Forgotten Armies #13 - 7YW

 For the last two weeks, I haven't lifted a paintbrush or a craft knife and other than reading a few blogs, I've done nothing hobby-related at all.  Last week I was ill, had a routine clinic appointment and a funeral to attend and was in no mood or fit state to post about anything.

1st Btn on the right (with moustaches)

As I'd like to get to the tenth anniversary  of my blog (next February) before deciding whether or not to continue blogging I reckon I can post about my Seven Years' war collection over many posts.

This weeks post's subject is my 7YW Prussian infantry.

The photograph shows the 21st Regiment, battalions one and two.

 

These figures are amongst my oldest figures that I still have; they're Spencer Smith's 30mm plastic figures (as seen in Charles Grant's "Wargames" and Brigadier Young's Charge). I last used these figures around twenty years ago though they were painted almost entirely in the early 1970s and they're definetly my most used armies, representing my favourite historical period.  

21st regt. in front, backed by the 27th Regt.

Initially I bought some of these figures for the French-Indian wars but the small initial purchase soon ballooned into something much larger.

The 39th Regt. of fusiliers in front of the infantry brigade

IIRC, for the princely sum of £1.20, you got a bag of 40 musketeers, 20 grenadiers, 10 drummers and 10 officers on foot 

 

(they're all in metal now and far more expensive).

 

The number of grenadiers meant I always had an excess of these figures and a lot were 'converted' to fusiliers with just their grenadier caps cut vaguely to shape.-

- I have two regiments of fusiliers !

I'd also worked out that a bag of 24 mounted officers worked out cheaper than more infantry (and  yet more excess grenadiers), so a mounted officer was placed in the centre of each of the regiment's battalions - saving four infantry figures! The officers had a flagstaff placed though their hands and a drummer was also added to each battalion  (I also had a surplus of drummers).

 

Better photograph, showing the fusilier caps.

In those days, block painting with enamels ws the order of the day and black-lining was the in vogue painting technique (i only did the former). Basing was dark green 'grass' and little else as the aim was to play a game not to become a master painter. The latter doesn't show up well as the figures have accumulated dust over their years of inactivity.

In the Prussian army of the era the grenadiers from each regiment were removed and amalgamated with another reiment's greandier to form a grenadier battalion, so I needed only one battalion of grenadiers for every four battalions of musketeers.

Bonus rear view of the fusiliers (Padding -Ed.)

A battalion of grenadiers (obligatory blurry photograph)

Overall I have about 24 battalions of foot, plus four battalions of grenadiers, though in my re-fights each battalion was normally counted as a regiment. The battalion artillery, was represnted by a single arillery model.

All the infantry in its drawer.

For me,also  this was a great trip down memory lane, hopefully there was something here of interest to anyone else reading through this.

Your comments, of course are always welcomed and appreciated.