new year new project

The rebel Shamrock

With some friends we had been thinking of starting a skirmishes campaign with: terrible sharp sword (by too fat lardies). I'll take command of the irish rebels, the 10th Tenesse, the Sons of Erin. Reserching in the web i found this incredible page:
http://10thtennesseeco.a.tripod.com/
There i found everything i need for reenacting the guys of Tenesse. Biographies of the soldiers, battle reports, and even a complete list of the men of the a Company! so i can assure you that each soldier will have surelly his historycally correct name, the company will include the  "fighting fitzgerald" and father Emmeran (see: http://10thtennesseeco.a.tripod.com/id5.html) a great problem for the poor capitain John O'neill!

So here a picture of the guys: they are Perry civil war's infatry with some greenstuff transformations (note the pipes and oak leaves)

And here some music, and if you wanna learn how to play it, down the lyrics and guitar acords:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EAcieN3BW8

Oh, not (D)now for songs of a (A7)nation's (D)wrongs,

not the groans of starving (A7)la(D)bor;

Let the rifle ring and the (A7)bullet (D)sing

to the clash of the flashing (G)sa(A7)bre!

There are (D)Irish ranks on the (A7)tented (D)banks

of Columbia's guarded (A7)oce(D)an;

And an iron clank from (A7)flank to (D)flank

tells of armed men in (G)mo(A7)tion.

The (D)Irish green shall a(A7)gain be (D)seen

as our Irish fathers (A7)bore (D)it,

A burning wind from the (A7)South be(D)hind,

and the Yankee rout be(G)fore (A7)it!

O'(D)Neil's red hand shall (A7)purge the (D)land-

Rain a fire on men and (A7)catt(D)le,

Till the Lincoln snakes in their (A7)own cold (D)lakes

Plunge from the blaze of (G)batt(A7)le.

Whoe(D)'er shall march by tri(A7)umphal (D)arch

Whoe'er may swell the (A7)slaugh(D)ter,

Our drums shall roll from the (A7)Capi(D)tol

O'er Potomac's fateful (G)wa(A7)ter!

Rise, (D)bleeding ghosts, to the (A7)Lord of (D)Hosts

For judgement final and (A7)sol(D)emn;

Your fanatic horde to the (A7)edge if the (D)sword

Is doomed line, square, and (G)co(D)lumn!

Heavy stuff: Mijaíl Kutuzov and Pavlovski Grenadiers

Marshal Mijaíl Kutuzov is usually known in general culture for being the one who deafeated Napoleon and sealed the destiny of the Garde Armèe, Is he who has through years of propaganda amassed all the credit for the defeat of the french empire and the end of Bonaparte's reign. Nothing more far from reality, it is true that from Borodino was he who commandede the russians, but the Tsar appointed hm commander in chief just few days before the battle. The long months since the crossing of the Neiemn had been handled between generals Bagration and Barclay d eToilly and to them is the credit of killing nearly half of the french army on the march. But as both of them were foreingers russian history tended to cast them appart.

Kutuzov's miniature is based on the famous picture above, i bought the dtrelet's russian and prussian command, and i couldn't evitate using it's fantastic range of miniatures for doing some historycal painting recreation. You'll tell me if there are any ressemblance!

Kutuzov was not a great general, but a leader of men. He could slaughter the whole russian guard at Borodino forming in squares in front of massed artillery, but for the common soldier his paternalist and hot-hearted attitude was what kept him on the fray.

Here: an opolchenie militiamen carries a wounded general back to Hospital

The beast: my first 12 pds russian gun, named "capitain tushin" for her proudly crew

the officer hurries his men moving the gun into firing position

The Pavlovski Grenadiers

Rivers of ink have flown speaking about them ,their courage, gallantry and unsttopable charges have assured a place amongst the greatest regiments of all times. Suffice to say that they wear the old Tsar Paul's uniform (Probablly as a shown of respect from Tsar Alexander, who ever had deep remorse for having killed and dethroned him) and that their moust famous battles are Borodino, Eylau and Friedland. From the last they piked a very curious tradition that remained till the Soviet era, their mitres wore with pride the bulletholes of the battle, who were never repaired, i tried to imitate this in the minis, so you would nottice lots of black gaps in the brass paltes. 

'ere they come

with the officer to the front, the standrads raised high and a little fifer-boy to play in the fight!

russian army list

Russian Imperial Army

Infantry brigade 200 pts

      Regulars

Extra unit 50 pts

Jägers  200pts

      Just one jäger brigade for each 3 of shock infantry (grenadiers and musketeers)

      Sharp shooters, just one dice for base in hand to hand combat.

Grenadier Brigade 280 pts

 1 grenadier brigade for each 3 of infantry

Regulars (shooting), elite (hand to hand and discipline)

Extra unit +70 pts

Artillery

One battery for each 3 units

      1-4 guns that could be deployed in 2 batteries

      100 pts medium cannon

      130 pts mounted light cannon

120 pts heavy cannon, just one heavy cannon for each 2 of another kind

Opolchenie infantry 120 pts

Irregulars, cowards, extra unit 30 pts

                        Russian Cavalry

Hussars brigade 200 pts

      Regulars

Extra unit +50 pts 

Cuirassers brigade 240 pts

      Regulars, battle cavalry

      Extra unit +60pts

Dragoons brigade 200 pts

      Can dismount, regulars

      Extra unit +50 pts

Cossaks brigade 200 pts

      Cowards against infantry, corageous against cavalry

      Extra unit +50 pts

Lancers brigade 240 pts

      Regulars, lances, extra unit 60 pts

Russian Guard

Guard Infantry 320

      Sharp shooters, elite

      Extra unit 80 pts

Guard hussars 320 pts

      Elite

      Extra unit 80 pts

Guard cossacks 320 pts

      Elite

Extra unit 80 pts

Guard lancers 360 pts

      Elite, lances

      Extra unit 90 pts

Guard cuirassers 360 pts

      Elite, battle cavalry

      Extra unit 90 pts

For each three units of the guard you can converse one artillery battery in sharpshooters for 20 pts for gun

The Battle for Kiev

We are in the steppes of Russia, in the haet of the summer napoleon's troops have crossed the border of the Niemen, and in the middle of July they have reached the gates of Kiev. A russian army makes ready to protect one of the most sacred of russian cities, kiev capital of the first incarnation of the russian state must be saved at all costs. The glorious legacy of the princeps of kiev shining in the eyes of each soldier and subject.

The russian army:

General in chief: Marshal Mijail Kutuzov

Division Kamensky

General: Sergei Mikhailovich Kamensky

Hussar brigade (6)

New Ingria musketeers brigade (4)

Pavlovsk Grenadiers brigade (4)

3rd position baterry (4)

Division Uvarov

General: Fyodor Uvarov

Simbrisk musketeers brigade (4)

St Petersburg musketeers brigade (4)

Emperess's Cuirassiers (4)

Vladimir Battery (3)

Imperial Army

Division boyè

3me dragoons (4)

15me dragoons (4)

mounted battery (2)

Division Sant-Hilaire

Lepic brigade (6)

Bessières brigade (5)

medium battery (2)

Polish Division Josef Zayonchek

Ignazy brigade (4)

Kapuzinzki brigade (4)

medium battery (2)

The battle background is easy, the frenchs are approaching Kiev and it's garrison cahllenges the invader to a battle on open field that will decide the fate of the city. In the centre of the battelfild rises the village of Chaiky, the one that will take control of  the two builingd that form the place will control the road leding tho Kiev. The battle was fough by http://www.sammustafa.com/honour/purchase/shop/lasalle-e-book-print-friendly/; wih a home rule: once one of your units is disbanded half of it's bases scape running (as if formed in column) and the rest is destroyed, routing units can be regrouped sending a general to them (throw a dice 6 to regroup regulars and 5+ for elite, irregular troops irecuperable). If you disband a uint in hand tot hand combat throw a dice, with 4+ you would have captured their standard!

General Boyè's brigade

the russian stars moving towards the village 

General Kamenski supervises his division as it moves en masse  heading to the objective

Kamenski takes control of the eastern neighbourhood while french and polish infantry struggle to reach the buildings.

the french artillery opens fire, unleashing a feu d'enfer...

...that causes massive casualties among the russian center!

in the right flank Boye moves his division forward under the storm of fire changing formation from columm to line

Epic charge! the  3rd dragoons clashes against the empress cuirassiers...

and against all odds tears them to pieces!

back to the left the hussar brigade charges against Lepic brigade

and smashes himself against a perfect formed square.

in this black hour all seemed lost to the russian cause, with both flanks sinked, Kiev would fall to the invaders and it's holy soil occupied by polishs and worse... with his head darkened for this thoughts General Kamenski ovserves the advance of polish and french brigades against the russian center.

but the tide turned when two concentrated salvoes of the New Ingria regiment (who was occuping the village) forced to break the Bessières brigade. That was the first attack of a truelly avalanche of assaults that the french launched against the town, the New Ingria hold its grouns during all the day, throwing back wave after wave of assaltants. iIt was their heroism that won the day for the russians and because of this the whole regiment was awarded afterwards with saint George's cross, the highest medal that a russian can ever dream to win.

La Marche vers la Gloire: second wave, this one who suffered heavily from a 4 bases russian battery was completely erradicated from existence by a fusillade from the New Ingria, being crushed afterwards by the remmants of the regrouped hussars (who captured their eagle)

The polish attack: at the sound oft the Jeszcze Polska, the song that chanted the poles who stood with Napoleon in the first campaign of Italy (and actually the current polish anthem) the polish brigades moves on to the attack. Kapuzinzski brigade lanches themself against the village lead by General Josef in person while Ignazy brigade starts firing on the remaining russian center (the"glorious" grenadiers had started to run out like a turn ago) 

• 
• third wave, the polishs make their attempt...

and are also shattered (with the remmants of Bessières brigade who had been disbanded and regrouped before)

Disaster! the Simbrinsk musketeers captures the mounted battery

Uvarov tries desperadly to regroup routing Saint Petersburgers (polish musket was too much for them)

view of the Battelfield: in the centre the village (firmly in russian hands), the polishs covering the retreat of their comrades, below Boye's last brigade, and avove, a deserted field between the batteries of french and russians.

Vladimir fires it's last shots against the retreating polish.

Kamenski and Kutusov meet after the battle: hurrah Chaiky stays in the Tsar's hands, Kiev is protected and the frenchs are on retreat. Mother Russia has been saved!

General Uvarov

Izoumski Hussars

the general and his staff: in the right a cossack officer from the guard  and another from the don cossacks, in the left a cuirassier officer of the ekaterinoslav regiment and the colonel of the Achtyrka hussars 

and finally the guard hussars!

Russian Hussars

In all armies around the continent Hussars were the most amazing troop of the army, fashinable and womanizers, temeraries and irascibles, they embodied the spirit of boldness and heroic (but sometimes suicidal) acttitud that made each man in the regiment a single legend. The life of the hussar was a frenetical run thowards dead and adventure, althought most of this imagginary comes from the idealitzation of them that made romantinc poets thorought the XX century, from Pushkin tot Tolstoi the Hussar was the incarnation of the impulsive soldier always staring to life witha a ironical smile in his lips.

In fact reality was far more prosaic and lots of the most troublesome characthers in russian army came from all the arms of the army, for example Denisov an officer known for his exploits on the battelfield and in some ladie's room was in fact a Cossack commander.

But what is indubtable is that their uniforms and equipment where incerdibly exotic and ridicously exepensive, so perhaps we could consider that their wealth was the reason of many of their "exploits"

Elisabethgard Hussars

Soum Hussars

Mariopoul Hussars