottomans.

The Russian left has the Siberia grenadier regiment and Olonetz musketeer regiment escorting some cossacks. This flank will be making contact first as they show no fear of the Ottoman forces they are facing.

The Ottoman left has a cavalry brigade backing the army's heavy artillery. The battery has a dominating presence that the Russians will feel as early as turn 1.

The Ottoman center is a bit weaker, comprising of militia units and a foot battery with medium guns. The woods are going to be their real defense in slowing the Russian advance as a barrier.

The Ottoman center remains relatively quiet for the first few turns. Only the Ottoman artillery could make itself felt by hitting the fast moving Cossack cavalry who were screening the Russian advance. A few shots found their mark and the Cossacks decided not to move any closer to the guns.

The Russian left continues to march up, unconcerned with deploying for action this far out. Their fast marching didn't give the Ottoman right much time to perfect their ranges of the artillery.

The Russian center is moving a little slower. The foot battery is still limbered and the Russian player is contemplating just exactly how to move between the obstacles and appear right before the waiting Ottoman guns.

The 5th Jagers are attempting to slip around the church and get up and clear the woods. Backing them is the Russian horse artillery battery that is attempting counter-battery fire against the Ottoman heavy battery just opposite it.

Here the Ottoman right waits for the Russians. They considered coming out to meet the Russians head on but were no confident the odds would be in their favor. Those tall black plumes indicated grenadiers were coming.

On the Ottoman left, the squadrons of the Belarus Hussar regiment are looking to clash sabers with the Ottoman sipahis cavalry. Maybe they could not see all the Ottoman cavalry stacked up behind the guns?

The Ottoman cavalry struck first. Preferring to counter the superior quality of the Russian cavalry with numerical advantage, the chance move was to pay off with a victory over the hussars.

One of the Ottoman militia units has now come into musketry range of the lead grenadier battalion. The single disruption caused would prove to be entirely useless for the upcoming turn.

The Russian infantry moving up is a feigning gesture as they cannot initiate contact with the Ottoman cavalry. They are probably hoping the Ottomans will surge forward and smash themselves uselessly against squares. I would not oblige.

The Russian center is beginning to take hold as the foot battery came up and unlimbered in canister range of the Ottomans. Some Cossacks are positioning themselves for a quick strike at the Ottoman battery before them.

The Russian battery managed to force the Ottoman battery to limber up. As it turns out, the other Ottoman battery experienced the same dilemma and was forced to limber. Limbered guns cannot fire and now the Cossacks are feeling much braver.

And as expected, the Cossacks surge forward. As it turned out in the combat, the Cossack were clumsy and did as poorly as possible with the dice rolls and were thrown back. Lucky me as my guns are saved.

A couple of grenadier battalions charge into the Ottoman militia unit at the upper right. Some other Cossacks are coming up and looking at engaging the Ottoman cavalry.

The Russian grenadiers are now on contact. They will break the front battalion with ease and will advance to complete their break through of the Ottoman right.

The jagers form into line and continue to meander their way forward. Do the woods make them uneasy and so they don't rush in and clear them? Or is it all that Ottoman cavalry that has them concerned?

As mentioned above, the front Ottoman battalion collapsed immediately. This second one is facing the same scenario. The Ottoman infantry is inflicting a few disruptions upon the Russians with musketry, but rolling poorly in combat won't allow them to hold on.

And here is where I made a mistake. After just barely beating off the Cossacks in the previous combat, I somehow forgot to move this battery or unlimber it. Had I just umlimbered it and opened canister fire upon the infantry, it would have slowed the Russian onslaught. My mistake gave the Russian infantry the chance to eventually charge into the limbered guns and break it.

The Ottoman cavalry managed to destroy part of the hussars but the rest the remaining squadrons of the Belarus Hussars attacked and were repulsed from their charge. The Ottoman heavy battery is back in action once again.

My neglect allowed my battery to be hit by some Russian infantry. The Cossacks decide to be aggressive and go after the Ottoman cavalry.

So as it turned out, the jagers were perhaps concerned about the bulk of Ottoman cavalry waiting for them. The jagers successfully formed square and managed to throw back the first charge.

The hussars and Ottoman cavalry decide to go at it again. All the Ottoman cavalry here makes any victory by the hussars useless due to the numerical odds.

The overall view of the tactical situation. I am surprised the Russian players both opted to ignore the villages and not waste troops holding places that had no value to winning the scenario. Most players cannot avoid these black holes that suck up manpower that could be used elsewhere.

The extreme end of the Ottoman right is practically gone and now some Russian musketeers are attempting to engage and finish off the flank. An Ottoman cavalry unit eyes a chance to hit some surprised Russian troops.

The Cossack's luck was in play as they both managed to win decisively and break the Ottoman cavalry they charged. Just out of the camera's lens are two more Ottoman cavalry units they will now have to face off against.

The Russian foot artillery continues to blast away, unopposed. The Ottoman infantry partially in the woods is getting sprinkled with long range canister fire.

And here we say goodbye to what's pretending to be the Ottoman center. As it would turn out, the grenadiers held a near perfect success anytime they made contact. The Lasalle Rules for a Valiant rated unit against a Shaky unit is significant. On top of poor dice rolling, the grenadiers have the punch to break through about anything.

The Ottoman right has routed and now the Russians begin their wheel toward the center to wrap it up and call it a day.

Two Ottoman cavalry units remain but since their command has broken, they will flee the field and deprive the Cossacks of another taste of combat.

The jagers had pushed off the first Ottoman cavalry charge while in square and thought that they would have no more trouble. As soon as they changed back into line, the cavalry took advantage of the situation and hoped to obtain an easy victory.

And here we see a parting shot of the batteries attempting to duel it out. Some Ottoman cavalry attempted to snake around the village to hope for a dash at the Russian guns but the battle is lost. The Russians chose to get into close combat and not exchange fire with the Ottomans and it worked out well.

Napoleoonic Headquarter Vignettes

For a few years I've been acquiring some unique camp figures for a future vignette project. The Old Glory figures were first in my little collection. For Napoleon's headquarters, the primary figures are Fantassin. Oddly enough in the set, no dismounted chasseurs were included. The Old Glory set I already had did have a few such figures and they were added to flush out the numbers.

Most gamers have a Napoleon on horse figure but having a figure on foot in a headquarters scene is different. Fantassin made multiple Napoleons but I felt this set was the nicest.

The blending of the Old Glory and Fantassin set goes very well together. The Fantassin Berthier at the table isn't wearing his hat. The Old Glory dismounted Imperial Guard Chasseur is holding a hat. A purpose for an otherwise out of place figure.

A few Austrian POW's from the Old Glory Trophies set. The hussar officer with his arm in a sling is a unique figure that I also just had to include.

This second vignette is also a combination of figures, this time from Old Glory, Eureka, a couple of Blue Moon figures and one from Fantassin. The pig on the roasting spit is from Baueda and I felt it was a neat little piece to work in.

This Eureka set is unique in that it is a French camp scene yet the sculptor seems to have been a bit confused over what sort of cavalry he was trying to represent. The single breasted surtout and shako seems to give it away as line chasseurs. The problem is that line chasseurs didn't wear heavy cavalry boots, which these figures are wearing. I added a small dog from Hallmark that had just been sitting around with no other use.

The various poses and states of dress were something different to paint. A couple of cantinieres were thrown in to add to the diversity.

And finally, the two figures that inspired me for going through with this project. The seated general with cantiniere on his lap and the female hussar in a well fitted uniform. These Old Glory figures are occasionally talked about on forums and few ever purcahse the set let alone paint them. After years of finding more important figures to paint, I'm happy to say this project is now completed.

Massena At Wagram

A couple of summers back, while browsing for 15mm wagons and carts on eBay, I came across this set. The set appeared to have only two limber horses, the postillion and Massena with his arm in a sling. No coachman or other horses? I knew of the set's mythical existence and had inquired some time ago and discovered that the mould had been damaged beyond repair during the transition from one owner to another. These little vignette pieces are genuine treasures and I had only ever seen one other in existence.

It isn't as if the Danube Campaign is of any great interest of mine, it is just the collector side of me wanting to add it to my collection. After all, I've got pontoon wagons, wagons full of fodder and lumber, why not a nice carriage model? On the Blog of Phil from Association - Les Riflemen, an Essex brand carriage can be seen. It is nice, impractical - but nice. And impractical is why this has sat unpainted in a box for a couple of years.

Well impractical and what color is it supposed to be? There aren't many sources available and the images agree on basic design but not on color. Either something close to white or possibly black. An image search for this type of caleche carriage appears more often black than white, but these are modern images. Had it been some unusual color, it would seem someone would have noted this. So this leaves me with either a white or black decision.

I decided to order other figures to complete the set as to how it historically appeared. There is no way for me to know if the original Old Glory model had four horses and a coachman, but the real carriage did. There isn't a great deal of information written about Massena's carriage, but from what there is I will have to make do. My quest for a proper coachman lead me to consider either ordering some other carriage model and rob the figure from that set or convert something. Alternative Armies makes a 15mm range known as Brickdust. Oddly enough, they happen to have a package of 8 identical seated wagon drivers/coachmen. Who knows what the motivation was for such a casting by itself, but it fills a need. Did Massena's coachman wear a bicorn or a type of top hat? Again, no information available. Since he is a civilian, I'll settle for the top hat.

From the Napoleon Series:

There is anyhow fairly certain that the decisions were taken within the innermost circle (i.e. circle, a strict figurative meaning for party, group) of the subordinates, consequentially from the entourage militaire (i.e. accompanying military suite) of his Staff. The prevailing solution in place of consultation – both medical, and military – was therefore not to leave the line of duty, but to remain as an exampled devotion in the operative theatre, making himself available, utilizing different means of transport.

This sound decision excluded for Masséna the free mobility of walking on foot, as well as horseback-riding; it consequently led to an expedient way out of this situation – certainly significant, and quickly pondering the necessary and demanding military tasks. To take over all the adversities and Masséna’s psychological state of passivity, the selected vehicle of locomotion was a wooden carriage.[6]

"In the first instance artillery horses were to be harnessed to the carriage it was found that they were too long for the pole and not easy enough in their action, so four horses from the marshal’s stable were substituted.

Two soldiers from the transport were to drive, and they were just getting into the saddle on the evening of July 4, when the marshal’s own coachman and postilion declared that as he was using his own horses it was their business to drive. No representation of the danger into which they were running could deter them from their purpose; the coachman got on the box and the postilion mounted just as if they were going for a drive in the Bois de Boulogne".

The last issue was the horse team. I have the two standard limber horses, which I know was the original idea to pull the carriage but were swapped out for four white horses from Massena's stable. I have additional limber horses to spare, but they're not entirely correct as these animals were said to have been too long for the pole/shaft and thus why they were swapped out. Why cut a corner now? No one would likely know, but it shouldn't be hard to find suitable horses without the army harnesses and that are a little smaller. Blue Moon Manufacturing produces a package of wagon horses which are better suited than any other brand I could find. So size and harnessing appears to be a perfect fit for what I'm looking for.

The Napoleon Series also provided some details that I've considered:
Under this precise definition of wheeled transport the reader would be prone to understand that a carrosse (horse-drawn vehicle), a calèche (calash), but not a berline. The correct interpretation leads more properly to the calèche.

On this theme, Paulin, one French officer of the génie and aide-de-camp to Général Henri-Gatien comte Bertrand, presents exhaustive elucidations.

"A midi, rien ne paraissait se décider encore; de grands mouvements s’ opéraient de part et d’ autre. On voyait le maréchal Masséna, rappelant […] Maurice de Saxe à Fontenoy, parcourir les rangs de ses divisions et leur imprimer sa bouillante ardeur, porté dans une calèche que ses chevaux conduisaient partout où le danger réclamait la présence d’un chef".

Trslt.: Wagram - "At midday, nothing seemed yet to be decided; some great movements were carried out from one side and the other. One could see the Marshal Masséna, recalling […] Maurice de Saxe at Fontenoy, traversing the ranks of his divisions and leaving to them the imprint of his hot ardour, brought by a calash that his horses led everywhere where the danger asked for the presence of a leader".

My photography skills may be lacking, but hopefully it is clear enough. I went ahead and tried to imitate the painting with the dry summer grass and white carriage.

As mentioned above, there is little information in the way of dress for the postillon or coachman in Massena's service. For the postillion, I copied the appearance of the one in Napoleon's service. That may have been a bit presumptuous, but it is highly likely since the uniform is identical then the coloring of the uniform would be. The sculptor likely took some artistic license in the production of the piece also due to a lack of concrete information.

The painting earlier in this post showed some sort of coat of arms or seal upon the door to the carriage. Although I can imagine that is possible, I have no way to know if the painting is any more accurate than the sculpt. The image isn't clear enough to even discern what it is, let alone to recreate some approximation of the image. The sculpt did have what I first took to be a moulding line going down each side of the carriage.

Upon closer inspection, this appears to have a contour with the top and bottom shape of the carriage. Not knowing what to do with it and so badly wanting to add some dash of color or detail to an otherwise bland model, I painted a gold stripe atop this line. Such scrolling lines is not uncommon but it does make me wonder all the more just what image did the sculptor use for this piece?

Although I wish there were more detail and complexity to reflect a higher level of painting skill, this is the end result. Who knows if the coachman had red striped trousers and a beard or not, but mine does. The figure fits perfectly on the seat with his feet naturally being curved and positioned without any modification. I had the thought of making the seats in the coach a deep red to add color and contrast, but settled on a leather brown. Did Massena requisition this carriage or did it belong to him? In the end, there are more questions than answers, but at least it is finished.

Ottoman Cavalry: Finally Completed

After a long break from posting and getting through a lot of painting and finishing up of projects, I got these last four Ottoman cavalry units ready for battle. I don't see the need to expand the army out any further.

This last brigade for Lasalle represents the completion of a long term project that is quite unlike any other Napoleonic army. The Ottomans have a lot of gaps in their uniform and organization records which in part plays a role in so few people being brave enough to go down this road. The colors here are quite different yet blend in the rainbow spectrum that is the Ottoman army.

One thing different with this brigade was to get away from white horses, which I've never cared for when painted most of the time. The flags are from Cotton Jim's and is somewhat better than some of their other lines.

More custom made lance pennants here. The black is somewhat odd for the time period but was from an actual Ottoman unit.

And the final unit. As hard as it is to find some detail to add to these units, they are a bit bland. Unlike the Europen nations that have buttons, uniform trim, plumes etc, all you have are various clothing colors. Fine enough for the table top! Now, back to western Europe.