My yearly order with DORSET SOLDIERS has arrived!

Views: 32

I will replace those pics with new one’s “out of the boxes” when coming back from holidays… summer is hot even in Andorra!… done partially!

So for the moment just enjoy like this… fresh from the parcel!

I even did not take pics of a drummer and some dogs!

In a hurry it was… mind!

2025 order has been placed already (French Chasseurs of the Line aka light Infantry; another unit of French line Infantry and a special “musique de la Legion”)

Have added new pics…

The “missing drummer” completes the unit! Thanks Antony!
She wore a Yellow Ribbon (Joanne Dru).
The whole outfit.
Mules an ADC…
British Artillery (late XIXth)
British Artillery deployed for action.

French Artillery with Infantry support.
French Line Infantry (187o amd later)
Properly “unboxed”…
French Marines (marsouins)
Same with the Marsouins!
French line artillery…
French Line Artillery deployed.
British Colonial Machine Gun Servers…
Deployed.
Guides NWF Vickers servers…
Deployed too!… I searched for this fellows since I saw eons ago Lives of a Bengal Lancer and Gary Cooper blowing his whistle deploying the machine guns… fantastic job by Dorset Soldiers!
French 75mm guns, British 13 pounders and machine gun with carriage.

Some Cavalry Officer’s Minis in 54MM bought already painted.

Views: 41

It is a pleasure to collect in 54MM… because it remains the Toy Soldier scale par excellence.

Sometimes I do order them by Post, sometimes I buy in Ebay (less frequently).

In any case the results have been quite satisfactory so far.

REPLICA and DORSET/IMPERIAL SOLDIERS are just two of the best manufacturers around.

Enjoy!

Bought on Ebay (expensive way of collecting).
General Wolseley painted by Andrew Stevenson (REPLICA) one of my first ever buys from REPLICA.
French ADC post 1870 painted by Antony Spencer (DORSET SOLDIERS or IMPERIAL MINIATURES)

Some Cavalry Officer’s Minis in 54MM painted by me.

Views: 127

I have always been fascinated by horses (lead toy horses I am afraid), films with horses in them I am a fan… but my experiences with real horses are almost nil, once I rided a horse in a tourist promenade (about 1 hour) and only can recall the vast amount of flies they carried with them.

Lead toy horses are “cleaner”… and they behave… lol

As Oscar Wilde said they are dangerous at both ends and uncomfortable in the middle… probably an exaggeration to make a laugh…

Enjoy!

RCMP Inspector (my avatar) REPLICA painted by me…
Captain Brittles (She Wore a Yellow Ribbon)… REPLICA painted by me…
HRH King Charles III (REPLICA painted by me)
Winston Churchill as a subaltern in the 4th Hussars… (REPLICA painted by me)
French Officer (DORSET SOLDIERS) painted by me… I already had the horse bought painted and asked for a suitable cast from Antony Spencer.
Churchill at Omdurman… converted and painted by me…using DORSET SOLDIERS castings. (In fact I already had the painted horse)

GETTYSBURG 3rd July (Part II)… and an end to the series… (63 real days on and off). 6MM

Views: 143

It is over… the Gettysburg reenacment (solo wargaming to a point) took me 63 “days” in real time… not continuosly OF COURSE!… there were real life intrusions on the project (trips, business, contracts… you name it!)… but the obvious bonus fact of having a permanent big table (green top if you like)… payed off. It has been a long life project… I wanted to do Gettysburg for years (even when I was napoleonic wargaming in 25MM).

Well, as the expected anticlimax I give you 3rd day PartII. I was satisfied with the result (you can not have it at regimental level… but you can wargame at regimental level parts of it).

Pics will show you “Pickett’s charge” (because Heth was inconscious) it has gone down in History with that name… but was a pell-mell of scraped brigades from Ist Corps and III Corps… and Pickett’s were the only “fresh” troops of the lot.

Lee gambled hard and lost… the conflict would last for nearly two years more but the men the South lost as casualties were not there anymore. Stonewall Jackson had already said that the South lacked the manpower to explote a victory…

A sad affair (as war always is)… you are deeply affected even wargaming it!

The advancing Confederate Brigades as on parade!
Union artillery fire starts disrutping the charge…
Union musketry becomes to play on too…
The clash!
The High Water Mark…
General Lee receives his men with the heartfelt apology “It was my fault… not yours”… with hindsight they would have had to search for peace there and then… but History is different!

GETTYSBURG 3rd July ( Part I ) 6MM

Views: 145

The third day of the battle General Lee after having attacked both flanks on previous days… designs a grand attack by 13 brigades (as much as a Corps but amalgamated from Ist and IInd)… Picket’s Division been the only fresh troops for the attack.

It would be preceded by an Artillery action of a massed guns battery. It would be effective to a less degree than hoped, much overshooting the target… (and quite defective ammo sometimes).

The Confederate Cavalry tries to join the main battlefield on the rear of the Union… but would be stopped in a draw fight (inconclusive)… and prevented by the Union Cavalry to complete that objective.

The battle is ready for the grand final…

Enjoy!

The Confederate Grand battery…
The shot and shell mainly affects the rear area of the Union position…
The Union cavalry stops Jeb Stuart tired troopers…
Custer wons his reputation that day (among others)…
End of the Bombardment…

HRH King Charles III

Views: 165

Finally decided to change the command figure of my Trooping the Colour display.

It took me almost two years to decide.

HRH the late Queen Elizabeth II has been moved to another shelve. She is still on display, but certainly not on a central role.

Time moves on.

The new figure (a REPLICA cast) painted by me.
The new King on Parade.

GETTYSBURG 2 July mid afternoon/evening/dusk 6MM

Views: 164

The second day at Gettysburg saw hard fighting, it has been said that General Lee intended an envelopping attack clockwise: first Longstreet, then Hill (Anderson Division) and then Ewell.

It went like that more or less in my tabletop.

The Peach Orchard, the Whratfield and the Valley of Death were a place of hard fighting… IIIrd Corps (Union) made a gallant defense but was spent and had to retreat. Luckily for General Meade reinforcements come on in the nick of time.

Little Round Top (truly enough) went like an History book… Vincent had very good dice throws.

Anderson also did a half hearted attack (not for the real men involved I guess).

And Ewell was not at his best but nearly one Brigade went through the Union defenses… but there no fresh troops available and the Union quickly plugged the gap.

It was hard work wargaming it (so to say) SOLO… but now Dusk has fallen and the Confederate Army has not broken the Union line.

Hope you enjoy!

IIIrd Corps fight!
Anderson’s Division advance
The Center of the Union Line.
Ewell troops advance upon Culp’s Hill
The Valley of Death
Hard fighting
Little Round Top
A near breakthrough!
Dusk puts an end to hostilities…

GETTYSBURG 2 July 1863 afternoon. 6MM

Views: 217

At last Longstreet attacks with his two divisions. Ewell would delay his for two more hours.

As a reenactment, it proved quiet right about Hood he was wounded early in the fight… curiously the dice favoured Union III Corps and they offered an spirited fight.

The morning in Culp’s hill has been well employed entrenching the position.

The start of the fight on the souther part of the field.
Union II Corps is retreating but fighting.
On the other flank entrecnhments are done.
The Confederates are up Big Round Top.
Another view of Culp’s Hill (a very hard nut to crack).
Aerial view at mid afternoon 2 of July.

GETTYSBURG 2 July morning/early afternoon before the action… 6MM

Views: 229

Sickles III Corps is out “in the air” on the Union left flank… on the right flank “the fish hook” is in position because Slocum ha reinforced the position with the XII Corps.

Longstreet’s two divisions in the field (Hood and McLaws) are ending his roundabout and complicated march (because of delays and changes of direction to avoid visual detection).

All is ready fo the afternoon clash!

Enjoy!

XII Corps has formed on the right flank.
Sickles III Corps has moved too far forward contrary to Meade’s orders.
Longstreet’s two divisions are getting in position on the extreme Confederate right (Union left)
Longstreet in detail.
general view
Meade directs Sykes V Corps to the left flank! that will frustrate the outflanking move by the Rebs but just barely!