Breakfast (Lunch and Dinner) in America.

Nothing wargaming related just a quick word to say what's been going on.
We got back last week from a 14 day visit to Detroit to see my son, he married an American girl and went out there three years ago and now works for a newspaper in the city.
Great trip, we've never been over before so the whole experience was new to us. The People were really friendly, the 'have a great day' cliche is always there wherever you go and frankly if they don't always mean it I really don't care. You come out of the shop or whatever feeling considerably better than coming out of places over here where the person behind the counter can't be bothered to put his newspaper down to serve you!
Michigan seems (from years of corruption and neglect) to be picking up again. The American car industry is on the rise after the U.S. government pumped in money and some bloody big houses are springing up all over the place. I can only speak for the area we visited but the whole feel of the place is one of upward progress, though there is still along way to go (especially in the poorer suburbs).
On the lighter side I went my first baseball game, fired an AK47 and the missus shot a pistol (with a particularly manic look in her eye I may add).
Here's a few pics:

Detroit Tigers stadium

The City

AK47 top right

Mine

Wor lasses

As stated in the title of this (Breakfast (Lunch and Dinner) in America.) the food was great as can be seen from the fat bastard in this photo.

Everything (from cars to corn flakes) was about half the price it is here but of course they pay out plenty for medical insurance.
All in all a cracking trip and best of all my lad is doing very well.
Still working on that Austrian 28mm artillery battery, more when I finish them.
Dave

Loads of Austrians and French horse artillery.

Another battalion of 28mm Austrian foot (Elite) painted up for the French Rev stuff. As mentioned previously 48 figures take a bit of getting through, but their done so I thought I'd get the pics on the blog. You can see that I took photographs of both battalions (though one was painted last year) just to prove that I didn't just re-photograph one battalion twice! as they have the same facings!

This battalion (along with the forthcoming Austrian foot artillery battery) should give them a reasonable force to deal with the French in battles to come.

The following are photographs of French horse artillery 1794-5, the drivers of which I've done in uniform and not in civilian dress as seems to be the general conclusion in this discussion on TMP here .I am of the opinion that as an Elite formation with an excellent reputation throughout these wars that these troops (especially given the fact that they pushed forward to engage the enemy) would not have dared rely on civilian contractors to get them out of tight situations at the last minute. The figures are from the Old Glory 'Napoleon in Egypt' range with the drivers given head swaps to fit in.
Eureka have just released these figures here with civilian drivers so if anyone wants these then here they are. Beautiful sculpting but rather expensive as I've discussed here before (didn't stop me buying a cavalry rgt) but if it's what you want then go for it.
The figures shown here were painted about a year ago before Eureka released theirs but even though the Eureka castings are much better, I still think I'd go for the Old Glory just because of the cost. Oh for a lottery win!
Enough rambling, here are the pictures:

As mentioned Austrian artillery next.
Cheers, Dave.

Franco Prussian mayhem!

Last Sunday Neal, Scotty (umpiring and organising the two forces) and myself groped our way through the fog, mist and rain up to Mick's in the nether regions of Northumberland with our Franco Prussian War 15mm armies in tow for a full day fictitious battle based on the idea of getting a convoy past the advancing Prussian/South German forces streaming down from the North East.
Map 1. This was the initial set up with the Prussian V and XI Corps (Neal), Bavarian II Corps with Baden and Wurttenburg Divisions in support (Mick) the C in C being Prince Frederick Wilhelm. The French (myself), a strong 1st Corps and two weaker corps 3rd and 5th, their C in C being Marshal Mac Mahon.

The aim (which from my point of view went out of the window pretty quickly as I was happy just to hang in there) was to get the French supply convoy from the road at bottom left of the map, round the large hill and off the other road towards Paris.

The French convoy with 3rd Corps defending the village and the Prussian V Corps coming on in the background (the right hand side of the map):

View looking along the rear of 3rd Corps:

A photo looking along the line showing the French 1st Corps coming onto the table on their left flank:

Bavarian II Corps with Wurttenburg divisions in support sorting themselves out before advancing towards the French flank:

Map 2 shows the advance of the two armies with the French 3rd Corps on their right holding the road open for the convoy to pass by:

The Prussian V Corps advance towards the French 3rd Corps defending the road with the convoy passing through just behind (an adventurous unit of French Chasseurs occupy a wood to their front, they would prove to be a nuisance):

From the other side of the table:

The French 1st Corps advance towards their Bavarian opponents:

The French center, 5th Corps:

Map 3. Prussian V Corps engages the French 3rd Corps to their front (red arrows) attempting to clear the road and thereby prevent the convoys progress. In the center both sides advance, and on the French left the Wurttenburgers swing around the wood to outflank their opponents:

Neal's Prussian V Corps pile in to the village taking heavy casualties from the French Chasspot rifle on their way. This attack was repulsed, partially from the intensity of French fire but also as Neal admitted because he threw the Prussians towards the French in supported line instead of column thereby loosing the tactical doctrine bonus due to the Prussians when in this formation, he would quickly learn!

The next attacks went in in column, still taking casualties but weight of numbers would count:

Both centers advance towards each other:

The Wurtenburgers on their flank march:

With the Bavarians pinning the French 1st Corps to their front:

Map 4. The French 3rd Corps collapses under the weight of numbers and with Prussian V Corps Krupp artillery giving tremendous support flees to the rear. Two cavalry divisions (one from each side) charge infantry to their front.

The Prussian breakthrough on their left:

The taking of the village (notice those brave French Chasseurs still in the woods behind):

The Prussian cavalry charge in the center:

A suicidal charge by French 3rd Corps cavalry fails utterly resulting in the inhalation of over half their number! Scotty was not happy with me doing this as he'd just finished painting these for the game. First time out syndrome!
Now you see em:

Now you don't:

All of these cavalry attacks ended the same way, historically accurate actually as (particularly the French) tended to throw cavalry in desperate last ditch charges, always with the same result. End of an era!

Map 5. Marshal Mac Mahone (me) tries desperately to shore up the French right, however it is in the center that the decision will take place. The Prussian XI Corps, even without it's cavalry support crashes into the French 5th Corps while the South German flanking attack (with Mick in charge) goes ahead.

The French 5th Corps in the center of their line cannot stop the Prussian XI Corps from over running them, even with artillery support:

The final French reserves are thrown in but they are still only facing the XI Corps 1st line, many more Prussian regiments to come!

The scene of destruction on the French right, waggons running in all directions:

On the French left light troops push through the woods and Wurttenburgers press the flank:

Map 6.The end game, the French right and center have collapsed and their right will be hard pressed. A definite victory for the Prussians much to Mick and Neal's delight.

The rules were Fire and Fury Francese, here an adaptation of Fire and Fury. Each unit you can see in the photographs represent an infantry regiment, each cavalry unit is a brigade and each artillery model is a battery.
The maps were drawn using Battle Chronicler http://battlechronicler.com/ which it has to be said took me some time to get my head around but considering my skills with the computer are limited to say the least I think have come out quite well.

As always a cracking time was had by all, so much so that Mick is thinking about raising an army an is reading up on the period. Good stuff even though I lost.
If you want to read another report with pics of the game see Scotty's blog here
Hope you enjoyed the write up,
Dave.