Napoleonic, WSS & ECW wargaming, with a load of old Hooptedoodle on this & that


Monday, 16 January 2017

1809 Spaniards - Latest Group Photo

I've promised myself I'd do this for a while. In any case, I need to get photos of individual finished units to get my Napoleonic Catalogue back up to date (yes, I am sad enough to keep one of these!), and the 1809 army has now grown to the point where it can be photographed on its own, without any walk-on extras to swell the spectacle.

From this end, groups are Vanguard, 1st Divn, 2nd Divn, Reserve, Cavalry
and Irregulars
...and here we're looking back the other way
For anyone who has not come across this army before, it has to be explained that I already have a reasonably sized 1812-vintage Spanish nationalist army, but I gradually acquired enough bicorned castings to consider building a separate one for 1809. This army is based (approximately) on the OOB for the period around the Battles of Ucles and Ocaña - the original plan was to have a representation of the Vanguard, First and Reserve Divisions from the historical original, with appropriate cavalry, artillery and engineering services to make a well-rounded wargames army. It soon dawned on me that I could also add in a Second Division consisting of "New" (post 1808) Regiments, simply by drafting all the round-hatted volunteer units from the 1812 army, plus the guerilleros.

Anyway, the army is now shaping up nicely - I am astounded that the inflow of apparently obsolete metal figures continues to trickle on,  so that I now have more than enough for my intended forces - there is some danger of the Grand Plan expanding again, so I shall watch for that temptation. It is useful to go through this photography exercise - it summarises progress to date, gives me a stock check on what is still to be done, and it is - after all - fun.

Vanguard (still short of a battalion of grenadiers and two of light infantry) and
First Division on the right (short of one battalion of lights)

Current state of the Vanguard - 2 bns of La Corona, 1 each of Murcia and
Cantabria, the 1. Voluntarios de Cataluña and the Provinciales de Jaen

Second Division - 8 assorted round-hatted "new" regiments - including 3 of
light infantry - plus the Provinciales of Granada

Reserve Division (short of 2 bns of the Royal Guard, 2 of grenadiers and 1 of
lights) and cavalry (only the light cavalry is present - 4 units of heavier cavalry
still to be painted, any time soon...)

Current state of the Reserve - 1 bn each of the Walloon Guards, Irlanda,
Provinciales of Cordoba and 2 bns of Ordenes Militares

Light cavalry - leading unit is the Husares de Extremadura (formerly the
Husares de Maria Luisa)

These are the guerilleros - irregulars or armed civilians - they do not normally
appear with the field army, but are useful in a variety of situations - in siege
situations troops like these may serve on the walls alongside the regulars

Figures from Falcata, SHQ/Kennington, Qualiticast, even the odd HaT!
Apart from the missing units noted (still to be painted), I still need quite a few more generals and staff figures, there is at least one more company of foot artillery to come and I haven't started on the engineers and zapadores yet.

It is going rather well, though! Thanks - once again, very much - to everyone who has helped with supplies of figures and painting services - it wouldn't have happened without you!

This week's version of the target OOB is thus (units marked * are still to be painted)

Vanguard
1 & 3/La Corona (IR #5)
1/Murcia (IR #19)
1/Cantabria (IR #21)
Converged grenadier bn*
1. Vols de Cataluña (light)
Bn de Campo Mayor* (light)
Prov de Jaen

1st Divn
1 & 3/Reina (IR #2)
1 & 3/Africa (IR #6)
1 & 3/Burgos (IR #18)
Converged grenadier bn
Vols de Valencia* (light)
Prov de Ciudad Real

2nd Divn
8 bns of "new" infantry (borrowed from 1812, incl 3 light)
Prov de Granada

Reserve
1 & 2/Guardias Reales Españoles*
1/Guardias Walones
Granaderos Provinciales de Andalucia*
1 & 3/Ordenes Militares (IR #31)
1/Irlanda (IR #36)
Granaderos del General*
Vols de Gerona* (light)
Prov de Cordoba

Cavalry
Principe*
España*
Montesa*
Dragones de Pavia*
Husares de Extremadura
Husares Españoles (to be replaced with better figures...)
Cazadores de Olivencia
Cazadores "Vols de España"
Granaderos a Caballo Fernando VII

Foot Artillery - 4 companies (1 still to be painted)

Garrison artillery*
Engineers, Sappers etc*

Partidas, Irregulars
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15 comments:

  1. Jonathan Freitag16 January 2017 at 16:19

    Well now! Your Spanish collection is much larger than I expected to see when laid out on the table. Seeing each unit as it marches off your workbench one-by-one misleads my mind to the actual size of the army that is silently amassing.

    Impressive collection and so glad to see a parade review of the whole army.

    Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MSFoy16 January 2017 at 21:30

      Thanks Jon - I am pleased with them. I get a lot of comments along the lines of "but can they fight?", which I have learned to accept with good grace. Of course they can't fight - well, they can, as long as they have a big load of extra troops and are not required to manoeuvre much. They are pretty though, which is the main thing.

      Delete
    2. Jonathan Freitag17 January 2017 at 01:32

      Sometimes looking good is all that matters. While some have a Trophy Wife, you have a Trophy Army! Well, maybe you have a Trophy Wife too!

      Delete
  2. Wellington Man16 January 2017 at 17:49

    Breathtaking and magnificent, Foy. And how long did this take you?

    It's extraordinary how the old figures keep turning up, isn't it!

    WM

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MSFoy16 January 2017 at 21:27

      First painted figures for this army were April 2014 - check out

      http://prometheusinaspic.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/regimiento-de-africa.html#comment-form

      I really need to get on with the cavalry very soon - I need to take my confidence pills.

      Delete
  3. Unknown16 January 2017 at 19:48

    Marvellous, blooming marvellous.

    ReplyDelete
  4. MSFoy16 January 2017 at 22:52

    Received an email from Keith W, who asks what kind of units the Provinciales were, and why they didn't appear later in the Guerra de Independencia. They were Provincial Militia - not great soldiers, but usually better than the units of Urban Militia, who were the worst of the lot. They disappeared when the French gradually took charge of almost the whole country - if you are going to organise and recruit a militia unit for a province, you have to still have a province to raise them in. Interesting that during the brief period following Los Arapiles, when the French evacuated the capital, militia-type units suddenly were raised in Madrid, which lasted only until Wellington retreated back to Portugal and the French returned. Some of the Provincial Grenadier units were pretty good.

    ReplyDelete
  5. 'Lee.17 January 2017 at 09:40

    That's a most impressive looking army Tony, and I really like the neatness of the basing system. Something special about those Spanish uniforms.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MSFoy17 January 2017 at 21:44

      Hi Lee - I've picked up on your trick of painting white uniforms over light grey undercoat, to give a bit of a lived-in look - thanks for that! They are coming along nicely. Since this army is a complete indulgence, it is is necessary that the whole thing should be a bit over-the-top - otherwise why bother? : )

      Delete
  6. Unknown18 January 2017 at 07:20

    Holy Iberian Horse, Foy Man! Thanks for the full parade. What a treat to see such a magnificent force in full array.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Service Ration Distribution (Hobby)18 January 2017 at 10:18

    Excellente! Impressive Army passing in review.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Mad Padre18 January 2017 at 18:04

    They look splendid. I quite like the round hat chaps.
    I had best get that regiment to you soon, it looks like they are missing the show!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous20 January 2017 at 11:55

    Oh, now they are lovely!
    You have inspired me to dig out my old 1809 Spanish army from the depths of the wardrobe where it had skulked since its last outing ..erm ...a few years ago. It was a bit of a disappointment. Not nearly half as good as yours. Serious repainting needed at the very least.
    Thanks for sharing the pictures of the troop review.
    Envious and depressed now.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Unknown20 January 2017 at 18:31

    I have yet to find the group photograph miscreant either gurning or pulling rabbit ears from behind a comrades hat. Very disciplined indeed.

    ReplyDelete

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